The Unexpected Encounter

‘Red is always the best color for me.’

‘Hmm…this is not bad’, said Harinee as she lifted up her golden embroidered white blouse and red lehnga, holding it in front of the mirror, while her red party dress was struggling to accept ‘rejection’.

Soon her most favorite and sought after lemon yellow party gown visible from the mirror hanging on the other side of her studio apartment was powerful enough to distract her.

‘Huh!’ Harinee seemed to find a long lost friend as she embraced the gown in her arms, and tried in on her, allowing the mirror to be the final approver.

Soon she turned back and picked her almost rejected lehnga, carefully surveying herself on the mirror, and then without wasting a minute seemed to consider the lemon yellow party gown. She was checking her look as a very conservative mother would pick a bride for her son.

Apart from being a graduate student at Bridge University, Harinee was had quiet a lot of feathers to her hat. She was a talented dancer, a skilled writer, and even an occasional volunteer. Even the tiny studio apartment had to provide room for her dance practice, and Harinee would happily practice for her dance in a corner.

 Finally, the blouse and lehnga combo was the winner!

It didn’t take too much time for the young lady to be ready for the occasion of ‘Spring Dance Party’ to be held at the university ballroom.

Harinee appeared to be walking with the air of a queen as she was coming out of her apartment onto the street, and lifted her lehnga using only her thumb and index finger creating a gap enough to hold a tiny fold of her lehnga.

As an international student without any scholarship, life was challenging for the twenty-four year old to survive in the USA. However, these occasions break the daily monotonous hardship and bring some positive energy in the lives of international as well as local students.

Dance has always taken a special place in Harinee’s heart. As she opened the gate of the ballroom, the soft piano music playing on the second floor of the building, touched her inner chord, making her feel like a doe (meaning of Harinee is doe in Hindi, Harinee’s native language in India). She would rather dance while climbing up the stairs to reach the second floor, the venue for the dance party.

‘Hey!’ Harinee was surrounded by hugs from every corner around her.

Cecilia, another young woman like Harinee who has come all the way from Nicaragua, was also a dear friend to Harinee. Mili, an international student from Paraguay, another friend came running with all the excitement her heart could hold as she saw Harinee.

At first, Mili could hardly speak as she was ‘surveying’ Harinee.

‘You look so gorgeous!’ said Mili, as she was trying to feel the silk touch of the lehnga.

‘I like the golden embroidery of your blouse.’ commented Cecilia as she was passing her fingers slowly on the embroidery.

Meanwhile people were swinging from side to side to match footsteps to the Jazz that was stealing the show. Harinee along with her friends was also swaying like daffodils on a breezy spring afternoon, putting their hands up in the air and humming along with the music.

‘I need all my brown ladies on the floor.’ The DJ’s voice buzzed around the ballroom, and soon the countdown began.

‘5…4…3…2…1’

Harinee could barely hold her excitement any more, grabbed her friends’ hands and rushed to the dance floor. Mili’s floral skirt added life to the floor as she was moving in circles to keep up with the beats as it said, ‘Sha la la la la’. Jason, another classmate seemed to spring up from a side as he shouted, ‘Show me your motion’, which was enough to throw the ladies off like a tornado.

‘Put your hands up if you’re ready for Sha-Sha-Shakira!’DJ Jackson’s voice acted like a mood enhancer for the evening.

‘Yyyass!’ shouted the crowd as if Shakira was entering the ballroom for real.

The dance floor which occupied a lion’s share of the ballroom seemed to be too small for the dancers. People were throwing their hands and legs in every direction, moved back and forth and side to side, while some girls were doing the feisty bumps as Shakira’s ‘Oh baby’ started playing.

‘I need some water.’ Mili told her American boyfriend Steve who is a big support to her as she is trying to understand the American lifestyle and culture.

Soon Steve got her a glass of water from the refreshment table.

‘You’re tired already!’ The party was not over for Steve.

‘You guys are here!’ Steve seemed to be alarmed as Harinee and Cecilia shouted from the back.

‘Actually we should thank Willy.’ said Cecilia looking at Mili, adding, ‘Yes your brother showed us where you are. You guys seemed to leave us at the dance fl…’

Cecilia had a ton of things to say, but Mili’s apologetic tone stopped her.

‘I’m sorry!’

‘No! It’s ok! I was kidding.’

A few minutes later DJ announced he is about to play some Rhythm and Blues for the lovebirds. The crowd cheered with their hands up and some even showed thumbs up as signs of approval. Some tired dancers however decided to take a short break which acted as a ‘blessing in disguise’ for the lovebirds.

‘There it is!’ A round disc was shining from Harinee’s purse, as she showed it to her friends.

‘You got a CD from home!’ said an excited Steve, as he requested to see what it is.

‘My friend helped me copy some songs I wanted.’ recollected Harinee as she continued, ‘But I don’t know if I should play it here as all the songs are from Bollywood.’ putting it back inside her purse.

The dance floor looked like a quiet sea beach bathed by moonlight on a full moon night with heart sign effects swirling around as couples danced looking into their partner’s eyes and holding each other close.

‘Do you want to dance?’ Steve asked Mili holding her hand, as Mili responded saying, ‘Nah’.

Harinee took out the CD from her purse, and seemed to have a plan in mind as she looked at the DJ station. She looked at the crowd too, and then looked at her CD again, giving a somewhat ‘defeated’ look as if she had just come back having fought a battle and lost.

‘What if people make fun of me?’ Thoughts were clouding Harinee’s mind, as she was about to put it back.

Finally, instead of putting it back she got up from her seat and walked toward the DJ station, and gave the CD to the DJ requesting him if the music can be played.

‘Ok.’ was DJ Jackson’s response as he said ‘after this song.’

‘Sure.’ Harinee’s voice was filled with glee with the thought that the music will be played, as she thanked the DJ.

Ten minutes had gone by. Every minute appeared like a month for Harinee though as she was excited to dance to the tune of Bollywood music, something she has done growing up in her country.

‘Ting di di ding ding! Ting di di ding ding!’ Music had started.

People were looking at each other in utter shock as if someone just dropped a bomb.

Harinee sprung on the dance floor as soon as it started matching her steps to the tune. Soon a big crowd followed her and copied her steps. Most of them even did an amazing job as Harinee was continuing to give her encouragement.

‘You’re a great teacher.’ Some of the people appreciated Harinee as she was demonstrating each hand movement in the middle of a dance party.

The dance floor was again packed with people, laughter, shouts and wild party spirit. Every dancer was determined to pick up each and every step that night. ‘Whoo’s, ‘Yo! Yo!’s filled the air, making the ballroom quiet noisy, as opposed to its occasional peaceful and soft look.

‘Wow!’ said an ‘exasperated’ Steve as he was dedicating his life and energy to learn ‘Bollywood dance’, while wiping off the sweat dripping from his forehead.

‘Did you burn some calories?’ teased Harinee as she noticed that people are still dancing although the song had been over at least four minutes ago.

Lights lit up signaling that it’s time for the party to be over as clock struck 11. DJ Jackson was wrapping up wishing ‘Good night’ and thanking everyone for being such amazing ‘party animals’. The other party organizers were talking about taking the lights and other decorations off from the ballroom as the ballroom needs to be left just as it was two days ago. The caterers were putting away stuff as they were cleaning the refreshment table.

‘How much do you want for your CD?’ A deep voice seemed to startle Harinee as she was about to collect her CD back.

Looking back, Harinee saw a 6 feet tall guy was expressing his desire to buy the CD, and he was asking for the price.

Harinee froze for almost two minutes looking at the guy with with her round big eyes and her mouth wide open.

‘I want to buy your CD.’ The guy continued.

‘Huh?’ Harinee responded as if she doesn’t understand anything.

‘Ten bucks’ The guy suggested a price, adding ‘Is that enough?’

Harinee gave her nod as her speech seemed to be impaired. She didn’t whether to laugh or cry.

‘Have I ever imagined that this CD which someone copied for me for free, and even I was reluctant to carry it all the way from India, would have such a demand?’ Harinee thought to herself as she made her exit out of the ballroom walking down the road toward her apartment.