Team Ahimsa Blog Relay, Various Contests

Dancing

Words: 298 FOR "Daily Flash Fiction Challenge" 

"This is such fun!" Maryann exclaimed. "I've never been to a dance like this before!"

She was at the pre-wedding celebrations of her friend Maitrayi. Dancers were in two circles, an inner one and an outer one, facing each other. Each held a pair of sticks, called 'dandiya' and joyfully clicked the sticks together in rhythm. At the end of each refrain, the circles moved - the inner one clockwise, the outer one anti-clockwise, so everyone had a different partner.

The music went faster and faster. Then there was a crescendo and it stopped, and the dancers stood still, breathing hard.

"Break!" said Gauri, coming across the floor to grab Maryann's hand. "Let's get a drink!"

They some others around a table and sat sipping orange juice.

"I wish I could understand the lyrics," Maryann said.

"The last one was a girl saying she had danced so hard, she lost one earring! The one before that was about her keeping his latest letter under her pillow."

"It couldn't have been. It was so fast, not about sleeping at all!"

"Maybe it echoed her heartbeat!"

Everyone laughed. Unseen by Maryann, the others were winking at each other.

The musicians were taking up their places again. The dancers, complete with sticks, re-formed the circles.

The music began.

Suddenly, Maryann stopped dancing. Her partner stopped, too, and this held up the whole circle. Everyone came to a halt.

"But -- " Maryann gasped. "I thought I heard the word MARYANN in the lyrics of that song!"

Sticks were clicked together in a burst of applause.

"It's the custom to welcome anyone attending a dandiya for the first time by singing to them," Gauri explained. "That way the whole group gets to know of the newcomer!"

"Thank you!" gapsed Maryann, breathless with joy this time.