THE day of my life.

I entered the stage, shaking with fear. It was my arangetram, which is a bharathanatyam performance, a classical dance which I enjoy so much that I show off to everybody about it. It makes me feel free, like a bird flying fearlessly in the sky. Anyway, my sister and I were the only ones doing it, as you're supposed to do it solo or like a duet, or, well, basically all the attention is on you. That's the whole point why there were flutterflies in my stomach. Anyway, I plucked up my courage (kind of) and went up on stage. I wished me sister Aditi luck and she wished me the same. Then, it started. The music of a violin, a mridhungum, a natuvangam all mixed into one. I looked at the huge audience, gave such a big smile that my jaws hurt, and did the best I could dance.

Now, a year later after my arangetram, I'm writing this so that all those memories come back so near that I can almost see it. My arangetram came out quite well, with LOADS of gifts. I still wish I could do it one more time, just to make it a little more better than what I already did.

-your young friend Anoushka.