Athasha sat quietly in a corner seat of the coveted club filled with jolly faces, chirpy talks and lots of loud music. Honey Singh and Badshah could never make an entry into her heart and those noisy raps made her detest disc culture again and again. Her husband was sitting with his colleagues and she was supposed to mingle with their wives as it was a get-together organized by the officers’ association. Athasha’s husband Manvik joined his first posting as a taxman in the city of dreams eight months ago. The transition from a small town in Assam to the financial capital of the country was not smooth at all. The main barrier was language as Athasha was not versed in conversing in English and her accented Hindi was also a matter of ridicule amongst the highly educated wives of other officers. They often tried to avoid her in social gatherings and she did not get invited to the pot lucks and birthday parties. With a six-month-old baby and an ailing mother-in-law at home, Athasha was trying hard to manage the household as smoothly as possible.
“Look at her dressing sense! She wears cotton sarees and salwar suits all the time!”
“English is a distant dream, she fumbles while speaking Hindi too!”
“Maybe he got a hefty amount for this alliance!”
Her heart broke every time she heard such negative remarks.
Soon the dance floor was opened for all and the gorgeous ladies in their shimmery LBDs showed off their dance moves and joyful laughter. They carried themselves confidently and beautifully. Athasha observed them from a distance and was appreciated their style quotient.
“I am sorry Athi, I am not being able to give you company”, Manvik sounded apologetic.
“Hey, don’t be sorry. This is an official get together and you need to be around your folks. I am enjoying the party in my own way. Just go and enjoy without worrying about me!”
The D.J announced a short break as the dinner was ready and everyone headed towards the buffet area.
“We have some amazing dancers with us tonight must say. Ladies, you killed it!” the lively emcee for the night was in all praise for the dancing divas.
“Do we have any singer too? May we listen to some soothing music on this beautiful full moon night?”
No one present there showed interest or confidence.
Athasha exchanged a glance with Manvik and went up to the emcee.
“Though I don’t fully consider myself as a singer, I love soft music and would like to share some soulful songs with you all tonight.” Athasha said confidently.
“The microphone is all yours, Ma’am. By the way, you are looking extremely gorgeous in this silk saree.”
“Thank you so much”, she replied smilingly.
With a calming breath, Athasha started singing her favorite moon song- ‘Chaandni raatein’. Her melodious voice enwrapped everyone’s heart; claps and cheers poured in as she completed the song. ‘Tinka Tinka’ and ‘Jo waada kiya woh’ were the next songs and Manvik’s senior most Boss went up to her to offer some encouraging words. Manvik’s colleagues patted his back and teased him for hiding a gem all this time. He could only smile and felt proud of his amazing wife.
“You are a star today. You sing so well!”
“I love your saree too. What type of silk is this?” The comments already started to change and Athasha knew she could make her presence felt finally! She did not change according to the norms set by the popular opinion; rather she worked on her strengths and utilized them at the right time. She sparkled bright on a saree-clad night and Athasha knew she was going to be a favourite star thereafter.
By Anuja Lopamudra Das
Hailing from a small town, Nagaon in Assam, Anuja’s love for writing bloomed mostly during her college days. With two super energetic kids and a busy household by her side, she follows her passion for writing and singing without fail and it keeps her going with full zeal. Blogging, cooking, and lots of reading are her besties and she promises herself not to part ways with them ever, no matter what. She can be contacted at anuja.lopa@gmail.com
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