What Happens When Your Vexing Chum Takes a Fall…

It was one of those days when nothing goes right.

In sheer disappointment I sat on the admin stair case and stared through the glass at the commotion that went on. The whole core team was baffled, evidently muddled in their heads. All teams participating in the mega event Mudra had backed off at the last moment. I saw my friend and organiser of Mudra, Shubhani, almost on the verge of breaking down to tears, and not to forget my rubbernecked co-host-to-be, still trying to consume the fact that the event had been scrapped off!
Things weren’t much bad for me as I had seized the opportunity to host another event. Yet, upon looking at the choreography team, that had practiced day in and day out for so many days with the kind of devotion that we rarely get to see in our college, my heart sank. They could not compete anymore with other teams; their performance was reduced to mere filler.
I went back stage to prepare for the compeering. The western dances went well, in fact great! The performances were awe-inspiring with groovy beats making the audiences hoot louder on every subsequent dance.

It was now time for the Choreography society of our college to perform- time for their filler performance. The stage lights went back on and I could see a striking, picturesque view. The dance had started with a bang as the dancers formed an incredible, ostensibly humanly impossible formation, resembling a swinging pyramid. I was left gazing in an awe-struck and jaw hung state, only to realise that the subsequent dance steps were even more breath-taking.

What happened after that was sudden and quick!

THUD!!

 There was a thud on the stage.

I could only catch a glimpse but I could make out that it was Shreesthi, my class mate, hostel mate, and a very good friend.

Her free fall had gone wrong and she had had a dangerous fall.

In a hurried response to the thud, I grabbed Shubhani’s arm and ran to the other end of the stage.(I was already back stage).

 She (Shreesthi) was in immense pain and was lying behind the wings. Her moaning was deafening even amidst the loud music of the dance performance that was still going on. Shubhani and I could only grab her, telling her that everything would be alright. We felt helpless.

Yet, the dangerous six feet fall had not dampened her passion for the dance even by an iota. She tried to stand but was pulled back by our shaky arms. We had understood what she wanted to do next. How could we let her join back? She was being stupid, as usual. Yet, she somehow with the help of a dance team member on stage, resisted our grips and stood up, chin up and head held high. Our efforts to stop her had gone in vain.
Very staunchly, she smiled in the happy sequence of the dance even as tears rolled down her cheeks due to immense pain, jumped onto her dance partner, locked her foot behind his shoulder and did a marvellous lift, completed the dance and bowed…the smile still on her face. The scenario was unbelievable and I felt a chill run down my spine. I never realised when my eyes got filled with water and tears spilled out. I could not even figure out the reason. All I knew was that I had to be back there with her just after the dance ended.
Back behind the stage, I saw that the moaning had resumed. Her body had been through unnecessary stress. The choreographer and a crowd of people, including me and Shubhani did our best to make her breathe properly and lessen her pain.
We couldn’t wait for an ambulance and she was taken to the hospital immediately after some first aid, accompanied by some seniors.
The next few hours were agonisingly long. As we waited for the rest of our friends to join us, our phones were clenched in our fingers impatiently and querulously. Several phone calls to the hospital, condolences from our friends, and heavy-heart-moments later, we all heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing Shreesthi’s stifled voice over the phone. She had called up from the hospital to say that she was fine, except the fact that she had suffered from a neck spasm.

We could now finally go back to our hostel.

The whole day had been quite eventful and had left us all whacked to the bone. Yet, after all this, what brought a smile to our faces were the thought and the realisation that we had one brave friend, a passionate young lady. And though she vexed us every day by bickering and babbling all day, the dubious prate was sure of at least one thing, her dance.

It takes nerves of steel to play your part when you are in extreme pain, and yet she did it wonderfully.
I strongly feel- and I am definitely not exaggerating- that anything said in her praise would do her no justice as it would fall short of the appreciation that she deserves, only for the passion she exhibited that day!
Yet, there is no denying the fact that it was a dangerous accident, and when her (Shreesthi's) decision to get up and dance again, was silly and stupid, amateurish. That one decision could have made matters worse. So, our dear hero, the next time you fall, think about us and take a parachute along.