Bells
Vivek Ramanan
I remember fidgeting with
excitement, behind rows of talking
children and proud mothers,
attempting to hide my bright
blue and red costume with
golden embroidery, with my small
hands. My feet were shaking,
the sounds of bells tinkling in
the small classroom. This was
my kindergarten talent show –
the first time I danced in public.
When my name was called (the
pronunciation was another story),
I eagerly ran up to the front of the
room to do what I loved at hat age:
dance. I moved to lilting tunes of
Jathiswaram, a combination of
rhythmic movements set to a 7
beat cycle, and beamed with joy
after I finished.
But I was too innocent to
understand the subtle glances
between childr