Page 22 - Masala Lite Issue 163 July 2024

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“Hey guys! So sorry, I’m not free to meet this evening.
Please go ahead without me.”

Ugh, why are they asking me to propose a different time?
I don’t want to dance! The whole sangeet becomes so
stressful like this. I won’t even be able to enjoy myself
until the performance is over with.
“Sorry guys. I don’t think I’m going to do the dance this
time. Thank you though, I’ll be cheering for you.”
An unreformed party girl and mother
of two,writer, editor and observer I can see Diya typing something. What did she write?
Sumati Huber tries to “You have to do the dance, it’s your sister’s wedding.
make sense of our unique We expect you to be in the front and centre. We will go
Thai-Indian society and the aunties ahead with the practice tonight and send you a video
so you can learn the steps.”
that she will one day become.
I wonder if it’s rude if I leave the chat group? Fine, I
guess I have no choice anymore. It doesn’t matter that I
When You’re the Worst Dancer in the spent my whole life covering for my sister to our parents,
helping her with her homework, and letting her borrow
Wedding Group my clothes. She won’t forgive me if I don’t dance at her
wedding.
Oh gosh! What is this chat group I have been added
into now? “Dance for #RajSoniaInLove”? I have been Let’s see this video they sent. It can’t be that bad, right?
forced to perform at weddings since I was five years old, What did I just watch?! That is ridiculous, their hands too long. Maybe I can just hold it up the whole time.
when is it going to end? I’m not even good at dancing and feet are moving everywhere! I don’t understand the
and I’m so uncoordinated. I shouldn’t even be allowed moves at all! The song is so fast too! I can’t move my Wow, the sangeet decor is so beautiful. I better find
to get on stage. hips like that! What is this next step? It looks like I’m something to eat before it gets too crowded. What’s
supposed to be hopping while wiping windows? I better this message I’m getting? “Guys, where are you? We
OK, I know it’s my sister’s wedding but surely I can just message them to set up another practice quickly because need to meet in front of the bathroom to go over the
give a speech or something instead of prancing around there’s no way I can learn the dance from this video. dance again NOW!”
like a fool. She should already be grateful I’m missing
five days of work for her celebrations. That was super stressful. There are only three days until Oh great, the MC is calling for all performers to come to
the sangeet, and now I have to spend every free moment the stage. Wait, we are the first group to dance? Oh my
Who else is in this group? Payal, Simran, Diya… oh my practicing. I can’t be the one to mess up. I suppose it’s God, that’s the beginning of our song! Here goes nothing…
God, they are such amazing dancers! I’m going to look too late to ask them to change the song to something
ridiculous next to them. What! They are arranging a slower. How am I going to dance in my super heavy I have no idea what just happened. That was all a blur.
practice for tonight at 8pm? Let me see if I can get out lehenga? Perhaps I have to take my shoes off during the I’m sure I messed up so many steps. It was fun, but I’m
of this. performance, but then I’ll trip over my skirt because it’s so happy it’s over. I’ll be at the bar the rest of the night.