15th August 2017

L U K A

"That's amazing!", I said.

"Thanks. I'm glad Mylene liked the idea", I heard Ivan say through the phone line.

I was currently talking to my best friend, Ivan on the phone. He just finished telling me all about his date with Mylene which happened yesterday. Ivan had taken Mylene to the rooftop of his house where he had arranged a candle-lit dinner just for the two of them. Marinette had helped him to come up with the idea.

That girl's truly wonderful.

"Luka? Hello Luka? You there?"

"Oh! Sorry! I zoned out a bit."

"So, when are you going to ask Marinette out?"

"I-I don't know", I said and sighed.

"Why?"

"She still loves Adrien"

"But, Adrien's dating Kagami."

"She needs time to move on..."

"I get it. You understand her better than us. Don't worry. I'm sure you'll find your true love."

"I hope so too."

Why does Love have to be so difficult?

"Luka! Lunchtime!", my Mom shouted from the living room.

"I gotta go. Time to eat."

"Okay. Tell me more about India tomorrow ok?"

"Okay! Bye!"

I hung up the phone and proceeded to the dining room. The others were already seated at the table. I took my seat and started to eat.

"So, kids, how did you like the flag hosting this morning?", asked Sushma aunty.

"It was awesome!", said Juleka.

"Indian traditions are very interesting. I loved the flag hoisting event", I said and recalled what happened this morning. Today was India's 70th Independence Day. This morning a flag hoisting ceremony was held at the main ground, the same ground where dahi-handi was held, yesterday. After the tri-colour was hoisted, the Indian National Anthem followed. I had learnt Hindi when I was around 7-8 years old and thanks to Sushma auntie's translation I was able to understand the meaning of the anthem. India is a truly lively place. The culture and traditions are so vibrant and enthusiastic yet the people are so calm, warm and welcoming.

"Tomorrow we'll be going to one of my friend's house for dinner. She has a sister whose daughter is about your age. I don't know if they are going to come tomorrow since the schools are still open", Sushma aunty said.

"Don't worry! We'll be glad to meet your friend. Won't we?", Mom said directing the attention back to me and Juleka.

"Of course!", Juleka and I chimed.

"Great! Now remember, we'll leave at 6 o'clock for the fest this evening!", Sushma aunty said and we got back to eating our food.

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"Woah."

"This is awesome! It's nothing like the ones back in Paris!", Juleka said in sheer excitement.

"C'mon little pirates! We have a lot to see tonight!", said Mom.

We were standing outside the main ground near the fence. The scene that lay in front of me was... Spectacular! The Independence Day Fest looked so vibrant and colourful that I couldn't take my eyes off of the decorations. Soft Indian music was playing on the speakers. As we walked into the ground, my eyes scanned all the different stalls that we're set up at the sides. At some stalls, food was being served which looked incredibly delicious but I couldn't try some of them since I have a sensitive stomach and too much of Indian masala could ruin this whole trip. That's why I had to stick to the sweets but I was not complaining because they were simply fantastic. I always liked 'Gulab Jamun'. Whenever you put it in your mouth it just melts and the taste is just, mesmerising.

I can't put into words! Who knows maybe I'll write a song on Gulab jamun one day?

Suddenly someone tugged at my sleeves while I was enjoying my sweet.

"The dance performances are about to start!", Juleka said and we both ran towards the stage which was located at the far end of the ground, opposite to the main entrance of the field.

"Now listen carefully! I have to go to my office because there is some urgent work which came up and I have to finish it quickly. So, you two stick to your Mom and don't get lost in the crowd. Anarka, I think you and the kids should come back home by 9 at least", said Sushma aunty.

"Oh, don't worry! We'll be fine! You can go and finish your work", said Mom.

"You know the way, right?"

"Aunty, the house is not that far from here. Just a few blocks away", I said. I was a bit disappointed that Sushma aunty had to leave but it must be urgent if it came up, on a holiday.

"Yeah right but-", Sushma aunty was cut off by Mom.

"Listen! You don't have to worry about us, we'll be fine! And the children are old enough to take care of themselves. Now you go to your office."

"And we also have our own phones", Juleka added as she pulled out her phone from her purse.

"Okay okay. Fine. Take care all of you and don't forget to enjoy the fest! Bye!", said Sushma aunty and left. I sighed in relief. Sometimes Sushma aunty gets too overprotective of us. Even our own Mom isn't that worried that we might get lost or something like that.

"C'mon kids let's go watch the performance. Even though she's not here we can't miss out on the fun, right?", said Mom.

"Yup. Let's go!", I said and the three of us proceeded towards the front row seats. Sushma aunty had got us special passes to the front row seats. I preferred the dance performances that took place in the open, like this one to the ones that are held in auditoriums. The main stage was a few inches higher from the ground and a lot of open space was left empty, in front of it. I sat down beside a woman who seemed to be in her mid-30s and she was adjusting her camera on a tripod most probably to record the dance performances. Juleka sat on my right and Mom sat down next to her. Mom was going to record the performances on her phone as a "memoir". As people were taking their seats, a girl's voice blared from the speakers.

"Ladies and gentlemen. I hope you had a wonderful evening and tried the various games and foods available at the counters. Let's add a bit more fun to this lovely night with a series of dance performances organized by our favourite dance teacher, Mrs. Sunita Sharma!"

There was a round of applause and a woman appeared on the stage who wore an emerald green saree with a navy blue border, and seemed to be in her 40s. She was holding a microphone and when the applause died down, she started speaking in a clear and gentle tone.

"Thank you for the lovely introduction, Miss Aisha Joshi. As many of you already know, I'm the founder of the 'Satrangi' dance classes where both boys and girls get the opportunity to learn various forms of classical and folk dance. This evening, we are going to showcase ten dance performances inspired by the different states in India. First up is Bihu, the Assamese folk dance."

And with that said, she left the stage as the lights dimmed and music started to play.

This is going to be a night to remember.

~~~~~~~~~~

Hey guys! Hope you're liking the story. In the next chapter I'm going to post a dance video which you can watch till time-2:10 to get a basic idea of what dance Preeti and Abhishek are going to perform. I made a little change the choreography to suit the story. 😊

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