Q for Question

Am I present in your mind?
Or in the first line?
You ask and I am born
Someone answers and I am gone.

I am the sign of uncertainty,
I am also the measure of curiosity.
I can make you sound cool,
And sometimes an inquisitive fool.

When on an exam sheet,
I have the power to mend your career,
The strength to throw you into a dilemma,
And introduce a new fear.

I can help you to express love,
And be a little platonic,
Or help convince your audience,
And shape-shift to rhetoric.

You identify me by my weird birthmark
An arc joined to a line on top of a dot
But it helps to deliver my final remark,
You call it, the Question Mark.

~Vishal

So you think you can dance?

“We are on in another 2 minutes”
Deep breaths and tense faces all around. I could hear, “One, two, three, down. One, two, three, down. Up and slide, turn and down,” resounding in my head. The final track was playing in my mind over and over again. My heart was pounding against my chest. Two minutes and a million thoughts to process. But my mind decided to stumble upon the memory that put me in this very moment.

I still remember the entire setup. The room, all the people, the “friend” who ignited this spark and his brilliant comment. With every tick of the clock that comment was playing in my head – So you think you can dance? HA HA HA HA!! Nerds like you are only good for mugging up books and vomiting the same on an exam sheet.

Well this nerd had many things on his mind apart from books. And a comment like that was not the least bit inspiring. The worst part was that it came at a time when I was planning to take a leap from my comfort zone (academics, obviously). As a school topper, I was always kept away from all distractions, (anything apart from academics) because no one believed in my ability to multitask. After a decade of isolation from anything and everything, dancing was something I observed, admired, but I was never confident enough to ask for an opportunity.

Fear is not good for the great but I feel it is a necessity for those who wish to become great. A little fear of losing out on your dream can make you go an extra mile or study an extra hour or as it was in my case, do an extra rehearsal. Starting from my first audition, to my first rehearsal, the costumes, props, songs and every little thing associated with this performance is close to my heart. As I look at my first stage, I am flooded with a sea of emotions. I am moments and inches away from stepping foot on my paradise. Just a few moments away.

While there are many who are thinking only about winning today, I am busy congratulating the nerd who fought the odds and is ready to seize his first opportunity. So, do I think I can dance? I am about to find out in a minute. As I step on the stage for my debut performance in front of a huge audience, I can only think of the following words

“In the end, it’s not about winning, 
Nor is it about the fame, 
It’s about this moment, about this chance, 
It’s all about, my love for dance.”

~ Vishal