Redemption of Royals (Royal #1: Book 3) | ✔

8

-• the grace of a swan •-

Taranya

"On the beat, three, two, one!"

The music fills the room and I elegantly drop my posture to move along with the beats. My Guru says it right. If assumed, the world can be your stage, and the stage can be your whole world. It doesn't matter where you are, as long as your body loves the music, it'll flow. I underestimated how liberating dancing is. Because God bless me for stepping out of the car that evening, I don't think I've ever loved myself more than I do when I'm dancing. I can understand why Sara was- perhaps is so obsessed with dancing. The most powerful part of yourself emerges from within to embrace the vulnerability you're ashamed of. The eyes that watch me, I don't care what they think of me, because I'm confident, I'm in bliss, and most importantly, I'm happy.

As an artist, I feel art is a mirror showing you the most beautiful parts of yourself that you fail to see. World has shaped us to believe what it deems normal is normal. And we scramble to push ourselves harder to fit those standards. At the end of the day, we come home to those reflections that the world might approve, but we don't. And then we muse quietly by the window, asking ourselves; What's wrong with us? Why don't we feel enough?

How could you ever feel enough after abandoning the truth inside of you? Because no matter how shiny lies are, what's fabricated can never discredit the real. Empty houses don't make homes. And isn't that what we are? Perfect on the outside, remarkable even, but beneath those expensive wallpapers and velvet soft carpets, we're mouldy, chipped, and broken.

We're in dire need of acceptance. Of our own self.

And as I dance today, I feel myself accepting me, even if for a moment, even if temporarily. And that's, that's exhilarating. I'm moving stealthily, measuring each of my steps, my eyes solely on my reflection, and this reflection of mine is the truth I've spent decades hiding. But now that I look at it, it's not that bad. In fact, I love it. I'm not perfect right now. My hair have come undone, and not the pretty kind of undone, they're half tangled, half open. I'm not aesthetic. The gap between my blouse and skirt reveals the stretch marks and hip dips. There was a time I was too fat, now I'm too thin. And it bothers me. But not when I dance, not when I'm in the gym getting trained by my brother, it only bothers me when I'm in front of the world. Perhaps, it has started to notice that I'm not trying to fit the standards anymore. It's getting insecure, so it wants to make me insecure. I won't lie. I fall for it. Often times. Just not when I'm with myself or around the people that truly accept me.

It's a good place to be.

It's a beautiful place to be.

With yourself.

I missed it. I hadn't been with me for a long time. Dance led me back to it.

The music stops, so do I, we both descend from the high. My skirt spreads around like a blooming flower, my legs folded on the side, arms fallen apart, and my chest heaves.

"Beautiful," My Guru says. "Oh my God, I've got chills."

I smile.

The students all burst in applause and whistles. I look around the class, accepting the appreciation in their eyes with gratitude.

"You've done a remarkable progress in less that two weeks!" She exclaims as I get up from the floor. "It was a one minute bit, but I can't wait to see you for much longer on stage. You're a treat to watch, Taranya. You've the grace of a swan."

"Thank you," I place my hand on the chest before moving to my backpack in the corner. The next student in line takes up my spot, and just like that, I'm out of everyone's mind as someone else fills in. I breath out in relief, my back to the wall, knees pulled up and I take a sip of water from the bottle, watching the performance quietly in my space.