David Dances at his First Festival at the Oasis

Then, with several waves to the crowd, the laughing couple left the dance floor.
When they returned to their seats they were pleasantly surprised by the enthusiastic welcome fom those sitting there. The committee membersalso clapped hands and smiled at them.
David looked at Rani. She was looking at him intently with raised eyebrows and a knowing smile as if to say "I knew you could do it."
When he sat down next to her she turned towards him with a twinkle in her eyes.
"Now we have seen you play the flute, dance and sing. What new surprises do you have for us, David?"
"Oh! No more tonight. Now I want to sit back and watch you dance."
"Yes, you've entertained us well and now we'll try and entertain you. Our hope is that soon you'll dance with us all on that stage."

As the musicians began to play again, Rani turned around and walked away. He looked at her walking away. His eyes showed his admiration of her.
"She walks like a Goddess," thought David. "What's a beautiful person with such a golden mind, body and soul doing here, so far away from the outside world? A great artist who's forsaken her fans for a profound reason."
Then he smiled to himself. "Well, that is my good fortune. How else would I have found such a wonderful person to do business with?"
As the dancing began, David was suddenly reminded that these dances were more than a thousand years old. The head, neck, arm, waist and leg movements were so elegant and graceful that David could only sit silently watching and totally entranced.

As he watched, he also began to think of his mother. This is what she was trying to describe to him. The music, the costumes and the expressions. The postures and the positions of the eyes of the dancers. He murmured softly to himself.
"Mama, you should be here now. This is what your heart was always searching for."

He felt rather than saw Desi come and sit next to him. She held her scarf towards him. it was only then that he realised that tears were running down his cheeks.
"Oh, Desi! Thank you. This is crazy, I'm so sorry."
"Don't worry, David. Often we are affected by her dancing as well."
"Do you know, Desi, I've heard so much beautiful music and seen such wonderful dancing tonight. This time it's different than ever before. I think I'm now seeing a vision, a vision of my people leaving here many centuries ago. It's hitting me hard. I can't explain it."
She held his hands and looked at him tenderly. "We're glad that you came to us, David. Sometimes we forget what love is. You're reminding all of us what it really is."

"Desi, we became friends the moment that we met. Please tell Rani that I couldn't stay any longer. I'm somehow overcome. Forgive me, Desi, I'm having a stupid moment."
As Rani danced, she noticed that David had risen from his seat and was leaving the auditorium. As he walked away, she ended her own dance as soon as she could and then also left the dance area.

Rani saw David some distance away. He was walking along the road leading to the double story building where they lived. She ran swiftly after him. She was in good athletic condition and soon caught up to him. She called out his name anxiously.

When he turned around he was startled to see who it was and to see her look of great concern. "Hey, Rani, it's you!"
She grabbed his shoulders firmly and shook him strongly.
"Who did you think it was? Why are you walking away? Why? Tell me!"
"It's nothing, Rani. It's just a mood. It came over me in a sudden flash."
She clenched her fists with her arms pointed stiffly downwards at her sides.
"What? Do you know that I was dancing for you! For you! I don't understand this at all. You walked away. You had a mood! What kind of mood, may I ask?"

He saw tears rolling down her cheeks. He a made an attempt to wipe them away but she shook her head fiercely and took a step backward.
"Tell me what mood! Explain yourself, David!"
"Rani, I can't explain what happened. I can't find the words yet. Come, just walk with me."
The two walked in silence to the main building and climbed the stairs together.
Rani looked down at her feet.
"As you wish, David. I'll say goodnight then. I'll see you in the morning."

As she walked away, David caught her arm.
"No! Wait, Rani!. You can't go now! Please, let's sit over there under the stars. There's something that I've got to tell you."
"Rani, this will be difficult. In our aircraft, when we passed over here, all the instruments had some incredible reactions at this spot. Have you ever heard of energy centres? Well, this place is one. You know perfectly well how the people who live here have these very creative abilities. They begin to paint, write poetry, make pottery, embroider materials, sing and dance, dance, dance."
"There is so much beauty here. There is a life force here. Perhaps it's due to all the water lying hidden below the surface here. I feel it in the centre of my soul. Tonight I was totally overcome and I was not prepared for this experience. I've had many adventures and so many thrilling moments but tonight there was something different."

"What kind of life force is this that makes you walk away?"
"Sometimes, Rani, you have this twisted sense of humour, you know. Listen to me now. Ever since I've come here, I have felt a surge of excitement. I felt that if I should hold my arms up, cosmic power would flow through my body. Wherever I look, I see beauty. In the people, the kids, the wells that never dry up, the workshops and the schools that you've built here at this oasis. Using your own hands."
"So what happened tonight then David?"
"When you began your dancing it was too much for me. I suffered a shock. Call it a fear of losing all this."
"What! So I'll have to dance differently in future? How'll I do that? Like a puppet?"
"No, Rani. You couldn't do that. You could only dance in one way. Beautifully."
"Do you have some sort of problem with that?"
"My problem is that I am desperately afraid of losing all this."