"Guess what! Today Anu called to say there is a program on Dec 15. And there will be some payment too," Vinita told her husband Saket with excitement evident in her voice.
"Oh that's good. By the way, you remember the theater workshop we wanted to do so badly? That's coming to town on Dec 5th. Shall I sign us up?"
"Yesss!!!!" Vinita jumped up enthusiastically. She peered over his shoulder as he filled in the details and paid for the course. Within a week, they also received the tickets. It called for celebrations - it was not easy to get a place due to the high demand for the one-day workshop and Vinita and Saket felt immensely lucky to have bagged not one but two seats. "If they had allocated only one, I would have gone," Vinita declared.
"Over my dead body," Saket retorted coolly.
"With pleasure," Vinita laughed and got punched playfully.
"We are going to start rehearsing from Dec 2," Anu informed her the next day as the planning for the Dec 15 program got underway. "No breaks in between," she also warned. "We barely have any time."
Vinita's heart sank. "Hmmm..." she said noncommittally, not knowing how to break the news to her mentor that she would be away for a day. The theater workshop was notorious was extending beyond its stipulated eight hours. Even to suggest they have rehearsal in the evening on Dec 5 alone would be pointless.
Vinita felt her dilemma acutely and spent agonising days wondering what she should do.
As if her current predicament was not bad enough, the workshop got postponed to Dec 15. Panic-stricken, she turned to Saket for help. He guffawed, enjoying her discomfort. "I am going for the workshop... You decide what you want to do." She heard him mumble, "Over my dead body, it seems," and let out a loud laugh, vexing her further. He felt a pillow hit his back, and that added to his mirth.
Why was god testing her like this? Of course, she could do with a program and the payment would help. But the workshop was just as important to her - not because it mattered professionally but was a personal dream, goal, something they had wanted to do for a long time as a couple.
If either had been life-critical, the choice would have been easier. If neither had been important, then too it would have been easy to choose. But now, they seemed to weigh equally on an invisible balance. She did not want her relationship with Anu affected because of her neglecting the program. But there was no assurance that the next year she would be able to attend this workshop either.
All her waking thoughts were entwined in trying to resolve this dilemma, and yet no way seemed to present itself to her. As the rehearsal date neared, she knew she could avoid taking the decision no more. Saket himself started becoming impatient. "Make up your mind one way or the other. Your indecision is getting to me."
"What should I do?" she wailed. For that, he had no answer.
Dec 1, Anu's dreaded call came. "Hey Vinita... I am very sorry, Vini... The organiser and I had some differences and I have backed off. I am so terribly sorry. This was a wonderful break for all of us... But..." She sounded hesitant, angry and stubborn.
Vinita's ears drummed as blood seemed to rush through her body. "Hey, that's okay... Everything is for the best. I am sure something will turn up!"
"Yes, I think something will. You will be the first to know."
Just one emotion stood out - relief. Unadulterated relief at things unraveling on their own, without any heartburns.
A call from an unknown number distracted her. "Madam, you had applied for an audition in our channel. It is scheduled for Dec 15. Please be at the studio at 9 am."
She stared blankly as the relief drained out of her body slowly to be replaced by the certainty that she had no choice anymore.
"Oh that's good. By the way, you remember the theater workshop we wanted to do so badly? That's coming to town on Dec 5th. Shall I sign us up?"
"Yesss!!!!" Vinita jumped up enthusiastically. She peered over his shoulder as he filled in the details and paid for the course. Within a week, they also received the tickets. It called for celebrations - it was not easy to get a place due to the high demand for the one-day workshop and Vinita and Saket felt immensely lucky to have bagged not one but two seats. "If they had allocated only one, I would have gone," Vinita declared.
"Over my dead body," Saket retorted coolly.
"With pleasure," Vinita laughed and got punched playfully.
"We are going to start rehearsing from Dec 2," Anu informed her the next day as the planning for the Dec 15 program got underway. "No breaks in between," she also warned. "We barely have any time."
Vinita's heart sank. "Hmmm..." she said noncommittally, not knowing how to break the news to her mentor that she would be away for a day. The theater workshop was notorious was extending beyond its stipulated eight hours. Even to suggest they have rehearsal in the evening on Dec 5 alone would be pointless.
Vinita felt her dilemma acutely and spent agonising days wondering what she should do.
As if her current predicament was not bad enough, the workshop got postponed to Dec 15. Panic-stricken, she turned to Saket for help. He guffawed, enjoying her discomfort. "I am going for the workshop... You decide what you want to do." She heard him mumble, "Over my dead body, it seems," and let out a loud laugh, vexing her further. He felt a pillow hit his back, and that added to his mirth.
Why was god testing her like this? Of course, she could do with a program and the payment would help. But the workshop was just as important to her - not because it mattered professionally but was a personal dream, goal, something they had wanted to do for a long time as a couple.
If either had been life-critical, the choice would have been easier. If neither had been important, then too it would have been easy to choose. But now, they seemed to weigh equally on an invisible balance. She did not want her relationship with Anu affected because of her neglecting the program. But there was no assurance that the next year she would be able to attend this workshop either.
All her waking thoughts were entwined in trying to resolve this dilemma, and yet no way seemed to present itself to her. As the rehearsal date neared, she knew she could avoid taking the decision no more. Saket himself started becoming impatient. "Make up your mind one way or the other. Your indecision is getting to me."
"What should I do?" she wailed. For that, he had no answer.
Dec 1, Anu's dreaded call came. "Hey Vinita... I am very sorry, Vini... The organiser and I had some differences and I have backed off. I am so terribly sorry. This was a wonderful break for all of us... But..." She sounded hesitant, angry and stubborn.
Vinita's ears drummed as blood seemed to rush through her body. "Hey, that's okay... Everything is for the best. I am sure something will turn up!"
"Yes, I think something will. You will be the first to know."
Just one emotion stood out - relief. Unadulterated relief at things unraveling on their own, without any heartburns.
A call from an unknown number distracted her. "Madam, you had applied for an audition in our channel. It is scheduled for Dec 15. Please be at the studio at 9 am."
She stared blankly as the relief drained out of her body slowly to be replaced by the certainty that she had no choice anymore.
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