Anita was all but sixteen, sweet sixteen as they say. She had celebrated her birthday a month ago in the beautiful month of April. Anita was a carefree cherubic character, fearless too, slightly tomboyish. She wasn't in the least concerned that it was a boy she was talking to or her girlfriends; and as her Mom had told her, beware the boys, maintain your distance with them. Don't mingle around too much with them or antagonize them.
This irked her the most. What did her Mom mean when she said don't 'antagonize' the boys? Hope she didn't mean 'give in' to their demands? Anita was equally confused with these kind of conflicting messages which her near and dear ones were giving her.
Right now she was on her way for her dance classes in South Extension in South Delhi and was in no mood to think about anything else much less losing out to 'sissy' boys. Her mood was defiant and her walk to the dance classes which was but half a kilometer away from her home showed her intent. She almost cut through the air as she walked forward taking strong giant steps full of confidence and zeal.
To a boy watching her walk with her hips swaying it would appear to be a walk which could be best described as sexy and alluring, but to her it was simply a march of conquest, oozing with confidence, nonchalant in nature.
She had barely crossed half the distance to the dance academy, when she heard a catcall from somewhere on her left side. She paid no attention but the catcalls continued and finally she had to glance that way. She could make out two boys in their teens, riding on a bike who were hell bent on spoiling her morning. She continued to ignore them but her glance at them seemed to encourage them and they took it as some kind of signal from her to carry on their nefarious activity.
As she became more aware of them she quickened her pace to her dance classes, slightly flustered but not scared.
Suddenly these two scoundrels who were following her came right in front of Anita and tried to block her way. This it seemed was the last straw.
'How dare you block my way, you rascals ?' she shrieked at them. Her sudden outburst seemed to unnerve the two Romeos and the romantics took to their heels and disappeared from the scene.
She continued on with her onward march and within no time she was at the dance academy.
Once inside she put all her soul and energy into the performance picking up three new steps. So much so that her dance instructors were extremely pleased with her that day and said so.
'Hey Anita, it seems you've found a new energy level today. You're brimming with confidence today and I've never seen you so pepped up. Keep it up. Proud of you' the instructor praised her.
Anita was flattered too. She acknowledged the praise but she knew it was due to the new found confidence she had gained today. Her handling of the whole situation had made her overcome her biggest dilemma and perhaps fear.
After her class was over she went back the same way she had come, marching and swaying her hips the way she had earlier done. Only this time there was a hint of smile on her face and a glint in her eyes.
She knew she had conquered her biggest fear, the puzzle of facing and standing up to the world.
Move over world;
Anita had arrived.
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