cooked samosas wafting over from the kitchen STARLET RIVALS Bela Priyanka came Mom’s voice as if on cue Food is ready Here now Mom was always calling somebody in the household to come and eat It was funny how she used the same come-and-eat tone each time We walked into the kitchen which was a carnival of aromas and animated chatten Each auntie talked louder than the next as though the louder they spoke the greater the importance of their opinion The funny thing was that they weren’t even my real aunties I always wondered whether India was the only place where kids addressed every adult as auntie or uncle out of respect Come girls sit Mom said frowning a little when she noticed my eyeshadow She always told me I was too young for makeup but she was the one who had bought it for me as a treat for performing to her students the week before I’d danced to Tap To My Heartbeat the hit song of the year It was ridiculously catchy with its Hindi verses and English chorus against a disco beat Apart from being an outstanding dance teacher Mom was the best cook in our neighborhood People were always telling her to start a food business but with her full-time job as a teaching assistant while also running
weekend dance classes she just didn’t have the time Priyanka tucked in while I nabbed two of the smallest samosas I was known as a picky eater just like my sister Zara who came and parked herself in my lap TAKE ONE Zara do you have to I chided It was way too hot to have a sticky six-year-old in your lap Mom shot me a glance the glance that said She’s your younger sister You must look after her When I was your age I looked a(cid:2)er all 4000 of my younger siblings I whispered to Priyanka mimicking Mom’s voice Priyanka and I giggled while Zara slid off my lap and ran away We grabbed our plates walked through our narrow tiled hallway and went and sat on the front doorstep There was no respite from the heat outside but at least it felt less claustrophobic The near-hysterical chitter chatter of the aunties dimmed just a little I couldn’t blame Dad for going into his room and closing the door behind him Hey Bela said Rimpi Auntie Brinda’s eight-year old daughter and our next-door neighbor She was on her bike wearing a frilly pink party dress and somehow expertly gripping the pedals with her rubber flip-flops Did you see the end of the show she asked looking
at my plate STARLET RIVALS I shook my head No I’m recording it to watch later I replied dipping a corner of my samosa in the homemade chutney I offered her the other one which she politely declined Shashi Kumar said he wants one more contestant for the final So they’re doing a wild show Wait what You mean a wild card show I asked glancing at Priyanka Yes that’s it squealed Rimpi It’s video entry Shashi Kumar said that because so many people couldn’t travel for the live auditions they’re going to do one more round and find one more finalist All you have to do is send a video to the Dance Starz website The best one gets into the final Priyanka and I looked at each other again She was beaming from ear to ear I knew exactly what she was thinking Shashi Kumar also said that the finalist will be allowed to bring friends and family members to the actual live event our little informer added excitedly He said he wants to fill the arena with people who can’t pay for a ticket Ever since Shashi Kumar former Bollywood hero turned-movie producer had launched Dance Starz he
seemed to be on every radio and TV show going and he never wasted a single opportunity to mention the prize The overall winner of Dance Starz would score a place at the most prestigious stage school in the Eastern world the Bollywood Academy TAKE ONE The school owned by Shashi Kumar and other VIPs was on Kohinoor Island a thirty-minute crossing from Mumbai It was still in its first year but was already attended by lots of rich and famous kids including Shashi’s daughter child star and model Monica The fees were eye-watering but the message was that you were pretty much guaranteed a job in the industry once you graduated To get into that kind of school would be a really big deal Priyanka put her plate down She stood up and pointed at me You know exactly what you have to do Bela For me for Rimpi for our school for our neighborhood For us If she didn’t become a makeup artist Priyanka would make a great politician Please Bela Please begged Rimpi clasping her hands together You’re the best dancer in the whole street The whole neighborhood The whole town You’re the best dancer in the world
