A Dance in Time
Once upon a time, in a small village nestled within layers of lush green mountains, there was a teenage girl named Maya. She was unlike any other teenager. Not because of any extraordinary beauty or power, but because she had an extraordinary love for dance.
Maya's dance was more than motion. It was a universe filled with stories, emotions, and dreams that came alive with each rhythm and beat. Dance was her language and her soul's most exquisite form of expression. But there was a secret about Maya's dance that nobody understood but herself. She didn't dance to music, but to the silent rhythm of time.
One day, a rumor traveled through the winds and valleys into the village square: a dance competition was to be held for the best dancers from each village. The winner would be crowned 'The Dancing Jewel'. The villagers were excited and started immediate preparations.
Despite her family's apprehensions due to their financial strain, Maya persuaded them to let her enter the competition. After all, the prize money would solve most of their problems. For days, Maya practiced under the thick forest canopy and beside the sapphire river, dancing to the unheard rhythms drifting on the wind, unseen by eyes but felt by the heart.
When the day of competition dawned, the village square was filled with colorful banners, dancing marionettes, and countless spectators. Before the commencement of the show, Maya noticed a mysterious, elderly woman in the crowd. There was something enchanting about her smile and twinkling eyes. She approached Maya, ‘Dance with your heart, dear,’ she said, before disappearing into the crowd.
The competition was fierce. Dancers pirouetted, spun, and leaped, enchanting the spectators with their grace and talent. Then it was Maya’s turn. As she prepared herself in the quiet, she closed her eyes and surrendered herself to the invisible rhythm of time. Words weren't exchanged, but an understanding was formed, and as her dance commenced, time danced with her.
Her dance was different. It held no music, no accompaniment, just the silence of the village square and the rhythmic sway of a girl in sync with time. But soon, everyone there felt the pulse, the unheard music that Maya danced to. Each step she took, each twirl she made spoke of a beautiful harmony in disharmony, a melody in
silence. The spectators watched in awe, mesmerized by the symphony of her dance.
When her performance concluded, an overwhelming cheer erupted in the square. Maya had danced her way not just into their hearts, but also into their souls. The love for dance she bore was contagious, and she was named 'The Dancing Jewel'. Maya stood victoriously, her eyes welled up, looking for the mysterious woman, but she was nowhere to be found.
The win did not just bring her fame and money, but it also cast an enchanting spell on the village. Every child, every adult, could feel the rhythm even in the most routine activities, like fetching water, sowing seeds, and even while greeting each other. The village was no longer an ordinary village. It became a dancing village.
Years later, during the annual dance competition, an old woman entered the village. She looked at the dancing children, the rhythmically moving adults, and the lively village, and her eyes sparkled with a familiar glow. It was Maya. She had aged, but the dance within her was timeless. She looked at the village that danced, and a joyful tear escaped her eye.
'This is a dance in time,' she whispered, clapping along with the rhythm, in time. She was not just 'The Dancing Jewel.' She was the jewel who had taught time how to dance.