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Warm stage lights dance along the smiles of those who gather in Zubayr Theater, not a hint of frown to be seen on even the faces of those most reserved. As for the girl fluttering across the stage as if she herself were weightless, her smile stood to be the most dazzling. Face beaming with what seemed to be all the joy in the world, laughing and clapping alongside the melodies her lithe limbs seemed to know so well. Her smile stood to be the most contagious too, from the way her audience seemed to light up and cheer with her, free from the worries of the surrounding world. For now, everyone could let Nilou alleviate the stresses of everyday life and let her dance share the joy she holds now.
That’s why the holidays are a time of sublime leisure, unrivaled by any other.
People smile, they look as if they’re not just passing through life, but flowing through it. The mark of a dancer is one that brings soul to the stage, able to touch the hearts of an audience with every extension, every astute arabesque. Perhaps that’s why dancing for others felt like a gift in and of itself–not from Nilou to her audience, but just the opposite. It’s their smiles, their accolades that give her the drive to keep going on, securing her place in what she loves most. An audience, even if only one person, being there to watch with adoring gazes is the best gift she could have asked for. Seeing someone smile while they watch her dance is the greatest gift of all, and Nilou has the pleasure of glancing from face to face, of seeing smiles all around.
Logic was never her forte, with all the reasoning and impeccable deduction needed to come to some form of a conclusion. Her first show, a Mother’s Day performance as a gift to her own mother, taught Nilou what she came to understand best. In many ways, both in Nilou’s daily life and her life on the stage, understanding even the most abstract ideas in her own ways was a gift in itself. The slight partitude of one’s lips as the rise and fall of their chest becomes more pronounced, a prelude to the stream of tears running down their cheeks. Slight wrinkles near the eyes accompanied by an unmistakable shimmer in one’s eyes as their cheers ring triumphant, grin wide as humanly possible soon to follow.
It’s only right to use the gift given to give back just as much to others, those who have done so much for her, to bring her to become the shining star she’s revered as now. Be it through turns and leaps to extend an escape from life itself, or through an outstretched hand to someone in need, Nilou pledged to be there. If all she had were her words and actions to give as a gift, then so be it. That’s exactly what she would give.
As Nilou rounds off her final flourishes, almost gleaming with pride as hearty cheers resound through the halls she adores so much, she takes a moment to survey the crowd she’s garnered, tears in the eyes of some, beaming admiration in the eyes of others. She stands tall, leaning forward in a graceful curtsy holding a hand to her heart. “You’re all the best gift I could’ve asked for! And the best part is,” Nilou gives a small giggle, “I didn’t even ask for you all! Thank you, for being here and allowing me a place in your hearts today, and every day you may return!”
The last act of the night, she shuffles off the stage into the night, only to be met with the smiling faces of the troupe. “Thank you guys too, for all your hard work!” Nilou says cheerily, hands clasped before her.
“You too, Nilou!”
“Yeah, you looked amazing out there!”
“As expected from our star, am I right?” The flattery makes her blush. “But that’s not all, Lou. We have a surprise for you!”
“A surprise…? Oh gosh, you really didn’t have to!” Nilou waves her hands emphatically in response. “You’ve already done so much, there’s no need for that!”
She watches as Mr. Zubayr shakes his head, looking the tiniest bit unsurprised at the girl’s words. “Trust me Nilou, there’s much you’ve done for us too. Let us give you this gift at the very least, okay?”
The sincerity in his voice moves her to tears, yet not nearly as much as the stunning crown of padisarahs in Najia’s hands. Najia smiles as she places the crown gently atop Nilou’s red tresses. “They’re preserved, don’t worry! Preserved in a pretty thin layer of resin, so these padisarahs shouldn’t wilt anytime soon.”
“Oh…” Nilou swipes her tears away, instead replaced by a look of fond tenderness. “It’s beautiful, Najia!”
“It wasn’t all me,” Najia grins, gesturing to the rest of the troupe each with what looks like a letter in their hands. “We all pitched in to make this! I just assembled it.”
Her gaze falls on the face of each of the troupe members, each part of the family she’d found here. The bonds she’s created in her time at Zubayr Theater are unmatched by anything else, the tenderness everyone shares is something impossible to replicate elsewhere. Without knowing, each of them began to rely on each other’s steadfast presence, becoming a family before they were friends.
“You’re all just so amazing… I don’t even know what to say,” Nilou moves to wrap her arms around Najia, pulling anyone nearby into the embrace, too. “Thank you guys! From the bottom of my heart, thank you!”
Tonight’s performance would stand to be truly unforgettable.