Ambika waved her driver away before hurrying into the Sheik Rashid Auditorium. She hoped she was not too late. The traffic had been a pain and manoeuvering through the innumerable detours Dubai seemed to have  was like finding one's way out of a maze...

The dance recital was about to begin any moment and she wanted to see the entire program. Some of her old students were participants who had insisted that she should not miss their program. It was a part of the series of programs organized by the Indian Embassy and various organizations who sponsored  cultural events in Dubai, comemmorating the 60th Indian Independence Day.

As she entered the hall, an eager  volunteer hurried towards her and seeing her name on the invitation card, ushered her towards the place reserved for her. Her smile of gratitude for the usherette froze on her lips the moment, she saw the person occupying the seat next to hers... It took all her self- control not to flounce off the scene... The feelings of hatred she had managed to bury deep inside her heart now were rising up like an ominous tsunami... She fought hard to school her features into a mask of neutral emotions as she settled into the space from where the 'Reserved'  sign was removed. She turned to her left and smiled at the gentleman seated next to her. She knew of him... a writer and a critic of repute whose words could make or mar artistes... Deliberately, she ignored the woman to her right.

Kalyani turned her ashen face to her husband  Ramani seated next to her. Her eyes pleaded with him to exchange seats, but he gently shook his head and patted her clenched fist. He stretched out his hand casually and draped it across her shoulders which seemed to shake as his wife fought for composure. He glanced at Ambika and wondered how two women who were so close to each other  could hate each other with so much vehemence!

Kalyani had met Ambika on the first day of Aditya's school life... when he had been enrolled in a prestigious school after what seemed to have been Herculean efforts at getting admission in kindergarten. Ambika's son Srihari had been wailing and Aditya had consoled him by offering  his superman toy... The two women had smiled at each other and a friendship which was to last 15 years had been flagged of by that generous gesture of his son.

The friendship had blossomed over the kindergarten years and had stood the acid-test of family demands and kids' performance and even the fact that the two husbands did not find each other much compatible... It never mattered to the two women... it didn't matter to them when one child performed better than the other in exams,sports and other activities... They would take turns at baby sitting, setting mock test papers, driving the kids to swimming and Karate classes... They found so much to talk  about and share, often leaving irate husbands foaming at the mouth helplessly!

Picnics, illnesses, movies, Open Houses, endless phone calls... it was like the an ideal friendship which no force on the Earth could asunder... and then the Gods got jealous!

Once the children became teeanagers, the two women had spare time in their hands and midlife crisis started urging them to seek their own identity other than the existing 'wife of so and so' and 'mother - who-is at- kids'- beck- and- call'. That was when Ambika decided to open dance classes. She was an alumna of Kalakshetra and had always nurtured dreams of teaching classical dance... and she now roped in Kalyani who was a well trained vocalist who had performed in All India Radio's local stations and in temples during Navaratri seasons...

With a singularity of purpose, Ambika set about at establishing her institute... forcing Kalyanito come and teach classical music once a week at her centre. Kalyani had demurred initially because, Ramani was a demanding husband, and  frowned upon intrusions during the weekends, the quality time he got to spare for his family. Yet,  friendship had won in the end and Kalyani started teaching music at Ambika's institute. For six months, things were fine. Then, his wife had started looking disturbed. Slowly, she started confiding to him that Ambika's ambition was wearing her down. She was into expanding her 'business' and demanded that Kalyani spend more days at the institute...

What had started as a pursuit of the inherent love for art had metamorphosed into a flourishing business...but a business nevertheless. By now the prospects of expanding the business possessed Ambika and she started forcing Kalyani to teach in her own home, to those who could not  go all the way to the institute. Kalyani soon found herself swarmed by parents in her neighborhood as her fame as a good music teacher got propaganda by word of mouth... She asked Ambika if she could start her own classes in her area...which created the first ever friction between the friends. Ambika categorically vetoed the idea and reminded Kalyani that she was not allowed to start any such venture on her own. Annoyed by the arrogance of her friend, Kalyani just did what she was dictated not to do. She started her own classes, and ' started Sruthilaya' her mucsic institute. Naturally, all the students she had had till then followed her to her new venue. This ired Ambika who looked upon this as a breach of trust.

It was asthough a meteor had landed obliterating all traces of a friendship that had rooled the roost for 16 years... All relations were cut... they were not on talking terms anymore... Initially the strain of the parting had taken tolls on the two families... Aditya and Srihari struggled to continue their friendship formed on that fateful first day at school... Ramani and Swaminathan who had gotten used to discussing the Share Market and Indian Politics at the India Club found uncomfortable silences growing more  and more profound between them... Once the two had even had a chat about knocking some sense into their respective wives' heads, but that was the end of that...Swami was never seen at India Club again... The unimaginable had happened... A friendship had been torn asunder... The final nail in the coffin had been when Kalyani had callled Ambika to greet her on her birthday, and clipped tones at the other end had said, 'Wrong number' before cutting the call! Well...a woman's pride is something that can not be toyed with... and Kalyani buried the dreams of a compromise with her friend of 16 years...

Life had just gone on... on parallel routes...and  years had passed by...

                                                            * * * * * * * * * * *

Ramani was brought to the present by the thunderous applause around him. He had missed almost half the performance... Forgetting about the tragic past of his wife's friendship, he looked at the brochure. The next item was the main attraction of the evening, a mini ballet conceived, set to music and choreographed by the young performers themselves...

Based on Panchtantra,  the ballet depicted joy of friendship formed, the tragedy of it being broken, the agony of the friends rendered apart and the bliss of reunion...  The auditorium seemed to watch with bated breath as the troupe of young artistes depicted the beauty  and strength of friendship... and how it survives trilas and tribulations of Time! Ramani glanced at the two women at his side and wondered if they were moved as he was... Women with pride could be so non- committal, he thought as he saw the stony look on both the faces... yet, there were signs... Ambika looked pale... and there was a tinge of wetness in his own wife's eyes...

The performance drew a standing ovation from the audience... Truly, it was an apt grand finale to the evening comemmorating 60 years of India's Independence... The dancers were felicitated by the Consul General, the Chief Guest. He invited  the main artiste of the Ballet to accept a memento for an original creation and unforgettable rendition. The girl came to the stage and talked to him animatedly for a few minutes. The Chief Guest who looked surprised, soon turnrd to the microphone in front of him.

"Ladies and Gentlemen... I have come to know that this ballet that depicted India's ancient tradition and culture is the brainchild of two youngsters who have not been trained in the art of music or dance. Yet, it runs in their blood... they have spent their life watching and imbibing art forms and have magnificently set a beautiful piece of art to music and choreography... They deserve a big round of applause...Let me welcome to receive this memento, young Aditya Ramani and Srihari Swaminathan!

Shock got the better of all personal diferences as Ambika and Kalyani glanced at each other astounded, before turning to the stage... The two young men moved towards the microphone after whispering something to the Consul General.

" Good evening... Ladies and Gentlemen!" Aditya's voice rang clear and confident through the hall. " This project of ours is our tribute to a friendship..." Kalyani and Ambika both blanched...  Were the boys going to make a public issue of their personal feud?

" ....Srihari and I met on our first day at kindergarten and we have a friendship that has stood the test of time... Nothing could come between us, neither studies, nor sports... not even our families or peers! I am about to leave for my undergraduate studies in the States and Srihari will pursue his dream in the MRF Pace Foundation in India. Before we get separated by the demands of life, we wanted to dedicate this tribute to our friendship. We owe this to our mothers, Mrs. Ambika Sawminathan and Mrs. Kalyani Ramani who are noted teachers of Dance and Music in the emirates.  If  Honourable Consul General does not mind, we would like to receive this trophy from our mothers whom we consider our gurus."

The ovation that followed forced the reluctant and startled mothers to walk side by side up the stage. With shaking hands and wet eyes, they took the trophy from the Consul General and extended it to their kids... the boys...who suddenly grew in front of them... turning into their gurus, teaching them a valuable lesson... of not letting pettiness and pride mar a relationship as noble as those between friends... The hands that blessed the two youngsters clung to each other as the audience rose in standing ovation...

The walls that had been erected between them came tumbling down...