HOW WE VIEW IT

I first saw him, lets call him Bunty, may be around two weeks after I had joined a new gym few months back. Basically the gym was more of an aerobics and yoga center. We had one aerobics teacher for the morning session and on the days he was on leave, other teachers used to substitute for him. One day it was the turn of Bunty to handle the class. The moment he started coming to the front row, I could hear some murmuring and some glances exchanged between most of the gym members. I normally used to occupy the first row just to the side of the coach, in front of the mirror. Initially I thought there was something wrong in my tracks.. whether the stitching has given way at the wrong place ! Tactfully I checked it out and found it to be ok. By then, Bunty commenced his class. His steps were quite different from the usual steps we had been doing so long. But what I observed what that Bunty’s steps were more in tune with the music and the movements – both the feet and the body – matched too well with the rhythm of the song. I could feel the ease and gentleness in his movements. Naturally after a couple of minutes, I felt so engrossed in his steps and really started enjoying it. During the in-between breaks, I saw members joking at something and after half an hour or so, more than half of the crowd had moved to the work-out side. Later on after the session was over, I thanked Bunty for this class and new steps.

Fortunately for me, Bunty was there to handle a couple of classes the same week in quick succession and the following weekend, most of the members complained to the owner to change him or put another coach for the morning session. On enquiring, one member told me that - in Hindi - vo tho chakkawala steps karne ke liye teek hai – his steps are like how a eunuch dances. I was slightly put off with this comment, but did not respond. Nevertheless, I kept Bunty under my ‘close observation’ and slowly found that the guy had abundant talent in him to teach new steps, knowing the pulse of the music, alternating between hard and simple steps to make us comfortable, gave work outs to different parts of the body, etc. Soon I became his fan as compared to the other instructors.

Bunty is a shy person and often used to sit alone in the corner of the hall while other staff of the gym used to share jokes etc. among themselves as well as with other members. With my talkative nature, slowly I involved him into conversation. Bunty does not know English, can manage it in broken words. He is a Higher Secondary drop out. He does not know any other work and is now aged 23 years. Even with his limited income, he used to help the needy. He visited temples regularly. Overall, he was a nice and sober person. I realized that he had great potential as far as dance was concerned and he could do wonders. But the only problem in him was that he had a certain ‘feminine-like’ mannerisms while talking, gesturing and moving around. I now knew that that’s why most of the members did not like him. So silly reason, I thought.

I thought in what way we are concerned about his mannerisms and feelings. As a member of the gym, I am here to do my sessions and push off. Why should people go into the personality of the coach or for that matter, anybody? It is his botheration and he is the best judge. I will learn some things from him as far as aerobics was concerned; only that much I am clear. I am not in the gym for cutting jokes or making comments on others. Much against the wishes of some friends in the gym, I started interacting with Bunty and during the last few months, I understood how talented he was. I started making enquires / seeking the help of my contacts to bring out his best. I engaged him in choreography works in schools and colleges, various shows, etc. He was feeling mighty grateful to me because his creativity was being utilized properly. His ideas during a fashion show were appreciated by lot of people. In one of the shows, he posed as a girl and what a thunderous applause he received, with some guys running after him later!!

Now here is the problem. Bunty’s parents, two brothers and a sister lived in a far-off district, to which place I often travel officially. He was the eldest son in the house. His father owned some lands in his village, which too due to lack of water, was dry most of the time. Bunty is in Jaipur since the last two years and I gathered that he had run away from his place. His family now wants him to return to his town and leave the dance profession. The reason they cited was that his ‘behaviour’ had changed over the years and they were worried that he was behaving feminine. Bunty had become a subject of mockery amongst the people in his town. He had no friends to confide in and slowly I could see a sort of depression in him. He started withdrawing himself and lost the old charm. Calls and messages from his house started pouring in and Bunty was getting disturbed day by day.

Bunty has now sought my advice, since he feels I am his only well-wisher. Should he return to his hometown as per his family’s wishes and now start learning agriculture ? I knew his limitations. He knew nothing else. All that he knew was only dancing. The gym owner who also happened to be from the same town of Bunty has asked me not to interfere unnecessarily. He says his reputation is also at stake in his town as he had brought Bunty from there and wants to see that Bunty goes back to his family. Otherwise, he would take him out of the gym. But I am thinking otherwise. Such talent should not be lost. Using some contacts, I packed him off to some cities in North India, for some shows where he is going to get Rs.20,000/- each place for his shows. I am also in touch with some friends in other places to earn him a slot for the shows in these places. I will also try to get him a decent job in some dance school here. I am determined to help him out. Bunty is grateful to me for my encouragement and he has by now almost made up his mind not to succumb to any pressure and concentrate only on his field.

I don’t know whether I am doing the right thing or not. My conscience says not to waste such a potential. Atleast he is able to earn something. If he goes back to his town, what is the guarantee that he would be earning so much money. And will not giving up his passion make him depressed? He is such a nice chap, so what if his behaviour is slightly ‘different’ from us. After all, he is also God’s creation. And so-called normal people like us, are we also not indifferent in some way or the other by our behaviour like hatred, anger, pride, manipulation, cheating,…….I will try to make my friends in the gym understand his position and encourage him. I seek your best wishes and advise to Bunty for all success in his career.

As I end this, I hear a song…. Dil ko dekho, chehra na dekho………. Dil sacchha aur chehra jhoota !! I end with these quotes:

Polished brass will pass upon more people than rough gold. ~Lord Chesterfield

Men in general judge more from appearances than from reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of penetration. ~Niccolo Machiavelli