“Like a small boat, in the ocean. Sending big waves into motion.” The same tune. The same hum. Every morning she wakes up, the same routine. Rachel Platen had become her favorite songwriter for the past few months. Hair tied up in a donut, eyes puffy yet so full of life, she would quietly slide into her black and orange tracks and head out of her room. Tiptoeing to the door, singing to herself, twisting and twirling through the way, she reaches her favorite destination. Right in front of her, next to the door laid her ticket to freedom. A humble pair of white sneakers with Forever Glam etched in golden at the back lies there on the shoe rack exposing a worn out sole. She bought them from the first competition she won and since then, they have given wings to her dreams. The soles give life to her soul. Every move of her ankle, every break and pop of her bones, every flip of her hair makes an explosion. She believes in herself. She is me.
A small girl from a small town, I had a dream to perform. I resonated with the HipHop culture from a very early age, listening to Pitbull and Snoop Dogg. However, the world around me was still shaking heads to “Bole Chudiyaan” and I never got the chance to learn from a professional. But, I believed in myself. Like any other 12 year old Indian kid, dance shows were my gateway to the pop culture. I absorbed as much as I could, but at 18 years of age when I got eliminated in the first 5 minutes of my first dance battle, I hit rock bottom. My belief was fading away and that’s when I met my guru who taught me the power of self love. He trained me in Old School HipHop and House. We practiced mornings and evenings together. I felt my power turning on. I started believing in myself yet again. The next time I stepped on the stage, the thoughts wrecking my brain seemed to disappear. Those few years of training changed the way I thought. Now, the journey mattered, the transition mattered.
Its 2019 now. It’s been more than a year since I last won a solo street battle challenge. I am an MBA student now. My battlefield stays the same but my weapons have changed. My armor is no more my favorite orange track suit from Forever 21. Looking back at my journey, my inhibitions about painting my closet with grays and blues had always stopped me from stepping into the world of business. But now I believed more in transitions and I had to find a perfect fit for myself. As I stepped into the world of professional clothing, I discovered drops of every color to match my element. Experimental patterns and colors ranging from my favorite pant suits to powerful dresses, I found a reflection of my personality in each attire. Aditya Birla Group made sure that brands like Allen Solly and Van Heusen gave strength to the little dancer to sail into unknown waters and rule the seas. Every time I suit up, I see a young and confident woman who believes in experimentation, who believes in her journey, who believes in herself.