ICC night

Ok, I feel guilty about the depressing post (last one) so here's a lighter one. ICC had a fundraiser event today in the evening. They are raising money for expanding the facility (including adding some stuff for the seniors). Ruchi volunteered to do a dance performance on the stage along with a few friends. We dutifully bought our tickets and reached the place by 6 pm. Very few people had arrived by then and the organizers were still testing the mike setting and stuff. A little irritating (adusting the sounds and stuff... this should have been done earlier in the day). Anyways, we are all famished but no food in sight. Suddenly, around 6:30 pm or so, all the guests start coming in (I guess we were there early. The actual seating time was 6:30pm). Anyway, soon the hall is all full (someone said there were 45 tables with 10 seats/table and we had a soldout event). They start off with appetizers which were pretty good (panner tikka, pakodas, french fries, aloo tikki). I gulp down quite a few of them and soon I realize that I am full and no more space to eat dinner. Soon the program starts.2-3 dance performances and then they break for dinner. Midway, during dinner, Ruchi leaves to go to the backstage to get dressed for her performance. Shruti is wailing now... "I want mommy!!!". I am sick in the stomach... If she continues crying, what am I gonna do?? somehow, this idea strikes me... I start feeding her ice cream. As long as she is eating, she is not crying. Soon the ice cream is finished but the organizers are busy with their raffles. With a big roll of my eyes (since shruti has started crying again.. "I want mommy"), I start feeding her chocolate kisses. She is quite again and I am desperate now... "Geez, let the show begin". Ok finally the show starts. The 2nd performance is the performers from Naach (Ruchi's troupe)... wow!!! It is a pretty cool performance and the crowd is really into it... everyone appreciates it. About 15 minutes after her performance, Ruchi comes and joins us and I can breathe again. My daughter is finally happy again. Soon, some live music performances start and people rush forward to the dance floor. I am in no mood to dance (too exhausted). Then DJ Salim comes on and the atmosphere changes completely. Anyone and everyone with 2 feet is on the dance floor. Nalin asks me to take him to the floor to dance and both of us head there. He starts dancing and to give him company, I start dancing too. Now Nalin is totally into it and I am having fun too.... so I put Nalin on the stage where he continues to groove.. :) Ruchi and Shruti join us too and we dance away the night... maybe an hour and a half or so. A nice relaxing night after a long long time. Around 11:00/11:30 or so, we head home. Right now, everyone is asleep and I am blogging away... ;)