“Innilerndu Unaku Dancela Enna Vennumo, Sollu (From today whatever you want in dance, let me know), said Subramanian, moved by his daughter’s stellar show.

Years ago, Subramanian had nodded when his mother said, “No, my granddaughter will not learn dance. I don’t want her to perform before hundreds of people.” The sentiment was natural as the family hailed from the orthodox Palakkad-Brahmin community. But the Universe had other plans!

Seethalakshmi was born in April 1978 in Mumbai to Brinda and to Subramanian. In July 1978, in England, Louise Brown was delivered by C-section to become the world’s first test-tube baby.

Bombay. Bangalore. Meerut. Delhi. Appa’s transferable job with Modistone had taken Seetha to different cities. And then, one fine evening in 1988, he announced, “Brinda, we are going to leave Delhi. I got a transfer to Chennai.”

Irrespective of the transfers, Brinda had ensured the children stayed rooted in culture and music.

“Amma, will we have music classes in Chennai,” asked her elder kids Sumathi and Krishnan.

“Amma, will you put me in dance class?” asked Seetha.

“Chennai is the hub for Carnatic music. All of you will get to learn and perform.”

In time, the kids joined Kola Perumal Chetty Vaishnav School. Later Seetha moved to Jawahar Vidyalaya, whose most famous alumnus was a lad called P Sundararajan. In the years ahead, he would be known as Sundar Pichai and would lead Google.

“Mam, I have a doubt.” Seetha’s hand went up.

Her Hindi teacher told her co-staff, “Seetha brings liveliness to the discussions in our class.”

“And she also excels in sports and music,” pointed out another. The day Seetha won the 200-meter race in the APSC meet, she was christened the Golden Girl, and it is still one of the proudest moments of her life. She was excelling in music, excelling in sports, and excelling in academics.

Yet her heart longed for dance.