College Chronicle I - The Skit Disaster

It was our first year of the college.True to the traditions, we were done with the "intro" sessions with our seniors. Now was the time of "fuccha skit". Every year the "fuchhas" i.e. the first year-ites were supposed to present a skit. This was done branch wise, and the first prize was really coveted. A lot of preparations were needed. Ours was a branch that was always in the top. The year before it was first and so the same thing was expected from us as well.The branches with low girls:boys ratio (read as zero) went about trying to convince girls from other branches to join their skits. Ours was one of the luckier ones. We were 6 girls in a class of 28. (That I think was the highest ratio. Correct me if I am wrong.) We were strictly instructed not to entertain any such offers. "Okay Sir as you wish."

So one fine morning the entire branch (us "fucchas") and a few seniors assembled in the old building in front of the hall where this event was to take place on the D-Day and we had the our (for me the first and the last) auditions. We were given and character, dialogues and then told to carry out the role. Then on the basis of that we were given our final characters. I don't think there was anybody who did not have a role. One or two may be. So the audition did not have any rejections. All of us were accomodated in the skit. We were told the story. It was written by one of our seniors and I must say he must have given a lot of thought and time to come out with such a story which had everything from the "hoors" of heaven to the remake of sholay to the 'dance of fire' (or something like that, I am forgetting the term.). And then from then on, our mornings were no more fine. We had to wake up early (oh how i disliked that!) for the practices session, then we had our class. I don't remember but I think we had practice sessions after the afternoon classes also. By the end of the day we were not really left with either time or enthusiasm for anything else. There was the secrecy part that we had to take care of. Other branches should not be aware of our story and we had to make sure that there was no one else present during our practice session or else the place of practice was changed or the timing and so on. I don't think it was ever cancelled.

Once we were all comfortable with our characters (which I never was!), the costumes were decided. It really needed to be innovative and relevant to the character. Few characters had to have different costumes at different part of the skits and so on. You know the usual stuffs of skits. And then we had the music at appropriate places. It was really thought over. I know you all must be wondering what the story was but really, it was a little complicated and I am sure I wouldn't be doing justice to the story if I tried to narrate it here so... , in other words, I am not telling. What was my role? I was playing Basanti, in the 'remake of Sholay' part. The scene was the part were Gabbar says to me "jab tak tere pair chalenge, tab tak iski saanse chalengi" (I think that is how the dialogue was). And I had to dance (ohhh I disliked that part so so much. I lost the count of how many times I tried to change my role. I still wish they had changed my role!!!). And that was not the "dance of fire". Well anyways, I was never prepared for the dance or the role or the skit for that matter but I wasn't prepared for the disaster that was to come either. To tell you the truth I was doing okay when we practiced. It was never great, I am not really cut out to be great in a skit.

The D-Day came. All of us stood there nervous waiting for our part to come. (I am not sure about others bu I was certainly nervous). When my part came, the audio system failed. There was not dialogue, just a song in background and my dance. So finally there was no song, just my dance, and probably the audience yelling at the disaster (which I thankfully don't remember). After that I had another small part which I completed. And then coming out of the stage I broke down and cried. I still don't know why I cried. But a lot of people did try to console me and I finally did manage to stop my streaming eyes. At the end of all of it, we had photo sessions. I don't have the photo but I remember looking horrible with my face completely blotched because of the tears. I also remember having being given chocolate to compensate for the disaster. ;) 

I never had the courage to face the crowd again after that


Btw we did win 2nd prize even after my disaster. And in case you are wondering the song to which I had to dance, it was ... "teri har ada sitam hai jaanlevaaa..."  ah never mind if you haven't heard it before

The year has just begun...

--- Random Thoughts ---

I am not a writer although I do aspire to become one, some day. I know I have a long way to go. I haven't really written much, just a couple of blogs posts. And yet I am not even sure whether I will call myself a writer after I have written a hundred stories or articles. How do I know? Once upon a time I was sure I could call myself a poet. Poems used to come easily to my pen. I could just sit anytime and write. Now I am not sure if I can still call myself a poet. Although yes, I have crossed the 100 barrier. It seems like such a long time today. But then how long is "really a long time"? After how much time can I say "I think I have lost that gift" or do we never lose it? Can I actually work on it so that I don't I lose it? I think I can and I should. At least give it a try. Thinking of those times makes me feel so..."old"?. It may not be the appropriate word but you know what I mean. Although just a few weeks back the lady at the parlor asked me if I tied my hair while going to school. "While going to school" ??? What do I answer to that? Should I have said "Sorry but I left school years back!" or may be I should have let her think whatever she thought. So the "old" I was talking about is not the old that we commonly say. You know "old" as in it was very long back, like my grandparents would say about their "old" times. You get it? Never mind!

A friend of mine, an acquaintance really accused me of collecting other's stories. He has been saying that for sometime. I don't mind really. I never actually tried too hard for it and I really don't know how much I have retained. But his accusation did give me something to think about. It is true that I have met so many people, I have heard, seen, and even been a part of so many stories. Why don't I just write them then? I don't know. I have been told that a writer's first story is about himself mostly. Something that he can relate to easily, something that he takes out of his own life. I don't think I will do that. Firstly because I won't really be fair to my character, I'll be too biased. Secondly it will be too hard for me to pick up the parts of my life which I want to write about. Thirdly I am not even sure, it will interest anybody. (Well, it certainly won't interest me because I already know all about it and must have gone about a hundred times through each event! ) So yes, writing about others would be easier, more interesting and perhaps better for me. Or so I think.

I have been thinking a lot actually. I tend to do that when I want to divert my mind from something, from the everyday routine or from the problem at hand of which I am not very sure of. It is in these times of thoughts that I get inspired to pick up a new hobby or renew an old one. Like last to last year I learned Spanish (and forgot by now) or last year I took up sketching (and am planning to do so again this year). May be this year I will do something else, get a dancing lesson or something like that or may be go for some writing workshops. I haven't thought yet or may be I have but I don't want to reveal as yet because I don't know if I will carry on the plan or not. Why do you think we make new year resolutions? Whats yours? Why do you think we break it? What then is mine? I did make a list actually. I haven't carried out even one yet. There is time. The year has just begun. What about those I made last year? I don't know. I really don't know if I had even made any resolutions last year. So this year I have written them down. At the end of the year I wouldn't be saying "I don't remember". So come December and I will let you know how many of them I could keep and how many I broke.

Oh well, did I wish you Happy New Year? The Year has just begun. I am not late yet :)

Happy New Year to all of you!!!

### Oh by the way this is my 100th post in this blog. ###