Hope Believe Magic

Romeo and Juliet

Shivu woke up with an uneasy feeling. She was not sure if she was the right person to play the lead but she could never say no to Gopi sir so she quickly got out of bed, showered and decided to go to the nearby pillaiyar temple and break a coconut. "Pillaiyar Appa. Koodave irundhu kaapathu. Gopi sir oda maanatha vaangama irukanum. Please. Unna nambi thaan audition ku poren. Kaapathu." She was starving when she returned back home and the steaming aroma of idlis invited her. She joined her parents at the table and placed two idlis with generous amount of the chutney and sambar. She ate quietly.

She reached the theatre 15 minutes earlier than planned. She was a nervous wreck as she walked into the empty space. At least she thought it was empty but as she got closer, she heard a voice, a beautiful male voice, rehearsing his lines. His voice was not familiar but it gave her an unknown warmth. She started walking towards the dressing room where the voice was coming from. He suddenly stopped. He must have heard her foot steps. He stepped out of the room and they met eye to eye. They just stood there frozen in the moment. She quickly looked away and said, " Illai theatre la yaarum illai. Voice kettuchu adhu thaan vandhen, yaaru nu paaka" then she walked up to him and said, "By the way, I am Shivathmika." He looked at her extended arm and quickly shook it and with a quick smile said, "Arvind, you can call me AK."

Shivu noticed that he had a very gentle smile which lit up his eyes and before she realized, she said, "You have a very nice smile. You should use it more generously." He instantly blushed and nodded saying, "Thanks. People say I get it from my mother." There was an awkward silence following which she pointed towards the theatre and said, "Sir ippo vandhuduvaaru. Naan ange wait pannaren. I am so damn nervous." He looked at her seriously and said, "Don't be nervous. Just enjoy and process. Believe in your craft. I am sure sir sees it in you. Illati koopda maatar. He has told me about how talented you are. Actually unga kooda audition panna naan thaan nervous aa irukken. That's why I am working on those lines." Now it was her turn to blush, "ayayo" and they both laughed. Just then they heard footsteps and walked up to the theatre to find Gopi sir there, "Oh Neenga inge thaan irukeengala. Great, let's warm up and start the auditioning." Shivu looked around and asked, "Sir naanga rendu per thaana? Vera yaarum varaliya?"  He just smiled and nodded a no then smiled and said, "My dear Julia and Marcus, let's do it. Let's warm up with our most favourite lines from Romeo and Juliet, shall we?"

Thus began Romeo, "If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this:
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.

Juliet:
Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,
Which mannerly devotion shows in this;
For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,
And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss.

Romeo:
Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?

Juliet:
Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.

Romeo:
O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do;
They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.

Juliet:
Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake.

Romeo:
Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take.
Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged.

Juliet:
Then have my lips the sin that they have took.

Romeo:
Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged!
Give me my sin again.

Juliet:
You kiss by the book."

Gopi sir clapped. His face was beaming. He yelled, "Perfect, this is perfect. Yes I have found my Julia and Marcus. You are my leads. Monday lerndhu namba workshop start pannarom. Then in 8 weeks we will open the show. Music team and choreographer will be here on Monday as well. Shivathmika unakku singing part irukkum so warm up your voice. AK ku lip sync so you will have to work on that. I know both of you have different dance styles but I also know that you two adapt very easily to new choreography. Let's do this guys." He said and walked up to hug them both. Shivu could not believe that she had made it.

She and AK said good bye to Gopi sir and walked out of the theatre when he quickly looked up at her and, with a kind smile, said, "I told you that you will be just fine. You are a natural, Shivathmika. Never underestimate your talents. See you tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday. Bye maa. Take care."

There was something about that "Maa." She felt butterflies in her stomach when she heard that. It was a pleasant feeling.

Brinda Subramanian