"Kabhi khud pe, kabhi haalat pe rona aaya,
Baat nikli toh har baat pe rona aaya."
-Sahir Ludhianvi
-Manasvi-
The dressing room was chaotic as ever. Some reciting their lines, putting on their attire, makeup, having snacks so that they don't feel half-starved for the next two hours.
As Aryan came, heads turned towards him, silence. He didn't say anything for another minute. Then, smiled and asked everyone to continue with their chores.
As I suppose, everyone was busy with their roles, lines, dresses, thinking about the play, nervous. I too was, nervous, but not for the play, probably for what I had decided to go on with after the play. Instead of, revising my dialogues, I was revising the lines I had to say to Aryan the same evening. I am not aware if it was my over-confidence towards my craft, or it was just that I was in love. Probably, both.
Before going out, I looked myself in the mirror. Took a deep breath. With the air I exhaled, I exhaled the Manasvi within me. And with the air I inhaled, I inhaled the Sohni that I was supposed to be for the next two hours.
"Do not disappoint him." I ordered myself.
Curtains open, spotlight fell on the actors and the play begun.
Everyone immersed in their character, I too. The love, the longing, the pain of separation shared between Sohni and Mahiwal was evident through the acting (according to the reviews i had gotten from the audience).
"And that's how Sohni and Mahiwal lost their lives, but their love continues to live through the fields of Sindh. And their story continues to inspire lovers across the borders of India and Pakistan." The narrated narrated.
Spotlight turned off. Darkness fell on the stage. The curtains were closed. I could hear the audience clapping. I could also hear some of them crying.
"They stood up." Someone screamed, excited.
I don't know for what reason as the play was over, i sat on my knees, on the stage itself, and felt a sudden urge to cry out loud. Weep. Weep. Weep. Until it was all over. While everyone around me was celebrating the success.
"Hello. Get up." A male voice, familiar to my ears. I looked up to find out that it was him.
So alluring, inside and out, I heard my heart say.
He gave me a grin, I smiled back.
I got up to move ahead. As I passed by him, he called out my name. As much as I wanted to turn back, I didn't feel like.
"You were great tonight." I heard him say, my back facing him.
I closed my eyes. A sense of satisfaction washed over me. I turned back. He was there, my Aryan. "Thankyou."
I walked down the stairs of the stage.
Everyone was celebrating. Coke. Pizzas. Ice creams. Some of the veterans of the theatre company came to greet us in our room. Congratulated us. Appreciated us. The play was housefull. It was the first successful play of my acting career and little did I know that I would never look back again. Alone through this journey I would walk, run, fall, get up, run, walk, repeat for years to come. Little did I know that nothing would be the same after that night. It would change the course of my life. It would change the way I looked at life. It would change a lot of things as a matter of fact. Someone said it right, sometimes even a day can change everything.
I don't remember a lot about what happened later until my parents came to pick me up. I went to the lawn outside with them, telling that I had to inform something to them. They were happy too, with my performance, with me. Or maybe they were happy and proud seeing the semester results of my sister that had arrived the same day.
