Destiny

4. Attending A Play

Anand woke up later than usual the next morning. Although, he had not been on night duty, he had been unable to sleep the entire night. Thoughts of Anupama had occupied his mid all the time. Dr. Desai had used many superlatives to describe her and although Anand did not know anything about her other qualities, he had certainly felt the impact of her beauty. He was sure, she would surely outshine any beauty queen.

But, beauty and histrionic talent were two different things, so her play might not be so great., he told himself. He was debating whether to go or not. He wanted to see her again, but he did not even know whether she was engaged or married to somebody. Although, she did not look like one. But what did she think of him? His musings were cut short when the razor blade nicked his cheek and blood started oozing out from the cut. He imagined Anupama, standing behind him, smiling. He felt elated and light hearted at the very thought of her. Whistling happily, he got ready for the play.

It was a fund-raising program; so, there were several speeches about social responsibilities and all. Anand was bored; he knew that if once a person got a hold of the mike, he/she hated to part with it. Every minute, seemed to last a year.

Finally, all speeches were over, and a melodious voice, off-stage began to speak on the play that was to follow: "

"Kadambari, is one of the earliest novels written by the great scholar Bana Bhatta, in Sanskrit. A part of the novel has been translated and dramatized by Ms. Anupama. The essence of the novel, is the love between the heroine, Mahashweta and hero, Paundarika The cast includes, Ms. Anupama as Mahashweta and Ms. Nirmala as Paundarika. . ."

"Mahashweta is an extremely beautiful princess and the daughter of the King of Gandhar. One day she goes on a picnic with her friend Kadambari, and meets Paundarika, the dazzlingly handsome son of a saint. It is love at first site for both of them. . ."

As the princess, Anupama looked sculpted in ivory. When she enacted a love scene with Pundarika, her face glowed with passion. She delivered her lines so naturally: "Darling, you are handsome and irresistible. . . You are the very picture of Manmatha. When I saw you today through the branches of the Parijata Tree, I fell in love with you immediately. I feel, I have been waiting for you since many lifetimes. You are my ideal man."

Anand instantly realized that these were the exact words he had heard in Vasumathi's house that afternoon. In his ignorance he had presumed that the unseen girl had been talking about him. As he heard those words again, he thought, Thank God, I did not discuss this with anybody. Anupama must have left by the rear staircase the other day, which was why I did not see her.

The play continued. Later, Mahashweta confided in her friend, 'Like Rohini to
Chandra, like Rukmini to Krishna, am I to him. Just as the creeper depends on a tree, emotionally I depend on him. I cannot live without him, and for his sake, I am ready to renounce everything. Let society say anything it wishes. I do not care. . .'

Pundarika, Mahashweta's beloved, meets with an untimely death and the princess, wearing a white sari and garland, undertakes a severe penance in the forest. Her resolve is unshakable. Her dear friend, Kadambari, tries her best to dissuade her, but to no avail. Finally, Mahashweta's heart-rending love for Pundarika brings him back to life and the lovers are reunited.

Anand looked around-Anupama's portrayal of Mahashweta was so convincing that the entire audience was spellbound. Anand realized that Dr. Desai had not exaggerated. Truly, Anupama was not only beautiful but also a brilliant actress.

When the play ended, there was tremendous applause as the president of the association called Anupama to the stage and spoke highly of her commitment to their cause. 'Ms. Anupama has been of immense help in raising funds for the school. I thank her on behalf of the organization. She has not only been involved with the play but has also sold a substantial number of tickets. We would like to present her with a memento in appreciation of her efforts.'

Anupama had not expected to be singled out for such praise and was taken aback, but humbly accepted the gift. Lost in admiration, Anand sat still, raptly following her every move.