……………And the story continues! The slaps didn’t just end there. Luckily for us, the Blue House dramatics team, we were selected to participate in the NCPA Stage Right Competition. We did show a great deal of enthusiasm, changed our holiday plans, canceled tuitions so we could practice during the Christmas break. You don’t need to be Einstein to figure out those practices were fruitless, wasted in the love of food or ‘amenities’. We had around 8 practice sessions throughout the break and I don’t think we completed scene three. As Usual, we woke up three days before the competition and begged Ms. Telang to let us practice throughout the day in school. Using emotional drama and blackmail, we managed to sneak in a few extra hours of practice. Thank you, Ms. Telang. It was a Tuesday, I recall, if my mind hasn’t failed me, the day of the semi- finals. We all hopped on to the bus, took our seats and rode off. I remember it wasn’t as good a performance as we had hoped it would be. Surprisingly we made it to the finals (HELL YEAH!). We now had a day to improve our play. Let me tell you, I haven’t ever felt such a boost of adrenaline as I felt that day; when I walked I was actually jogging. In a day we added jokes to our play and a whole new section to a scene! It was just crazy. Thursday, the day of the finals. All our practice sessions, the hard work, the struggle, it all came down on that day. We put up a stunning performance (as I was told) filled with hilarity, thrill, drama (well obviously) and scandal. All our practices paid off and we delivered our best performance till date. Thump thump…. Thump thump…. Thump thump. The sound of our hearts pounding filled the auditorium, the judges made us wait for a good half an hour. By the time they came out I’m sure most of us had no nails left. Finally the judges came out. The results were announced and we were placed fourth, out of sixty schools emerging fourth is no mean achievement. Along with that I was awarded best male actor! I was overwhelmed with joy and so was my team. Two of the judges really loved and appreciated our play, they walked to the edge of the stage where we were sitting and told us that we were brilliant. We were thrilled with this feedback that two judges personally gave us. This was an experience of a lifetime. If any of you reading this ever get an opportunity to take part in an event somewhat like this, trust me do not turn it down, at least not in the name of studies or time (you can definitely balance both). This rollercoaster, this memory is one I will always cherish and it will stay with me forever.
-Ayan Agarwal 9th
(continuation of “It’s Gift to ME”)