#NationalTheatreExchange

Aangikam Bhuvanam *trrrrrrrrr* "guys second bell" Vyassya

Vaachikam sarva Vaangmayam

Aahaaryam chandra taaraadhi

Tvamnamah saatvikam shivam

The clenched fingers into one anothers  were slowly released, we encored Ganapati Bappa in the city of Durga.

The warmth of the prayer slowly replaced with anxious sweating of palms in that freezing AC.

*Trrrrrrrrrrrr* Third Bell had rung. 

The upper stage lit up, and the awaited performers cued into their particular roles weaving the story of the play ahead.

 

It was our 29th show, mine 1st.

I was sharing the stage with one of the finest actors of our team, I was overwhelmed to perform with him but also anxious of getting at par with his performance. The scenes flew by, but the time paused. 

When you take efforts to not let a particular thing happen, the probability of it happening increases against all the odds. 

That explains my fumble on stage. I was so disappointed with myself because I had let down the actor in me. My eyes were going blurry due to the inability of mine to perform some 5-10 lines on stage. I still watched my partner on stage, delivering his best for the 29th time. 

At that point, in the right wing, as I sat crying, I suddenly realised that Acting no longer was my hobby, it was promoted to passion. 

A disappointment in yourself for not being able to complete a task is the signal from the universe that the hobby has turned into a passion. 

When the show got over the entire crew went on stage to bow and address the audience. I was reluctant as I was ashamed of the applause which I did not even deserve in the first place. 

Of all the trips I have been to, this will always be a special one, 

as Calcutta made a Bombay boy differentiate his passion from his hobbies.