Bonggg...Bonggg... Bonggg...Echoed my school bell reverberating in the small ground, struggling to die faster partially due to the cold morning air. I jogged towards my class having come late for the third time that week, thinking of all plausible excuses, trying hard to remember which ones I have already used and which ones are available. ‘Man I GOT to get up earlier from now on!’ I just stepped into my classroom when the sound of the last bell receded slowly dissipating along with it the morning cheeriness leaving faint traces of seriousness in the air around me.
The Morning Prayer was already blaring down on students from overhead speakers in every classroom. My friends inside had that annoying smirk and some made faces at me trying to catch my attention, to make me laugh, while I struggled to maintain a straight face under my teacher's glare. ‘Ok, don't laugh, don't laugh, you had fever, you are coming straight from the doctors' and that’s why you are late... Don’t laugh, just please don't...’
Gods must have pitied me then, for there was an announcement immediately after the prayer. They read out the list of students who will be part of the school annual day play. Now one thing you got to know about my school is - it’s very orthodox. Any play it organizes will most likely have 10 bajans and 20 devotional songs with dance performances in between. But the upside is participants need not attend most of the classes for a really long time.
“Sathyanarayanan, Vignesh, Balakrishnan, Amarnath, Pavan...” the list went on for a few more minutes. More to escape from my class teacher and the lesson about Adisankara, Madhvacharya and their great deeds to humanity she will be taking today, than anything, I gladly welcomed this diversion.
“Epdiyo escape aitta!” (Somehow you got away with it!) thumped Vignesh on my back a few minutes later. I had escaped from what, I feared and my friends hoped was a sure shot blasting from class ma’am. "Luck da! Seri vidu, what is the drama about?"- me. "The life and teachings of Adisankaracharya", he replied. We paused for a minute looking at each other and rolled back laughing at the irony. Nevertheless it was good being out on a beautiful day like that. The sun was playing truant much like us and there was a slight drizzling from morning causing that heavenly smell of rain with mud to fill up the grounds. The corridors we were walking overlooked the grounds giving us the outdoorsy feel without actually being out.
"That's not even the bad part, I heard we might be in dancing as well” Vignesh was muttering, walking by my side. I vaguely wondered what my role would be, mentally weighing the history class I bunked and the play, on a balance scale. Class seemed to be the slightly heavier plate. Combined with this disturbing new piece of information, class definitely looked like a much better option.
At that moment my thoughts were ever so pleasantly interrupted by the most beautiful voice I have heard. A voice so melodious in its wake that it made the sounds from the rest of the world seem like they are from rickety creaking old doors. Soft, yet carrying well through the damp air, the dulcet tone cruelly taunted the auditory senses to crave for more. Bubbly, yet calm, cheerful, yet soothing it spoiled the ears for all other sounds. "Sankara, Sankara" beckoned the magical voice in theatric manner. Immediately I had the insane urge to change my name to Sankara just so I could answer it!
I searched frantically among the group in front of me for the source and found her amidst a group of kids shrouded from view. Inching in closer I went near the group. Vignesh followed me patiently. There she was among few other girls and kids. As beautiful as her voice suggested, perhaps even more. Laughing and playing around completely oblivious to the immense effect she had on the guys around her.
“Dei Sathya enna panra?”,(Hey Sathya, What are you doing man?) smirked Vignesh looking at me. It took a complete minute for my momentarily spaced out brain to comprehend what he just said to me. As soon as it did I returned a quick grin and asked him, “Hey yaaruda ava?” (Hey who is she dude?). “Over a English la paesra. Etha teacher oda daughter a irukum nu nenaikren” (She seems to be very fluent in English. Most probably some teacher’s daughter) he replied. I absorbed what he said, thought for a second, tossed it to the back of my mind, shook my head and continued watching her. Watched one of God's finest creations moving her lips slowly practising her lines sincerely.
"Dei pothum da va polaam", (Enough dude. Come let’s leave) nudged Vignesh. "2 minutes, 2 minutes, please play parthuttu varen", (2 minutes 2 minutes, please let me watch the play and come) I replied not taking my eyes off of her. "Inum 2 months ku daily nee ‘play’ a paarka thaan da pora, ippo va polaam", (You are anyway going to see the ‘play’ every day for the next two months) he replied teasingly, figuring my ulterior motive. I turned and grinned again, nodding. Taking one more look at her, imprinting that scene with her in my memory for eternities to come I walked away with him to join my other friends.
My mental image of the weighing scale tipped fully towards the school play now. Drizzling continued as we walked to meet the other guys... We will be officially starting the drama practice from tomorrow. “I REALLY GOT to start coming early!”
God, how I love Sankaracharya and all his great deeds to humanity!
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