My Drama By Incident

It was the time around eighty of the nineteenth century. There were no science colleges at all in small-towns, particularly science, engineering, and medical. There was hard science college at the district level, medical and engineering in the cities only. So the students from villages and small towns used to come for their higher education to these district-places daily by railway or state transport. Their maximum time always gets consumed in to and fro journey. They could merely spare their time for homework or library in their daily routine. I was in such a district-level science college from junior college. Most of the teaching staff recognizes me including the principal. Our principal used to teach me physics. Many times, he used to ask various questions related to topics that were based on principle, but out of the syllabus. On most occasions, I was in a position to reply to them perfectly. That is why I was in his good book.

There were many students from my town as well as other towns in the periphery of the district. I was a senior to them in college. But there was a local group in the college which was in the good book of a drama teacher. Hindsight is better than foresight. They were his liked members for the drama for an annual gathering. Some of the students from local and outside were interested to take part in the college drama. All of them tried for the seat for the last two years But they were not selected for drama by the teacher for the reason as stated earlier. When one door shuts, another door opens. All the dropped students of previous years were on the ball for their participation in the drama that year. Then all of them decided to try that year also. But the result was the same as earlier.

We decided to take this matter with the principal. We requested him to spare some time on this drama topic. He then called us. We went to him. He was surprised to see me as a leader and asked me to tell the fact. We briefed him on all real facts one by one and injustice was being done to all. We requested him that he should give some of us chance in the drama that year. We told him also all history of the last few years. He called the drama teacher. He discussed the matter with him. The drama teacher told him that all the deserving participants were not local. They could not spare time for the practice drama. As you know that practice makes the man perfect. Then the principal told us about his opinion. Then we assured him that we would spare the required time at anycast as he asked. Then he told that he had already selected the student for that year for drama for gathering. He assured us that he would give chance us next year. Then we argued with the principal and him that it was our last year at the college. We also told the principal that his intention was not fair and crystal clear. We discussed and argued with the principal on this matter in ins and outs. He then suggested that there would be two dramas that year. He instructed the drama teacher to help us. The General Secretary of the college was the local student. He opposed our move. He decided with his collogues to pull our legs. He tried along with his team to get our goat on many occasions.

Since the ball was in the court of the drama teacher. We then approached him for another drama script by leaps and bound. . He took it with a pinch of salt. He told us that he had not no more drama script for us. He Beat around the bush. You should make it available from other sources. . Stitch in time saves nine. We tried to get a new drama script from other sources, But none of us was successful in the mission. Most of the local students made fun of it. They tried to humiliate us often. They wanted that we should give up the drama. We decided to hang in there, as we were confident that at a cost we would play our drama that year. We wanted to prove our talent and ability. We wanted to show them; all that glitters is not gold. There is also talent among the student from villages. Appearances can be deceptive.

It became a prestigious issue for all concerned parties. There was total polarization between local and outsider supporters. Everything was in favor of local students. when the going gets tough, tough get going, So I wrote a raw drama script and briefed all my drama colleagues. They liked it. The time and tide await no man. So we started our drama practice in the city at an unknown place in which we included local as well as outside drama. As we were progressing in drama practice. We used to supervise our drama script looking at the shortcomings and dialogs. In this way, we achieved the benchmark. We were more enthusiastic about our drama. On other hand, our opponents were making efforts to destabilize us. But we were very much determined to execute our mission “drama “. Where there is a will, there is the way. There was nothing for us to lose anything in that mission. Once bitten twice shy, we, therefore, made elbow grease, to be a winner for loaded bear.

College annual gathering began with various competitions as usual. But there was only discussion about our drama among the college students. There was a question mark in their mind including opponent and teaching staff about the success of our drama. But we knew, every dog has its day. Day and Time arrived for our test.  Firstly, some solo and group performances were get completed as scheduled. There was the first drama of the drama teacher which started before us. It gets completed. Our general secretary was wolf in the sheep’s clothing. Suddenly he appeared on stage by hook or crook. He appreciated the drama. He then declared that all today’s programs were over with a vote of thanks to all the audience and participants. Suddenly, he ran away from the stage. If he stopped for while, he would have been beaten. He was absconding for fortnight there-after from the college. Then I came on stage. I told the audience that our general secretary had forgotten to announce the second drama due to his hectic activities during the gathering. Our drama would start soon.

Then we started our drama with a horrible title song. I was a businessman in that drama whose wife was killed by some miscreants. I was lying on the cot. My servant came to me when I was remembering her in sound sleep. He forgot his dialogs. Anyhow, I managed the occasion in the drama in my own style. Most of us were new in that play, lack experience, and were stage daring, they were stumbling on many occasions and were forgetting their dialog. Anyhow, we managed the drama with so many shortcomings. But our since the effort was appreciated by all audience by cheering and clapping our team. It was a wonderful experiment by an unguided drama teacher for the students. The next day, we went to our principal to thank him for showing faith in us. He smiled at us, said good efforts made by the team. Keep it up. He said to me that he was not at all expecting this type of skill within me, looking at your performance in the science subjects. So far, he observed me. I told him that my drama was just by the incident. I became a drama writer and drama actor for the first time. Our drama teacher also appreciated our effort lastly. We requested that he should never judge the book by its cover page hereafter.