TragiComedy

It was a fine evening. A setting sun had left the sky tinged a lovely orange-pink shade. The mellow breeze from the nearby orchards set the tone for a calm, quiet end to the day. But at the Nayar household there was chaos and cacophony. It was the dramatics event hosted as part of the All Star Cousin Meet (All the Nayar cousins met at their grandparents’ home every summer vacation and packed in enough din and disorder to last their grandparents till the next.) The drama was the star event of their all star meet. Parents, grandparents, neighbours had all turned up for the gala event (probably to celebrate the end of another two months of bedlam). Lakshmi, the upcoming playwright had written a poignant piece picked up from the Abhignan Shakuntalam. It was the act showing Shakuntala leaving her friends in the forest. Everybody had rehearsed so beautifully, Lakshmi knew the audience was going to cry. And oh, the elders would just love her ingenuity for dressing up Mr. Natwarlal, the pet dog as a deer. Just paper antlers and brown spots painted on to Mr. Natwarlal’s biscuit-coloured coat had done the trick. Now the scene looked so real, with a deer prancing about just as it does in the Shakuntalam.
Suddenly Lakshmi was shaken from her pleasant reverie by her five year old cousin Revathi.
“ There are so many people! I will never be able to get my lines out.” whimpered the poor little lady.
“ You just have to say, “Don’t go Shakuntala.. don’t!” what’s the big deal with that. Even if you shake with fright it is alright, it will look like you are shaking with the ache of parting.”, said the harsh, practical Lakshmi.
But there was no time for further tete-a-tete as the curtains went up and Revathi was rudely pushed onto the stage. She realized in a rush that she was on stage thrust upon a crowd of expectant faces. Mouth open, she stared then started running around. She had almost made it to the exit when Sumana caught her and loudly exclaimed “ Oh sister, why do you behave so? Has the imminent parting affected you this much?” Confused, Revathi spewed out the only dialogue she knew, “ Don’t go Shakuntala.. don’t” As an aside to her cousins-nee-forest friends, Sumana said, “ Poor Chitrangada! Being Shakuntala’s favourite sister, she feels the ache of this parting most.” Backstage Lakshmi heaved a sigh of relief. She made up her mind to give Sumana a big bar of chocolate and Revathi a nice spanking.
Now Lakshmi herself entered the stage in dignified gait as the sweet Shakuntala. She smelt the painted flowers, conversed with stick-on birds, played with her dog-deer and thus finally reached her forest-friends on centre-stage. “ It is a beautiful evening sisters, come let us pluck flowers and dance with the birds, why do you sit here so mournfully?”
“Don’t go Shakuntala..don’t!” said the hapless Chitrangada
At this Shakuntala sat down and started crying herself. “Oh my sisters! I feel it too, this dull pain in the heart. What shall I do without you?!”
Into this mayhem entered the royal Dushyant (excellently played by Karthik). “Dearest, its time, bid your goodbyes and come with me to grace the royal palace with your presence.” he said in most couth language. At this the wailing peaked and the neighbouring cat peeked in to have a look at the source of all the noise. The faithful deer, which till now had been at Shakuntala’s side all along, went berserk. Even as Dushyant tried to rein him in, the deer barked menacingly and ran across the stage dragging his highness along. Finally he broke free, and with a leap and a bound was among the audience, in chase of his mortal enemy, antlers bobbing up and down. There was commotion all around. The cousins were mortified and Shakuntala was now crying with sincere grief. But the audience had had the best evening in many days. Helplessly rolling with laughter, tears flowing down their cheeks, they came up and congratulated the cousins for putting up a stupendous show.
Years later Lakshmi still winced when she thought of that tragedy-comedy. “But I did make them cry… even if only of laughter”, she would console herself.