It was my love for the English language that made me join University College in Thiruvananthapuram. Also, it was just a five minutes’ walk from my house. And two members of my family were already in the college — my father as a professor and my elder sister a postgraduate student.
During my second year in the college, its women’s club decided to hold a celebration. In the line-up were a tableau, a folk dance, a group song and a skit. There were four prizes to be grabbed, and the identity of the judges was kept a secret.
For the dance, the song and the skit, the students were chosen for their talent. Since I did not possess any particular talent, I bagged the role of Goddess Saraswati in the tableau. My only asset was my long hair reaching almost up to my ankles. As for my looks, the secretary consoled me saying, “Don’t worry, the make-up wizard will turn you into the beautiful goddess.” I did not inform anyone at home that I was taking part in the event. I wanted it to be a surprise.
The D-Day arrived, and all the participants assembled in the green room at 1 p.m. sharp. In walked the make-up wizard, clutching a bag containing his magic potions.
The first item being tableau, I was his first victim. “So you are supposed to be Goddess Saraswati? Once I make you up, even the real goddess will envy you,” he said. After finishing his work, with a triumphant look, he pulled out a mirror from his bag and held it before my face. I nearly fainted on seeing the face that stared back at me. I looked like the pink-coloured goddess printed on calendars.
By 3 p.m., the stage was set for the tableau. I crawled into an artificial lotus with two co-stars. One of them knelt on my left side holding a brass plate filled with lotus petals. The second girl crouched behind me with her pink hands outstretched to make it look as if I had four hands like the goddess. Soft music was played and the first girl started to sprinkle the petals on my feet slowly. The front row was occupied by the heads of departments and the Principal. To my surprise, I saw my father there. I thought the heavy make-up would conceal my identity not only to my father but also to the rest of the gathering.
Suddenly, I heard someone from the audience saying, “Saraswati is not breathing, I am sure she has turned into a statue.” The comment made me feel that my role was indeed a success.
Victory of sorts
The tableau was adjusted the second best. Eight of the nine judges had given it the first place. The one who did not was my father. He had recognised me in spite of all the heavy make-up. I regret to this day that I had not revealed to him that I was taking part in the show. He would have definitely excused himself from judging. My two co-stars gave me a cold stare on hearing the result. Even after all these years, they have not pardoned me. All three of us are grandmas now!
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