The Ruined Rainbow

CHAPTER 82

"Story," she said, and her eyes sparked up.

"Oh, she tells great stories. She always narrates before bed, ever since she mysteriously got hold of a fairy tale book." Nivedita disclosed, "I must say she is a great performer."

"Wow, I would love to hear her recite," Avanti said, smiling down at Rosy.

Rosy grinned at her, not knowing what Avanti had said, but she knew it was something appreciative. Avanti and I then bid farewell to Nivedita and met the other groups.

*******

The competitions went on smoothly. Few volunteers acted as judges. Sonali said she had asked Sahil if he would judge a contest and politely denied it. She said that he felt all the children, irrespective of their performances, were winners for just performing, and he would not be able to place them in positions as all of them were winners. He was happy to be an audience, she said.

After a round of looking at all the competitions, I settled in a plastic chair in the storytelling venue, feeling physically dizzy. The contest was at the front, and I was in the last chair. Scanning around, I directly reached the pertinent query of my heart, willing to be addressed.

I would have to leave along with Sahil for Lucknow today. It would be a five-hour ride and just the two of us. I did not know if my heart felt excited or frightened at that prospect. I knew it would take all my effort to maintain a neutral stance when my heart was dying to reveal to him my cancer. But I knew I could not do that. Silencing the elegies of my heart, I prayed if there was a possible way to sequester myself from everyone...even from my draconian self.

I had carefully eschewed Sahil after that conversation. I wanted to compose my feelings and emotions, and I knew I would be trapped in that ride with him in the next few hours. And I could not speak to Ahalya for letting me go alone after that emotional disclosure. She would insist that I travel with Sahil or that she travel with me. And I did not want to choose either of the options. And neither could I convince either of them to leave me alone. It was an uphill task.

I seemed to be trapped in the cruellest of dystopia.

Applause shook me from my reverie. I smiled as Rosy entered the stage, slightly nervous. I stand up and reach to the front and settle down. As a volunteer checked the mic and adjusted it for her, Rosy took a deep breath.

A moment later, she began,

"Once upon a time," she commenced, "in a village, there lived a beautiful girl named Cinderella with her wicked stepmother and two step sisters. She worked hard all day. One day, they all went to a ball in the palace, leaving Cinderella behind. Cinderella was feeling sad. Suddenly there was a burst of light, and the fairy godmother appeared."

The further she continued, she did it with actions. Her lovely face envisaged cute expressions, and her hands tried to imitate the same, and for such a tender age, she did have significant voice modulations.

"With a flick of the magic wand, she turned Cinderella into a beautiful princess with glass slippers, and a horse carriage appeared at the door. The fairy godmother warned Cinderella to return before midnight. Cinderella arrived at the ball, and the prince saw her. They both fell in love with each other. "

Tears burn in my eyes as I smile. It was eerie yet cute that a young girl, who did not know how love worked or what convolutions it had, told it so causally. She casually told it in eight words that hardly had four characters each that the pair fell in love with each other. No ifs. No buts. In just a sentence with eight words.

Prolly it was right. Innocence is bliss.

"They danced together all night. as the clock struck twelve, Cinderella rushed out to her carriage, leaving one of her slippers behind. The prince went to every house in the town with the slipper until he found Cinderella. The prince and Cinderella lived happily ever after. "