The sound of applause fills the hall. The crowd
cheers in admiration of the performance, revering at the skill with which their
hearts had been stirred, wondering about the world they had momentarily been
transported to, reflecting on the twists and turns and rejoicing at the happy
end. The cast assembles on the stage in a straight line and with a united jerk
bends low in a graceful bow. The curtain slowly falls down upon their smiling
faces. The people, pleased by the evening well spent, file out of the hall and
within 15 minutes the place which had been roaring with sound for the past 90
minutes, becomes dead silent. The last sound that is heard here is that of the
clicking off of the stage lights.
Backstage, the usual hustle-bustle can be
observed. The two producers exchange delighted grins, satisfied with another
full house’s collection. It has been a good start so far and if the sales
continue at this rate this could turn out to be their highest selling show in a
long time. They toast to celebrate. One
celebrates at the prospect of repaying the loan which he had taken for an
unsuccessful endeavor. The other
celebrates the new luxurious watch that will earn him jealous looks tomorrow.
Merrily, they walk to the parking lot.
Back in the green room, the cheerful spirit seeps
in. However, the reason for the spark in the eyes of the male lead extends
beyond tonight’s show which, by the way, was one of his best. Tonight, he was
going to have dinner with his fiancé. Yes! She had finally said “yes” earlier
that evening. No wonder his emotions came out so real on the stage. All he had
to do was picture that moment in his eyes.
The female lead, on the other end of the room, sits
in front of the mirror and gently wipes out the makeup from her face, conscious
of its beauty and the effect it had on people around her. A few feet away
stands the girl’s “mother” from the play. In the mirror she sees her past
reflected. She wonders whether to laugh at life’s play or weep at its tricks.
She settles, defeated, for wishing for a better future for the girl than what
her own past had been. She hopes that the youthful fire that radiates from her
skin does not get extinguished by the hands of those in this cold world who
seek to sell her beloved treasure at the price that she alone bears, till a day
comes when she is forced to question the true worth of it all.
The “loyal sidekick” rests on the couch. His
eyes closed, head bent back to the wall, a passerby would think he is sleeping
after the day’s work. The truth is, the man sits in anticipation. He awaits a
call from the producers of the movie for which he had auditioned last week.
This could be his big break. In his heart he has always known that his true
destiny lies on the big screen. His left leg shakes in impatient nervousness.
The rest of the supporting cast, true to their
roles, scurry in the background. Their presence, here too, significant only to
the bringing out of the scene. Well at least, they get to have a presence.
Where would they be without this? It is hard out there for an artist.
Weary of the routine the crew rushes with its
daily work. They are eager to finally go back home and get the night’s sleep.
For them, it is always the same schedule. The costumes change, the venues
change, the actors come and go, the shows sell or flop. For them, it is always
the same. All this simply boils down to their salary cheque at the end of the
month. They were not the profit earning producers. Theirs was not an art for display to the world. Whatever dreams their eyes might have once held had
shimmered their way out to the light bulbs above the stage.
Just like the audience, these people disperse
in a while and return to their reality. After the lights out, not a living soul
is to be seen in this magnificent hall. Not a sound disturbs whatever ghosts of
art-lovers that may be occupying the rows of seats. Darkness creeps in every
corner. But even that hides nothing more than what the lights reveal.
