18

“Life had changed that night Mr Rahul. We both couldn’t sleep the whole night and had wished that we were sleeping in each other’s arms. We had discovered love and our souls had connected in the hug on the sands. I was so sure of my feelings and the three kisses of Karishma on my cheeks and forehead had the approval and stamp of her love. We both knew there was something special happening and we could not wait to see each other in the morning.” Rahul said as he got emotional, and this time two tears flowed down his eyes, realizing that he had lost his love with time. This time I wiped his tears off.

“Arjun, you taught me to love when we were investigating the case and although my love wasn’t as deep as yours, I can still feel the pains of separation.” Tell me about the play now. I tried to take away Arjun from his emotional state.

“Mr Rahul, I am a director and I understand emotions very well. I knew there was something going on between you and Detective Susan,” Arjun said with a wink.

I was too embarrassed to discuss that and asked Rahul to focus on the play. “Yeah, the play,” and Arjun’s emotions changed to a smile, to my pleasure. “Well, it was the morning of the play. We decided not to watch any other play so that it didn’t affect our performance. We focused on our play and had a final dry rehearsal. Karishma’s parents had made their surprise appearance and Karishma was thrilled with their presence. We agreed to stay away from each other, especially in the presence of others, we didn’t want people to get any hint of our closeness.

Before the play, I gave the cast a pep talk of going and capturing the hearts of Dubai and the people. The cast performed brilliantly, and our play got a standing ovation. The results were to be announced later at dinner event. Over a 1000 people including all the cast, supporters, audience, VIPs had gathered in the ball room. There were a lot of Indians present in the ball room and that encouraged us.

And it was like déjà vu when the 3rd and the 2nd places were announced. Since this was an international competition, we were not sure of our chances, as there would have been better performances. Before announcing the winner, the judge said they will announce the Best Actor – Male, Best Actor – Female and Best Director awards. The Best Actor – Male went to a college from the England and then it was time for the Best Actor – Female. After a bit of a pause, the judge announced ‘the Best Actor – Female goes to Asia, to India, to Ms Karishma Patel from Jai Hind College’ and we screamed our lungs out as Karishma went up on the stage to receive her award. We couldn’t believe what had just happened. Karishma was asked to say a few words.

‘I don’t know what to say, this was least expected and I am at a total loss of words. There was a time when I wasn’t sure if I will be able to come to Dubai, and now I hold this beautiful trophy in my hand. I would like to thank the organizers, to the beautiful city of Dubai and to the sands of Dubai which has given me so much (she looked at me as she said that), to my college and teachers for their support, to my team which helped me and had the confidence in me to give me this role and to my director Arjun who made sure every bit of my performance was perfect. But most of all I would like to thank the two most beautiful people in the world who are here to support me, who brought me in this world, who raised me and made me capable of being in front of you today. Mom and dad, I would have been nothing without you, I love you so much and thanks for being here. Thanks all once again, this is one moment in my life which I will never forget’. Karishma got a standing ovation for her speech, and tears of happiness from her parents as she came down and touched their feet and hugs from all of us. She was at a loss of words and she had given the most wonderful winning speech.

The judge then moved to the Best Director category and said, ‘there has been such a wonderful exhibition of talent in direction that we were really confused, and at one time we thought so many people deserved it, that we will scrap this trophy (this got laughter from the audience). But then one play stood out from the rest and it made our work easier. So, we have decided to announce the Best Director and the Best Play awards together and I won’t waste much time in announcing that these two awards have been bagged by none other than our friends from India, Jai Hind College’. We were spellbound and couldn’t react for a few moments, even though there was a large cheer from the audience, especially the Indian section. I reacted only when Jitu bhai shook my hand with pride and awakened me to reality. We all went up and lifted the trophy to another large cheer from the audience. I got my Best Director trophy and was asked to say a few words.

‘Well I am not Karishma and will not say that I am at a loss of words and because I am not Karishma I will not also be able to make the beautiful speech that she did (the audience split into laughter). I would also like to thank the organizers, my college and my cast which has been fantastic. My congratulations to Steve for the Best Actor – Male award and to the other colleges who have proudly lifted trophies today. I didn’t have the courage to watch your plays, but since now we have finished at the top, will surely watch them on the DVD (the audience laughed again). My congratulations also to all other teams which participated as they are winners in their own right and I request for a large round of applause for all of them (the audience obliged). Well, thanks to Dubai, it’s a beautiful city and to UAE, which is a beautiful country. And as Karishma said, the sands of Dubai have given us a lot which is very special. I complete my college this year, and so will not be able to participate in this competition next year, but I am sure my college, which is full of talent will be here next year as well. Thanks everyone.’

The audience stood up once again and gave us a standing ovation. We had come to Dubai with a lot of dreams and were going back after capturing Dubai and after capturing hearts, hearts of the people there and the hearts of J&K. I liked the alphabet Karishma and assigned to me J and with her we formed one of the most beautiful States in India J&K. For Kashmir it was said that if there was heaven anywhere on the earth, it was here; so our combination made a lot of sense. Only I didn’t realize that the peace in our lives would be destroyed the same way it got destroyed in the state.

Karishma had stayed back with her parents in Dubai and apparently they were going for desert safari to the same place where we had been to. How I wish I could be there too and spend some more time on the sands of Dubai on which an important part of my history was written. On the way back, I was alone in the plane in the midst of fifteen people, I was thinking, I was introspecting. I was in love, there was no doubt about that; I had never felt so special and peaceful in my life. All I wanted to do was hold Karishma’s hand for the rest of my life. There was no doubt in my mind that Karishma loved me too, I could feel it in her eyes, her touch, her smile, her hug and her kisses. She wasn’t ready for the lip kiss but she was ready for love. The introspection led me to my reality that I was ready for love too. I couldn’t imagine Karishma being with anyone else; I wanted her on my side, now and forever. I had liked many girls before but had never felt the way I felt about Karishma.

Her beauty, her grace, her confidence and her care for me had me spellbound for her. A small incident suddenly came to my mind, the significance of which I didn’t understand when it happened but it fell into place now. We were rehearsing for the play and I had generally announced that I was very hungry. She was taking a break to go home, she stayed close to college. When she came back, she approached me when I was alone, and said she has brought something for me. When I asked her what, she removed a container and said since I was hungry she had brought me some aloo parathas (potato filled Indian bread) from home. I said I wasn’t so hungry anymore and I didn’t want to eat. I didn’t realize that she had brought aloo parathas especially for me, and I was busy thinking about the next act of the play, so didn’t pay much attention as well. She asked me again and I refused again, she must have surely felt bad about it. She said she brought it for me and I didn’t care about it, to which I coolly replied, ‘Arey to kya ho gaya (so what), I will eat later.’ She got upset and started walking away, and I stopped her to ask how come she came back so fast from home. She said she didn’t eat as well so that we could have eaten together and now I didn’t care at all. I didn’t understand her care and her feeling to be with me, and her not eating at home so that she could eat with me. I did feel bad and asked to come back, and eat, I would eat later. She opened the container, and took a piece of the paratha and fed me to my surprise. I liked the motherly care and asked her for one more and I ate the entire paratha that way.

As I thought about that incident sitting in the plane, I realized that I couldn’t read her emotions that day which were so clear. She cared for me, she didn’t eat because I hadn’t, and she fed me first and then ate. No one except my mom had done this for me earlier. Although a small incident, but as I thought of it now, it was very significant for me and at this moment I decided to propose to her as soon as she came back from the UAE. I was ready for true love in my life, a kind of love that I had waited for, a kind of love which happened when I saw her the first time during the auditions and I realized now it was love at first sight for me. The moment in the auditions when she had said I love you and I had responded back inadvertently with I love you, I was in love then, only the realization had dawned today. Love is impatient, and I now couldn’t even wait for three days for her to come back so that I could propose to her.