15/9/2016
Dear Dream Girl,
I’m writing to you after a month, you see it has been 2 months since I started with high school thinking I would not perform well and just end up failing. It’s been months to a new school now but still I am fighting with myself to talk to people around there. Looking around, I see so many people happy and enjoying their new beginnings, getting better with studies and on the other hand I am still clueless.
One week back as a normal monthly activity of changing the places in class I got a new partner with me. She is short heighted, with curly black hair properly braided. She is usually very calm and silent person, never talks much in class as if she has created her own world. She is intelligent and always aces in tests. Her name is Priyali. We both used to give a smile to each other but didn’t talk much.
Few days passed by and one fine day our English Professor Ms. Sharma gave an assignment in the class, in which we had to explore the works done by our favorite writer or poet in two days’ time. It was to be done in a group of two and Priyali was assigned as my partner. Undoubtedly, for me it had to be Shakespeare as his works were something to which I had grown up reading and whom I admired the most. I was excited also confident about the presentation.
“Which work are we going to take of Shakespeare?” Priyali asked.
“Oh, you also like Shakespeare? Anyway, whichever it is I am in love with all his works” I said excitingly.
“What about “Sonnet 116” she asked.
“Yes of course why not!” with great elation I said.
Agreeing to it we both started working together for the presentation.
In just an hour and half we both completed our presentation.
“You too seem to like Literature I guess”? I asked being impatient.
“Yes, I love reading literature.” she said with sparkling eyes. “And my favorite work of Shakespeare is of Hamlet and Othello I love reading his works” she said.
Talking to her I thought she was my ray of hope in this not so relatable crowd of school. We kept discussing about the great poets and authors sitting in the school ground until we realized it was too late and we had to reach home. Dream girl, do you know sometimes we get someone so similar to us that we can’t just let them go away. I think I have finally got a good friend now.
And ‘D-day” for presentation arrived I was a bit nervous as it was my first presentation in front of whole class. Priyali was pretty confident about it; we were discussing the final details just when our names where called out. We had decided that it would be me who would recite the poem and Priyali would give the brief explanation to it.
Sonnet 116: Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wand’ring bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me prov’d,
I never writ, nor no man ever lov’d.
I recited the poem like a I was one of the greatest poets. I was so engrossed in it that all my nervousness just vanished away like a vapor. As I completed the recital, I heard the sounds of claps and people praising me. I felt like I am on the ninth cloud and felt like a dream come true. Priyali summarized the poem. We were announced as the best team and our work was appreciated by everyone in the class. Ms. Sharma gave us highest marks for the assignment.
Dream girl, you know a sling of motivation also helps you to battle the sadness out of your life. I was pretty sure though I could not choose my field of interest, I definitely would do my best and achieve my dream of becoming a writer.
After giving the best performance in the class Priyali and I were called by Ms. Sharma in the staff room. Calling in staff room? Oh my god it feels so scary to go in front of all the staff. What would it be? Is there anything we missed to say? Questions kept pondering unless we were told to wait for couple of minutes outside.
Oh! I tell you dream girl waits are so not my thing I am really very impatient and can’t wait. I have still no one to share rather I don’t trust anyone much. I become anxious I write to you. So, I am writing to you anxiously outside staff room. I have no idea how Priyali is as calm as still water. Oh wait! They called…
See you soon……
By Bhavisha Makhijani
Beautifully potrayed how opposites attract! Keep writing 🙂