A Diwali Eve

[This is a skit I have written for the Integrity Club in my school.] (when the curtain is raised Arvind is on stage and waiting for someone) Dennis: Hi Arvind, Where are others? Arvind: They might be still writing the exam. How did you come out so early? Dennis: Oh... that is very simple. You know that I am an expert at maths. Last time I was even felicitated for my great score!. Arvind: I didn’t know that... What was that? Dennis: Oh you were not back from the village when I disclosed this to our friends. Arvind: That great day when our maths teacher entered the class with a bundle of answer-sheets, there was a buzz of excitement. Teacher distributed the sheets to most of them and my name was also called out. Then there was a giggling in the class. I stood up. There was a kind of sympathy on the teacher’s face. Finally, she declared the mark commenting that I was the ‘greatest Mathematician’ she has ever seen. Dennis: Really?!!... What was the number? Arvind: it was a big zero man. What to do? I’m afraid of these nubers and calculations. Dennis: Don’t worry, friend. We can try the next time. Arvind: I too thought of this everytime but there was never a chage in the result anytime. Dennis: Hey, don’t be upset. I was also like this before we met. Seeing my desire, my teacher encouraged me and helped me after the class too. I’m not the best but not bad at Maths today. You may also do the same. I don’t think your teacher will be unhappy to help you. Arvind: Okay friend, I will try it. (There comes Payal, Teena and Arman to the stage) Teena: Hey guys... We are back. Payal: What are you discussing so seriously? Arman: Yes, what was that? Dennis: Nothing special friends. Arvind: I shall tell. Its about my performance at Maths. Payal: Is it? Arvind: Yea, as usual I completed the exam within half an hour and started counting the ceiling. Teena: hey, don’t take this to your heart. Arman: Yes, I second her. We shall try again. Arvind: Well, what’s your plan these holidays, buddies? Teena: I would be with my grand parents to celebrate the days. Payal: I may go to Mubai with my parents to visit my uncle. Arman: I’m planning to help my father in his business. Dennis: I’m planning to go for coaching classes for Maths and Science. Teena: Well, what’s your plan, Arvind? Arvind: I..... I have a plan this time. Payal: What’s that? Teena: Yea, is it a secret? Arvind: Don’t you tell us? Arvind: Don’t be excited friends. I shall tell you. I have been thinking about it from last Diwali . Payal: Are you planning to go abroad to your uncle to celebrate this Diwali? Teena: Tell us about it,Arvind. Please..... Arvind: You may laugh if you hear about it. Dennis: Why? You tell first. Thereafter we shall decide about it. Arvind: Last Diwali, we all celebrated well. We had new clothes, fresh sweets, good food, lot of crackers etc. However, we all forgot one thing. Payal: What is that, Arvind? Arvind: Don’t be hurry, Payal. I’m coming to my point. Payal: Sorry. Arvind: Its okay. While I was coming back from the shop with a bag of crackers, I found the houses were illuminated well. That made me happier and gave speed to my legs. Teena: Then what happened? Arvind: I saw then a house without any illumination or sound. There was lantern lighted infront of it. I saw our classmate Atul stading there. I then remembered that it was his home. He was neither in a new dress nor with a joyful face. He was looking at a rich man’s house. I stopped to see what he was looking at. Dennis: Then? Arvind: Then I saw he was watching some children in colourful dressses enjoying with various crackers. Arman: Then? Arvind: Then what? I ran my home to celebrate Diwali. Payal: What is the connection of this story and our holidays, Arvind? Arvind: Yes there is, Payal.... yes there is... Teena: Then tell us about it, Arvind. Arvind: You know, that Diwali night I couldn’t sleep well. Arman: Why? Did mosquitoes disturb you? Arvind: No, Not at all. This was the boy’s face that was troubling my mind. Payal: You mean, our classmate Atul’s face? Arvind: Exactly. We know his father is dead long back and his mother is looking after them doing some works in nearby houses. Arman: Ah, we know it for long. Arvind: yes, we know... we merely know about it. Payal: then, what do you mean, Arvind? Arvind: I mean what I’m going to tell you now. I have to do something for Atul on this Diwali. Payal: What do you want to do? Arvind: I don’t know that but i will do something. Otherwise I won’t be able to celebrate this Diwali joyfully. Dennis: Friends, Arvind is right. I also felt like this many a time in life but I could’t do anything. Arman: Whatever you tell, I will be ready. Payal: I too Teena: I’m already in...!! Arvind: Now, we have to think about it seriously. We don’t have many day’s ahead. Payal: I have an idea but i don’t know how you will respond to it when you hear about it. Teena: Come on Payal. Tell,please. Payal: okay, We shall celebrate this Diwali with Atul. Arman: How can we do it without money? Arvind: We can use our pocket money for it. Dennis: That’s a good idea. Payal & teena: We are ready. Arman: If you all are ready, I have no other opinion. Arvind: We need to present them some clothes and sweets. Arman: There should be some lights which I shall bring from my father’s shop. And, I shall save my pocket money. Dennis: there should be some crackers. That I shall arrange. Arvind: Payal,Teena, let us find the major share of money for clothes. Payal and Teena: We are ready. Arvind: So, from today we are starting our preparations for doing it. Payal: Yes, we are going to do it. Dennis: Otherwise, what is the use of these celebrations of Diwali if the poor in our neighbourhood can not see the light of hope? Teena: Yes, we should have a concern to the poor whoever we become. Payal: Afterall, we are the Young Champions of Ethics!!!. Arvind: (looking at the audience) not only us, you all have to be the young champions of Ethics. All on stage: Yes, We and You are the ‘YOUNG CHAMPIONS OF ETHICS’.

Assassins of God

God is an extremely complicated supernatural being that man cannot understand so easily. If you ask me what I know about God, my answer will be something disappointing to you too. Nevertheless, I believe in an Almighty as you do believe in one. As we can’t see or there is no scientific proof for his material existence, there are also many who defy His existence. We all know that there is no chance to select our religion. If at all you desire, the community will not accept it. We have many examples before us which leave us no chance to dare for such a step. There are many in our societies who are looking forward for a chance to burn our country. As a result there arouse so many communal clashes, many superstitious beliefs leading our country backward. If a chance to select a religion is given, we have a country with too many ‘best-categorized’ religions to be doubtful for an ordinary man to do it. We are born as a part of a religion and are also taught in childhood itself that it is the best religion in the world. We are taught that our religion, our party, our state etc are the best ones and others have inferior ones. When all think so there arise so many murders in our societies. Most of us forgot the path of love towards fellowmen irrespective of caste, creed or religion than anything else in the world. It is high time that we should be ashamed of our deeds. What is the end of all the wicked deeds we do today? Most of us fail to see God in others and consider ourselves as Gods and force others to accept it. If the attempt is succeeded the rest of our lives are comfortable on earth. We may be able to fool men but never God. Also, we are hardly taught about the importance of patriotism and the importance of respecting the other countries. Most of us are very busy to do something for our ‘almighty’ God. They are ready to go any extend to do the same. When they do it, there will be bloodshed in the country. They think that it is their duty to protect their God. There are also some who believe that it is their ‘vocation’ to prove the existence of God. Here they forget their dears and nears and kill ruthlessly for the kingdom of their God. I often thought whether it is necessary to do such acts to protect one’s God. If they do so, what do they try to prove? Of course, they want to prove that their God has mighty hands on earth to save Him!. Friends, I here feel pity to such people who think they have a very hopeless God who can’t prove one’s existence that He needs the support of His material beings! To put into a nutshell, some of us don’t have tolerance towards other religions and we pretend to love other religions like ours. Most of us try to show our religion is the best of all directly or indirectly. When it is done, we can see violence in many parts of India. Many are turned to be the assassins of God. Did any God tell us to kill others to save him from non-believers? I don’t know why we believe so, but it is truth. If only I had seen the almighty incarnated to terminate all these evils! -aneesh.

Liberation – an alien word.

Liberation is a sugary word that gives everyone some kind of delight. We have been hearing about it from our childhood. Most of us are aware of this word that we celebrate it on 15th August with a national holiday. We find happiness in it. We salute our national flag hoisting it and commemorate our national heroes. When the day ends, our joy slowly disappears and a kind of gloom sets in our minds. I have always thought the reason behind it but the answers I got from my friends were varied much. Some said, ‘It’s the reality. Accept it’. Others said, ‘It’s the pride and jealousy in your mind that hinders your happiness’. I then found that I’m guilty everywhere and they corrected me telling its the ‘true structure’ of the society. I brooded over all these remarks made by socially respected and accepted persons, but could not find the true reason behind my melancholic heart. Frantically I referred various sources to find a solution and found that the so called liberty we preach and proclaim is somehow taken away from us by some clever minded people. It appears before the majority as it is there but like many I too found it is an illusion. There is no one to question it or if at all any he is silenced by those great ones. I understand today that we all compete to hinder the freedom of others presenting various reasons. Do we really have the freedom that Gandhiji dreamed? I would say, ‘No’. How can it be? It has become a trend to persecute others nowadays for nothing or for some personel benefits. Sorry, If I hurt the feelings of the honest ones. I accept there is such a class but too little to do something. It is the need of many that slavery should exist this way. They use the weakness of human kind as a weapon for this, i.e, fear. I was never a man who had a sign on the heart. Still,there was a time I was beyond this feeling, but I couldn’t do anything noteworthy. Today I’m also under its influence and unable to listen to my heart. I find that there are many who write script for my life. Where is my being? Its being terminated as I grow older. I looked into me and found I’m dumb today. I have nothing left in me to become another Lincoln or Nelson Mandela. The hero in me was dead long back and long or sob for another freedom movement. Yes, it’s this hopelessness and pessimism that made me sad today. Now I hope someone might come up and fulfil my dreams. However, I’m afraid I won’t see that day.