Mahashweta Read Free Page A

move. Anupama did not come back though she had said that she would return in a few minutes. Then he remembered that Vasumathi would be waiting for him, and would make many suggestive comments if he delayed going back to the auditorium. So, he reluctantly returned to his seat. Anupama returned to the green-room moments after Anand left.
    Her friend, Sumithra, whispered in Anupama’s ear, ‘Anu, who is this Prince Charming? Is he one of your admirers?’
    ‘Come on Sumi, don’t imagine too many things. I sold him tickets worth two thousand. Is it not my duty to help him? It is purely professional! Anyway, I have to go and wear my make-up. You handle things now.’ Anupama dashed off.

    It was a fund-raising programme—so there were several speeches about social responsibility, humanity, and so on. Anand was slightly bored; he knew that when people got hold of a mike, they hated to part with it. Every minute seemed to last a year.
    Finally, all the speeches were over, and a melodious voice off-stage began to speak on the play that was to follow:
‘Kadambari
is one of the earliest novels written by the great scholar Bana Bhatta, in Sanskrit. A part of this novel has been translated and dramatized by Ms Anupama. The essence of the novel is the love between the heroine, Mahashweta, and the hero, Pundarika. The cast includes Ms Anupama as Mahashweta, Ms Nirmala as Pundarika. . .
    ‘Mahashweta is an extremely beautiful princess and the daughter of the king of Gandhara. One day she goes on a picnic with her friend, Kadambari, and meets Pundarika, the dazzlingly handsome son of a rishi. It is love at first sight for both of them. . .’
    As the princess, Anupama looked sculpted in ivory. When she enacted a love scene with Pundarika, her face glowed with passion. She delivered her lines so naturally: ‘Darling, you are handsome and irresistible. . .you are the very picture of Manmatha. When I saw you today, through the branches of the parijata tree, I fell in love with you immediately.
    ‘I feel I have been waiting for you for many lifetimes. You are my ideal man.’ Anand realized instantly that these were the exact words he had heard in Vasumathi’s house that afternoon. In his ignorance he had presumed that the unseen girl had been talking about him. As he heard those words again, he thought,
Thank
God,
I
did
not
discuss
this
with
anybody.
Anupama
must
have
left
by
the
rear
staircase
the
other
day,
which
was
why
I
did
not
see
her.
    The play continued. Later, Mahashweta confided in her friend, ‘Like Rohini to Chandra, like Lakshmi to Narayana, am I to him. Just as the creeper depends on a tree, emotionally I depend on him. I cannot live without him, and for his sake, I am ready to renounce everything. Let society say anything it wishes. I do not care. . .’
    Pundarika, Mahashweta’s beloved, meets with an untimely death and the princess, wearing a white sari and garland, undertakes a severe penance in the forest. Her resolve is unshakable. Her dear friend, Kadambari, tries her best to dissuade her, but to no avail. Finally, Mahashweta’s heart-rending love for Pundarika brings him back to life and the lovers are reunited.
    Anand looked around—Anupama’s portrayal of Mahashweta was so convincing that the entire audience was spellbound. Anand realized that Dr Desai had not exaggerated. Truly, Anupama was not only beautiful but also a brilliant actress.
    When the play ended, there was tremendous applause as the president of the association called Anupama to the stage and spoke highly of her commitment to their cause. ‘Ms Anupama has been of immense help in raising funds for the school. I thank her on behalf of the organization. She has not only been involved with the play but has also sold a substantial number of tickets. We would like to present her with a memento in appreciation of her efforts.’
    Anupama had not expected to be singled out for such praise and was taken aback, but humbly accepted the gift.