My Journey: Annual day 6

Please read the previous part by clicking on the name of previous part   My Journey: Annual day 5

The next day, my mother came and woke me up early, telling me to take a bath.

As I was about to go to the bathroom, my father called me. "Today we will be practicing in the studio," he said. Every Saturday and Sunday, my father practiced in the studio he had set up. I just agreed and went to take a bath. I came out of the bath and went to my mother, just wearing a towel. She took out a green saree with a golden border, along with a bra and panties. This time, I was shocked seeing the bra and panties as she had never made me wear them before.

"Is it necessary?" I asked her.

She replied, "If you want to perform as a girl, you have to be a complete girl. There's nothing wrong with wearing it."

I was hesitant at first, but without any choice, I had to wear them. It was a different feeling. Then my mother gave me the blouse and petticoat, and then she draped the saree.

She made me sit in front of the mirror and started with my makeup. First, she applied foundation, spreading it evenly across my face to create a smooth base. The cool touch of the makeup brush was soothing. Then she applied concealer to hide any blemishes and dark circles, blending it carefully. Next, she applied blush to my cheeks, giving them a rosy glow. She moved on to my eyes, adding false eyelashes to make them look bigger. She carefully placed the lashes, making sure they were perfectly aligned. She applied mascara to my lashes, making them look longer and fuller. The mascara brush tickled my eyelashes, and I blinked a few times to get used to the sensation. Then she added eyeshadow, choosing colors that matched the saree. She blended the colors expertly, creating a beautiful gradient. She finished the eye makeup with a thin line of eyeliner, which she applied with a steady hand. Lastly, she applied lipstick to my lips, choosing a soft shade that completed the look. The lipstick felt creamy and smooth on my lips.

She placed the wig on my head and styled it. She then added jewelry: a chain, earrings, and bangles. When she was done, I felt transformed. I went to my father and told him, "I'm ready."

He didn't speak; he just walked out, and I followed him. I couldn’t match his speed as I was wearing a saree. I sat on his scooter, and it was my first time going out as a girl. It was very hard to sit as I had to sit sideways on the scooter. As we were going to the studio, many people were staring at me. My father was famous in our town, so everyone knew me and was surprised to see a girl going with my father.

When we reached the studio, the wind had messed up my hair. Ajay sir, who was training me and performed female characters, saw my hairstyle. He took a comb and fixed my hair. My father introduced me to everyone, and I was a bit nervous, but everyone greeted me warmly. As everyone started performing, I realized how passionate my father was about Yakshagana. I felt so proud of him, and I decided that I had to perform well and make my father proud. I went to Ajay sir and requested to practice. He happily agreed and took me to the other side of the room to start practicing.

This time, I put all my fear aside and performed. Ajay sir was so happy with my performance that he had tears in his eyes. Seeing his face, I knew I had performed very well, and tears started rolling down my cheeks. I couldn’t control it and cried out. Ajay sir came and consoled me, and we took a break. After some time, we continued practicing. Later, my father called me and told me to perform, but Ajay sir stopped me.

"He needs some more practice," Ajay sir told my father. "Let him take his time." Ajay sir then took me aside and said, "Don't perform in front of your father until the annual day. It will be a surprise."

I went home feeling satisfied and happy. My mother looked at me and asked, "Are you happy? Did you perform well?"

I just nodded my head like a small girl.

"Did your father see it?" she asked.

"No," I replied. "I want it to be a surprise for both of you, so you have to wait until the annual day."

She was happy and hugged me. We had our dinner, and my mother and I talked together like mother and daughter. I was sleepy and fell asleep on my mother’s lap, still in my saree.

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