My Journey: Annual day 7

Please read the previous parts to understand the story as this is a real story you have to connect with the character from the first to read previous part pleas click on the name of the story My Journey: Annual day 6

I had a great night with my mother for the first time in a long while, and I was so happy I could talk to her about everything. We had a wonderful time, and I slept on my mother's lap in the saree. In the morning, I woke up and saw myself still wearing the saree and lying in my parents' room. I had woken up without my mother waking me up, which was surprising. I went to the kitchen and saw my mother cleaning the vessels since it was Sunday. She was shocked to see me awake so early on a Sunday.

"Mom, can you remove all the jewelry and the saree so I can sleep for some more time?" I asked.

She refused. "No, you should take a bath and come to my room."

I did as she asked, took a bath, and came downstairs. I saw my dad reading the newspaper. Without saying anything, I went to my parents' room. My mother was searching for something.

"What are you looking for, Mom?" I asked.

"I'm searching for a saree," she replied.

"You can just give me any saree," I said, but she kept searching. Finally, she took out a maroon silk saree from her cupboard.

"This is a special saree," she told me. "It was the first gift from your father to me after our wedding. I want you to wear it today."

"But Mom, it's your special saree. Why do you want me to wear it?" I asked, surprised.

She smiled gently. "I wanted to give it to my daughter, but since you were born, I never had the chance to give it to a daughter. But now you are my daughter, so I'm gifting it to you."

I was in tears, and so was my mother. We hugged each other, sharing a silent, emotional moment.

"Are you ready yet?" my father called from the hall.

We quickly consoled each other and hurried to get me dressed. She helped me put on a bra and panties, followed by a newly stitched blouse and a petticoat.

My mother then started draping the saree. She wrapped the saree around my waist, carefully making pleats and tucking them into the petticoat, ensuring they were neat and evenly spaced. She adjusted the saree over my shoulder, letting the loose end, or pallu, fall gracefully. The maroon silk saree with its intricate silver border felt luxurious against my skin. My mother meticulously ensured that the saree draped perfectly, enhancing its elegance.

With the saree draped, she began applying my makeup. She started with a foundation, spreading it evenly across my face to create a smooth, even base. Then, she carefully applied concealer to hide any blemishes and dark circles, blending it seamlessly into the foundation. She added a rosy blush to my cheeks, giving them a soft, natural glow. Moving to my eyes, she placed false eyelashes to make them look bigger and more expressive. She applied mascara to my lashes, making them longer and fuller, giving my eyes a dramatic effect. She expertly blended eyeshadow to match the maroon saree, creating a subtle yet captivating look. A thin line of eyeliner was added to define my eyes further. Finally, she applied a soft, creamy lipstick to my lips, completing the look with a touch of elegance.

With the makeup done, my mother placed a wig on my head and styled it into a Half-Up Half-Down hairstyle with curls. She added some jewelry: a chain, earrings, and bangles. In the rush, she went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

I sat on my parents' bed, flipping through some books until my mother called me for breakfast. We all had breakfast together, and then my father and I left for the studio. Sitting sideways on the scooter was challenging because the smooth saree kept slipping. I held onto the scooter tightly.

When we reached the studio, I went straight to Ajay sir, who was practicing alone. I greeted him, and he asked, "Shall we start?"

"Yes," I replied, and we began practicing. Today, we focused on expressions, which are crucial in Yakshagana. I struggled to get the emotional expressions right, trying repeatedly without success. Ajay sir suggested a break, which I took. After the break, I asked Ajay sir if we could start again.

"Let's start from the beginning. Imagine it's your annual day performance, and you haven't performed well. Your parents are watching, and your father walks out in disappointment. How would you express your sadness to your father?" he asked.

I stood still, thinking about that situation. Suddenly, tears started rolling down my cheeks. I didn’t even realize it until Ajay sir clapped and said, "You did it perfectly! This is what female emotion is. A female sees something and becomes emotional, expressing it through tears. Women have that motherly affection in them, which gives their expressions more depth and emotional connection."

I couldn't stop crying. After taking another break, we practiced some more. When my father and I got home, I was in a dilemma, still thinking about the situation Ajay sir described. I went to my mother and told her what happened

"Ajay was right. You have the heart of a girl inside you," she said. "To truly embrace those emotions, you need to start thinking like a girl. Simply dressing as a girl isn't enough; you need to become one in your mind to fully feel those emotions."

"I'll try my best," I replied. I went to my room, removed all the jewelry and saree, had dinner, and went to bed.

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