Dristhi Attends the Party

Scene 28

[We see Sitara is looking here and there with bewilderment and awe. Suddenly, on her shoulder, she felt a claw. Shuddered Sitara. Turning around, she found there Zoya].

Zoya: (Smiling) Sorry there, honey. I don’t know why my claws came out so suddenly.

Sitara: It’s alright. You are Zoya, am I right?

Zoya: (Nodded) You remember me. I am so glad, honey. But I must tell you, now, you are looking like my scared bunny.

Sitara: (Smiled) I am all these, you see.

Zoya: (Handing some rainbow-colored candies) Try these unicorn candies. 

Sitara: (Taking a few and chewing) These tastes mind-blowing. Delicious and tempting.

[Zoya smiles while Meenakshi and Mayuri join].

Meenakshi: You must share your candies with your buddies.

Sitara: (Turning around and smiling) I am sorry. (Offering a few) Please have these candies and accept my apology.

Meenakshi: (Pulling Sitara’s cheek) You are a cutie!

Mayuri: (Pulling Meenakshi back) You are hurting her, Meenakshi!

Sitara: (Rubbing her cheeks) No, no, I am fine, Mayuri.

Mayuri: (Stretching her hand) Nice to meet you, Sitara, the Blue Fairy. 

Sitara: (Shaking hands) I like Sitara, and call me Sitara only. The Blue Fairy sounds so weird to me. But I must tell you, for the first time, I am talking to you like I am talking to my buddies.

Zoya: You do not have friends here?

Sitara: (Nodding her head) No, yaar. I am different from others. Hence, among my classmates, I only invoke fear. At times, there were one or two people who came near. But after a few days, fate took them away from me, from here. Soon, they had forgotten me, leaving behind me with tears.

[The other three girls remained quiet for some time].

Meenakshi: (Hugging Sitara) But we are weird like you. So, we will never leave you.

Mayuri: (With a stern voice) But I am the school prefect in the academy. So, if you do any mischief, I will not show mercy.

Meenakshi: (Whispering to Sitara) She is a coconut, don’t worry.

Zoya: C’mon, Mayuri, you are at a party. Instead of being so stern, why not be happy?

[Everyone laughed].

Meenakshi: (Bringing a box forward) Here is a gift for you, buddy.

Sitara: (Opening the box) Wow, this is Shell Jewelry! (Jumping) It is so pretty! (Hugging Meenakshi) It is lovely!

Meenakshi: It is not just any jewelry. It is magical, you see. (Taking the conch of the necklace to Sitara’s ear) What do you hear, buddy?

Sitara: (She hears soothing mermaid music) Music, Meenakshi!

Meenakshi: Well, this simple mermaid music does wonders when you are underwater. Especially when you are lost there. 

Sitara: (Hugging her once more) Thanks, dear.

Mayuri: OK, now let me give my present to you. I have searched a lot and found it for you.

Zoya: Someone is taking enough trouble, I see. Sitara, I must say, you are lucky.

Mayur: Shut up, Zoya. I think you will like this, Sitara. (Saying this, she gave a slim rectangular box to Sitara).

Sitara: (Opened the box and finds a quill whose end is adorned by a single peacock feather) Is it (Pausing and checking the gift curiously) a Quill?

Mayuri: An Enchanted Quill. You do not need any ink to write. When the thing you fear comes to your sight, kill it with the nib, and you can write. But use it only when you need to communicate with someone secretly. You cannot use it daily.

Sitara: (With big eyes) Oh my god, Mayuri! It is a beauty!

Mayuri: (Smiles a little) I am glad you are not a snob like our Nisha. I love you for that, Sitara.

Meenakshi: Speak of the devil, and here comes the gorgeous evil.

[Nisha and Khalid join].

Nisha: Happy birthday, Blue Fairy. We both are overjoyed to be a part of this party. (She says mechanically). Please accept this present on your birthday. We wish you live a blessed life each day.

Sitara: (Scared, but takes the gift that looks like a crystal ball) Thank you, Nisha and Khalid (closely looking at the ball), and the present looks fascinating (she lied).

Khalid: Poor baby, you are so weak at lying. A mere crystal ball as a birthday gift is worth nothing. Neither is it anyway fascinating.

Nisha: It is not a mere crystal ball, girl. Give this ball a drop of your blood, and it will turn red before showing you the future. But keep it safe, and never lose it, or you will be in danger. (Saying this, Nisha left with Khalid).

Meenakshi: That’s a crystal ball of a fortune teller. What she didn’t mention is that it only shows the bloody future.

Zoya: We, and the vampires, are always having a war. But Nisha and Khalid are unique pieces altogether. I mean, we go well with Laila and others. But these two are the most unromantic couple, and I cannot tolerate them when they are near.

Sitara: Unromantic?

Zoya: They lack that relationship magic. I mean, Khalid is a playboy, and Nisha is someone who never has a reason to have fun in life and enjoy.

Mayuri: When your marriage is strategy, what else can you expect, buddy?

Sitara: Strategy?

Meenakshi: We are the gossip girls, honey. We will fill you with all the spicy stories. Just enter the academy.

Sitara: (Smiled) You love to gossip, Meenakshi?

Zoya-Meenakshi: Tell me a person who doesn’t, honey?

[All laughed heartily, including Mayuri].

Zoya: OK, I am famished, and my boyfriend took the pain and prepared all the dishes sincerely.

Sitara: Then we should stop delaying and start devouring it early.

Mayuri: Well, Sitara, Harshad cooked all the food of our world, which is alien to you.

Meenakshi: So, let us choose the dish for you.

Scene 28

[Sitara is passing by the balcony holding her unicorn pudding when she finds Maya and Sahir talking].

Maya: You should have informed me about Di!

Sahir: It was so sudden that we lacked time for it. Also, why only me?

Maya: You know why?

Sahir: No, I don’t know, and please, Maya, don’t make your expectations too high!

Maya: Sahir Rockwood has learned to talk back to Maya.

Sahir: See, Maya, I am already too caught up with things surrounding Sitara.

Maya: (Turning her face to the other side) Sahir, I sympathize with you.

Sahir: (Angry) Did I say I need you?

Maya: (Turning towards Sahir) Sahir, don’t try to claim things that aren’t meant for you.

Sahir: (Smirking) Unbelievable, Maya, but I must say, I have seen species like you, very few. I saved Ruya. Instead of thanking me, you blame me, Maya?

Maya: I am just telling you that if there is a next time, please remember me as her family.

Sahir: You don’t leave a chance to remind me.

[Suddenly, Ruya enters from a different side].

Ruya: Both of you, you have turned the party into a fish market, I see.

Sahir: (Angrily) I want to forget my past, Di! (Saying this, Sahir angrily left).

Sitara: (Quickly hiding, thinking in her mind) Did Chachu call Miss Ruya Di? But you call someone “Di” only if she is your elder sister, and Chachu has no sissy! Even in daily interactions, he calls Ruya. Chachu seems to have many secrets, Sitara.

[Suddenly, inside the room, everything started shaking. Now, the heavy wind started blowing. The glass panes on the window broke with a crackling noise, and suddenly, Sitara heard her Chachu’s voice].

Sahir: (Pulling Sitara hard, on the other side) Careful! (Immediately, a sharp glass piece fell hard on the place where Sitara was before standing quietly. Sitara hugged Sahir tightly. Sahir caressed her hair lightly). It’s OK now, cool!

Sitara: (Hugging more tightly) Please, Chachu, don’t leave me.

[Ommin and AD coming].

AD: Ommin, this is a bad omen. Sahir, is Sitara being inflicted with pain? (Sahir caressed Sitara and nodded). 

Laila: It seems someone is trying to communicate anything.

Ommin: (Looking around). Someone powerful is responsible for everything happening.

Ruya: (Coming towards them) It is my mother! I am sure it is her!

Maya: (Shocked) But she is in rehab, you see. Almost on her deathbed, Di. How can she be responsible for all this happening here lately? She must have slept early!

[Before Ruya could say anything, everyone saw smoke inside the room forming. The lights have gone already. Now, they see the smoke taking the shape of an old lady. Soon the smoke was gone, and Dristhi was hanging in mid-air. And she looked frightening, like a mad woman with red eyes emitting fire, while his long, rough hair flew in the air].

Zoya: Ruya was right, Dristhi it is!

Meenakshi: (Scared) She looks frightening like this.

Dristhi: (In a thundering voice) The dark forest where darkness resides in chaos and calamity has gained power already. One who thinks that time is their friend must know that time can be tricky. So, don’t get fooled by the glamour of time. Try to trick him into his mischief before that mischief becomes a crime. Betrayal is about to rise! So will LIE. Distrust will make way to you if you do not follow what’s true. So, the Beast of the East, the Seer of the South, The Mantrik of the North, and the Blood Sucker of the West, Awake! Awake! Awake! (Turning to Headmistress) He had promised to burn the hearts of every novice! So, listen to me carefully, my White Fairy. You have more work to do than protecting the Blue Fairy. (Turns to Sitara, who still hugs Sahir)Look into my eyes, Sitara. You are a messiah! (Sitara slowly looks at Dristi’s red eyes and shudders). You are innocent and pure. That’s the strength of the light, for sure. The Songs of Innocence will destroy his experience because that’s what threatens his presence. But you are still a caterpillar. Knowledge, experience, and dedication will give this butterfly colors. (Looking at all) The Red Heart had lost its glaze. It had turned into a Stone in a blaze. It had given Him the power to overpower! So, Beware! (And the smoke disappeared in the air).