Sitara’s Birthday Gifts
Scene 27
[Advik went to open the door when there was a knock on it].
Advik: Sitara, I see you have met our Headmistress!
Sitara: (Entering) She is your head, I guess.
Headmistress: Oh yes, a headless head! (She laughed heartily, and so did Sitara).
Sitara: (Looking around) Wow! These decorations are so well-made.
[Suddenly, Harshad jumped in front of Sitara and startled her. Thankfully, Advik was there to take care].
Harshad: (To Sitara) Sorry, dear, but I am Harshad Chauhan, a sweet werewolf, not to say handsome and fun-loving by nature.
Sitara: Nice to meet you, too, and indeed, you are a pretty good-looking gentleman, jolly by nature.
Headmistress: Harshad, where is your partner?
Harshad: She is on her way with some guests accompanying her.
Sitara: A few more?
Headmistress: Sitara, don’t worry, you will not get bored.
[Sahir joining].
Sahir: (Side-hugging Sitara) You managed alone here pretty nicely! (Suddenly, noticing Headmistress and leaving Sitara) Headmistress, Good evening, and I am overwhelmed to have you at the party.
Headmistress: Oh, our Blue Fairy is turning Sixteen! How did the White Fairy miss her teen?
[Ruya, Laila, and Maya joins].
Ruya: (Hugging Sitara) Happy birthday, Sitara, and I wish you all the happiness in this world and hope that you grow up to be a kind, gentle, and loving woman with a heart that beats for all.
Laila: (Shaking hands) Happy birthday, Sitara, and that’s it, girl. I cannot shower unlimited blessings and all.
Sahir: (Smiling) I wish you a happy birthday. Sitara, you enter a new world today, so always remember this Sixteen Birthday.
AD: (Coming closer and hugging her) Sitara, I bless you to become the most powerful woman and hope you become more competent every day.
Sitara: (With teary eyes) Thank you. Every one of you. I am sorry for behaving rudely with you.
Ruya: No, Sitara, what you did was right, dear. We felt good because we trained you to be a woman with a strong voice and not as a puppet without a choice. (Looking at Maya), Now let me introduce you to my sister, dear. She is Maya, my sister, Sitara.
Sitara: (Shaking hands) Nice to meet you, Miss Maya.
Maya: Nice to meet you too, Blue Fairy.
Harshad: OK, now it’s my turn, Happy Birthday, Sitara, our Blue Fairy. Live your life, be happy, and grow up to be a gorgeous lady. Oh, and don’t think we are without presents, dearie. Let the others come, and we will shower you with your gifts as we commence the ceremony.
[Suddenly, there was another knock on the door].
Headmistress: That may be Zoya if I am not wrong, and you should not make her stand long. (Hearing this, Harshad runs along).
AD: (Shaking his head) Is he a love-sick puppy? Or is something wrong with his excess energy?
Headmistress: (Laughing) He is nothing but a youth with no worries.
[Suddenly, a crowd enters, headed by a fair and chubby girl, who runs and hugs Sitara before anything goes wrong].
Harshad: Let her breathe, Zoya!
Zoya: Hey Sitara, I am Zoya. I am overjoyed that I am finally meeting you. You know, in our world, none is more famous than you. You are our Star, even brighter than the one we see in the night sky. Your name shuts the boy who is about to cry. You are in our ballads, lullabies, and folklore. We always shower you with love, more and more. (Sitara gets frightened hearing all this) Sitara darling, all those attending this party, take this opportunity as a blessing. After all, finally, we are meeting (Zoya almost shouts and hugs Sitara, almost crushing her to death).
Headmistress: Enough now, Zoya, you are scaring the princess. Sitara, do not worry much and do not take any stress. (Sitara nodded quietly while Zoya smiled sheepishly).
[Sitara looked behind Zoya and found two more girls same as her age. One had curious eyes, and her face reflected a bit of rage. The other was as excited as Zoya and enjoying each moment of this stage. Beside them was a man of Sahir’s age. He had a smile dangling on his sharp face. Adjacent to them was a girl, again of Sitara’s age, or a bit older maybe, and she had an expressionless face. Her arms are locked with a boy in his teenage].
Harshad: (Whispers to Sitara’s ears) Confused about the crowd? (Sitara frighteningly looks at him) I know you are scared, even though you do not say that out loud. But you have nothing to worry about, buddy. I am here and will help you to get introduced to everybody. (Saying this, he takes the center).
Song
Yo! Yo! Listen, Sitara, to this guest list. Let me introduce you to those who have come to this feast.
So, listen carefully, Sitara, darling, because today you will celebrate a rocking evening.
Yo! Yo! Listen, Sitara, to this guest list. Let me introduce you to those who have come to this feast.
(Moving towards the tough girl) Meet our Academy Prefect. The Girl is Miss Perfect. She is always clean and tidy. Meet here, Miss Mayuri. She is a shape-shifter. She always does work with dedication and care.
Yo! Yo! Sitara, darling, you met your first friend in the academy this evening. Now let’s move on, and let me introduce you to the girl who will never let you feel alone. (She moves to the jolly girl). Meet here bubbly Meenakshi, the little mermaid of our academy.
Meenakshi:
(Sings in her melodious mermaid voice)
Oh, Sitara, welcome to our world, darling. You do not know we have been eagerly waiting for this evening. I will be your classmate in the academy, and you will be my bench partner, sweetie. (She swirls elegantly) I will never leave you alone. I will take care of you when you are forlorn. I give my hands to you, hold it, and say we will be friends forever! Oh, give me your hand, sweetie, because I will never break this friendship ever (She brings her hand, and Sitara hesitantly gives her in her. She holds it tightly without fear). See, it was easy. So, take my hand and hold it tight because I will never let you feel alone, sweetie! It is a promise I make, and I am your friend Meenakshi! (She pulled Sitara and hugged her tightly).
Harshad:
(Singing his rap)
Ok, now enough of you. Let me introduce to you the other few. (Saying this, Harshad moved to the gentleman). Now meet here our sober Ommin, who had always escaped from sin. A stronger believer in positivity, Ommin the Mantrik is everyone’s buddy. (Ommin smiles hearing this).
Ommin: (Coming closer to Sitara and aligning with the tune) I am flattered by those beautiful words (Getting closer to Sitara’s ears), but you don’t believe them all, girl! By the way, nice to meet you, our Blue Fairy. Savior or not, I must say, you are a sweet lady.
Harshad: (Continuing the Rap)
Indeed she is sweeter than anything, even the unicorn milk pudding I cooked for this evening. But let’s not wait more, Sitara, meet our Vampire Princess, Nisha (He pointed to the expressionless, fair-looking girl). Like many vampires (He looked at Laila, who was having a sarcastic expression), she, too, has enough attitude, but she is a fantastic friend, and you may need her when in solitude. She is a brain with beauty, and she is a fighter like nobody. Now we have come to an end, finally. Let me introduce you to Nisha’s would-be hubby. (He moved to the teenage boy beside Nisha) Here is Khalid Yusuf, a vampire for us and a classmate to you. (Whispering to Sitara)But stay away from him as he isn’t any woman’s man of the dream. (Loudly) Our chocolate boy is too good-looking (Again whispering to Sitara). But he cannot control himself from flirting. (Loud) So, here I come to an end with the guest list. (Shouting) Now everybody, enjoy the feast!
[Harshad stopped singing, and everybody started clapping].
Sahir: Excellent introduction, I must say. Harshad, you always win my heart with your cute ways.
Harshad: (Bowing) We are excited because we are here for this grand celebration. Today we are all happy from the heart, and there aren’t any pretensions.
Ruya: Thank you for coming, everybody. Now let us begin the ceremony.
Ommin: Bring Sitara to the altar (Harshad and Zoya came running with Meenakshi). But do care for her.
[Sitara was slowly taken to the altar. There was a Blue Crystal Chair. Meenakshi made her sit there with all care. Ommin, Maya, and Sahir dropped a bit of oil around the chair}.
Sahir: (Bringing his wand) The Spirit of the Water, Air, and Earth, protect my niece from evil, dirt, and mirth (saying this, he pointed the wand at the drop of oil. A circle was drawn, and soon there was a vial). Keep this safely with you, my dear niece. Whenever you are in chaos, remember this Holy water will give you peace (Sahir said this while he gave the vial to Sitara).
Maya: (Bringing her hand) The Spirit of the Forest, let no disease and wounds be her guest (The same thing happened, and a circle was drawn, leaving behind some beautiful yet tiny flowers). Whenever you get affected with wounds, aches, and fever, inhale the aroma of these exotic flowers (Saying this, he gave the flowers to Sitara).
Ommin: (Brings out his wand) The Spirits of Summer, Cold, and Rain protect our Blue Star from heat, cold, and pain. (He did the same, and after the circle was drawn, there laid a tiny yet colorful ping-pong ball). Keep this ball with you, Blue Fairy, if you want to survive the heat of the summer, chilling winter, and the pains of the rains, my lady. (Saying this, he gave that ball to Sitara).
[After these three came Harshad, Zoya, and AD. Sitara saw around her chair. There were three concentric circles in three different colors. Sahir’s was brownish or muddy, Maya’s was Greenish, and finally, Ommin’s was VIBGYOR, and all three looked beautiful and did not give a feeling of uncanny].
Sitara: (In her mind) I do not understand whatever is happening. But I must not deny everything is pretty thrilling.
AD: (Came forward and drew his knife. Sitara looked scared, thinking he would take his life. But AD cut his thumb’s nail in one stroke, swiftly. It fell on the muddy circle quietly) The wolves and the fierce creatures will be your protector while you be their savior. Anyone who comes to harm either of you will die a death that the coming generation will remember forever.
Harashad: (Cut his index finger’s nail and let it fall on the green circle) Loneliness shall never touch you. You will have friends who will care for you.
Zoya: (Cutting the nail of her index finger and letting it fall on the VIBGYOR circle) Speed be with you forever, and you will always stay on the altar and never falter.
[Sitara saw all three nails have turned into beastly claws].
Sitara: (AD giving those claws to Sitara) Wow! I don’t understand whether it is more fun now.
[Laila came now].
Laila: (Cutting her hand with the knife and letting the blood drop on the muddy circle) Sweet Sitara, let the music flow into your body and give you the power to hypnotize anybody. Let the strings of the lyre help you to cross the dungeons of fire. Beat the trumpet of death with the flute of your life, and let the drums of heaven be your guide here. (Sitara saw the blood was not red here. Instead, it had a mixture of different colors. Soon, on the circle, was a simple-looking flute. Laila handed it to Sitara while being mute).
[Ruya came now].
Ruya: (Raising her hands in the air) The Past, Present, and Future, if you are here, let Sitara feel you in her soul, forever! I call you Past, the old lady. Bless her with your knowledge and wisdom, and tell her stories of faith, trust, and folklore that help you to believe in humanity. Tales that are happy and scary (Sitara saw a shadow of the old lady rising from the VIBGYOR circle). Present, the beautiful young lady, come forward because you know everything already. Teach the meaning of each moment to our Blue Fairy (Sitara saw the silhouette of a gorgeous lady). I call the toddler named the Future. You be the playmate to our Blue Star! Let her not worry about what hasn’t come. Even if she knows that, be with her so that she can be calm (Now came a toddler in the muddy circle. Soon, the women were gone, leaving behind an ancient pocked watch for the girl. Ruya gave the watch to Sitara).
[Now the Headmistress came with her unique wand with a star. She pointed her fairy wand at the three concentric circles, and soon, it was on fire. But the fire did not touch Sitara a bit. On her chair, she calmly sits. After a while, the fire subsides, leaving behind a blue fairy wand beneath Sitara’s chair. The Headmistress took it up with utmost care].
Headmistress: Take your wand, Blue Star, Blue Fairy. From now on, you will be a savior to those in need, sweetie. Never use it against the weak. It may take your power and make you sick. You can do evil and good. You will decide that, and you will choose. (Sitara stood up while the Headmistress handed her the Blue Fairy Wand).
