M i h i k a P a l - 13 years
Sweden
The grand Hindu festival, Durga puja is near, 10-year-old Shreya and her family are very busy for the upcoming event. Shreya’s mom is busy with making sweets for the puja and Shreya’s dad is working on the decorations in the hall they loaned for the festival. Shreya herself is participating in the kids show, she is singing a Hindi song on the stage in front of 300 people! She had practiced her song many times and she definitely has a talent for singing too, but there was only one problem, she has stage fright. Every time she thought of her performance, she would always imagine something unpleasant is going to happen. What if they laugh? What if I forget my lines? these thoughts wandered around her head, day and night.
There were only a few days before the festival starts, while everybody is excited for the puja, Shreya is nervous and scared but cannot tell her parents because they are so busy. Those few days went by like the wind and before Shreya could even realize she was getting dressed for her performance. She took deep breaths and tried to think of any past memory that will calm her down. When Shreya was younger, her mom used to tell her stories of Durga Maa and her brave actions. It always amused Shreya to think how confident and brave Durga Maa is. She took a deep breath If she can be so brave and confident than why can’t I ? I am only going to be on the stage for ten minutes so why not I give it my all!. Soon she was standing there in the middle of the stage with a mic in her hand.
The stage was big, with an idol of Durga Maa and a few candles around the idol, behind Shreya. The starting music has begun, overcoming all her nervousness, she began singing. It was going amazing till the lights suddenly went off. There was a short-circuit! the lights went off and the sound system shut down. Leaving only the candles lit. Shreya could not see the audience any longer, she could just hear them chatter worriedly. Shreya became more and more nervous by every passing minute, she started sweating and her hands started trembling, her voice was shaky and she could not speak. Then she remembered one of Durga Maa’s stories her mother used to tell her. If Durga Maa can be so brave and defeat Mahishasur and control the entire situation with her own hands then why can’t I handle this small chaos. With this thought she built her confidence up again and started singing with her heart, without the mic or the background music. Her voice brought the whole audience to quiet down in astonishment and soon they started too clap to the beat. At the end of the song the lights came back again and the audience continued clapping. Everybody was so amazed by Shreya’s voice.
Shreya bowed with pride and left the stage. Remembering of one of Durga Maa’s brave sagas she found more motivation and regained her confidence.