The World's a Stage - Part 1

ACT 1: Scene 2

The little girl, all of 6 years old, looks on longingly at the doll that catches her eye in the window of the shop. It is the most beautiful doll that she has ever seen. Colored a light shade of brown, with a flowing pink gown and beautiful black hair, the doll is the one that the girl had wanted ever since she started playing with dolls.

Her mother catches sight of her gazing at the doll. Immediately she knows that buying the doll would make her daughter very happy. But she wonders if she should. Her husband had bought their daughter a lovely kitchen set just a few days back when she had asked for it. The mother knows that if she grants her daughter's wish again, she would begin to take for granted that her parents would give her whatever she wanted. She does not want her daughter to grow up like that.

Her husband looks on as he reminisces how he never got what he wanted when he was a child. He grew up in a poor family and could never afford the toys that most kids who were in well-to-do families played with. He remembers the promise he had made to himself that his children would never grow up with anything lacking. And he is proud that he is in a position to provide everything for his family.

The little girl understands that getting her mother to buy the doll would be a tough ask. And she knows that her father would easily yield to her wishes. She nevertheless asks her mother if she can have the doll fully knowing that her wish would be refused. She pleads with her mother as her mother tries to convince her that she does not need the doll now. She realizes that her mother will not yield and now her only hope is her father. She goes to her father with tears in her eyes and refuses to talk as her father questions her on the reason for her grief. She knows that eventually her father would realize what she wants and get the doll for her.

The father looks helplessly as he knows he can buy the little amount of happiness for his daughter, but understands the wisdom in his wife advising him not to buy the doll. But his heart melts at the sight of his daughter's tears and he cannot bear to put the little girl in so much sorrow. He buys the doll for her and savors the look of joy on his daughter's face, and is proud that he is able to provide so much happiness for her.

The world's a stage...

ACT 2: Scene 4

The young boy trudges along disinterestedly towards his school. He wonders why a 12 year old should be put through the daily torture of attending school and doing homework. The only part of the school that he enjoyed was the time he spent playing with his friends, playing pranks on teachers, and teasing the girls of his class, and now that had been taken away from him.

He is known among the teachers as a trouble-maker, always being the mastermind behind any mishap that occurs in the class. As he walks past the principal's room on the way to his class, he remembers the last time he was there, which was not too far back. That time he had really pushed the limit as the principal was furious and threatened to expel him. But somehow, the tears shed by his parents and his numerous apologies and promises to turn over a new leaf had saved him.

He walks into the class and sits alone, away from his friends whom he had, in a way, rescued, by taking the entire blame for that event. However, though his friends are grateful for that, they avoid him now as their parents do not want his bad company influencing their children. He stares despondently at the door as he waits for the teacher to arrive and begin the classes for the day. The class begins with a teacher who had only recently joined, and whom he had not yet targeted as he had taken quite a liking to her classes. She walks up to the board and gives a little smile to the boy as she begins to take attendance.

The teacher knows how much trouble the boy is in, and it would have been very easy for her to label him a brat, like the other teachers do in the staffroom. However, she realizes the boy's potential as she knows what a good student he is when he takes interest in anything. She knows that she would have to guide him properly in order to tame his wild side and develop his talent.

She had been informed by the principal that a new student would be joining the school that day, and she would have to introduce her to the class. She had taken a few minutes to meet the new girl, who was an extremely gifted child, but seemed to be very shy and quiet. She had then smiled to herself as it was clear to her how exactly she would nurture this girl.

A few minutes into the class, the boy looks up from his notes as the teachers calls the class to attention. He looks at a frail figure in a pretty yellow dress, standing next to the door. He wonders who this new entrant is as she shyly looks at the floor and gives a hint of a beautiful smile while the teacher introduces her to the class.

The girl then quietly makes her way to her seat as directed by the teacher, avoiding the curious stares of the entire class. She looks at the boy sitting next to her and returns his smile but cannot help but notice a mischievous look in his eye.

The boy manages to hide his surprise that the teacher directed the girl to sit beside him, and wonders if it is some kind of mistake. He, however does not complain as immediately, ideas spring up in his mind to torment this new entrant. He gives her a mischievous smile as he decides to wait until the end of the class as he was already in enough trouble without creating a ruckus with a teacher in the classroom.

The bell rings signaling the end of the class and the teacher walks out after instructing the students on their homework. She watches the boy and doesn't miss the glint in his eye and is sure that he has planned some mischief. She waits in the corridor hidden from the students' eye eagerly waiting for her plan to spring forth into action.

The new girl shyly tucks away her notebook in her bag and smooths down her new yellow frock. She feels awkward as she is the only one not wearing the blue uniform of the school. She turns towards the boy and he grins and points out that she is not wearing the uniform. Before she can respond, she sees a splash and looks down at her frock to see a stream of blue liquid flowing down her dress. Immediately mixed emotions of dismay and anger bring tears welling up to her eyes as she looks up to see the boy holding an empty bottle of ink.

She fights back the tears and remembers the words of advice her teacher had given her before she came to the class. She remembers that she needs to be strong and not let people take her to be someone who can be easily brought down. She looks up at the boy who is now laughing loudly, and in a flash of anger, gives him the tightest slap she can muster out of her frail body.

The boy is dumbstruck as he never expected this reaction from the girl. He sits back in his place and hides his face as the whole class now begins to laugh at him. He looks at the girl with wonder as she now comes closer to him and tells him that he deserved it. He gives a weak smile as he takes hold of her offered hand. He gazes at the twinkle in the girl's eyes and acknowledges the fact that he now has a worthy opponent.

The girl smiles to herself as she tries to hide her shock at how she reacted. It was something she never would have done and was desperate to make amends even though she knew the boy deserved it. She looks into the boy's eyes as he warmly holds her hand with a smile on his face, and knows she now has begun something of a friendship. Maybe this new place would not be as horrible as she imagined it.

The teacher looks on with satisfaction and knows that this burgeoning friendship between the two opposites, though it started off on a bad note, would eventually help them both be better persons. She can't help but carry a smug look on her face as she congratulates herself on engineering the whole situation.

The world's a stage...