JOIN USThe auditorium was agog with noise. No, not noise. Pandemonium is the better word to describe the chaos. Fidgety boys throwing paper balls at each other, talkative girls chit-chatting, middle-aged women excitedly dabbling in conversation and the serious men, pressed to meet some deadline, yelling at the top of their voices into their cell phones, all added to the mayhem.
The huge hall was filled to capacity, clearly an hour before the programme’s start. I myself, with the sobriquet “Late-Kate” among my friends, found myself seated in the hall well in advance, lest I miss the grand initial moments of the afternoon’s celebrations.
I could not afford to miss the fleeting glance of the chief guest I was to have, as he would walk past to take centre stage. For, the chief guest was no ordinary man. He was a celebrity and a V-V-I-P. A man for whom fans would throng, almost willing to risk their lives in the eventuality of a stampede, just for a glimpse of his cheerful countenance.
I nervously awaited the arrival of the chief guest. It was a lifetime ambition for me to see him at close-quarters. Earlier in the day, I was poked at and made fun of, for my rather childish fetish. “Mom, you are acting like a fanatic,” my daughter, who had an opinion on anything I did, said hotly. My spouse gave me that ‘don’t-act-crazy’ look, with which I am targeted every once in a while. My junior school son too joined the party.
“Mama, I can’t believe you are so excited,” he commented, though a bit innocently. But for me, it was the day I knew, I would never forget. And indeed it was! When he walked into the packed hall, the buzz abruptly died down. The audience stared with rapt attention and then cheered like excited spectators in a cricket field. There he stood, charming, smiling, dignified, the personification of a gentleman.
That was the year 2010. The occasion was the curtains coming down on the 110-year old primary school, “St. Anthony’s Boys’ School” on Convent Road run by the Sisters of Good Shepherd Convent. When the management decided to close the school, the ‘Past Students’ and Parent Association’ of the school organised a farewell get-to-together. The agenda for the event was soon worked out.
Everything fell in place, including the man who had to be the chief guest. Though the school had in its alumni several successful men who had brought glory to the school, this distinguished person was the unanimous choice of all. “But, will he oblige and spare his time?” all wondered.
He did beyond obliging, by whole-heartedly presiding through the entire afternoon. He released the farewell souvenir, gave an inspiring message, and mesmerised the spellbound audience with his simplicity and smile. No prizes for guessing this renowned star.
The one and only, Rahul Dravid!