Missing You..... [Dadaji]

7. Speech Performances of Mine

It was the day which I can never forget, throughout my life. A beginning of my journey into a world where I wasn't gonna look back from where I was leading. Leading towards a world of glory, clappings, praise, awards and many more to come.

I was in grade-1. Our school was organising cultural programmes on account of Independence day (15th August). I just got free from my dance performance and was enjoying others' performances.

Suddenly my school director came to me and handed a paper something written on it to me.

"Ruchi ! You'll have to recite this speech on stage." Director sir whispered into my ear bending down to my height.

"Me ? How ???"

I was almost shocked by seeing that page full of text written in it. First at all, it was all out of the blue as few minutes earlier I was enjoying the programme and now this offer..?? 'No..!! No...!! It was an order, you can say.' Secondly, I'd never given any speech performance until then. That too in English ??

'A speech' would be a high level thing to me, to which I found myself not capable of. 'To cut the long story short who can learn this much content in a bit of time, that too when you are being asked to perform that very next turn.' I was flooded with numerous thoughts. But sir didn't leave any chance for me to deny, saying -

"All you need to do is just read it standing there -" pointing towards the stage he continued "- in front of that Mike."

"Ok.. !!" I agreed shrugging. 'Oh ! Is that only ? I was worrying unnecessarily.' I thought.

My name announced for Speech as the next performer. When I went, someone climbed me up there on the stage, another one adjusted the Mike to my height and Director sir encouraged me to start.

My performance went awesome.

'What is to be awesome here when I had to do nothing but reading a page written in English.' But still it was seeming awesome as everyone present there was praising me and showering me with love and adoration. I set on cloud nine when I was cherished with many cash prizes, few other prizes of stationery items and two silver medals from distinct reputed persons.

One important thing I missed here to mention, is the person who suggested my name for that speech was who else... None other than my Dadaji, who was Chief Guest there in school cultural programme. Interestingly, he had left the programme after my dance performance, didn't see me performing speech.

This is what he was - 'Just do.. move farward... and don't look back.' Also this is how he led me to a new platform. From then onwards, I was applauded for numerous of my speech performances on different occasions.

~~~~~~
🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼

After then onwards speeches also took place in my stage performance list. I gave many performances and received awards for each. I used to make my own notes for those and arranged them in sequence with the help of Dadaji. Not only in schools, Dadaji sometimes asked me to perform at random places too, like - Bank, Hospitals,  Small get-togethers or some Random assemblies, etc. Sometimes I used to be nervous whenever Dadaji asked me all of the sudden to perform somewhere else and I had less time to get it prepared. Dadaji used to say that - me performing on stage, was only important thing to make me superiour in compare to those who would be sitting in the crowd doing nothing but watch.