The Stars Shine Down
"This is your one final chance, you lose and you forget script writing forever." Words echoed loud in my ear as I registered my name for the broadcast channel's scriptwriting competitions for new television series. "You will do as I say and waste no more time". I could still feel those raging words as I entered the auditorium where hundreds were grouped and divided into different groups. A group of ten is created with one scriptwriter, one director, and eight actors. And I have landed in the group 21 with 8 girls and only two boys where one has still not made it.
"Good Morning everyone" a very pretty lady stood in front of the podium tall and slim wearing an electric blue dress and greeted the crowd. The stage looked simple with only the channel's name written in the flex and pinned to the curtains. "Such talented people gathered here today and oh my god I feel young all of a sudden." The crowd laughed and so did I nervously. The lady went on with her speech and addressing various guests. "Excuse me, can you just.." a guy stood requesting to move a bit for him to sit down. I moved towards my left where none were sitting and give him space next to me. "Thanks," he said. "Is this group 21?" he asked again. "Yup" I replied and sat quietly. 'Oh my god! how can someone look this handsome, even showing his face on camera, people can make money.' "Hey you're the writer?" he asked again. She turned to look at him and nodded. "You okay?" he asked. She exhaled "uh-hmm yeah! Why?" "Nothing." He smiled. "You look a bit tensed." i smiled and looked away. 'Strange.' I thought 'get your head straight girl' i warned myself and kept thinking about the story to come up with, write and present. The girls sitting in the front and back all seem to give strange looks and murmur commenting about Mr. Handsome but who wouldn't do this. And my dad's voice was back in my head and scares me all over again.
"Since you all are already sitting in groups, begin writing the story you have time till 1 in the afternoon. Writing ends there and after lunch break sharp on 2 begins your practice where the actors will learn their lines and evening by 5 on time begins our drama in this stage." The lady gave us the schedule for the day and displayed the countdown time starting from 10.00 a.m. it was 9.40 already. The writers rushed down towards stage to collect the notepads, and stationery materials required to write the scripts No electronic gadgets were allowed inside the place to avoid plagiarism and to avoid the chances of scripts already prepared and brought in laptops.
"So what are you planning on writing?" Amy, the long-haired girl, leader of our group asked me while the others all sat waiting for me to answer.
"A historical drama while the rest of the groups will definitely go for the modern," I answered.
"Are you sure?" the handsome face asked me. And I nodded back at him.
"Tell us the story. I hope you already have one in mind if you have decided on historical drama." The other said in the group said. I nodded again and tied my hair up into a ponytail and corrected my fringes. "This is the story about the tradition that we had had here ages before where the upper-classmen were allowed to marry and also keep women as concubines apart from their number of wives. There are two brothers where only eldest is allowed to marry while the youngest is allowed to have only relationships concubines. The youngest brother falls in love with a concubine he once goes to sleep with and gets into trouble. Stirring up the social issues at those times and revolts by the rebels against this system. The girl is a lower class person and the eldest brother becomes the villain trying to get hold of this girl for her beauty and marries her against the couple's will. The girl's parents crazy for money allows to marry her off and the hero had to see her as his sister in law the girl he loves and used to spend time with. In the end, they try to elope but get caught. And the king orders the guards to assassinate them for breaking the systems followed in the kingdom rising the greatest rebellion that changed to things we live now. It's tragic but I think it's worth to show such a love story." I stopped narrating the story and waited for people to respond. They all smiled wide and remained silent while Amy ordered: "Start writing." And I couldn't help but smile. As I began writing I divided the characters to each and it was decided that Mr. Handsome face will become the hero, while the other guy will act as the elder brother of the handsome face. Amy along with me started making a copy of what I'm writing for them to learn their line. "Ok with it?" I asked them all and looked at Mr. H and he nodded back with the answer.