Little Monu loved acting and dramatics. But the school in its annual concert featured only senior boys in a three to four Act Play. So, what Monu did was to watch the practice sessions.

After school hours he would go to the school hall and watch the seniors rehearse, as well as to listen to the songs that were practiced. Normally in the Annual concert every year the school would stage an opera. In fact the school earned a reputation for its concerts every year, and especially for the opera or the play.

Monu dreamed of acting, it took him to another world and transported him to a world of dreams and reveries. He would simply adulate the senior boys who were good at acting. The school would have the concert at the end of the year, but practice sessions at least for the play would start three months earlier.

How lovely that these boys could get such an opportunity to act, Monu thought wistfully. I will become an actor when I grow up, and when I am in the senior school, I will certainly be in the team, Monu asserted to himself. Monu dreamed of the school hall. What a wonderful way to have an audience? The stage in the hall appealed to him, more than even the lush green playing fields. He even jotted down his thoughts to write a play, which he staged for the junior school on Creativity Week, a week devoted to creative activities in the school.

One day when Monu was sitting in the hall brooding as the practice session was about to start, Mr Fernandez the tall gangly teacher came up to him and said:

'Monu one of the seniors is absent. Since I heard you can recite well. why don't you fill up his spot today for the rehearsal?'.

'Yes Sir' Monu said shyly.

He was asked to read out a passage as the narrator of the play. The role of the narrator would be to appear after each Act and narrate the developments in the play. Monu enjoyed doing the rehearsing that day.

One of the senior boys said: 'You speak well, and your voice is deep and rich'.

Monu was delighted. After all it was one of the prefects complimenting him! He went back home very happy.

'Monu' the teacher said sharply in class one day. 'Stop dreaming'.

Monu awoke from his reverie. He was dreaming that he was acting in a play, playing the role of a villain!

'By the way' the teacher continued 'Mr Fernandez the drama teacher says that Rajiv of class ten will not be able to take part in the play for the concert. He has got chicken pox.'

Monu's thinking wavered. Another dream?

'Oh yes' the teacher continued.
'You will have to play the role of the narrator'.

That night Monu had a lovely dream. He was dreaming of a musical opera, where he was the hero...Someone in the background was singing in a rich baritone voice. Monu snuggled more cozily in his bed.