Congratulations to our #Rewrite the Ending contest winner, Purva Dandona!
This week, Breakthrough is excited to announce the winners of our #Rewrite the Ending, fiction (re)writing competition!
Applause to all of those who submitted. The sheer talent and creativity of all of the entries made picking just three a difficult task for our staff!
Congratulations to the winner of our full entry #Rewrite prompt, Purva Dandona and the two runners-up! We hope you enjoy reading their #rewrites as much as we did.
FIRST PLACE
“For The Love of Anjali” (A Rewritten Ending of “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai”) by Purva Dandona
As she slid her hand down Rahul’s face, she couldn’t believe that her dreams were coming true. She was in the arms of the man whose friendship she had mourned for the past eight years. Under the gazebo, twirling to the sound of the rain, it was not a dream. United by his daughter, Anjali, named after Anjali herself, coming to her summer camp. As her fingers touched Rahul’s lips, she saw the engagement ring she had received from Aman glistening in the rain.
How did two men fall in love with me at the same time? Aman who is has been hopefully devoted to her since their chance meeting at a family friend’s house. But now Rahul, her college best friend who she didn’t know she loved until it was too late, was now in love with her. Tina had became his life partner after college. But the bond between Rahul and Anjali was much deeper and Tina knew that.
“This can’t be happening” she thought. “Do I want a life with Rahul or should I still marry Aman?”
Anjali found herself running through the wet grass, ignoring Rahul calling her name. Running, confused about what she was thinking and why is she running.
In the black of thinking, she felt herself run into someone else.
“Anjali?”
It was Aman, coming to surprise her at camp. How could she explain this past week to him, what she was feeling, the confusion surrounding her mind?
She heard another set of footsteps behind her and turned around. Rahul stood there, wet, in shock at seeing Aman and realizing in a glance that the couple before him were already engaged to be married.
Anjali could do nothing else but to keep running, passed Aman, to her cabin on the campgrounds. She needed be alone and think, staring out the window as she sat on her bed, drenched.
Never did Anjali imagine that Rahul would come back into her life. She accepted that she was planning to compromise her love for Rahul and give it to Aman,. What about the love she had for herself which she cultivated slowly after losing Rahul, since that day she last saw him from the train?
The eight years had been hard on Anjali with nights filled with dreams about him only to be forcibly pushed away when she woke up from them. She stayed in her bedroom, barely emerging only when her mother would ask her to come down to eat. It wasn’t until Anjali’s father died that she began to spend time with her mother and find herself again. Anjali began to dance and sing, like she before college and even began to wear saris. As Anjali worked at the summer camp, she begin to find herself again smiling at her accomplishments, eventually reaching a point where she could try to love again with Aman.
The time she had spend with Rahul in the past week reminded her of who she was before Tina came on campus. She was independent, carefree, lovable, and really enjoyed beating the boys at basketball. Anjali loved that awkward tomboy and had missed her all these years. The awkward tomboy who had her own independent identity, not based on a love of a man.
At that realization, Anjali knew what to do. She had to welcome back that awkward tomboy who started to make an appearance after eight years, an identity she had before Rahul.
Anjali had to welcome her back herself.
She would have to say no to both men.
As for little Anjali, she wanted her to stay herself, independent, carefree, laughing. She wanted to teach little Anjali to be herself so she would not have to ever lose her identity again.
“I’m sorry, Tina. I will love Rahul and Anjali forever, but I have to begin to love myself again. I hope you would understand,” Anjali said to the window before her.
Suddenly the rain stopped.
Anjali grabbed a shawl by her bed and walked out into the night to look for her new self.
SECOND PLACE
“Antigone” #Rewrite by Katherine Glaves
The first line here is not mine; it is from the play itself and it there to provide context.
Creon
And thou, who, lurking like a viper in my house, wast secretly draining my life-blood, while I knew not that I was nurturing two pests, to rise against my throne-come, tell me now, wilt thou also confess thy part in this burial, or wilt thou forswear all knowledge of it?
Ismene
I hadst no part in this burial, although my sister confessed her plans to me.
Creon
And thou didst not warn me of thy sister’s treachery?
Ismene
Nay, I didst not warn thee of mine sister’s treachery. Nor did I warn thee of my own.
Creon
What treachery hast thou committed?
Ismene
Look Creon, uncle, look out upon the kingdom.
Chorus
Lo, in the streets, a wave of people, armed and crying in the street, crashing like the sea upon the gates.
Creon
What is the meaning of this?
Ismene
See Creon, the fruit of thy foolish actions. Thou hadst dishonored my brother. What was my sister to do? When I heard of her plans, my heart applauded her boldness. But I thought that she would be caught out. So I went to the people in the streets and spoke of the indignity thou hadst perpetrated on my house, on the memory of my brothers. And when word came that thou was planning to execute my sister, a girl whose only crime was to obey the dictates of the Gods, the people arose. Here they come!
Chorus
In like an avenging tide, the people swept in to sweep the sand clear.
Ismene
Bring my sister.
Antigone enters, with guard
Antigone
Sister! What hast thou done?
Ismene
I have saved you and the honor of our house. Lo, the people have risen and spoken with one voice: your actions were right and morally just, while Creon’s were unjust and against the will of the Gods.
Antigone
I thank the people.
Ismene
And now we must reward the people for their willingness to uphold justice.
Antigone
Yea, I agree sister. The people should have a voice in government and in the making of just laws.
Chorus
And thus the brave sisters ruled with justice, taking into account the wishes of their people. They established a council, made up of elected men and women of the city, who voted on laws, each having a say on the carrying out of justice. The sisters had the wisdom of Athena and they ruled the city wisely until the end of their days.
THIRD PLACE
“My Fair Lady” #Rewrite by Ashley Bishop
Realizing that, though Freddy loves her, she does not love him, Eliza hails a cab and returns to Professor Higgins’ house, intending to return under whatever auspices he will have her – part student, part maid and, we assume, lover. Once outside of his door, however, she muses on whether love is enough to give up her original dreams of owning her own business (“On the Street Where You Live” Reprise). Eliza leaves, heartbroken but determined to start her own business, as she dreamed in Act I.
Month’s pass, and we reencounter Higgins, walking through London with Pickering, lamenting that though he has found a secretary to organize his files and slippers, he still feels strangely bereft. Pickering suggests that it is Eliza, herself, whom Higgins really misses and encourages him to apologize for his beastly behavior. (“You’ve grown accustomed to her face” Reprise). Higgins decides Pickering is right and decides to track Eliza down and offer apologies…and flowers.
Meanwhile, we see Eliza, working in her flourishing flower shop, hiring poor, Cockney women and teaching them the fundamentals of good speech, bearing and business. When one of the girls asks if Eliza has ever been in love, she explains that yes, once, but she chose independence. (“I Can Do, Without You” Reprise) As the girls are singing, Higgins enters and listens to the song. He turns to go – realizing that Eliza does not, indeed need him, but Eliza sees him and the girls stop singing.
Higgins starts to demand credit for making Eliza into a success… but then stops, congratulates her on her success and asks if he might call on her for dinner. Eliza says yes, and the curtain falls as Higgins buys flowers from one of Eliza’s shop-girls and presents them to Eliza as offering and apology.
Tagged #Rewrite the Ending, 16 days of activism
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Towards HarmonyNovember 30, 2011 at 11:29 am
Totally love them all!!
Brilliant Stuff!
Congratulations Winners!