'The human brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops until you stand up to speak in public.'
Public Speaking is something most people ( including me ) fear of. Feet start to tremble and Sweat glands start releasing salty water from unknown pores in the body.
Even a thought of speaking/Talking/Singing in front of people brings butterflies in the stomach.
My fear of Public Speaking has a very long history and has grown on me over the years.
But two incidents are the main culprits i would say for nurturing, developing and creating my fear of Public Speaking.
Incident 1:
It was a Inter College Cultural Fest at a Friend's college.I was all excited as i was participating in the Solo Singing Category at the Cultural Fest. Many Colleges from our city were also participating.
I had started practising for the event really hard. In College, At Dance Classes, at Friends Place. Only thing in my mind was to bring out the SINGER inside me, A fire was burning inside me, The Talent inside me has to come out...Whole world will have to sit back and take notice of my Singing Genius.
WOHOOOOOOOOOOO....MY TIME HAS FINALLY ARRIVED
Platform was laid, Stage was Set. Many Colleges from all around the state are participating. Whole city is going to be there. Once in lifetime opportunity to get noticed by girls all around the city. Once in a lifetime opportunity not to have a lame excuse for scoring low in Exams, Once in a Lifetime Opportunity to be FAMOUS.
I was all pumped Up.
Finally the day arrived. Decided to give boring starting inaugural speech by the director a miss. I was all dressed up for the occasion . Reached the college an hour late. College was decorated Everybody around were in groups some were busy practising, some bird watching . I decided to take a leisurely walk around the college.
The Cultural festival was packed with academic and cultural inter-collegiate ... College fashion was always distinctively fun, fresh and inventive. Girls were painted with tonnes of layer of make-up and boys were acting strangely stupid to get their attention.
Fest started off with a debate competition, followed by skit and dance competition. Finally Solo Singing Competition were announced. Participants were asked to come backstage. i coolly went backstage . A dark Skinned Guy was announcing the names of the contestants from each college.
To my Horror my name was not in the List. He told me maximum three contestants were allowed from each college and they have already received names of three contestants from my college.
I took the list from him
1) Abhishek Pal B Tech (Mechanical)
2) Supriya Ghosh B Tech (IT)
3) Priya Arora B Tech (Electronics)
I decided to act smart and removed Electronics Waali ka naam from the list.
( It was Later that I came to know that she was a SA RE GA MA PA contestant and also girl friend of my class mate !!! )
So I am the third contestant.
I've been in the choir of my school since the fourth grade, and was very confident of my INDIAN IDOL talent.
Orchestral music started playing. Bands were practising...
1000 Watts of noise...
Dham Dham Dham...DhinChak DhinChak !!!
Suited booted Host announced my name 'Please welcome Manu Prakash Pandey from BBD Lucknow. He will be singing Kal Ho na Ho Title Track'
Suddenly there was a pin drop silence everywhere. Crowd of more than 2000 all of a sudden went in Coma. It appeared as if final semester results has been announced and everyone has failed, in between there were a few groups doing routine khus phus. Every single gaze were fixed on the stage.
I did not expected such a good audience and their silence was very confusing.
I made a hesitant entry on the stage, Checked the mike and asked to orchestra bandwala to start music only after i finish the opening Lines.
I could not believe that these creatures in crowd could generate this eerie silence. Silence however did not lasted long a Section of the crowd started clapping. Some Colleagues and friends decided to welcome me .
It actually Boosted my confidence.
I felt like i am the some singing czar and decided to open out a way for the imprisoned splendour within me to escape.
'Har Ghadi Badal Rahi hai Roop Zindagi...'
Before i could sing the next line...every single person in the crowd started clapping.
i got confused am i going that well.
'Chaav hai kabhi kabhi hai dhoop jindagi.'
Suddenly the crowd turned hostile, started hissing and booing.
Orchestra had started to play and i was not singing to the beat.
Due to Nervousness the Sonu Nigam and Kishore kumar inside me had abandoned the orchestra's rhythm, and were getting ahead or behind the beat at their own will.
Sur and Taal everything had gone for a toss.
I decided to wait for the euphoria to go down.
I waited they clapped ..... I waited they still clapped.
I was thinking 'Huh, what did I just do that was so funny?'
I believed I started off OK, and when it got bad it got really bad, like hilarious bad. ... My favourite part was when the crowd "hyped" up by singing the lines along with me.
I almost fainted and vowed never to sing in public again.
Incident 2:
Embarrassment came quite a bit closer when I was on stage at the completion of our Technical Training in an IT MNC, finishing up sandwiches without aalus Cream rolls Without Cream at a small get together of around 100 odd training mates and faculties I Was sitting in the last row with lafander group cracking Sade hue fart jokes.
All of a sudden heard my name getting announced.
Front Bencher were calling my name, All the faces turned every single person had a devilish grin on their face.
'Arey yeh Kya hua'
What these Lowlifes Front Bencher want from me. cant they see a Backbencher Having fun.
Guess they had taken too seriously my comment
'A sleeping lion is stronger than a barking DOG'
My feet started to shake again. 100 Eyes fixed on u, capturing every single moment. Droplets of Sweat started to roll off my forehead
I reluctantly got up, took a Deep Breath and went up to the Stage.
The audience and I were in formal dress, The Fact that every single gaze was fixed on me made me more nervous I started off by thanking my faculties and sharing the not so great training time we had ( Wonder why IT people call Training as Honeymoon Period )
Everything was going on smoothly , my hands were moving in perfect rhythm with what i was speaking. For a change I was not stammering and not forgetting what to say.
It was then that I noticed that my pants were unzipped.
What was worse, the audience noticed me noticing it.
I quickly put on a face of comic surprise, and everyone roared. Then, as the laughter died down, I leaned against the podium, nodded knowingly, and said: “Remember the the Lovely Time we spent together. Remember all the tips and tactics. But above all, remember that none of them mean anything . . . unless you remember to Zip your pants”.
Suited booted Host announced my name 'Please welcome Manu Prakash Pandey from BBD Lucknow. He will be singing Kal Ho na Ho Title Track'
Suddenly there was a pin drop silence everywhere. Crowd of more than 2000 all of a sudden went in Coma. It appeared as if final semester results has been announced and everyone has failed, in between there were a few groups doing routine khus phus. Every single gaze were fixed on the stage.
I did not expected such a good audience and their silence was very confusing.
I made a hesitant entry on the stage, Checked the mike and asked to orchestra bandwala to start music only after i finish the opening Lines.
I could not believe that these creatures in crowd could generate this eerie silence. Silence however did not lasted long a Section of the crowd started clapping. Some Colleagues and friends decided to welcome me .
It actually Boosted my confidence.
I felt like i am the some singing czar and decided to open out a way for the imprisoned splendour within me to escape.
'Har Ghadi Badal Rahi hai Roop Zindagi...'
Before i could sing the next line...every single person in the crowd started clapping.
i got confused am i going that well.
'Chaav hai kabhi kabhi hai dhoop jindagi.'
Suddenly the crowd turned hostile, started hissing and booing.
Orchestra had started to play and i was not singing to the beat.
Due to Nervousness the Sonu Nigam and Kishore kumar inside me had abandoned the orchestra's rhythm, and were getting ahead or behind the beat at their own will.
Sur and Taal everything had gone for a toss.
I decided to wait for the euphoria to go down.
I waited they clapped ..... I waited they still clapped.
I was thinking 'Huh, what did I just do that was so funny?'
I believed I started off OK, and when it got bad it got really bad, like hilarious bad. ... My favourite part was when the crowd "hyped" up by singing the lines along with me.
I almost fainted and vowed never to sing in public again.
Incident 2:
Embarrassment came quite a bit closer when I was on stage at the completion of our Technical Training in an IT MNC, finishing up sandwiches without aalus Cream rolls Without Cream at a small get together of around 100 odd training mates and faculties I Was sitting in the last row with lafander group cracking Sade hue fart jokes.
All of a sudden heard my name getting announced.
Front Bencher were calling my name, All the faces turned every single person had a devilish grin on their face.
'Arey yeh Kya hua'
What these Lowlifes Front Bencher want from me. cant they see a Backbencher Having fun.
Guess they had taken too seriously my comment
'A sleeping lion is stronger than a barking DOG'
My feet started to shake again. 100 Eyes fixed on u, capturing every single moment. Droplets of Sweat started to roll off my forehead
I reluctantly got up, took a Deep Breath and went up to the Stage.
The audience and I were in formal dress, The Fact that every single gaze was fixed on me made me more nervous I started off by thanking my faculties and sharing the not so great training time we had ( Wonder why IT people call Training as Honeymoon Period )
Everything was going on smoothly , my hands were moving in perfect rhythm with what i was speaking. For a change I was not stammering and not forgetting what to say.
It was then that I noticed that my pants were unzipped.
What was worse, the audience noticed me noticing it.
I quickly put on a face of comic surprise, and everyone roared. Then, as the laughter died down, I leaned against the podium, nodded knowingly, and said: “Remember the the Lovely Time we spent together. Remember all the tips and tactics. But above all, remember that none of them mean anything . . . unless you remember to Zip your pants”.
I got a standing ovation. And for the rest of the evening, people were discussing whether or not I'd planned the whole incident.
NOTE: Names have been changed to protect the innocent and to hide identity :)
