The Gate of Years- Repentance. Lamentation. Forgiveness.

Repentance. Lamentation. Forgiveness.

These were the words that stuck with me at the end of this beautiful, solo act, storytelling, carried by the talented Kenneth Desai, who switched between the multiple characters of Hassan, Ajib, and Raniya, throughout the story of Fawaad Ibn Abbas, set in the Baghdad and Cairo of old.

The Gate of Years touches upon the theme of ‘what if’ which we all have wondered about and may have found ourselves pondering over, more often than we should. 

What if we could see our future, would it change our present? If we could see our past once more, would it make us appreciate the present more? The answer shall always remain a maybe. 

All that we end up really doing is futile overthinking about the future, overanalysing the past choices and missing out on surrendering completely to the present moment, which is all that we really have control over. 

Desai’s expressive storytelling, voice modulation, and character portrayal will keep you gripped to your seats.

He awakens more than just your five senses! You will question yourself, your ponderings, your thoughts, and your unnecessary and futile overthinking about what was, and what could’ve been. 

As Desai takes you through the stories of Hassan, Ajib, and Raniya, who made their choices of traveling through the gate of years to get answers to questions, we mere mortals are too small to be asking, we get answers to our own wonderings and a sense of relief, that ultimately what is, is, and shall remain so.

At the end of the show, a sense of acceptance seeps in about the circumstances we have all been served by the will of god, and an involuntary sigh of relief will find its way to your heavy mind that may have many questions, but the answer to them all would be just three words, 

Repentance, lamentation, forgiveness.