Bhagyanath places an empty basket on the table. He then produces a small basket of flowers, places it inside the other basket and covers them both with a cloth.
There is a pause. Then with a theatrical swish, he removes the cloth and the flower basket has vanished.
Magic?
Not according to 13-year-old Bhagyanath, a child conjurer from Kerala, who has been performing for a decade.
"Magic is just an illusion," he says. "There is a set of tricks which one has to follow, practise and master (to create this illusion). While I have mastered some, I am still learning many new tricks from my father. I really want to do well as a magician."
Clearly, conjuring runs in the family. Bhagyanath's father, Naath, is a master magician who taught his son the tricks of the trade at an early age. Indeed, for as long as Bhagyanath can remember, he has been performing magic tricks.
The young magician's first solo performance was at the age of 3 - making him the youngest magician in India. He can't remember much about that first performance but he does recall that he was rewarded with a lot of chocolates at the end of it!
In 2004, at the age of 10, he became the youngest magician in India to perform 1,000 magic shows and earned his place in the Limca Book of Records, the Indian equivalent of the Guinness Book of World Records.
Bhagyanath's talent for creating illusions has taken him to other sectors of the entertainment industry too. He has acted in teleserials, helped anchor a television programme and even acted in a film, Arimpara.
He has toured many parts of India taking his bag of tricks along, but his first overseas performance was in Dubai for this year's Dubai Shopping Festival. Did the foreign crowds perturb him?
"I have never felt scared about performing in front of people. I enjoy it. Maybe because I have been doing it since I was 3," he reasons.
While on stage, he encourages members of the audience to ask questions. His tricks include joining pieces of dissected paper to form a message, conjuring up garlands of flowers from empty boxes and 'cutting' people in half.
"I feel happy while I am on stage. My father and I plan the entire show and rehearse it," he says.
Part of a generation besotted with Harry Potter, his flair for magic makes him popular with his peers. However, it may come as a surprise to learn that when he grows up, he is intent on taking up a different career. Bhagyanath would like to be a doctor when he grows up, a decision his parents also favour.
But doesn't he want to continue doing the magic tricks he loves so much? The answer is yes and no.
"I would love to continue (with) magic but I also want to be a doctor," says Bhagyanath. "I'll be a doctor by profession and maybe use magic as a hobby."
Now, that's a great combination surely.
Imagine using a magic wand to treat his patients? Voila! "Oh no!" he gasps at the very thought of such an evntuality.
Heis very clear on the fact that magic tricks are purely for fun, they are "just an illusion". On the other hand, being a doctor is serious stuff and he will not invite facetitious sugestions, thank you.
Currently in the seventh grade in St Shantal School, Thiruvananthapuram, Bhagyanath is a bright student who does well in a range of extra-curricular activities.
However, his magic show commitments mean he has to travel a lot which makes him miss some classes at school. And no magic wand or trick is going to help him make up for the lessons missed.
Fortunately for Bhagyanath, his teachers and fellow students understand his talent and every time he's back from one of his shows, they help him make up for the missed classes.
But is the pressure of performing and studying getting to the little boy? Does he have the time just be a full-of-pranks teenager, you know just the normal kid around the block?
"I don't miss (any of that)," says Bhagyanath. "By performing magic tricks I enjoy myself and am also quite popular in school. Whenever I need help with my studies, my friends and classmates are always there to help.
"They lend me their notes too. I have a lot of good friends and I enjoy a good degree of popularity … all thanks to the magic shows I perform."
But the real magic has yet to be revealed - Bhagyanath's performances often throw light on social concerns. He recently conducted shows to spread awareness about chikungunya, a viral fever spread by the mosquito that has reached epidemic proportions in parts of India.
In the immediate future, he shows no signs of a let-p. Having turned 13 last month, he plans to celebrate his 10 years of magic stage shows with a 10-hour non-stop magic show in Kerala.
What better way to celebrate a decade of magical talent?
