Saturday 22 November 2014

AFTERNOON a play for 2 young men and 2 young women





Cast


KISHEN:                                             Late-Twenties IT Professional, go-getter, dressed casually in jeans and floppy shirt


RAMESH:                                           Same-Age Business Executive, jovial, in three-piece suit


RADHA:                                             Ramesh’s wife, mid-twenties, rather plump, in heavily-embroidered red silk sari


ATTENDANT:                                   Young, slim woman in regulation airline uniform


PLACE

Airport Concourse

TIME

The Present


THE SETTING:                      Empty stage, with a large LCD screen at back showing Airline Departures. Beneath it, a couple of vending machines and a trash bin. A few people dragging luggage trolleys hurry across the stage at the back. KISHEN comes in from the right clutching an overnight bag and a laptop case. He is obviously very worried, fidgety, looking at his watch and the Display Screen. The airline ATTENDANT runs in from left gleefully holding aloft ticket and boarding pass.

ATTENDANT:                       You are on! It was touch and go, Sir, it’s a full plane tonight, in fact all the others are full also, everyone’s going to Bangalore for the match – that’s the problem.

KISHEN:                                 [taking the ticket and boarding pass] I can’t tell you how grateful I am, Miss. As I said, I’ve got to make it to the interview tomorrow morning. You’ve saved my life!

ATTENDANT:                       [laughing] Thank me after you’ve got your job! Seriously, if I hadn’t spoken to the station chief, it was no-go, but he is kind-hearted, likes to help young guys like you. So Good Luck for tomorrow![turns to go back]

KISHEN:                                 [gushing] Look! You are such an angel – my angel! Don’t know how to thank you – Dinner when I get back?

ATTENDANT:                       [over shoulder as she walks away] I do this everyday! Thanks all the same!

KISHEN:                                 Look- don’t run away – where can I meet you?

ATTENDANT:                       [laughing] Tahiti!

KISHEN:                                 [in mock despair] I love you!

[Attendant waves and runs off]

KISHEN:                                 [inspecting boarding pass] B-22, I hate being middle monkey, worse, I’ll get two fat men on either side! Maybe I can ask inside for a window seat, who knows, I’ve been damn lucky so far. No God-Damn seat anywhere here! Idiots! How can I open my laptop standing up?

RAMESH:                               [coming in from the right, dragging two cabin cases] My God, it is Kishen! Kishen! Kishen! Where have you been for the last two years, old fellow? My God! Fancy running into you like this, in an airport![slaps Kishen on the back awkwardly, grins, and tries to throw an arm round his shoulder] Where you off to?

KISHEN:                                 [putting down his bags] Bangalore.

RAMESH:                               Bangalore! That’s where I live! Fantastic! Come around –tonight! Have a meal with us! What you doing in Bangalore?

KISHEN:                                 Rams – it’s the most important interview of my life – I got the call just two hours ago from Microsoft! That Australian guy they had hired, there was some mess up, so! – Imagine, Rams! three-hundred thou – in dollars, and in Bangalore! I’ve almost got it, that is, if I don’t goof up tomorrow!

RAMESH:                               [fondly] No fear of that, you were always very focused even at school. My wife would love to meet you.

KISHEN:                                 Rams, you are married! Why didn’t you let me know? What sort of friend are you, anyway?

RAMESH:                               I tried, Kishen! Every which way! Your parents said you were in France but the number they gave me never worked, I kept getting this French voice. Anyway, I got married only last Friday, it had to be done in a hurry, I’ll tell you all about it later. She’s coming home with me for the first time! You will see her any minute now, gone to the powder room.

KISHEN:                                 Powder room? What a funny old-fashioned fellow you are.

RAMESH:                               Okay, but why aren’t you in France, or somewhere?

KISHEN:                                 Came home for two days to sign a land deal, and then – wham – this morning – Microsoft!

RAMESH:                               Lucky bugger! I’d be over the moon if I got paid a tenth of what Microsoft will give you. Oh… there she is! Radha! Radha! Over here! Meet an old friend!

RADHA:                                 [coming slowly in from left] Ramesh, haven’t they called our flight?

RAMESH:                               They will, any minute, but meet my old friend, Kishen! We were at school together, grew up together. Kishen practically lived in our house – my mother was fonder of him, I think! Guess what? He’s getting a job in Bangalore with Microsoft, a Big Job! Look, Kishen, come stay with us till you find a flat –it’s still a bachelor pad, but we’ll adjust. Like old times!

RADHA:                                 Ramesh, I am sure, your friend has better plans.

RAMESH:                               He’s just got back from France – he doesn’t know anyone in Bangalore, do you, Kishen? Kishen – you are not going to that key interview dressed like that, are you?

KISHEN:                                 [laughing easily] If I dressed like you, Ramesh, I would get thrown out. We have to look cool in the IT world.




RAMESH:                               And if I dressed like you, I would not be Assistant Manager Sales at MegaCity tomorrow! Strange world, eh? Anyway, you will have to put up with a stuffed shirt like me in Bangalore. But I make up for it with a beautiful wife, don’t I, Radha? You will like him, just like my mother did. He’s everybody’s friend. Tell you what! Let’s celebrate with ice cream. They make genuine Italian[pronounced ‘jay-noo-wine ‘I’ talian] gelato here. I will get us three cones!

RADHA:                                 I don’t want ice cream!

RAMESH:                               Nonsense! I know you do, you told me so yourself! Wait, I will get us some exotic flavours![runs off]
[There is a long silence]

RADHA:                                 [distantly] He is a little awkward when he is excited.

KISHEN:                                 Radhee! Radhee?

RADHA:                                 I don’t want to know you, understand? We never need to meet, okay?

KISHEN:                                 I can never tell you how bad I felt about the breakup.

RADHA:                                 Then don’t.

KISHEN:                                 Radhee… Radhee, I loved you a lot, Radhee, still do as a matter of fact. My career, Radhee, I had to build my career to… to be worthy of a girl like you, so…

RADHA:                                 [hissing harshly] Stop it! Stop it! Stop lying to yourself for once! You left me for you thought you would do better, get a French girl, right? What happened? They didn’t care for a lying darky?

KISHEN:                                 Radhee, I know I hurt you, but I hurt myself even more. Believe me, Radhee for once…

RADHA:                                 No, I will not! I know you are a manipulative son-of-a-bitch! Interested only in yourself! So, don’t dare to come home to my house! I hate you! I hate you!

KISHEN:                                 [hangs head dramatically] Go on, Radhee, it’s your right. But I will continue to be your friend. A friend who loved you …and still loves you.

RADHA:                                 Bastard! If this wasn’t a public place I would slap you!

KISHEN:                                 Go ahead! Slap! I want to feel your hand on my face!

[A loud hallo from RAMESH, who comes up clutching three ice-cream cones]

RAMESH:                               There! Who wants maraschino cherry, mango, and death by chocolate?

RADHA:                                 Give death by chocolate to your friend, and eat the other two yourself. I am going to the loo!

RAMESH:                               [bewildered] But you have just been?

RADHA:                                 There is a law against using it twice? I am going, and will be back when I hear them calling our flight! [walks away]

[The men look on in silence at her retreating back. RAMESH turns to KISHEN]      

RAMESH:                               [embarrassed, giving him an ice cream cone] Don’t get upset, old friend. She’s been under a lot of strain.

KISHEN:                                 That’s all right.[takes a lick at the ice cream]

RAMESH:                               [urgently] No, no, you don’t understand. Please don’t take offence. It’s got nothing to do with you. She… she is like that with all men.

KISHEN:                                 Don’t apologize, Rams. Sometimes, it’s the wrong chemistry…

RAMESH:                               No, no, no! I want you to understand. She’s in a very disturbed state of mind. She… she’s been abused.

KISHEN:                                 [shocked] Abused! My God!






RAMESH:                               No, that’s the wrong word. She’s been deceived, by some asshole. Nursing her wounded heart for years. Then, her uncle brought us together just two months ago. She told me everything. She still loves this scoundrel, said she could never give me her love. Frank, forthright. Well, you know me? I said we would work something out – take her out of her sense of hurt – give a new life, that sort of thing. Be patient.

KISHEN:                                 But if she doesn’t care for you?

RAMESH:                               But I care for her! And she is a very good person, gold, actually. I am sure we will work something out.

[An indistinct announcement over the loudspeaker]

RAMESH:                               Our flight’s been called! Where’s Radha? God! I hate that crush at Security. There! Radha! Radha! Flight’s called! Come, Kishen, flight’s called!

KISHEN:                                 [hesitantly] Not my flight. I am taking the later one, Jet.

RAMESH:                               But I thought you were with us? [runs over and throws ice cream cones in trash bin and returns as RADHA comes up slowly] Come, Radha, we better rush. That crush at Security, I hate. Come, come, come.  Kishen! Remember to call! Here is my card! [thrusting card on KISHEN] Dinner tonight, pot luck, Okay?

[ RAMESH and RADHA walk off briskly dragging their luggage. KISHEN looks on, standing very still. A few others hurry past. KISHEN picks up his overnight bag and laptop bag and looks round vaguely]

ATTENDANT:                       [walking up briskly] Mr. Kishen! Flight’s called! Hurry up, the Captain doesn’t like being delayed.

KISHEN:                                 I am not taking the flight.

ATTENDANT:                       [surprised] Not taking the flight! What do you mean?

KISHEN:                                 Something’s come up. [goes to throw ice cream cone in trash bin]

ATTENDANT:                       [calling out] In the last ten minutes?

KISHEN:                                 [returning] Yes, I can’t go.

ATTENDANT:                       [now angry] Your job interview? You don’t want that job! I thought I had helped you? And you lose the ticket, no refund!

KISHEN:                                 That’s all right, it’s only money, right? Jobs, tickets?

[She looks at him, angry and confused. KISHEN looks back without emotion]

LIGHTS OUT

END of PLAY


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