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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