THE
SCREAM
RIMI
PATI
Setting: A modest flat in a Mumbai
suburb
Characters:
|
Rita
|
Wife
|
|
Naresh
|
Husband
|
|
Deshpande
|
Friend
|
|
Parul
|
Maid
|
|
Ram
Deo
|
Doorkeeper
|
|
Assorted
neighbors of various ages
|
|
|
Ambulance
Driver
|
|
Scene 1
(Rita
is bustling about in the kitchen, warming up dinner items from the fridge. Naresh,
her husband, is working on his laptop wearing headphones. A piercing scream breaks this tranquil
domestic scene.)
RITA: Again! Hear it
Naresh! There she goes. That terrible scream.
(No reaction from Naresh)
RITA: Naresh! Do
something. That woman is screaming again. We have to do something. She shakes Naresh
by the shoulders.
NARESH: Oh Rita, I was in
the middle of preparing for tomorrow’s presentation. (Takes off headphones) Kindly tell me why do you always disturb me like this?
RITA: I do not. This is
almost dinner time.
NARESH: Yes. So what’s for dinner? Mutton?
RITA: Na! I did not buy mutton. We are having sambar rice today. But
did you hear that awful scream? We must do something.
NARESH: I did not hear anything. Anyway why worry about stuff we cannot
control. We don’t know any of our neighbors. I do not care to either. We are
busy.
RITA: So we are. But
still.. should we not inform the police?
NARESH: Are you out of your mind? They will question you for hours
before they even write any complaints. You have no concrete grounds. Stop
watching all those feminist junk. Let’s get on with dinner sweet heart, I have
a big day tomorrow. I may have an edge
when the new manager’s vacancy opens up next month.
RITA: Dinner is almost
ready. Go wash up and help me with salad.
NARESH: Sure thing. I will be back in a jiffy.
(Rita
absent-mindedly starts garnishing the sambar with cilantro and gets startled when
she hears another muffled groan. A male voice, trying to hush someone she
thought. Naresh returns and gives her a hug from behind but appears perplexed
when Rita crouches near the window to hear more.)
NARESH: Rita! Get away from the window at once. You are being foolish.
You need to stop watching reality shows.
Pay some attention to me, your husband. Ha Ha!
RITA: Everything is a joke with you Naresh. I am telling you there is someone
in trouble…. Come get your dinner, the
sambar is getting cold.
NARESH : Yes, I have had enough of this. Let’s have dinner. My colleague
Deshpande might come over for a beer later.
Do we have some in stock or do I have to run down and get some?
RITA: We are well
stocked. God forbid, we run out of beer of all things.
(An
hour has passed.The doorbell sounds.
Deshpande walks in, greets Rita and comments on her worried look.)
DESHPANDE: What bhabiji? Looking so glum shum. My friend here not taking care of you?
(Rita frowns, feels annoyed as she
detects Deshpande’s condescending tone but decides against voicing her opinion.)
RITA: No bhai, I am fine. You two work on your presentation, I will go
inside watch my show.
NARESH: Too much TV, too
little to do. She has started imagining things.
DESHPANDE: Imagining things? What kind of things?
NARESH: She says someone is being tortured next door. Now even if it is
true, we don’t have proof.
DESHPANDE: Are e yaar! Naresh you are too soft. Women are foolish ,
don’t upset yourself. She will come around. Take her out for dinner, catch a
movie. Come, let’s brainstorm on ideas for tomorrow’s presentation. Got beer?
NARESH: You are right. Let’s get on with the presentation prep. We don’t
have all night. Women invent problems when there are none.
Scene 2
(Next
morning. Rita is sitting down with a cup of coffee, glancing at the newspaper
headlines. The maid has arrived some
time back. She is now mopping the floor, dipping a cloth in murky water. A dog
barks.)
RITA: Parul, change the
water for every room.
PARUL: Yes memsabji.
RITA: Why are you
moving so slow today? Let me see, what is wrong with your eyes.
PARUL: Nothing memsab.
RITA: What rubbish. Let me see. God! Who hit you?
PARUL: The father of my boy, Hari. He was drinking arrack.
RITA: Let me put some
antibiotic cream on you. You must stop or leave him if he hits you again.
PARUL: This is my destiny memsaabji. At least he is there to protect me.
RITA: Protect you indeed!
(A
loud crash stops both women in their track. Followed by low moans. The dog
keeps on barking.)
RITA: I must put a stop to
this. Parul come with me. Why does the dog bark so much?
PARUL: Yes memsaab. Someone
needs to take him out to do his business.
(Both
women go and ring the doorbell next door. No answer.
They
strain to hear, ears near the door.)
PARUL: I hear something.
Someone scratching the door.
RITA: Yes yes. She bangs on the door. Bahenji! Open the door.
PARUL: Memsabji dorwaja
kholiye (Madam! Open the door!)
(This
time they both hear a distinct moan.)
RITA: Yes. We have to force open this door.
(Parul
runs to the elevator and soon arrives with the doorman.
Doorman
looks reluctant to force open the door but Rita insists. She gains confidence
as other neighbors gather and urges the doorman. The door opens to a scene of
utter chaos. Furniture is turned upside down. The neighbor appears nearly
unconscious. She looks bruised from head to toe. Someone dials for the ambulance.)
Parul: Saab log bhi
eeisa harami hote haai? (Even gentlemen are such bastards?)
(Rita
steps in the ambulance with the battered woman. For once, she blocks out the
thought of Naresh and his continuous disapproval. She looked straight ahead,
chin up, eyes dry.)
END
********************************************
RIMI PATI
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