Characters:
Rani
35 year old woman of the lower class, dark and thin. She works as a house maid in a couple of houses. She is the sole bread-winner of the family.
Gaja
Rani's husband. A 40 year old tall man of the lower class, dark and lanky. Believer of the Epicuriean philosophy of life, does not work/worry about his family.
Rani's children:
Vinoth
14 years old, dark, big eyes, looks short for his age, studying 9th class.
Sathish
11 years old, dark, sharp eyes, thin, studies 6th class.
Kamala
9 years old, dark, pretty looking, thin, short, in 4th class.
Kandan & Kumaran
brothers to Rani, both elder.
Setting:
[The setting is the inside of a hut. Dim Sodium monochrome light from a bulb on the left and another on the right. Upstage left is the kitchen corner. A few bare utensils of various sizes, an urn and an earthern pot. A few onions and curry leaves lie on a muram. A small sized shelf with three racks of bottles, may be containing spices.
On the wall, towards stage left are three pictures of Hindu gods and godesses, decorated with turmeric and saffron. Dried up flowers adorn the pictures. To the right is a rusted steel almirah. Below are a few bundles of clothes and a rusted trunk.
To the stage right is a bamboo cot. Gaja is lying on the cot wearing a lungi and a vest. He seems to be asleep. His shirt hangs on one of the cot's legs.
Under the cot are arranged pillows and bedsheets. A few feet from the cot, towards the centre stage is a ragged mat on which Vinoth, Sathish and Kamala are seated. They have their worn-out school bags next to them and are doing their homework.
To the stage right is a fan of an old model, turned on and making a droning sound.
When the screen opens, Gaja gets up, sits still for a couple of moments and goes to the fan, turns it towards him.]
Kamala: Appa... we won't get air now.
Gaja: Concentrate on your work... wants the fan...
[Rani comes in. She is wearing an old cotton saree. She carries with her an yellow cloth bag. Gaja continues in a mocking tone]
Queen?!... Let me tell you, don't get used to these luxuries. You might not get them in the other house you go to.
[Rani leaves her bag near the stove and begins doing her chores- washes face, lights diyas, cuts vegetables... all the while talking]
Rani: Why can't she have it? I'll make sure she gets it. As if I'll marry her to the first fool who comes on way- am I like my parents without eyes?
Gaja: So... you are the sole authority of her life!
Rani: Who else then? Who has taken care of the children so far? You are not bothered one way or the other if we are alive or dead! You do not even care to work for your family...
Gaja: Che'... a man can not rest peacefully in this house... [Takes his shirt and starts putting it on] Problem of sending women to work... they start thinking they are the boss.
Rani: Did I ask you? If you are so worried, why don't you find a job? Then I will stay at home and let you be the boss... [Gaja walks out] and I do not do a boss's job. I have to wash plates outside to be the boss at home.
Kamala: Amma, can I turn the fan now?
Rani: What? Are you worried only about the fan? Not a soul to console me... Here I am, living this cursed life with my brothers right next door living like zamindars.
[Kamala gets back to her books after Vinoth nudges her. As she is talking, Rani continues to chop onions and prepare the meal. After this, she gets up, goes to the yellow cotton bag, takes out a half empty packet of bicuits and gives it to the children. She turns the fan towards them and gets back to the kitchen corner.
Vinoth shares the biscuits among the others. They whisper as they snack on the biscuits.
Rani searches for something inside the spice bottles. She finally pulls out a soiled ten rupee note.]
Rani: Vinoth, can you go to the shop in the street corner and get me some tomatoes?
Vinoth:Okay amma. For how much do I buy?
Rani: For four rupees.
[Vinoth goes out. Rani continues her cooking.]
Kamala: Sathish, today we learnt about different kinds of houses . Look at these pictures da.
Sathish: Hey, this kutcha house is like our house.
Kamala: Didn't you know? Our house is a hut.
Sathish: What else did you learn?
Kamala: [Recites like a parrot.] A house has drawing room, kitchen, pooja room, bed room and bath room.
Sathish: But we do not have these many rooms right? We have got only one room; then how do we call it a house?
[Vinoth comes in, gives the tomatoes and change to Rani. Kamala gets up with her book and goes to Rani.]
Kamala: Amma, look at this. We don't have these many rooms...
Rani: First look if you have food for the night! Go back and do your work.
Vinoth: Come here Kamala. Amma is busy cooking food for us. Tell me, what do you want?
[The two go and sit on the mat.]
Kamala: Look here anna. It is given that a house has drawing room, kitchen, pooja room, bed room and bath room.
Sathish: We have only one room. How can we call it a house?
Vinoth: But we have all these parts of the house.
Kamala: Where?
Vinoth: Like you said, in this one room.
Sathish: How? Show us.
Vinoth: There is the bed room... [Points to the cot] there is our pooja room... [Points to the pictures of the gods] we are right now sitting in our drawing room, our mother is cooking in the kitchen and we have a bath room outside, near the well.
Kamala: But we do not sleep in our bedroom.
Vinoth: That is because we have a small house. By the way, what about your Maths homework? Uma miss told me you are not doing your homework properly...
Kamala: That is not me. I finished my homework. It is Sathish who did not do his work.
Sathish: I was actually waiting for you. I did not understant it.
Vinoth: Okay. I am here. Can we do it now?
[Sathish takes out his Maths book and notebooks with a long face. Kamala makes a face at him and starts reciting the different rooms of the house, pointing to the different corners of the house.
Gaja walks in in a drunken stupor. His clothes are askew and are soiled. He slurs as he talks.]
Gaja: Ai-i-i-i.... wher-r-r-e... a-a-are you de? Where a-a-r-r-r-e you, you bitch? Talk to me n-n-o-o-o-w-w-w...
Rani: [Continues doing her work] Come home man! I have got a palanquin ready at your foot and a feast ready for you.
Gaja: O-o-o-o-o... If you on-l-l-l-y did th-a-a-a-t... you would b-e-e-e a p-r-r-oppe-r-r-r woman.
Rani: [Looks up to him] What right have you to talk about it? [Gets back to her cooking] Has not held a job for more than a week... never brought a penny for the family... but wants to be the master of the house!...
Gaja: Aye-e-e-e... Yes de-e-e-e... I am-m-m your-r-r ma-a-a-ster-r-r. You-u-u are my ser-r-r-r-vant-t. You must do-o-o-o wha-a-a-t ever-r-r I ask you to do-o-o-o.
[The children stop studying and look at their parents.]
Rani: [Gets up and walks up to him.] I am not your servant and this house is not where your orders work. Get out!
Gaja: Get-t-t o-u-u-t-t-t?! Get-t-t o-u-u-t-t-t?!!! Who-o-o do you-u-u-u thi-i-i-nk you a-a-a-r-r-r-e spe-e-e-aking to?
Rani: I very well know that I am speaking to a son of a bitch!
Gaja: How-w-w dar-r-r-e you ca-a-a-l-l-l-l me-e-e that?!
Rani: [Turns towards the audience in tears.] You are just that. You are an impotent who cannot take care of his family.
Gaja: Ai-i-i-i... You-u-u-u blood-d-d-d-y bitch. I wil-l-l-l-l show you-u-u-u who-o-o I am!
[Gaja drags Rani down by her hair and starts kicking her.
Kamala starts crying. Sathish runs out. Vinoth runs to his mother and tries to shield her.
The following dialogues of Rani, Gaja and Vinoth are spoken simultaneously.]
Rani: [Sits up and looks at Gaja] Yes hit me... I was resting leisurely all day long on the bed... tired of not getting sleep.... did not do my work... so you are teaching me a lesson...
Gaja: How-w-w dar-r-r-e you cal-l-l-l me that? This-s-s will te-e-e-e-ach you to shut up. If you have four-r-r-r annas-s-s- with you, you think you ar-r-r-re the que-e-e-e-n...
Vinoth: Appa... appa... please pa... stop it pa!... please stop pa... appa...
[Sathish comes in running with Kandan and Kumaran. They are in their lungies and vests. One has a towel around his neck. Their right hands show that they have come in the middle of their dinner.
They hold Gaja back and push him on to the cot. Sathish and Kamala rush to their mother's side crying.
Gaja continues to murmur all through.]
Kandan: Every other day you have a fight and we have to come here saving you.
Kumaran: Aye Rani! Why can't you keep quiet? Why do you start a fight?
Rani: Me? Am I the one? This sick fellow does not go to a job... Even if I manage by washing dishes, he does not let me be in peace. He waits to drink my blood...
Kandan: You know about him... Why make a fuss?
Rani: What is it for you? You have your own life of luxury. Why worry about me?
Kumaran: Now, don't start fighting with us. [Turns to Sathish, Vinoth & Kamala] Dai ! Did you eat?
Sathish: No maama.
Vinoth: Amma was cooking. I just now got tomatoes for her.
Kumaran: Okay... okay! Come home and eat.
Kamala: What about amma?
Rani: Food is the only thing that I lack right now!
Kandan: What do the children know about it? Let me go and get them food. [Goes out.]
Rani: I am a cursed being and these are also cursed because they are born to me.
Kumaran: Enough of all the talk Rani. Go to bed. Let us talk about it tomorrow morning.
[Kumaran and Vinoth help Rani to bed.]
Rani: What will happen tomorrow? It is an everyday battle that I fight. He does not work and neither lets me be in peace. I wish he were dead. It would be better if we were all...
Kumaran: Chee! What is this you are saying in front of the children? Go to sleep silently now.
Rani: Sleep...? How will I sleep? Sleep does not come to me. I only die temporarily every night.
Kumaran: Okay... okay. Now just lie down.
[Kandan comes in with food. Kamala and Sathish get plates. The three children sit and eat the food.
Kandan and Kumaran go out.
After a few moments...]
Kamala: Sathish, this rice is so good da.
Sathish: Yes de. It is not like what we eat in our house.
Vinoth: It is more costly than what we buy from the ration. Maama buys it from the provision shop.
Kamala: Can we also buy there?
Vinoth: When father also starts earning we will also buy there.
Sathish: I wish till then we eat at maama's house.
Kamala: Then everyday our amma has to get beaten up by appa.
[Rani whimpers.]
Vinoth: Both of you stop talking and eat your food.
[Curtain falls.]
