(The stage has a setting of
two rooms; one, the draw-in room with a small dining table, and the other half
of the stage has a setting of a bedroom, with a bed, a cupboard, and a study
table.)
(Raj is running inside the
house to go to his room. He has a roll of paper in his hand. His mother is
present in the room, with a pooja thali and a small bell in her hand; she is
ringing it. Raj runs past her and get inside his room.)
Ma: “Arey Raju Beta, why are
you running inside the house?”
(Raj didn’t stop to answer
her, and went inside his room. His mother leaves the stage. Raj sits on his
bed, and slowly unrolls the paper that he has been carrying in his hand.)
Raj (reads aloud to
himself): “The verdict of Supreme Court turns against the homosexual citizens
in the country as they have been criminalised under section 377.”
(Raj keeps staring at the
newspaper)
Raj (thinking): “So, am I a
criminal as well?”
(Ma knocks on his door, Raj
hides the newspaper under his pillow.)
Ma (comes inside the room
with the pooja thali in her hand): “Raju, what happened Beta? Why were you
running? Is everything okay?”
(Ma puts a vermillion mark
on Raj’s forehead, and gives him two cubes of sugar from the plate in his cupped
palms.)
Raj (clearing his throat):
“Nothing Ma, was just running late to school. I was about to get ready.”
Ma (pats his shoulders and
smiles): “Mera Raju Beta, such a hardworking lad. Come on, get ready quick. I
made your favourite aloo parathas today.”
(Raj smiles and hugs his
mother. Ma gets a little worried now.)
Ma: “Is everything okay,
Beta? Tell me.”
Raj: “Nothing Ma, I am a
little worried about my studies.”
Ma (kisses his cheeks):
“Whatever are the results, however is your studies, you are never going to be
less of my son. Don’t be worried, Beta. We will always love you and accept you
for what you are, and what you would become in the future. And I know, my Beta
would never let me down.”
(Ma leaves the room with
smile. Raj closes the door behind her, and breaths heavily. He takes his school
uniform out of his cupboard, and throws them on his bed. He sits on a corner of
the bed and gets lost in his thoughts.)
(Lights shift to a part of
the room behind Raj, where an adult and a small boy are seated on the bed. His
uncle, Gopal, is smiling at the boy, and giving him chocolates, and slides his
hand inside his pants. The boy smiles and chuckles)
Boy: “Hahahaha, Gopi Uncle,
its tickling.”
Gopal: “Does it feel nice?
Tell me.”
Boy “Its tickling.”
Gopal: “Raju, don’t tell
anyone about this, its our “big boy secret”. Okay?”
Boy: “Okay.”
(A mobile phone starts
ringing. Raj comes out of his thoughts, and reaches towards his phone. He reads
the message, looks at the time and starts getting ready for school.)
(Raj is in his school
uniform and comes out of his room. His mother is arranging breakfast for him on
the dining table. Raj looks at his watch, and feels troubled.)
Ma: “Beta, come and have
some breakfast.”
Raj: “Ma, I am running late
for school. Can I eat them later?”
Ma (smiles): “Okay, but let
me pack some for you. Eat during your tiffin break.”
(Ma takes a tiffin box and
puts the aloo parathas inside, and gives it to Raj. Raj puts the tiffin box in
his bag, and leaves.)
Scene 2
Evening time
(Raj is back from school,
and is studying on his table. He is staring at the book and is thinking.)
Raj (to himself): “I never
liked boys in that way, maybe that shows that I am not. But what about Gopi
Uncle? Why did I like it in my childhood, what does that mean? Why is the
government doing this? Now, they are going to put in jail. Ma and Papaji would
die out of shame. What do I do?”
Papaji enters the room, and
Raj is unaware of his presence. He clears his throat to talk. Raj turns back
and is startled.)
Papaji: “What happened? Are
you okay? You seem to be tired and worried.”
Raj: “Nothing Papaji, these
math sums are killing me. I have my first board exams in a month, and I am a
little worried.”
Papaji: “Its okay Beta, you
will do well. Come at once for dinner; study afterwards.”
(Raj and Papaji leave the
room. They go to the draw-in room, where the food is being served by Ma. They
all occupy their seats, and start eating. Papaji pulls out the newspaper to
read. Everyone is silent.)
Papaji: “There now! Justice
is done to our culture. These homosexual freaks are now decriminalised. They
should be banned from the country.”
(Raj starts sweating, and Ma
is eating in silence.)
Papji: Now Shukla’s son will
be behind bars for his madness. The other day, I saw him holding hands and
walking with another man in the community park, and kissing him on his cheeks.
When I told Shukla about this, he said that he doesn’t mind his son being
different. Now let me see where he hides his so-called “different” son.
Shameless people, huh!”
Raj (timidly): But Papaji,
they too are human beings, and they too have feelings. They have rights.”
Papaji: “Don’t speak, Raj. I
know much more than you. I have seen the world much more than you did. Don’t
try to be too smart with me.”
(Ma looks up from the plate.
Raj gets frustrated.)
Raj: “But Papaji…”
Papaji (angrily): “Shut up,
Raj! Stop arguing with me. Finish your dinner and get back to your studies.”
(Raj gets really angry; he
takes a deep breath, and gathers all her strength to speak.)
Raj (looks at his mother):
“Ma, I need to tell you something.”
Ma (without looking up from
her food): “Quit it, Raj. Your father is right.”
Raj: “Ma, I am gay!”
(Papaji looks at Raj and is
shocked. Ma gets up from the chair with an exasperated face with her hands on
her chest)
The End
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