Atman-Sakshatkara

Atman-Sakshatkara

Excerpt: Two countries entered war today. A hundred thousand children made homeless, killed across the world. No. Fifty years and war wages still! One billion killed. All for greed and power and riches, because of misunderstanding between people. The same people who never knew where their nationalities drew its borders and who was kin and who stranger are today enemies because someone influenced their opinion. Haven’t you lived this illusion of life to the fullest? What is to come? Death?

 

Characters

Katya (A Depressed Individual)

Axe (His Soul)

Janitor

Violet (Katya’s Girlfriend)

Members of the Office

Vivek & Rani (A Married Couple & Katya’s Neighbors)

Street Performers

Rene (Violet’s New Boyfriend)

Dr. Das (A Fake Doctor)

Character (Commentator)

 

Prologue

Character is mixing ingredients in a vessel to make soap. Two Actors appear. They finally sit in front of the Character on the floor.

Character: (Pouring the contents of the big bowl into a small bowl) Let it dry for a while then we shall begin.

 Stage is dark.

 Light.

Character: (Cuts a piece of soap into two pieces with a thread and speaks to the Actors) Come forward. Pick one.

The Actors reach for the soap. Character lays a red cloth before them on the ground.

Character: This red cloth hides the earth. Under its shadow the earth cannot be seen. I want you to keep your soap on this red cloth and mark it as your own. Then the world will be yours. There will not flow a wind powerful enough to pick it up from this earth and lay the earth naked once again. Who you are today will be determined by the mark you leave behind. This earth sleeps, it dreams of your existence. You are free to choose who you want to be.

The Actors come forward to write on the red cloth.

Character: Press the soap with all your strength and scrape the cloth with it from left to right. You… on the top half… and you… on the bottom.

The Actors follow the instructions given to them. Two coincidental marks are made on the cloth.

Character: What does the mark say?

Actor 1: Katya.

Actor 2: Axe.

Character: From today – these are your names! Katya and Axe.

Stage is dark.

 

ACT 1

Scene 1

There is an electric scanner in the center of the stage. Katya is scanning one page after another onto a fourth wall which is visible to the audience. He looks as dull as an old stone.

Katya: These are important documents, you know, of essence some might say. (Pause) I don’t do much. I just show up, plug in the scanner, take nearly three to four thousand scans a day and they pay me for it. That’s my job. Sometimes… it feels like I never leave, like… I’m sitting there, in a corner over there… under the coffee desk… far-far away from home, thinking maybe there’s a ghost chasing after me, you know, an eerie feeling wherever I go that there’s nothing there, but the scent of a ghost nonetheless. His skin, I wonder, is fabricated with flesh that is slowly rotting. I’ve started waiting for my own death at the thought of such a ghost.

For some time he is quiet, continues to scan official documents, then suddenly, he grabs his stomach!

Katya: Ah-Ouch! Damned old stomach! Damn old stomach!

He takes a bottle of painkiller from his coat pocket and pops a pill down his throat. He puts on his walkman, switches it on and begins listening to music. Meanwhile the scanning of documents continues.

Katya: (Talking to the audience over the music) So fascinating… Our world! It needs purpose to live on. That is truth. (Pause) First there is curiosity, then philosophy and innocence, at last there is truth and then melancholy. It cannot be called melancholy. It’s temptation actually. A man is tempted to end his own life, but when he goes to do it, this… walk during sunset… stargazing… this anxiety over society and the future of society all turns out to be quite meaningless. (Pause) Do you remember war? I remember. There was depression once and then there were the spiritual masters to make everything okay again. The gurus! The greatest of the greats! Who took inspiration from tradition and convinced themselves that surely the world will stop if they stopped doing what they were doing. I think the world ought to stop if I stopped doing what I am doing. Sometimes I tire myself out thinking I cannot stop doing it. There is no morality left in my world, no power superior to the power of reason and imagination. But there is money too, the best of all evils, money! Then why do I feel so afraid sometimes… so weak and so timid? I’m just growing up I tell myself, evolving perhaps. There’s another mystery for you… Evolution. Maybe human beings are the only ones with a chance to evolve. But it’s good we are not alone, you know. It usually takes time but one discovers eventually that we are not alone. What happens then? One begins to think whether at all they ever took birth because life seems to be all so big and cosmic. (He stops scanning) The world is inheritance for the last person alive, imagine! Living in a blank planet! Living, uncertain of death when everything else around you has died and you… you are the only one who remains.

The office janitor enters.

Janitor: The devil lets you run your mouth!

Katya: (To himself with amusement) Last man alive… Last man alive…

Janitor: Ramble on!

Katya: Do you think I could be the last man alive?

Janitor: I don’t know, could you?

Katya: No. I don’t think so.

Janitor: Why not?

Katya: Because I might be dead long before apocalypse. This is what makes human beings fearless. We think we can live without morality because our life is so short. We know we won’t have to face the destruction of the earth.

Janitor: Why? I’m sure we have morality. You are arrogant, just like everybody else.

Katya: I’m not.

Janitor: How can you be so sure?

Katya: I think I have some sort of a disease.

Janitor: What kind of a disease?

Katya: An ache in my stomach.

Janitor: Do you want some morphine for it?

Katya: Do you have any?

Janitor: Oh yeah, lots.

Katya: Won’t it be a bad idea? (Pause) Give it to me.

The janitor goes around sweeping.

Janitor: There was once a time when you used to work like you will radicalize this world, and now anyone will tell if they saw you that you are living without ambition.

Katya: That’s outrageous! How dare you?

Janitor: Oh no. You are taking it the wrong way.

Katya goes back to scanning. From the pictures of official documents now pictures of war, devastation, scarcity, poverty, disease and crime begin appearing on the fourth wall.

Katya: (Slowly) Do you really think so?

Janitor: No… No. That is not what I meant. Those words did roll onto my tongue by mistake. I ask for your forgiveness.

Katya: No, you don’t have to apologize. Actually, there is something…

Janitor: I’ll get you the morphine. Are you going for the two o’ clock meeting?

Katya: What?

Janitor: There is a meeting at two. Are you going?

Katya: What meeting?

A young woman enters the office. She walks through the reception and goes up the stairs towards the scanner. Meanwhile Katya and the janitor continue talking.

Janitor: Boss said it’s an important meeting.

Katya: What’s all this about? Is everything okay?

Janitor: I don’t know.

Katya goes into a thoughtful gaze. The janitor heads towards the exit.

Janitor: (In a hurry) I heard them say, ‘Drops in profit’ or something like that. I’ll get you the morphine.

He exits. Katya stands thinking maybe something’s wrong.

The woman enters the room.

Violet: Hey there, Katya!

Katya: (Waking from his daydream) Oh, hello.

Violet: Are you okay? You look like you’ve seem a ghost.

Katya: No… No… Everything is okay. Should I tell you I’m okay just like I tell everyone else or should I point out the ghost in the room?

Violet: Why didn’t you come for the movie last night? I was waiting outside the theatre for almost half an hour. You forgot, didn’t you?

Katya: (Realizing suddenly clutches his head) Oh! Damn it! (He goes close to her but then stops at a distance) I’m so sorry. I remembered our date but then it skipped my mind.

Violet: How can you keep doing this to me?

Katya: I’m not lying. I swear I forgot. An innocent mistake.

Violet: You always have an excuse.

Katya: An excuse?

She takes a cigarette out of her purse and starts to light it, but then stops.

Violet: When did you wake up?

Katya: I… What?

He finally takes the walkman earpiece out of his ears.

Violet: When did you wake up?

Katya: I don’t remember.

Violet: You don’t remember when you woke up…

She keeps the cigarette back in the box and then the box in her purse.

Katya: I must have woken up at night to drink water. God, I was so thirsty. I remember I heard the cat on the roof. Then I think I went back to sleep. Maybe it was drizzling, I’m not sure.

Violet: How long do you think we’ll be able to work this out?

Katya: You can leave if you want… I’ve said it a thousand times. I don’t know what else to say…

Violet: So, this is it then? I was hopeful you wouldn’t screw up yesterday but you had to! I’m grown so weary of you.

Katya goes back near the scanner.

Katya: I’m sorry.

Violet: Nevermind.

Katya goes back to scanning documents. The pictures this time are of official paperwork.

Violet: (Tries not to get angry but slowly becomes enraged at him) Why have you been ignoring me?

Katya: Ignoring you? What do you mean?

Violet sighs deeply.

Violet: (Out of concern) Are you okay? I mean, are you really okay?

She goes near him and tries to see his face, but he is almost shivering with fever. His hair is wet and sweat is falling on his forehead, she tries to brush it out of the way but he doesn’t let her.

Violet: You are burning up with fever. Come, let’s take you to a doctor.

Katya: I don’t want to.

Violet: Why?

Katya: It’s nothing.

Violet: I’m tired of you Katya, I am tired of trying to work things out with you. If I turn around and walk away that will be the last of me you will ever see.

Katya: What are you going to do? Leave?

Violet: I’m going anyway...

Katya: Oh.

Violet: I met Rene the other day. I met him yesterday too…

Katya: Well. How is he?

Violet: He treats me well.

Katya: That’s what you wanted, someone who treats you well.

Violet: I don’t want to see you.

Katya: No… no… no… There’s been a misunderstanding.

He starts crying. The woman knows its crocodile tears.

Violet: Maybe you will be better than all the men I will meet in the future, but you are just so damn worn out that life simply doesn’t look good with you. I cannot waste my life waiting for you to cope with yourself.

Katya: Stay… Don’t go.

Violet: Stay? What’s worth staying? Nothing, I suppose. A big hollow nothing!

Katya: Listen…

Violet: I’m done listening.

Katya: (Helplessly looks around) No you are not.

Violet: Maybe I’m not. Maybe there is something you are not telling me and that’s why this is happening.

Katya: Let’s talk about this in the evening. Please. Let’s meet for coffee.

Violet: Why would I waste another evening waiting for you? You won’t come, I know it. I’m going. Take care of yourself. I have always loved you.

She walks away and he goes after her.

Katya: Will I ever see you again?

Violet: (Knowing well she should leave) If there is something you’re not telling me, I’m still willing to listen…

Katya: I will tell you everything if you gave me another chance. I’ll tell you why I’ve been this way. I’m unwell, you see.

She shakes her head and embraces him in a hug.

Katya: Not here, somewhere else. Not right now, but some other time. But I’ll tell you everything.

She takes a step away from him.

Violet: Don’t come looking for me. You won’t find me and you won’t ever find another girl just like me even if you tried. It’s over.

She exits.

The janitor enters. He hands Katya a bottle.

Janitor: Here’s the morphine. What’s happened to her?

Katya: (Looking at the bottle) The end of an affair.

Janitor: To me she was just a visitor.

Katya: Hmm… It’s boring without visitors. (He keeps the bottle in his pocket)

Katya holds onto his stomach suddenly.

Katya: Ah, ouch.

Janitor: What happened! Are you okay?

Katya sits down somewhere.

Katya: Yes, yes. I’m okay.

Janitor: Take one of them pills.

 Katya gives the bottle of morphine a long hard stare and then pops a pill.

Janitor: That ought to do.

Katya: Very well.

Janitor: You’re all set for the meeting then?

Katya: I don’t feel so good.

Janitor: Oh but you can’t miss the meeting. It’s of utmost importance I heard.

Katya: I’ve just had the love of my life leave me. I don’t know so much about the meeting.

Janitor: Oh, it’ll do you good. There will be plenty of talk about profit. Who doesn’t love profit?

Katya: I don’t know. (He looks at his watch) How long is the meeting?

He puts the walkman earpiece back in his ears.

Katya: I have to help my neighbors pack. They are moving out of the building and I offered them help. I have to go soon. Will the meeting end by five?

Janitor: I think it will.

Pause.

Janitor: It’s a shame what happened to Boss’s daughter.

Katya: What happened to her?

Janitor: She passed away. Don’t you know?

Katya: Died, like?

Janitor: Yeah, The family was out on vacation. The camp was next to a river. The little girl was playing perhaps too close to the water. Maybe her shoe slipped or…

Katya: Boss must be grieving. Why has he called a meeting at a time like this?

Janitor: Men like him cannot stop working. Imagine what it would be like for business if he was away for long.

Katya: God must have destined her life to end.

Janitor: If there was a god it would have better things to do. You are already obsessed with death I think. Leave god alone at least. (Pause) Do you think your girlfriend was guided by god’s will?

Katya: My girlfriend is guided by the will of a man called Rene, who is hardly any god at all. But, why am I telling you all this. Don’t you have better things to do?

Janitor: (Looks around) Not really.

Katya: Oh well, you know… (He sighs) I knew all along what I had to say to her but I said nothing. I kept ignoring her every time she came to me for affection, or should I say she kept misunderstanding my silence. Regret isn’t good for love. Remember it.

Janitor: You shouldn’t hide things from the ones you love. It’s not love if you do.

Katya: She kept trying to be a part of my life but I considered other things more important.

Janitor: Kalayug!

Katya: Don’t you see? Life is bound to decay. If I buy flowers for the boss thinking he will get a sense of sympathy the flowers will die and then how will he feel looking at them? They will remind him of her.

Katya goes back to the scanner.

Stage is dark.

 

ACT 1

Scene 2

A gathering of six men seated at a desk. Two walls that make one corner of the room are painted in different colors. One wall has a small window facing a corporate buildings and the other has a graph and a statistical chart for representation of facts. Unnoticed, Katya is among them. His pupils are dilated and sweat is dripping down his scalp onto his head. He is busy wiping it with a handkerchief. The morphine has settled.

Director: As we all know profits continue to bother us.

Manager: I request you all to look at the loans index of the last two years for a second.

Assistant: Advertising is not helping the company in any way.

Designer: It is getting difficult day by day to manage employees. All they bloody want to do is protest.

Producer: We need to show our clients that our company is built on transparency.

Katya: (Aside) What am I doing here?

Director: Do we have any suggestions? Anyone?

Manager: Are investors even interested in us?

Assistant: How can the company advertise outside of media? It’s impossible. The media is our number one enemy. I suggest we write to the government that it put a halt to its freedom of speech.

Designer: Why are we not meeting our deadlines? Katya? Do you wish to include yourself in the conversation? Katya?

Producer: Maybe he can join us in a bit. (He goes on to talk to the other members) What can we do to make our buyers trust us more? What did I say about transparency? I think we are all interested in knowing more about that.

Katya: (Aside) How is Boss sitting here thinking of profit when he has just lost his daughter? (He pinches his stomach) Ah! My stomach! This doesn’t feel too well.

Director: Now that we have gathered here, let us resolve once and for all a few things before we disperse.

Manager: It is impossible to give permanent resolutions, business doesn’t run like that. It’s arbitrary to talk on long lasting policies. Let’s change our temporary costs.

Assistant: How can we advertise outside of media?

Designer: (Angrily) I’m going to impose strict policies on the employees I’m warning you all. A dress code, attendance, public assemblies on important days – they should be dancing if we tell them to dance.

Producer: No. Let us have an environment friendly approach.

Katya: (Aside) My eyes are on fire… This fever… This fatigue… Ah… This pain…

Director: I propose a raise in salary for the management.

Manager: I propose a plea to the government to tax our competitors.

Assistant: How can we advertise outside of media?

Designer: The employees are no good. Get rid of them and install automatic machines?

Producer: Let’s all plant trees so that people may think we are an environment friendly initiative.

Katya holds onto his stomach, tossing and turning in his chair he seems to be struggling for sanity.

Katya: (Aside) Is this the end?

Katya’s hallucination begins. A gloomy air takes over the stage for an abrupt dream sequence.

Director: For profit, we can murder.

Manager: How many times?

Assistant: Many, many times.

Katya: No.

Designer: If our path is not clear we will stir genocide.

Katya: Why does the world fight like war dogs?

Producer: Here! Katya, take this address… The man in the grey suit…

Katya: The man in the grey suit…

Producer: Stab him in the nose with a knife.

Katya: I can’t kill someone.

Director: He must die.

Katya: Must not die…

Manager: Time has come for a bloody death!

Katya: No…

Assistant: (Handing Katya a knife) When will you do it? Don’t keep us waiting… We’ve put our trust in you.

Designer: If there is anyone it is you Katya.

Katya takes the knife. He looks hard at the knife and slits his wrist.

All the members laugh again as Katya falls on the floor bleeding.

Producer: What have you done? You pig.

Director: It’s murder!

All the members: To the morgue he shall be taken.  

Manager: Oh look, how much blood there is.

Assistant: Katya, our martyr. Last of the gods! A great man, a true corporate slave!

Katya: What have I done?

Designer: There’s no use in regretting. You’ve made us rich, Katya. Look.

Producer: You mastered this world and we will give you a funeral on the richest soil of this planet. That is your only purpose, your only absolution and your only oblivion.

Katya: (On the verge of dying) You will not get away with this.

Director: We? We were never here. We never existed. It was always you and just you.

Manager: You’re delusional. Oh you sad little man. But no more!

Assistant: All your life was lived by the wisdom of your ego. But no more!

Katya: No more?

Designer: Look at how rich we have all become. Look at what we’ve built for ourselves, a world that was once nothing but on your breath it flourished.

Producer: We are the greatest race in the universe, what more can we want? If we wanted anything else we shall snatch it. That is the scale of our power.

The members sit Katya down back in his chair.

Katya: Two countries entered war today. A hundred thousand children made homeless, killed across the world. No. Fifty years and war wages still! One billion killed. All for greed and power and riches, because of misunderstanding between people. The same people who never knew where their nationalities drew its borders and who was kin and who stranger are today enemies because someone influenced their opinion. Haven’t you lived this illusion of life to the fullest? What is to come? Death?

The members take their seats. Katya looks at blood in his hands.

Director: Who is next?

Manager: The poor.

Assistant: The poor are no good to us. They never buy anything. We need buyers. Why should the world do anything for those who cannot do anything to help the world?

Designer: They never build anything for us. Ridding the world of the poor is what is left to do, lest poverty one day damns us all to hell.

Producer: There is a reward for every useless thing…

Director: …Be it living or dead, and a bigger reward to those who can kill.

Director: What about women?

Katya: (Unknowingly speaks) Look out of your window. It’s nearing apocalypse. We have to give peace a chance. There is hope for everyone. Look out of your window, it’s nearing apocalypse. Resist them.

Manager: Optimism is a curse. No, we must exterminate the undesirable. End life. There is only one way to survive!

Assistant: Can’t you see? It’s us. In that indestructible fortress thousands of years in the future, it is us, only the powerful. Do we want a world of peace or one of war?

All Members: We will be the same.

Katya: Why must you kill today to be equals in the future?

Designer: There are too many of us. Some of us need to go back where we came from. If there is enough land for one’s own country why will we go to war, but if there isn’t enough for one’s own state, people will steal and so that they are brought to justice, we will have to trespass and bury them in their own soil.

Katya: One day the world will be full of festivity. The dead will be beneath me, I will walk through their graveyard singing hymns of reminiscence.

Producer: But we cannot celebrate today, nothing can be celebrated other than war.

Katya: There!

Director: What do you see?

Katya: A great explosion that will end us all.

Manager: Did two planets collide?

Assistant: It burns.

Suddenly a radioactive shockwave blows everything to darkness. Stage is dark.

Light.

Assistant: Katya? Katya!

Designer: Oh god! He’s not moving at all.

Producer: He is stiff as a bone.

Director: Katya, are you okay?

Katya mumbles something.

Manager: What’s he saying?

Assistant: He has quite a high fever, oh my.

Designer: But what’s he saying?

Producer: Katya… Are you okay?

Katya: Ah-Ouch!

He begins crying. Then he suddenly wakes up. His eyes are as black as tar.

Director: I think we should send him home.

Manager: I’m scared. Oh god. Is anyone else scared?

All the members nod and agree and say yes in a scattered manner.

Katya: It’s a big mistake we have made.

Assistant: What are you talking about?

Katya: It is okay, go on making mistakes. One day…

Designer: (Giving him a thorough shake) Wake up.

Katya: I…

Producer: There… He is coming to senses now.

Katya: (Tries to get away from all the members) Oh god! What am I doing here?

He continues crying and stands up in embarrassment.

Director: It is okay. You are alright. There’s no need to cry.

Pause.

Manager: (Screams at Katya) Have you lost your mind? What were you doing, scaring us all like that! What’s wrong with you?

The janitor enters in a hurry.

Assistant: Janitor! Take him out of here! Tell him to come back when he is fit.

The janitor helps Katya out of the room.

Stage is dark.

 

ACT 1

Scene 3

In an apartment building at seven o’ clock, Katya’s neighbors are packing their household goods in cardboard boxes on the edge of the hallway. A dirty green and brown carpet with stains is laid across the floor. The door to Katya’s house is locked but the bulbs inside are on. The door to the neighbor’s house is wide open and they are quarrelling while packing at its frame.

From darkness the Character from the prologue appears on the other side of the dramatic space.

Character: When Katya left for home nobody from the office offered him any help. All alone, rushing down the stairs, struggling to keep his bag on his back and his brain in his skull, he exited the office in a hurry. Dazed and tired, faces on the street appeared abnormal to him. He didn’t know what he had done to deserve this. Human beings are self aware creatures. That is what separates them from a beast but beasts can be tamed and man’s mind yearns to be free. It was with similar irony he noticed strangers staring at him. Soon he began struggling for stability too, shaking as he ran towards home. He is on his way now, I am waiting for him. I know he will be here.

Exit the Character.

Rani: Ten months have passed living in this tenement.

Vivek: Now that they have fired me we are out of here for good.

Rani: You’re not the only one getting fired. Five of my best friends have lost their jobs in the last one month. It’s a recession. When will your friend be here to help us?

Vivek: Friend? I saw him in the elevator the other day. He asked me what I had coming up in life and I told him we were moving. He offered to help and I accepted.

Rani: He looks a bit weird.

Vivek: (Looks at his watch) He said he’ll be here at seven.

Rani: Seven?

Vivek: Seven.

Rani: We have to be out of here by eight thirty. You know the landlord will be here at nine, don’t you? I don’t want to do as much as look at the landlord’s face again. You are all alike, men! (She hits him on his arm) Pass me that bowl it needs to go in here.

He passes the bowl to her from a whole mess of household goods.

Vivek: We’ll be out of here in no time, trust me. Once Katya’s here he and I will take all the boxes downstairs and put them in the car. You, lock the door and leave the key under the carpet. I’ll keep the engine running.

Rani: Alright. Did you phone your parents?

Vivek: Yes. You?

Rani: I talked to them an hour ago. I’ll call them once we are on the highway. They were saying they will have the furniture sent over. We should use it till we buy our own.

Vivek: Are you out of your mind? We can’t use their furniture!

Rani: What are you talking about? They are just trying to help. They said it is not easy losing a job.

Vivek: Well, what if I break a handle or scratch a knob?

Rani: Relax. You are overthinking everything. It’s going to be fine.

Vivek: Alright. Well this is it then.

Rani: Sure is. It’s going to be fine. Jobs aren’t permanent. I love you.

Vivek: I love you too. (Pause) Shouldn’t you go get the luggage from inside? He should be here any minute.

She exits to get the luggage.

Vivek: I was fine living in tenement when I was a bachelor but not with her. She wants everything to look like it does in the movies. You call this a house? It’s a set for a film. Look. There’s even rats in the hallway, cats on the roof, squirrels in the attic… It’s a total zoo.

Sick Katya climbs up the stairs.

Katya: It must be the morphine, must be that. What a dream! Picture the apocalypse, last man alive…

Vivek: (Catching his attention) Oh you’re here! I almost didn’t see. Why didn’t you take the elevator?

Katya: It was out of order.

Vivek: It was working fine this morning…

He calls for the elevator. It shows up.

Katya: How can this be? I know what it said… It kept saying it’s out of order. The lift operator told me to take the stairs.

Vivek: The lift operator? It’s been a week since he’s left for his village. Are you okay? You don’t look too well.

Katya: It’s nothing.

Vivek: Thanks. (He thinks) You don’t have to help us out. I mean, I can do it on my own. You look jaded. Go take some rest. It’s fine.

Rani enters.

Rani: Oh, you’re here. Let’s get started shall we, sooner the better.  

Katya: Yes, what do I have to do?

Rani: (Taking her husband away from Katya) What’s wrong with him?

Vivek: What do you mean what’s wrong?

Rani: Why does he look… like that…

Vivek: I don’t know.

Rani: Well, why is he staring at me?

Vivek: (Changing his tone) I don’t know.

Rani: Aren’t you going to say anything to him?

Vivek: What should I say?

Rani: You men are all alike. Well, say something. I’m feeling uncomfortable.

Vivek: (To Katya immediately) Do you have a wife?

Katya: No.

Vivek: A family?

Katya: (Slowly) No.

Vivek: Well, if you ever do marry make sure to keep the in-laws happy. Just take care of them.

Katya: Okay.

Vivek:  On the day of my retirement I’m going to throw a big party and invite all my friends, you should come too.

Katya: I don’t think I’ll do that…

Vivek: Oh but you must! How can you just say no like that…

Katya: Ah-Ouch!

Rani: What happened! Are you okay? Maybe you should sit down for some time. (Nudging her husband) Ask him to come in.

Katya: No, it’s alright. Thanks. My girlfriend broke up with me actually. I’m not feeling too good.

Vivek: Oh, that’s too bad. (Uncomfortably looks at his wife) Uhm, we are sorry.

Rani: (Sympathetically) Yeah.

Pause.

Rani: (Looking at her watch) We should start moving these boxes, it’s almost eight. (To her husband) Honey, hold my bag.

She moves the last box out of the frame of the door and puts a lock on the door.

Katya helps in carrying the boxes to the lift. Light fades off.

Light. Enter Katya in the hallway. His clothes have picked up grease and dirt. He unlocks his own apartment sighing and shivering. He goes straight into the bathroom and vomits. He undresses behind a curtain, weeping and bathes. Axe wakes up yawning out of darkness on the other side of the stage.

Axe: Hunger! I’m so hungry! Why am I still stuck inside this man’s body? Mustn’t I laugh it’s a weak looking man? I am so hungry I feel I could eat him up from the inside. Hmm. (To the audience) What is that you ask? How did I get stuck in here? Oh, it must’ve been the wind. I’m so tiny, you know. It picks me up and throws me wherever it pleases, this wind. I was so happy. I was at peace where I belonged. But then one morning I found myself inside him. I looked around thoroughly and it looked like a great abyss. So I started walking. I walked and I walked and I walked when suddenly I realized how big and magnificent the body of a human being really is. But what should I eat? Should I take a bite out of his organs? Hmm. So I have decided today I will feast on this man in front of you. No Axe! Don’t do it! (Laughs) Enough is enough!

Stage is dark. Light.

Katya: Ouch. What just stung me?

He immediately leaves the bathroom, goes to the bedroom and starts putting on some clothes. Axe goes after him on the stage though he is actually inside Katya’s body. He is speaking freely though all his words are resonating out of Katya’s body.

Axe: There’s a way to go all the way in. I wonder what happens if I take a bite from here.

Katya: (In bitter pain) Ouch.

Axe: Oh, yummy! What happens if I go further inside?

Katya falls down and starts tossing and turning in excruciating pain.

Axe: Oh marvelous! Look at how big this man’s insides are! It’s almost a different world. So much to eat! Hmm. Fresh and juicy… Flesh!

He starts munching on Katya’s stomach. Katya grabs his abdomen and starts screaming as loud as he can.

Axe: Okay, okay… My hunger has been satisfied now let’s look for a way out of here. Which way do I go? Uhm… Let me see. I came from here… but there’s nothing there anymore… What if I go there… Oh dear! I’m stuck! Oh Axe! Why do you get stuck in situations like that? Why can’t you just leave?

Katya: Why is my stomach making that sound?

Axe: Help! I’m in here. I want to get out. Help!

Katya: Where is this sound coming from?

He realizes it’s coming from inside his stomach.

Katya: Oh god! Help!

Axe: Help.

Both together: Help! Help!

Katya rushes to the bottle of morphine and quickly takes a pill.

Axe: What is that! It’s suddenly so… (He whistles) oh my.

The morphine makes Axe slow and drowsy. For the drug to affect Katya there is some time.

Katya: This sound… It’s definitely coming from my stomach. This has never happened before. What’s going on? What should I do?

Axe: Oh what a feeling to have. What is this?

Katya: If I can hear the sound maybe everyone can hear it. (He addresses the audience) Do you hear a sound, the sound of somebody speaking? What if there’s a demon stuck in my belly. No, please. It hurts. Please, don’t laugh at me. (He starts screaming in excruciating pain)

Katya and Axe, both start screaming for help together. Stage is dark. Axe’s ecstatic laughter is heard in the end.

 

ACT 2

Scene 1

Katya enters. He is in pain. He takes some morphine again. He’s walking as if he had just woken up. He looks at what time it is. It’s around 11 o’ clock. He had fainted. Now coming to the audience scratching himself all over, he checks his fever with a thermometer. He is experiencing extreme chills. Axe is sitting in the other corner of the dramatic space enjoying mixing fine gradients of different colors.

Katya: What a strange night it has been. Has my vision become blurry? (He squints and tries to see the periphery) I feel like I’ve been plagued. This nausea… Oh, nevermind, this existence… nevermind. What sort of a thought might this be, my own death always surrounding me with a strange blackness? A darkness which consumes monsters of deep rivers on moonless nights feasts on my flesh instead of theirs. A thought of my passing into nothingness with rose petals swimming in the ecstasy of my murderer and the great ocean of grey existence freezes around me.

Axe: It is popular talk among parasites… Are you still listening? So, the popular belief among parasites is that a human being is a marvelous thing. It always lives in codependency.

Katya: Ah-Ouch…

Axe: Stop this whining. (With disappointment) It has been days…

Katya: Days?

Axe: Yes! It’s been days and all I’ve found inside you are colors to play with. So as I was saying, the body of a human being is a magnificent thing. But what does he keep talking about? Existence? Plague? Nausea?

Katya: There’s that sound again! A sound of disapproval!

Axe: You! You can hear me, right?

Katya goes close to his stomach.

Axe: Yes, I’m in here… Don’t bend so much, you’ll break your spine and that might kill me too.

Katya: Oh god! This is crazy!

Axe: No… There’s no need to be scared. I want to get out of here too. I think you want me to get out. I can’t, I’m lost.

Katya: What do you mean lost?

Axe: I can’t find my way out of here. Everything inside you stretches till eternity. I’d sing in praise of the work that has gone into this thing called a human being, but I’ve become tired of it.

Katya: (Scared) Who are you?

Axe: Axe.

Katya: Where do you come from?

Axe: I come from a land where a river cuts the earth into seven equal portions.

Katya: What have you done?

Axe: I didn’t do anything! I was hungry… (With guilt) so I took a few bites from here and there. But it isn’t that bad. I mean, it looks a bit off, but it should be fine.

Katya: You ate my insides?

Axe: I was just so hungry. But, I don’t like it in here so you don’t have anything to worry about. Just tell me the way out and I’ll get out.

Katya: How can I?

Axe: It’s your body after all… You don’t know the design of your own body?

Katya: Let’s try… Try moving.

Axe moves a bit.

Katya: (In excruciating pain) Oh god! Ah-ouch! Don’t move! Don’t move…

Axe: The ground really shakes when you scream like that… It will help if you didn’t scream.

Katya: Don’t move… Don’t move.

Pause.

Axe: (Joyfully) You are so powerful. I was… vibrating when you screamed. You don’t even have to do anything and you are still so big and magnificent. Your body is so complex and complicated. The anatomy of a human body is a wonder for the entire universe perhaps. In a true sense are you not a god? I think for Axe, the rotten parasite, you are no less than a god to me.

Katya takes another tablet of morphine. This time he does it subconsciously.

He looks at Axe on the stage. Axe makes eye contact with him while mixing colors. There is a long tensed stagnation between their stares. The soul, ignoring the body, goes back to the colors and the playing. The morphine suddenly numbs him.

Katya: (Becomes suddenly concerned) Where did you find these colors?

Axe: Inside you.

Katya: Inside me?

Axe: Yes. Chunks of it, everywhere!

Katya: (Checks himself) Inside me? What do you mean?

Axe: Like… just now, when you swallowed that pill some more chalk like… color… just dropped in.

Katya: What are you doing the colors?

Axe: I’m making a fine palette, perhaps the finest.

Katya: Let it be. I think this too is a dream, an episode of hallucination. This is impossible. Surely I’ve become mad.

Axe: You think I am some sort of a dream. Experience this.

Axe bites him really hard.

Katya: Ah-ouch! Oh god! Ah! Oh god! This doesn’t feel right.

Axe: See what I mean? I am not a dream. I’m real. You felt me just now, you know I’m real.

Katya: I have to go see the doctor.

Axe: No!

Katya: I will surely die if I did nothing.

Axe: A doctor! I hate doctors.

Katya: I thought you wanted to get out. The doctor will help you get out.

Axe: Doctors are always finding a way to kill things which bring discomfort to human beings. What do they call it in your world? Human centric! I will die if I don’t have a vessel to contain me. A doctor shouldn’t always be after us on a mission of search and destroy, you know. Doctor’s are as much killers as gods, you know.

Katya: You’ve caused a disease in me. What did I do to deserve this? I can’t lose any more time. I have to go to a doctor right now.

Axe: Hold on, what’s your name?

Katya: I won’t tell you my name…

Axe: What am I going to do, huh?

Katya: (Accepting defeat) Katya.

Axe: My name is Axe. Listen to me, Katya. I know you are in a hurry to go to the doctor. But I want you to first understand me. I am not going to kill you. There’s a way for us to live together. Just keep talking to me. I’m only going to be here till I find a way out, isn’t that what I told you? You can take my word for it. I don’t want to hurt you needlessly. I wanted to eat, but now I don’t want to hurt you. Trust me.

Katya: I’m not going to trust the thing that’s killing me.

Axe: It’s healing. It will heal.

Katya: What do you want from me?

Axe: I want you to give me some time. I swear I’ll find a way out of here and leave you alone.

Katya: But it hurts when you move.

Axe: What worse is there to prevent than death? It won’t kill you.  

Katya: No… I have to go to the doctor now.

Katya vomits.

Axe: Okay, that doesn’t feel good. Katya, listen, you are not giving me a chance.

Katya: I can barely see. What have you done? It’s so bright I’m going to be blind.

Axe: I just wanted something to eat. I’m sorry. Your body is just so damn… complicated. Everything goes everywhere. Everything is different. Everything runs like a machine. You are a very complicated machine…

Katya: No. I have to go to a doctor.

Exit Katya

Axe: Where are you going?

Exit Axe.

Enter Character.

Character: You shouldn’t think Axe is a creature poorly drawn. He was always around. He is the same as a passenger on a journey when the journey was never supposed to take place. We often think life is going to pass without any hurdles. We begin thinking of ourselves as immortals. That is what Axe is trying to explain. Power in such a form as the human consciousness is so corruptible that a man can make the mistake of thinking he is perfect. Katya’s ego is to be blamed here. But the way the world is, there is something for everyone. What is ego? I don’t know. I don’t know if heaven and hell exist. What I do know is if heaven exists hell exists too. They cannot exist without one another. So, if man exists, his shadow too must exist. If he is aware of his ego, he must also be aware of his alter ego. There can be no action without the light.

Stage is dark.

 

ACT 2

Scene 2

The following action takes place in public. Katya is horrified of the people on the street. He looks like a puppy trying to cross a road. He keeps bumping into pedestrians and apologizing. There’s a cat under the streetlamp on a garbage can. Street artists are performing a song on the side of the road about the recession and the depression.

Street Performers:

We go,
when this silent dreaming
of the people
is full of fear of needless beating.
But, the great minds of tomorrow
where do we go today?
Sufferers -
Willful thinking is expensive,
it stops us
from committing their crimes,
but the price is too heavy to pay,
their experiments and sudden failures,
prolonged suppression and useless visions,
with what does one pay for these luxuries?
What do we have left?
We don’t have anything they want. (Laughs)
Dream a dream of today.
Undefined I, unknown,
hate and fear those
who I have exiled.
Before us lies a world divided -
a different world, an ancient one.
What surrounded it
is surrounding a deceitful shadow
that’s spread before us as if behind it
hides an unknown world.
A world, transient,
in the middle somewhere.
It’s an unachievable dream. (Laughs)

The song is met with cheers from the crowd.

Axe: There’s no need to go to the doctor!

Katya: Shut up! I can’t let you live inside me, I’m sorry. (He takes some more morphine)

He bumps into the lady in the red dress. She slaps him across the face and exits. Axe falls on the floor laughing at this situation.

Katya: I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… I am in a hurry. I’m not a bad person.

Axe: (Still laughing) A bad person?

Katya: You virus!

Axe: I’ll leave the moment I find a way out of here. What do you think? That I’m enjoying myself in here? Have you not been listening?

Katya: You should be thankful you are somewhere I cannot reach you else I would have really shown you power.

Axe: The power of your body, you mean?

Katya: What’s the difference?

Axe: What would you have done if I was a body?

Katya: What do you mean?

Axe: You only show me strength because I’m weaker than you. You daren’t speak this way to your superiors.

Katya: Damn right you’re weaker than me. You’re nothing before me.

Axe: I would have punched you and thrown you on the ground if I had a human shape. Why don’t I do it now? So, what do you say then, ready for a round?

Katya: A round of what?

Axe: Another round of experiencing pain…

Katya: (Whines) I already told you… No…

Axe: But…

Katya: Listen Axe…

Axe bites him. Katya jumps in pain.

The street artists suddenly take note of the screaming.

Katya: Ah-ouch. (Looking at people around) I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.

Axe continues laughing and the laugh slowly starts resonating from Katya’s body. Trying to stop himself from laughing, Katya crawls to the garbage can, opens it and sticks his head inside.

Katya: Axe!

Axe: What is it now?

He stands up straight. The tin can is on his head and all the garbage falls on the floor.

Katya: Look at how I can balance this on my head!

Both of them laugh. After walking some distance the street lamp hits Katya’s head and he falls on the floor.

The street artists resume their playing and exit the stage. Pause.

Katya: What’s happening to me?

Axe: That’s very bad of you Katya. Why can’t you keep a grip on yourself? Even with all your power, you’ve made a fool out of yourself in front of a parasite.

Katya: Why do you keep calling yourself a parasite?

Axe: What else am I if not a parasite? You are only dying till I’m within you.

Katya: (He looks around for help) I wish somebody would help. Somebody help. (In a weak voice) I need to get to the hospital.

Axe: Now Katya, stand up. Let’s go to the doctor. I won’t say a word. I won’t take another bite. Have the drugs stopped working?

Katya reaches for his pocket. The bottle is empty. He throws it away.

Axe: You poor thing! See, nobody will come to help you.

Katya: They detest me.

Axe: They all think you’re mad. They want your existence to seize.

Katya: Shut up! Stop playing games with me.

Katya tries to stand up, slips over the trash.

Katya: Ah-Ouch!

He faints.

Axe: Katya! I wish there was a simpler way to tell you how lowly you are. If a choice was given to me, I wouldn’t spend another day living inside you. But it is true I can’t even find a way out. It’s just us then. C’mon pick yourself up. What’s happened to him? I think he has fainted again. All that power… What’s it for, in the end? All his life he has waited for things to happen, how sad.

Katya’s stomach makes a grumbling sound.

Stage is dark.

Light.  

People pass Katya, taking note of him but at last ignoring him walk away. The noise of the traffic is too loud. When he picks himself up, gets all the garbage off his clothes and starts walking towards the doctor’s clinic Violet and Rene enter. Violet stops when she sees him.

Violet: Katya? Is that you?

Rene: It’s a homeless man.

Violet: No, it’s Katya! Katya, is it really you?

Katya: Yes.

Violet: Why are you standing here in the middle of nowhere in the dark?

Katya: I don’t know how I got here.

Rene: Oh yes, it is him. Do you need help Katya?

Violet holds onto Rene’s arm as a gesture not to initiate anything with Katya.

Katya steps forward into light.

Violet: Oh god!

Rene: Katya? What happened?

Violet: He looks like a mess.

Katya runs towards her. Naturally she feels scared.

Katya: (In a rush to grab onto her clothes) I need help. It’s after me. It’s going to kill me. I need to get it out.

Rene pulls Violet back from Katya.

Rene: Katya! What are you doing?

Katya starts sobbing into his sleeve.

Violet: This is why you were never happy. Because you are crazy!

Katya: No don’t say that. I’m…

Violet: Rene, let’s go. Its better we leave him to die.

Rene: Let’s not do anything rash out of spite. What would you do if he was a well to do stranger asking for your help? I want to help him. I think it will be immoral if I went away without offering him my help.

He goes towards Katya. Pause.

Violet: Don’t go near him. Are you out of your mind? He’s an animal. He might hurt you. Rene, No!

Axe: I wonder what will happen if I just bit him and he jumped in pain like he always does… They will definitely think he’s mad. (Joyfully) It’s so tempting! Although I don’t want to bring more suffering onto him, I’m just so curious. Here I bite him… One, two and Bite!

With the bite Katya’s body gives a jerk and his fist flies punching Rene on the cheek bone.

Katya: I didn’t mean to. It’s just. It’s after my life! Ah… (His wail becomes prominent)

Violet: Liar! A cheat! He is taking revenge. He’s behaving like this because I dumped him.

Katya: No, you don’t understand. Here, look!

He takes off his shirt.

Violet: (Hiding her eyes) What are you doing! Are you out of your mind?

Rene: No! Look! His skin… it’s decaying. How did you get these wounds, Katya?

Katya: I don’t know. It’s inside me. It’s going to kill me.

Rene: If he’s saying something is going to kill him, there must be something threatening his life. He needs to be helped urgently. Come on! Let’s take you to the hospital.

Violet: If you want to go with him, you go, I will see you tomorrow. I cannot bear the sight of him. He’s a liar and a thief! All he knows is how to fool people and cheat them. I’ll go. You have fun looking after this lunatic. He’s a chimpanzee.

She exits.

Rene offers Katya support over his shoulder. Katya joins his hands thanking Rene for what he’s doing for him. Rene takes him off the stage.

Rene: What happened to you?

Katya: I had a slight fever… so I thought maybe… I should take a bath. Something bit my ear at the time, like an insect’s bite, and then I think it’s gone inside my stomach. It’s making me very sick.

Rene: Katya, she doesn’t trust you anymore. She doesn’t love you and she’s made it very clear to me. If you are doing this to get her attention don’t try. But how could you have gotten these scars on your body?

Katya: I’m sick, you see.

Rene: Well, which doctor were you going to?

Katya: I don’t know where I was going.

Rene: I can see a sign over there.

Katya: Where?

Rene: Across the street, at a distance, the big red plus, look…

Katya: My vision is all blurry, I can’t see anything.

Rene: Since when have you had this fever?

Katya: Over ten months… I’m not sure.

Rene: Oh, that’s dangerous. You never took anything for it?

Katya: Just some painkillers and some morphine yesterday.

Rene: How much morphine did you take?

Katya: Almost half a bottle in a day.

Rene: (Shocked) That is surely an exaggeration, how are you still alive?

Katya: It wants me to suffer and to feel pain I must have life in me. That’s what it wants, that’s why it’s kept me alive, so that I can suffer. Rene. Please help me.

Rene: I am only helping you because I think you are in need.

Katya: Thank you.

Rene: I don’t help everyone. I only help those who need help.

Katya: That’s very kind of you.

Rene: Just a few more steps. The board says it’s a clinic run by one Dr. Das. Shall we go in?

Katya: Will you leave me now and go?

Rene: No, I’m here to help you.

Katya: Thank god.

Stage is dark.

 

ACT 2

Scene 3

It is almost midnight. Rene and Katya are outside Dr. Das’ clinic. The shutter is halfway down. Rene knocks on the shutter. The doctor appears on the second floor and signals them to wait. He comes downstairs, lifts the shutter, hands Rene a shawl with which he wraps Katya’s body and they go inside. The clinic has three rooms. A small reception with an emergency bed where Katya is laid to rest, a general ward where few other patients are sleeping and a minor operation theatre.

Dr. Das: What is the problem?

Rene: I found him like this on the side of the road. He has wounds all over his body. He complains he has fever since ten months and took too many painkillers. Doctor, he said, yesterday he went through almost half a bottle of morphine.

Dr. Das: He seems to be suffering from dementia as far as I can see, but I’m not sure what’s causing it. I will have to check him. If he has taken morphine, I’ll have to check him for that too. Does he have a fever right now?

Rene: Oh yes, he has a very high fever.

Dr. Das: There is no reason to worry. You have brought him here on time. If it was any later than now who knows what would have happened to him. We always have a few patients admitted under our care. He will be kept with them overnight. He is going to be okay. We will transfer him to a proper hospital first thing tomorrow morning. What’s his name?

Rene: His name is Katya.

Dr. Das: How do you know him?

Rene: He is my girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend.

Dr. Das: Let’s have him looked at.

Rene: Doctor, he was saying he can’t see anything.

Dr. Das gets up and goes to Katya with an instrument to check his eyes.

Dr. Das: Katya, can you hear me?

Katya: Yes, doctor. Please help me. I think I will die.

Dr. Das: Don’t worry Katya, I will not let anything happen to you. You are at Dr. Das’ clinic now. You will stay the night here, with me. Tell me can you see anything?

Katya: Just a very bright blurred light.

Dr. Das: (Turns to Rene) He can see the torch. I will make sure he is sent to a proper hospital first thing tomorrow morning but tonight he should be kept under observation, I insist.

Rene: Money isn’t a problem.

Dr. Das: Very good. There is an admission form on the table. Just fill the form. I’ll take him to the ward in the meanwhile. Can you sit in this wheelchair Katya?

Katya: Yes I can, doctor.

Rene gets busy in filling the form. Dr. Das pushes Katya into the ward.

Katya: (Inaudibly) Rene, where am I being taken to? 

Dr. Das: Be very quiet, don’t disturb the other patients.

Katya: Okay.

Dr. Das: C’mon then, let us check you up before we can let you go to sleep.

He is placed infront of an X-ray machine. Quickly his X-ray is taken.

Rene enters to see what’s going on.

Dr. Das: (Aggressively) The patient is undergoing inspection. Wait outside.

Rene: Oh, I’m sorry.

Rene goes back into the small room.

Dr. Das: So, Katya, since when have you had this fever?

Katya: A little while.

Dr. Das: (Sits down to develop the X-ray film) Let’s see what we have here. (He keeps talking to Katya to keep the patient busy) Your eyes are red, they must be burning up. A man’s eyes are a window into his soul. You must have heard the saying. I take it too seriously here at my clinic. Hold on. What have we here? What is that? I can see massive tissue decay inside your stomach Katya. I can see it all here.

Dr. Das gets up, watching him Katya gets up too.

Dr. Das: Go lie down on the empty bed please. I need to give you an IV immediately.

Katya lies down on the bed. Dr. Das prepares IV.

Katya: Will I get better doctor?

Dr. Das: You are a very sick man, Katya. It will take you a lot to time to get better. (Turns around and smiles at him) But you will get better. Don’t take any more of those morphine pills okay? I’m giving you some other opioids to help you with the pain.

While Dr. Das is looking for some equipment Katya moves to adjust the pillow under his head. Suddenly, he feels something hard inside the pillow. Curiosity gets the better of him and he looks inside.

Katya: What’s this? (He wonders)

There are bundles of cash inside the pillows. He gets really scared.

Katya: Am I dreaming again? No. I am fully awake. What kind of a clinic is this?

He gets out of bed and looks around paying close attention to the other patients. They don’t seem to be moving at all. He notices surgical scars over and around their abdomen. Katya understands instantly that Dr. Das is going to harvest his organs.

Katya: Is there nobody with these people?

Dr. Das: They have all gone home.

Katya: What about their family members, or friends…

Dr. Das: They are my patients, Katya. I’m enough to look after them. (He looks at Katya) Why have you stepped out of bed? Come on! Get in bed.

The doctor starts moving towards him with the IV stand. Light dims on this area of the stage. From another corner Character enters.

Character: When Katya realized that Dr. Das had been harvesting the organs of innocent people he declared to himself…

Katya: This isn’t a normal doctor! He’s a cheat. I have to get out of here now!

Character: (Continuing where he left off) For some reason unknown to me Katya’s instincts had become so sharp he could see everything in slow motion. He could feel Dr. Das moving closer to him. When he saw the way the doctor was looking at him he gave up his willingness to live, I think.

Katya: What’s in the injection?

Dr. Das: It’s a kind of medicinal heroin. It’ll help with the pain.

Character: But Katya saw the label on the bottle of drug kept on the medicine counter behind all the other bottles and that really woke him up in a way. He hadn’t seen anything so clearly in a long time. The doctor was going to knock him out. He was nervous. He had the idea of death in his mind, he didn’t want to die. Dr. Das had come too close to Katya when he shouted.

Katya: Rene!

Rene comes into the ward in a hurry.

Dr. Das: (Tells Rene aggressively) Didn’t I tell you not to come in here?

Rene: Katya, what’s going on?

Katya: This doctor is trying to knock me out and take my kidney.

Rene: Why doctor?

Katya: Look at all these other patients… He has removed their organs and kept them here as good as dead.

Dr. Das: What rubbish! He is delusional. Hold him down.

Katya: No!

Dr. Das: (Talking Rene) Hold him down if you want to see him live.

Katya: (Aggressively gets up and assaults Dr. Das) You think you can trick me?

Rene: Katya, what are you saying?

Katya: I’ll kill this monster.

Rene: Let him go doctor, he’s going to die anyway!

Katya launches himself at the doctor.

Dr. Das: (Choking) Get him off me…

Katya: Haven’t you harvested their organs? Huh? Tell me!

Rene: Katya, he’s going to die, get off him!

Katya: This man is a liar!

Dr. Das: (Choking) No…

Katya: (Letting Dr. Das’ neck but threatening him with a fist) You’re lying to me.

Dr. Das: Get off me, I’ll tell you everything. Yes… I’ve taken their organs.

Rene: What?

Dr. Das: It’s just such a recession. I needed money to live. No one ever came to my clinic.

Katya: So you decided to steal their organs from them! You pathetic fool!

Dr. Das: I’d become a doctor thinking people always fall sick so the money in medicine must be good. But the recession and the depression made people so poor they couldn’t even afford medicine. I had to do this.

Katya: I should kill this man.

He builds up tension by picking up a heavy object from the side and threatening to bash Dr. Das’ skull with it. But he weakens. He gives the doctor a long hard stare and he fails to do anything. He lets go of Dr. Das entirely in hopelessness.

Katya: (Aside) I couldn’t even kill him. A person like him deserves to die. So why couldn’t I kill him? Why did my hands fail me? I failed maybe because I’m not a killer… Everyone in this world fails one way or another and everyone has potential to become a killer. But it is not the trait of a killer to hesitate. Axe won’t hesitate to kill me.

He pushes Rene away and runs out.

Dr. Das: Come at me, coward! I dare you.

Stage is dark on this side of the stage.

Character appears in light.

Character: When Katya was running, all he could hear were the voices of those patients of Dr. Das who had their organs taken from them. He kept looking back to make sure money that he found in the pillow wasn’t falling out of his pockets one note after another. Katya is a man with a strong conscience. He finally stopped under a tree and told himself repeatedly there was no money. He knew he had lost his mind completely in a game which is played by everybody who possesses money, a game called life. He felt he had nothing left to put at stake. He had never wanted to be this man. He felt like he was being cheated by someone out of an equal opportunity to happiness. I know doubt had consumed him fully. He has taken his life into his own hands, but he has also lost it immediately to deceit. After all an ailment afflicted on him by himself was to be the end of him.

 

ACT 3

Scene 1

Light. The sound of a river. Enter all board members, exploring.

Director: The insurance company will not believe me but you have to make them believe that my daughter drowned in this very river. It’s all messy business, mind you.

Enter Character.

Character: Axe has driven a sane man insane. He has caused him pain and driven him to addiction. Now, whenever you see the sick man he is intoxicated. He has made Katya very sick. A creature like Axe cannot live on his own and Katya knows this well. He needs something to stay alive, something to feed off of. He knows no other way of life than to be dependent. Katya has picked this up craftily. After having begged him to leave his body, when the parasite refused to go, Katya tried negotiating with him, hoping Axe’s weaknesses could be used against him. For Katya life was always nothing but a conversation between a dying man and the thing that is killing him. There is hope even in the darkest of times.
All Axe can do on his own is receive and luckily Katya is a giver. But that made the parasite empathetic and for the soul to be happy the body began to sacrifice. That which had given them identity (Taking the red cloth in his hand) will watch their unwinding also. Their sins are about to be washed. The river is holy, as holy is the cloth. But so is the nature of existence. After all, man is immortal if he is chaste and mortal if he is full of desires. It is not the fault of man if he hoards things since that might very well be the nature of man. When Axe was born I had to decide how a creature like him could ever exist and appear before the naked eye. It is a coincidence he came to make a home within Katya. Some might say such a creature is unnecessary but no… he is not. (Pause) You haven’t seen much of him or heard much by him but he is the same everywhere he goes. Know well like Katya, that Axe is as important as consciousness and everything else we cannot see, but, know of its existence. In our world every single molecule has purpose. The color Axe had found inside Katya he put where there were wounds and filled the void that was giving him displeasure. Though death approached him, he knew he was not the most important thing on the planet. He knew that everything contributes to a perfect balance, a balance which exists for Axe but doesn’t exist for Katya. What else do we desire if not a perfect balance? Katya will soon have to accept that death had always been his fiercest enemy and he was in love with it all his life. He was wrong to have thought of it so dearly. It is useless for me to add to the philosophy of a purposeful existence of man, for I think there might not be any, but the source from which man is born, the color he sees and that which gives him identity are all different things. How ironical, that man is purposeless and things which surround him have immense purpose. Man’s ego eventually will corrupt him and he will eventually wither. Which truth may I challenge tomorrow if I live to see another light? I have to say (Takes out the bar of soap), even if a cleaning agent was put to work in a filthy world, though the soap may dissolve and disappear, it will not clean any filth. But this cloth will remain, flowing on the river, willing to embrace filth coming its way.

The Character wraps the soap in the red cloth and flings it into the river.

Character: A great battle approaches, one that will start a war. May war and peace give purpose to him who finds the cloth, may he use it well. May war remind us of who we can become and peace gives us time to reflect. Here the story of Katya and Axe will end.

Light rises on the board members from Katya’s office. One of them notices the cloth. He is immediately fascinated by it. He is absolutely charmed by it and goes to fetch it. He comes back drenched and holds the cloth up for everyone to see. He makes a show out of it.

Director: Oh what was the need for all that?

Manager: There was something about this piece of cloth which attracted me.

Assistant: What’s so special about it? Let us see.

Designer: Yes, yes show it to all of us.

Producer: I think it possesses magic.

Director: There isn’t a thing as magic.

Manager: Then why did I want to fetch it as soon as I seen it?

Assistant: How wonderful! He goes and fetches it like a dog!

They all laugh.

Designer: (Takes the cloth in his hand) How much do you think it is worth? Looks to be old and precious… I’ve never quite come across a texture like this. See for yourselves.

Producer: (Takes the cloth from him) Oh yes! It’s certainly a special kind of texture. We should take it to the factory and have it examined. Maybe it’s special who knows. Maybe it can be replicated. It is good for business.

Director: Should we really spend our time in textiles now?

Manager: No! It’s not worth our time. Just throw it away.

He tries to get a hold of the cloth. He’s made to chase after it.

Assistant: Let it be. What are you doing?

Designer: You haven’t the eye for business. It is what we need. It will make beautiful clothes.

Producer: I say we give it a shot. Let’s atleast have it examined. It won’t bring us any harm.

Director: Taking risks is what business is all about.

He looks at others for approval. They finally nod and approve.

Manager: Do you know what this means? We are expanding! C’mon you’ve got to have that eye for business.

Character: (Intervenes) This piece of cloth cannot be replicated.

Assistant: Why can it not be replicated? We are the best businessmen around. We can turn anything into gold.

Designer: Yes, yes.

Character: On its own the cloth is meaningless.

Producer: What foolishness. Clothes are worn and naturally we need clothing.

Director: Yes, yes. If the need arises we can develop business around it, but fabric is good for a start.

Character: But don’t you see? Clothes you wear get dirty. It is not the cloth which picks up dirt it is the atmosphere which is filthy.

Manager: (Ignoring the Character) What nonsense!

Character: You implode on yourself just as I had imagined.

Assistant: Let us go from here.

Designer: Very well.

Producer: Let us go then!

They exit.

Character: Human consciousness will cause the end of human beings. Their species has conquered the world but they have stooped too low.

Exit Character.

Dark.

Light. The red cloth is going round a loom at a large scale. The members are seen inspecting the production process. They nod in agreement to one another and then walk together out of the dramatic space. With the ringing of the siren the workers of the factory are heard breaking for the day. The janitor enters sweeping the floor. He takes the broom to the gate of the factory, opens the gate and sweeps the dirt outside. He takes note of a man resting against the wall.

Janitor: Hey you! You, out there! You have got to go from here.

There is no reply from the other side.

Janitor: I said you have to go. They’ll take you away and beat you if you stayed.

Again there is no reply from the other side. The janitor goes near the man.

Janitor: Katya! Katya? Is that you?

Katya mumbles inaudibly.

Janitor: Oh my god, Katya! What has happened to you? Where have you been? We’ve been searching all over the place for you.

He tries to move Katya thinking he can be brought to his feet but on doing so he finds the needle sticking in his arm.

Janitor: What have you done? Come back to life! Say something.

He looks around for help. On feeling helpless the Janitor exits.

Katya’s dream.

Enter Axe.

Katya: The world has been wrecked, what’s the need for me to keep on living?

Axe: Well, don’t say that. I’m trying to find a way out just like I had promised you I would.

Katya: Why should you? You’ve got everything you need. Only my death will bring me relief. It needs to come knocking at my door now.

Axe: But I will not kill you. I’m making you sick, yes. But I will not cause the death of you.

Katya: Lies!

Axe: What should I do to make you believe me?

Katya: Help me kill myself.

Axe: If only I knew what I wanted you to believe I’d say anything…

Katya: It’s the only thing you want…

Axe: No. You’re not giving me time to think about what I want…

Katya: There’s no other way. You’ve only ever wanted me to be convinced you wanted the best for me. You always told me you were looking for a way out, but look, you have killed me nearly.

Axe: You are obsessed with death.

Katya: I should be obsessed with death! It is because of you that I’m at the edge of it.

Axe: Committing suicide will cost you your life, not mine.  

Katya: I don’t have it in me to kill myself. (Pause) I don’t have to do anything, yes, other than to let you keep on living inside me… eating me on the inside. I don’t have to do anything. I’ll die soon anyway. I have the drugs to numb me, I need them.

Axe: Let the suffering persist till it passes… I used to think you are a magnificent machine but you are just pathetic. You have, what seems to be the most powerful and complex anatomy in the world and this is how you have used it to your advantage? You’re really going to blame me for everything? How pathetic!

Katya: What’s left for me to do?

Axe: (Thinks deeply) I’ve ruined your life haven’t I? Then just kill yourself, if you want to do it. That’ll be the end of me too. So do it. I’ve failed the both of us by not finding a way out.

Katya: I was a nobody and I am dying a nobody. This world is to be blamed, not the thing within me.

Axe: You cannot say that. It’s all you ever thought about. Death, failure…

Katya: It’s too late.

Axe: Why do you talk about me like I’m some disgusting creature?

Pause. Katya and Axe both laugh. Pause.

Axe: If I asked you to differentiate between him who is powerful and he who is powerless, would you say you were powerless and I was powerful?

Katya: It’s an unpleasant feeling thinking about it.

Axe: It is unpleasant because you are incapable of killing yourself. Suicide takes courage. It is not an act of foolishness.

Katya: Why? It will come naturally to me, will it not? I’ve suffered enough.

Axe: No, think about it for a second. If you kill yourself you won’t feel any more pain, the problem is that you won’t do it if you are proud of your body. You don’t want to give it up. You will rather suffer? Only because I’m nothing in front you… so you will not give up so easily, isn’t it? You still think there is a way to get better. There might be. But the ball is in your court. Your health is bound to worsen if I’m still a part of you. You can kill yourself and the pain won’t bother you anymore. It’s sad to know you inside out Katya. You are nothing. You were always nothing.

Katya: (Weakly) The unspoken word has a unique ability.

Axe: Unspoken word? Where is the space for the unspoken word? Everything I say has been resonating out of your stomach since I entered your body like it was the declaration of national independence. If there is anything left unspoken it’s your thoughts, not mine! Everything about you has come to a standstill. A life as vast as the human life cannot be split into two halves. It’s not just yours and mine with you, is it?

Katya: (Interrupts) But your life can be split in two? For you it can be yours and mine? For you it’s the host and the parasite! For you it’s Katya and Axe. For me it was my house, my job, the woman I loved… for me everything was at stake.

Axe: Sickness and disease was all you ever thought about.

Katya: No it wasn’t all…

Axe: But you always kept on living thinking you could either be happy or you could be sad, either wear blue or wear black, either be in love or not be in love.

Katya: That was the mistake I made all along. I know now that the problem with two opposites is the optimism for a co-existence of the two when there is in reality nothingness.  

Axe: It’s good you could accept you were wrong. As the pain increased you began drugging yourself. You have been blacked out during most of those outbursts of euphoria.

Katya: It was the isolation that made me do it. It gave me relief from pain, made the anxiety go away. It made everything slow down and in those moments of falling in and out of consciousness I could experience a dream like state.

Axe: You shouldn’t abuse what gives you escape.

Katya: I never got any real escape.

Axe: Maybe you could have found help but you were skeptical about people. You never wanted to go to them for anything. You always ran away. You thought they were only going to exploit you, extort you, harass you and enslave you.

Katya: If you were a human being you’d know why I was so pessimistic about them. It takes more than just the body to deserve to be called a human being.

Axe: Katya? Can I ask you something?

Katya: What’s left to ask?

Axe: Even after becoming the scum of the earth you think you have left a mark of righteousness?

Katya: I think the human condition is beyond righteousness.

Axe: Maybe death will be a peaceful sleep for you then?

Katya: This tells me you are sure you will kill me.

Axe: No… I’m sure death is a peaceful sleep. I will still try to find my way out of your body. Maybe then you can be better.

Katya: I’m sick of hearing your voice. (To the audience) Aren’t you sick of hearing this creature speak?

Axe: My voice? What’s left of my voice? It wasn’t my decision to suddenly start speaking in the manner human beings speak. I never even had a voice. It was when I got lost within you that I started speaking like you. You were a vessel inside which my voice echoed. Since then my voice has been retaliation to yours. What’s original about my thoughts? My thoughts are reactionary.

Dark.

 

ACT 3

Scene 2

Vivek and Rani who were Katya’s neighbors enter. They are carrying a bag full of bread. Katya is asleep because of the drugs on the side of a road near a trash bin.

Vivek: So then what happened?

Rani: So I made it clear to him that we belong to a family of villagers. So it is difficult for us to believe in things like magic.

Vivek: What can we do, we are usually afraid of magicians.

Rani: That’s what I told him! And he called me superstitious. He said I don’t understand philosophy.

Vivek: Did he say anything about me?

Rani: What about you?

Vivek: About my job…

Rani: Oh yes, he said he was sad to hear you are jobless.

Vivek: Did he say he could get me a job?

Rani: He said now you will get a job as an infantryman in the time of war. He said he could see the whole thing.

Vivek: That’s not very nice of him. I wouldn’t come out of the war alive. I would never make a good soldier.

Rani: We are not going to war.

Vivek: I cannot imagine.

Rani: Maybe I can ask my father.

Vivek: No. We cannot ask him.

Rani: Don’t worry. Everyone is out of job. Something will happen very soon.

Vivek: I’m not very hopeful.

Rani: What do you feel like doing?

Vivek: I feel like I could write in the paper.

Rani: That’s good. You’ve always wanted to write.

Vivek: Hurry up now, let’s get the rest of the things from the store and drive right back home.

They look at Katya. They are unable to recognize him.

Vivek: Just walk around him. Ugh. Don’t look at him. How disgusting.

Rani: What’s he done to you?

Vivek: It’s because of people like him we have to pay the price.

Rani: It’s just a homeless man. There are plenty of them out there. If you didn’t have my help you’d be on your way to being just like him.

Vivek: Yeah, I don’t deny that. But there is a difference between me and him. He has given up on life. I’d never give up. I know exactly how he ended up here. It’s a lot of bad decisions, falling out of family, professional failures, failure of the state and abandonment of religion that’s landed him here like this. Men have very little to lose still their defeat is the heaviest.

Rani: Do you despise the homeless? Aren’t they the victims?

Vivek: Maybe he was a happy man once, maybe.

Rani: Maybe something terrible happened to him.

Vivek: The most terrible thing that happened to him is that he took birth.

Rani: I am going to leave a loaf of bread for him.

Vivek: No, don’t go near him!

Rani: Why’s that?

Vivek: He will think it is easy to earn a loaf of bread.

Rani: So, do we just leave him here like this? Is this what our world has come to? We walk past dozens just like him who are in dire need of food, shelter and water still we don’t feel any guilt? I don’t believe in such a world. I don’t want to live in such a world.

Vivek: Why don’t you spend your fortune feeding the poor then? Why has your conscience spoken only now?

Rani: The powerful few who never cared for those in need are cruel. I admit. When the state collapsed entirely on the shoulders of the common people, we should have taken side with the poorest because they were a majority. We made the mistake of thinking we could crush them under our feet. Today they have revolted against the order by giving up on the old world order and as a result of it we are on the fringe of anarchy. It is a lawless world.

Katya: (Mumbles) Can I have something to eat?

Vivek: Listen, I think he has heard your voice. He thinks you are here to help him. Let’s go, there are too many like him. They will circle around you in no time.

Rani: We cannot leave just like that.

Vivek: If I started to beg tomorrow because I am out of a job and became like him would you come to help me? No. You will be thoroughly disappointed in me and feel the same disgust for me which I feel for him today.

Rani: Why are you disgusted by him?

Vivek: …Because of the brotherhood of mankind.

Rani: Do you consider him a member of this brotherhood?

Vivek: Maybe he once was, now he is the weak link in it. We cannot keep progressing towards peace if we have men like him on our side. We are disgraced because of people like them.

Rani: You’re such a coward Vivek… I’m going to give him the bread and that is all.

She goes near him and Katya suddenly stands up. Fearing he might launch himself at his wife Vivek reacts violently. But Rani stops him.

Rani: (Handing out the bread with kindness) Here, eat this.

Katya raises his hand a bit but he is unable to reach for the loaf of bread. Rani places it in his hand. She gets a good look at his face.

Rani: He’s drooling all over himself. He’s on drugs.

Rani goes back to Vivek, holds his hand tightly and pulls him away from the stranger.

Pause.

Katya: (Barely audible) Axe? Did you see that? They were happy. I could tell. Yes, it was happiness. Axe? Look, we can eat now. They left us some… some bread. I’m hungry Axe. Come, let’s eat. I don’t blame you…

Stage is dark.

 

THE END