Hate in the time of Malaria – A Play
By: Balu George
Interior – Mr Mathew’s house – Bangalore – Evening.
The T.V is playing on mute. A cricket match is going on. A scrawny boy wearing spectacles is seated in front of the T.V. He is Arun, Mr Mathew’s Son. He studies in the 12th standard. His only ambition in life is to be a sports commentator. He is presently commentating on the proceedings on the T.V
Arun
That is a fine cover drive by Virat Kohli. He seems to be continuing in the same vein he left off in the just concluded test series. Now Ravi (Ravi Shastri, another commentator popular on T.V), do you think Virat will break Sachin’s records? (Pauses). Yes that is true, if he concentrates on the game he will. Thanks for the insight Ravi.
A woman walks into the room. She is in her 50’s, looks haggard and is wearing a sari. She is holding her palms against her cheeks and seems to be in pain. Maybe a toothache. This is Mary, Mr Mathew’s wife. She notices her son doing commentary.
Mary
(Angrily)
Will you stop this nonsense Arun? Go to your room and study.
Mary marches to the T.V and switches it off. Arun looks disappointed and trudges away into his room.
Interior – Arun’s room – Evening
There are two posters of Harsha Bhogle (A famous T.V commentator) on the wall. One is, when he was bald and one after he had his hair transplant done. Arun looks at the poster and gesticulates.
Arun
One day I am going to be better than you Harsha.
Mary walks into the room.
Mary
I have a terrible toothache Arun.
Arun
So go to the dentist Mom.
Mary
Will your father give money to go visit the dentist?
Arun
Well try your luck Mom.
Mary nods and walks out of the room.
Interior – Out of the box advertising- Bangalore – Evening.
Mr Sharma the CEO of the firm is addressing his employees in the small conference room. He is the owner of the firm which has about 5 to 6 employees. It is a small establishment. He is wearing a shirt tucked into his pants and has his sleeves rolled up. There are 2 girls and 3 boys in their mid 20’s in the room. All of them are listening with rapt attention to what Mr Sharma is saying, except one boy who looks bored. This is Rahul. He wears a black t-shirt with Led Zeppelin embossed on it, paired with blue denims. All his T-shirts have the name of rock and metal bands embossed on them. His head is shaved completely, sports a goatee as well as an earring on his left ear. He is very fat.
Mr Sharma.
Why are not any ideas flowing from your head guys? How many you tube videos of Korean commercials will you watch? We need original out of box ideas. (Pauses). Recently I was reading this book called “The power of the sub conscious mind”. That is where the ideas come from. So stop watching all these you tube videos and start using your brains. Now that will be all. Back to work.
Everybody trudges out. Rahul goes to the washroom, enters the toilet and closes the door. He sits down on the commode and rolls a joint. He takes a few puffs.His eyes turn glazy.
After some time we see him exiting the washroom and going back to his cubicle. He lays his head on the desk and goes to sleep.
Interior – Mr Mathew’s House – Bangalore – Same evening.
The house is a single storied house and has a faded appearance about it. Mr Mathew dressed in factory uniform, holding a tiffin box rings the doorbell. He is balding and his paunch shows over his shirt. He is a miser. Mary opens the door. Mathew walks into the living room and sits on the couch.
Mary
I have a terrible tooth ache. I need to visit the dentist tomorrow.
Mathew considers this for a moment.
Mathew
Use a thread.Hook it around your teeth and pull it out. Dentist costs too much.
Mary
Go to hell man. It might get infected.
Mathew
Well I am not paying. The thread trick works fine for me. It should for you too.
Mary
My parents paid you dowry to take care of me.
Mathew
Well it has run out.
Mary
Go and rot in hell man.
Mathew remains impassive and grabs a newspaper from the table. The doorbell rings. Mathew opens the door to find Mr Murthy his neighbour at the door. He is some kind of government official.
He is holding a box of sweets in his hand.
Mathew
What is with the sweets Murthy?
Murthy
(Grinning)
I got divorced.
Mathew
Any alimony?
Murthy
No she said she would prefer to die rather than take money from me. Anyway she is in love with the gardener and they are going to Nepal. She says the gardener will take care of her like a queen.
Mathew
No alimony! Great. Let me have the sweets.
Interior – Out of the Box – Same evening.
Rahul is still asleep at his table. The others are sitting and watching Korean commercials on you tube. Mr Sharma walks out from his office into the hall where the employees are seated. He notices Rahul sleeping.
Mr Sharma
(Shouting)
What the hell are you doing?
Rahul wakes up and looks up at Mr Sharma. His eyes still have the glazy look about them.
Mr Sharma
Why are you sleeping?
Rahul
I was not sleeping Sir. I was thinking. Freud says that sleeping helps the sub conscious mind to work and throw up ideas.
Mr Sharma considers this statement for a moment.
Mr Sharma
Brilliant Rahul. That is what I want. Ideas!
He turns to the other employees.
Mr Sharma
Now what are you guys doing, still watching Korean commercials. Go to sleep. Let the sub conscious mind work its miracles. I am also going to sleep. Brilliant idea young man.
Rahul grins sheepishly and goes back to sleep.
Exterior – Mr Mathew’s house- Bangalore – Same evening.
Rahul gets off an auto in front of the house. He is a lodger in the room on the terrace of Mathew’s house. He unlocks the gate and walks in. He is climbing up a rickety ladder placed against the wall, up to the terrace when somebody calls out from below him.
Amrita
Hey Rahul!
Rahul looks at Amrita and smiles sweetly. He is in love with her. Amrita is Mathew’s daughter. She is quite the looker. She is doing her journalism course from a reputed college and is quite the activist. She is wearing a white T- shirt paired with blue denims and a black armband.
Rahul
What is up Amrita?
Amrita
Oh I was at a protest march.
Rahul
Protest against what?
Amrita
The sexual impotence of Indian men and their inept performance in bed. There was quite a crowd, about 20,000 women. Anyway, see you. Goodnight.
Rahul
Goodnight.
Interior – Mathew’s House – Bangalore – Same night.
Amrita walks into the living room and throws her bag down on the couch. Mary walks in.
Mary
What were you doing so late in the evening?
Amrita
I was at a protest march against the sexual impotence of Indian men.
Mary
Was there a candlelight vigil or a flash mob?
Amrita
Oh Mom. You are so out of date. Candle light vigils are held when tragedy strikes. And flash mobs are so passé’, so 2014. You are so stupid.
Interior – Mathew’s house – Night.
The family is seated at the dining table having dinner. Mary serves chicken curry into Amrita’s plate. Amrita looks up.
Amrita
I am thinking of giving up Non- Veg food. Animals also have feelings.
Mathew.
That is a good idea. We should all become vegetarian. The price of chicken and fish are soaring.
Amrita
That is not the reason I am giving up meat old man. It is because animals too have feelings.
Mathew
Yes that is a good reason to.
Amrita
(Rolling her eyes)
Whatever!
Interior – Mathew’s house – Same night.
Mary is squatting at mosquitos with the mosquito bat. Arun is watching her.
Arun
And Mrs. Mary Federer gets the mosquito with a fine forehand smash. She is going great guns. She might win this grand slam.
Mary
Shut up Arun!
Exterior – Mathew’s Terrace- Saturday Afternoon.
Rahul is seated on a foldable armchair on the terrace reading “Fear and loathing in Las Vegas”. Amrita comes up the terrace holding a basket of clothes, to place on the clothes line strung on the terrace. Amrita smiles at Rahul who smiles back and then watches her going about her job.
Amrita
What are you reading?
Rahul
Fear and loathing in Las Vegas.
Amrita
Yeah I have read that. You should try serious stuff. I am now devouring Noam Chomsky and Arundhati Roy’s essays. What do you think of Trump?
Rahul
He is the new president right.
Amrita
Right. What do you think about him?
Rahul smiles sweetly at Amrita.
Amrita
Anyway. There is just so much intolerance and bigotry in the world these days. We must do something about it.
Rahul
We must.
Amrita
We are having a debate at our cultural club today?
Rahul
What about?
Amrita
Demonetisation and its impact on female sexuality.
Rahul
Great.
Amrita
Anyways. See you. Bye.
Rahul gets up and walks into his room. He seats himself on the mattress laid out on the floor and opens his laptop. The background picture is one of Amrita laying out clothes on the terrace which he had taken on his mobile another day. He rolls a joint, opens the media player and plays Led zeppelin. He kisses Amrita’s photo on the laptop and puffs away, slowly drifting away into sleep.
Exterior – Playground – Bangalore – Saturday evening.
Some boys are playing cricket on the ground. Arun is seated on a bench practicing his commentary on the ongoing cricket match. Once the match is over, the players walk towards Arun. One of the boy’s approaches Arun.
Boy
Hey Man. Can I have your mobile? I need to take a selfie to post on my Instagram account.
Arun
I don’t have a mobile.
Boy
You don’t have a mobile?
Arun
No man.
Boy
That is bad man.
Arun
How much does one cost?
Boy
A decent one costs about 8000.
Arun
My dad is never going to give me the money.
Boy
Tough luck man.
Arun
Yeah.
Interior – Mathew’s house – Saturday evening.
Mathew is sitting on the couch reading the paper. Mary comes into the room wearing a sari.
Mary
I am going out. I will be back in an hour’s time.
Mathew
Ok.
Interior – Phone Booth- Saturday evening.
Mary dials a number and waits for the phone to be picked up. The person on the other side picks up the phone.
Mary
Soman. Is that you?
Soman is her college sweetheart. He is a struggling writer.
Soman
Oh Mary. I miss you.
Mary
I miss you too. How are you? How is your writing coming on?
Soman
I have just finished a new novel called “Hate in the time of Malaria”.
Mary
What is it about?
Soman
It is about how when our nation needs to address serious issues like malaria, there are still communal riots.
Mary
Has anybody accepted it for publication?
Soman
I sent it out to a few publishing houses. But they all say there must be a college romance angle. I am rewriting it to include that angle.
Mary
What happened to the spiritual essay you wrote?
Soman
That also got rejected. The publishers wanted a college romance angle in it.
Mary
Why do you write such serious stuff? I read this great book by a young author. It was called “Yes she was my girlfriend’s Mother”. Superb.
Soman
I miss you Mary. When I smell jasmine I am reminded of your swan like neck. Do you remember my love bites Mary?
Mary
Yes Soman. Whenever a mosquito bites me I am reminded of you. But however now there is chikungunya and dengue, so I have bought a mosquito bat.
Soman
Yes. One must take care of oneself.
Mary
I have an idea Soman.My neighbour ran off with her gardener to Nepal. Let us also run away together.
Soman
But I have no money.
Mary
That is all right Soman. I have been flinching money from my husband’s purse for the past 30 years. Sometimes a 10 Rs. note, sometimes a 100, sometimes a 500. I have saved it all up knowing that one day we must elope. Do you remember the handcrafted miniature box you gifted me with those secret panels so I could hide your love letters. Recently I went to a bank and got all the notes exchanged for 2000 notes and have hidden it in the box. We must run away soon Soman. Where are you staying now?
Soman
I am living in the Bombay railway station dear, doing research for my next novel.
Mary
Take care dear. I will call you soon with the plans. I must go to Kerala to see my parents once before I elope with you to Nepal.
Soman
All right Mary. Take care.
Interior – Mathew’s House – Same Saturday evening.
The doorbell rings. Mathew opens the door to find Murthy with a box of sweets in his hands.
Mathew
What is the joyous occasion?
Murthy
I got fired from my job today.
Mathew
Why?
Murthy
For bribes.
Mathew
Was it the C.B.I or the income tax officials?
Murthy
No it was my own department head. They found out I had been undercutting on sharing my bribes with them.
Mathew
Oh!
Murthy
I have my stash hidden away. I can retire. You want to come and have a drink with me on the terrace?
Mathew
Ok.
Exterior – Murthy’s terrace- Saturday evening.
Murthy and Mathew are seated on chairs having drinks.
Murthy
This has been a lucky year for me. First getting divorced. Then getting fired from my job.
Mathew
You are a lucky man Murthy.
Amrita is dropped in front of her house by a guy on a bike. Murthy notices this.
Murthy
Are you not worried about her dating these guys? She might elope with one of them.
Mathew
No I encourage it Murthy. If she elopes it means I don’t have to pay any dowry.
Murthy looks at Mathew admiringly.
Murthy
You are a brilliant man Mathew.
Mathew
I am. Now I must leave. I have to collect rent from my tenant.
Murthy
Ok.
Exterior – Mathew’s terrace – Saturday evening.
Mathew knocks on Rahul’s door. Rahul opens the door.
Rahul
Hi Mr Mathew.
Mathew peers into the room and notices Amrita’s picture on Rahul’s laptop which lies open.
Mathew
You have not paid the rent.
Rahul
I will transfer it to your account tomorrow Sir.
Mathew
Ok. Are you in love with my daughter?
Rahul
Oh No sir.
Mathew
No it is all right. You can marry her. But no dowry.
Rahul grins.
Rahul
Ok Sir.
Interior – Out of the Box advertising – Bangalore – Morning.
All the employees including Rahul are sleeping on their desks. Mr Sharma walks into the hall with a girl. She is the new employee, Shweta. She is quite pretty.
Mr Sharma
(Clapping his hands)
Now everybody wake up.
Everybody wakes up.
Mr Sharma
Now I would like to introduce you all to our new employee Shweta. Rahul please introduce her to everybody. Please go back to sleep after that and work on your sub conscious mind
Rahul eyes Shweta. He seems to have taken a liking to her.
Interior – Out of Box Advertising – Afternoon.
Rahul wakes up from his sleep. He looks around to see that all others including Shweta are sleeping. He seems bored. He browses the internet and goes through the movie listings. He gets up, yawns and walks into Mr Sharma’s office. Mr Sharma is asleep on the couch.
Rahul
(Loudly)
Sir!
Sharma springs up from the couch.
Mr Sharma
What Rahul?
Rahul
Mr Freud once said that walking help to activate the unconscious mind within the sub conscious mind. I was thinking of taking the day off and taking a walk around Bangalore.
Mr Sharma
I must admit I was a bit sceptical about the sleeping idea. But I think it is working. I got this great line yesterday. “This is the right choice baby, Aha, Aha”. But I am not sure whether I have heard it before. Have you heard it before Rahul?
Rahul
No Sir. It is completely original.
Mr Sharma
Great! We can use it for our cement manufacturing client. Brilliant! Go take the day off and have a walk. You can sleep at work tomorrow.
Rahul
Thank You Sir.
Interior – Cinema Multiplex – Bangalore – Same evening.
We watch Rahul buy a ticket and enter the theatre. He slips into the washroom, gets into the toilet sits on the commode and rolls a joint. He draws on it slowly. His eyes get glazed.
Rahul enters the movie hall and takes a seat. Beside him two men, well dressed and middle aged are talking.
First Man
The Infosys shares are falling. I think they should sort out their internal issues.
The second man nods. Two college girls seated on the other side of Rahul are also talking.
Girl – 1
I was just watching the rerun of the rerun of “How I met your Mother”. Barney is still funny.
The second girl giggles. Rahul slowly drifts into sleep.
The commercials come on. Soon the national anthem starts to play. Everybody stands up except Rahul who is fast asleep. The Men next to Rahul notices this. Their faces contort in anger. The girls also watch Rahul sleeping.
Man -1
(Loudly)
Traitor! We have a traitor in the house.
Rahul is still asleep. The crowd rushes towards the row where Rahul is seated. Everybody including the girls start beating up Rahul with shouts of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”.
Exterior – Mathew’s house – Night.
Rahul gets of an auto, heavily bandaged, wincing and moaning as he opens the gate. Amrita who is sitting on the porch sees Rahul and rushes towards him.
Amrita
What happened Rahul?
Rahul
They beat me up for not standing up for the national anthem.
Amrita looks shocked.
Amrita
How dare they? What has the country come to? Which movie? Which theatre?
Rahul
It was some Oscar nominated movie. The crowd was thin.
Amrita
Thank God. If it was Salman Khan’s Dabaang -3 you would have been dead. We have to do something about this. Now go up and get some rest. I have to get quickly into action.
Rahul looks at the ladder and moans.
Rahul
Why could your father not build a staircase?
Amrita
Well he says why there is a need for that, when a ladder will do. He is a bloody miser.
Rahul nods and gingerly goes up the ladder.
Interior – Rahul’s room – Same night.
Rahul is resting on the mattress when there is a knock on the door. He gets up and opens the door. Amrita stands at the door looking excited.
Amrita
We are organising a protest march tomorrow against what they have done to you. I have put it up on Facebook. There will be quite a crowd. You will be our star attraction. I am so excited.
Amrita leans towards Rahul and kisses him on the cheek. Rahul grins stupidly.
Amrita
You are a brave man for standing up to the hooligans. I never knew you had such a side to you.
Rahul keeps on grinning stupidly.
Amrita
All right. Goodnight. Take care. Be ready tomorrow evening.
Rahul
Goodnight.
Exterior – Some kind of park – Next Evening – Bangalore.
Rahul is seated on a chair. He is heavily bandaged. There is a crowd of 5 standing facing him. Among them is the boy we saw drop Amrita off in front of her house. Rahul watches them talking to each other. Another boy walks in and the two boys kiss each other on the lips. Rahul heaves a sigh of relief. Amrita walks to Rahul with the boy she was talking to.
Amrita
Hey Rahul. This is Varun. He is my classmate.
Varun
You are a brave man Rahul.
Rahul grins sheepishly.
Amrita
I was expecting more people.
Varun
Maybe people will start coming in soon. Let us start.
Amrita goes up to the mike placed near Rahul’s chair and gives a fiery speech about the growing intolerance in the country. We hear the closing line only.
Amrita
Am I supposed to show my patriotism in a place where people watch movies and eat popcorn?
The five member crowd applause wildly.
Interior – Phone booth – Bangalore – Next Evening.
Mary dials the phone and waits for Soman to pick up the phone. He soon picks up.
Mary
Soman! How are you?
Soman
Good Mary. How are you?
Mary
I have decided I am coming to Bombay soon.
Soman
Are you serious?
Mary
Yes. We must run away to Nepal. We will make love all day and night. It has been 15 years since I made love. I miss your love bites Soman.
Soman
Ok come over.
Mary
First I must visit Kerala and see my parents. I am going tomorrow. I will be back in 2 days.
Soman
Ok Mary. Goodnight.
Mary
Good night.
Interior – Mathew’s house – Evening
Mary is squatting at the mosquitoes with the mosquito bat. Arun stand silently by the window.
Arun
Mom, I need to buy a mobile phone.
Mary
How much does it cost?
Arun
A decent one costs Rs. 8000.
Mary
That bugger will never give you the money.
Arun
What should I do?
Mary considers the question for a moment. Then smiles.
Mary
Outfox him. Steal something from the house, maybe his old transistor and get the money. That should teach him a lesson.
Arun nods.
Exterior – Mathews Terrace – Evening.
Amrita goes up the ladder with a basket of clothes. Rahul watches her from the window. He steps outside and seats himself on the armchair silently, holding a copy of Arundhati Roy’s “Listening to Grasshoppers”. Amrita turns around to see Rahul reading.
Amrita
Wow. Is that not a great book?
Rahul
Yes it is.
Amrita
What do you think about it?
Rahul
It is great.
Amrita
No tell me what you think of it? I would love to get your opinion.
Rahul shifts uncomfortably on his seat. Amrita keeps on looking at Rahul waiting for an answer.
Rahul
I think Miss Roy’s concern about the grasshoppers going extinct soon is a genuine concern.
Amrita stares at Rahul. Then bursts into laughter.
Amrita
You have such a great sense of humour. I never knew you had a humorous side to you.
Rahul grins sheepishly. Amrita leans in and kisses him on the cheek.
Amrita
Goodnight.
Rahul
Goodnight.
Rahul goes into the room, closes the door, gets on the mattress, and rolls a joint.
Interior – Mathew’s house – Morning.
Arun is seated in front of the T.V. A commercial is running.
Commercial on T.V
We challenge you to sell off items you have not used in the past six months. Exchange it for a used laptop, a used mobile. Register on our site as soon as possible. Your world will change.
Arun looks on interestedly.
Exterior – Jewellery shop – Bangalore – Evening.
Rahul is inside the Jewellery shop. He is talking to a salesman.
Rahul
I would like to buy an engagement ring.
Salesman
Great Sir. Congratulations!
Rahul
Thank you.
Salesman
What price range do you have in mind sir?
Rahul
The cheapest thing available in the store.
The salesman seems disappointed.
Interior – Phone booth – Kerala – Evening.
Mary is talking to Soman.
“ Mary
I am in Kerala Soman. I am returning to Bangalore tomorrow. I will be in Bombay three days later. I have to just take the money.
Soman
Ok Mary.
Exterior – Mathew’s Terrace – Evening.
Amrita climbs up the ladder with a basket full of clothes. Rahul watches from the window. He is dressed smartly in a formal shirt and pants. Amrita starts throwing the wet clothes on the rope. Rahul leaves the room and approaches Amrita.
Rahul
Hey Amrita.
Amrita
What is with the formal clothes Rahul? Are you returning from an interview?
Rahul gets down on his knees, takes a ring from his pocket and looks up at Amrita.
Rahul
Will you marry me?
Amrita bursts into laughter.
Amrita
Are you crazy?
Rahul
I thought you loved me.
Amrita
Are you crazy? I am getting married to Varun.
Rahul
But he is gay.
Amrita
So what? He is a brilliant man. Marriage is about the meeting of minds. It has nothing to do with sex. And anyway it is an open relationship.
Rahul
Open relationship?
Amrita
Yeah it means I can have sex with other guys and he can also have sex with other partners.
Rahul’s eyes brighten.
Rahul
Oh ok. Do you want to sleep with me?
Amrita
Sorry I don’t do fat guys.
Rahul
But you are an activist. You are kind and generous and cares about animals and the
oppressed sections of the society.
Amrita
Fat guys. Yucky. Work out. Maybe I will give you a chance next year. Goodnight.
She gets down the ladder leaving Rahul still on his knees.
Interior – Mathew’s house – Afternoon.
Mary enters the house carrying her bags having just returned from Kerala. Mathew sits on the couch reading the paper. Arun is sitting in front of the muted T.V doing commentary.
Mary
Hey Arun!
Mary
How have you been?
Arun
Good.
Mary opens the fridge and gulps down a bottle of water. She notices a new mobile lying on the table beside the fridge.
Mary
Whose mobile is this?
Arun
It is mine.
Mary
He gave you the money?
Arun
No Mom. I exchanged it for something else.
Mary
What?
Arun
That handcrafted wooden box you had in your bedroom Mom. You never used it.
Mary stands there stunned and faints. Mathew watches her fall down and looks on impassively.
Arun rushes to his mother.
Arun
Dad. Mom just fainted. We must take her to the doctor.
Mathew
It must have been the exhaustion from the travel. Leave her alone. She will wake up. Doctors are expensive.
Mathew goes back to reading his paper.
Interior – Rahul’s room – Evening.
Rahul is lying on the mattress smoking a joint listening to Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No cry” and occasionally kissing the laptop screen which has Shweta the new employee’s photo ,standing by the coffee machine, having coffee.
The End
