The Exile in the Modern World
ACT I
Scene I
(A garden in The Sarcastic Land)
Enter Miss Ahuja, Miss Tanvi,
Princess Parida, Miss Joshi
Ahuja: Today I saw him, and my heart goes
tra la la la…The one of my kind, how good it feels to know someone!
Tanvi: You seem very excited. Will you
enlighten us please?
Parida: Maybe she fell in love with someone,
and so she is cheerful.
Ahuja: What love? I don’t believe in love,
cousin. My heart is light and gay, so I sing happily.
Tanvi: But there should be some good reason
for that?
Joshi: No reason. She chirrups like a bird
whenever she pleases.
Parida: There is a young lord who pesters me
throughout the day with his love messages. I however don’t pay heed to his
messages.
Ahuja: Who?
Parida: The New Lord to the Sarcastic Land –
Lord Agyaat.
Scene II
(The terrace of a ruined old fort in
the Sarcastic Land)
Enter Lord Agyaat, Baron Gajbhare and
Sir Singh.
Agyaat: This is the old place of lovers. We
come here to die if our love is unsuccessful. What sayst thou, my friend Gajbhare?
Gajbhare: What sayeth I? I am a broken man. My
love is rejected, my life feelth wasted. I would rather jump off this parapet
and end my life.
Agyaat: Nay my friend, keep a while. Patience
brings the greatest gift to mankind in the form of love. Her heart will melt
with your love someday, so be not gone before she realizes that.
Singh: I am glad she refused thee. Or I
would duel you, that thou may refuse my sister’s hand.
Agyaat: But why my friend? Thou wilt never
find a better match than Gajbhare for thy sister, who loveth her so well!
Singh: By God, his sarcasms are well known
in the land. He has the stomach to conjure double meaning talks to confuse men
of reason. He drives me mad, and am sure my sister would go mad with his talks.
Gajbhare: My beloved friend, my sarcasm are
meant for all but her. I lose my rationale in her presence and become a witless
fool. I rather stay dumb, than speak.
Agyaat: (laughs) See, the epitome of wisdom
play the fool in front of a woman! No wonder your Lady rejected you. Love is
blind and love is intoxicating. And you have become intoxicated in love.
Gajbhare: And so have you. I have heard you
have been wooing Princess Parida.
Agyaat: She is a jewel in this kingdom. She
will adorn only the worthy of her. And I am just among her numerous suitors.
Enter M. James.
M. James: Good day, gentlemen. The words have
spread that love is in the air for young men to try their fortune. The
fortunate will have a family as the fool sayeth, while the dejected ones will
be wiser.
Why doth you
stay huddled up, when men of you should be making adventure?
Agyaat: Here cometh our old man to advise us
as usual. Old man, art thou again on some mission to decode a lover’s heart?
Pray, tell me, what is in mine?
M. James: No, young man. Curiosity gets the
better of men who try to be wise everywhere, and we make a fool of ourselves.
What love maketh a man unmindful of his surroundings, that ye all visit a
deserted fort in recluse? Plotting of love all alone is bad for health.
Agyaat: But thou had once been in love. And
thou had loveth more than anyone ever loved. So what sayst thou to us?
Gajbhare: (aside to Agyaat) What sayeth he? He
has become an old fool wandering around giving foolish advices.
Old man, if I wert in thy time I wouldn’t mind
duelling thee. It would have been interesting to have a common love trophy.
Agyaat: (aside to Gajbhare): I want to take a
dig at him.
Old man, I
love Princess Parida. Can you tell me a way out?
M. James:
Ha kid, there is no way out
When you once falleth in love!
Thoust will scream and thou shout
But it will be a game of hawk and
dove –
You swoop, she escapes and you can’t
find
The love that be in thy heart or her
heart.
Nowhere wilt thou to her bind,
But thou shalt stay apart – stay
apart!
Agyaat: What nonsense, old fool? Why shalt we
stay apart? Go and make merry. We have graver matters to discuss.
Singh: Let’s leave the wise man to muse in
his world. The matter of the court will hasten after nightfall.
(Agyaat, Singh, and Gajbhare exeunt)
M. James: What we all seek all the while cometh
not to us! And when they come, the worth becomes useless. We exist for the sake
of others, a commensal relationship of existence. What is real we do not know,
and what we know so how short-sighted we are!
(Exit)
Scene III
(A palace ground in the Sarcastic
Land)
Enter Princess Parida
Parida:
I am a free girl and carefree I stay,
I would feel the bliss of solitude,
There is none in my way!
I can laugh and be gay all the time,
Rather not be a princess of the
multitude
Where free actions become a crime!
Enter Lord Agyaat
Agyaat: That was wonderful, my fair Princess!
It will be indeed a crime,
To reject the love that swells in my
heart;
If thou not sayst that it is the right
time,
I shalt tear myself apart
And lay my dying self before thy
feet-
A display for unruly mob on the
street!
Parida: Thou surprise me, Lord Agyaat. I do
not know what to say. I love thee not. If ever thou feels an affection for me,
then consider it to be a tiny infatuation on thy part. I cannot love thee.
Agyaat: But my Princess, there should be
some cause that thou reject my love. Say, to soothe my bleeding heart or I
won’t live. A just cause that the memories do not haunt me in my dying days.
Parida: I am in love with someone. I have
given him my heart!
Agyaat: Say the name Princess! Either I live
or he lives! I will have a fair fight, and if I die my love for thee dies with
me, but if I live, then I will ask again thy hand. Thou deserves the best in the
Land.
Parida: The name is Sir Singh, thy friend!
Agyaat: What, Sir Singh! This was a dagger
worse than a foe. How do I duel my best friend?
Parida: Aye, that is difficult Lord Agyaat.
But as a gentleman, I trust that thou will keep thy words and honour.
Agyaat: My Princess, it was a mistake on my
part to come to a decision without knowing the truth. But I give thee my word,
I will fight my friend. Only God can save us now. I take leave of thee.
(Exeunt)
Parida: Ha. It is the fools who fight, in the
name of love. But I trust Lord Agyaat will be rational, and not on a Don
Quixote’s mission. I can freely breathe the air of freedom, for now!
Scene IV
(A garden in the Sarcastic Land)
Enter Lord Agyaat, Sir Singh and Baron
Gajbhare.
Agyaat: I am sorry my friend, that we are
more of loyal foes now. This is a do or die battle betwixt thee and me. I have
promised Princess Parida, either I live or ye live.
Singh: Ha! I never expected we would one
day have to fight for our honour. The Princess maid arrived at my chamber with
a letter from her. It was like she had made a proposal that if I win the duel,
she would consider marrying me! But I never knew I would be duelling you, or I
would have refused.
Gajbhare: Sometimes circumstances are better to
blame for all the tragedy, than human intentions. It is the wickedness in the
plan of gods, that we fight whom we wouldn’t ever even think of. So, two little
hearts are on a game to win a lady’s heart. One will succumb, the other will
survive. The survivor will win the lady’s hand. Choose your weapons gentlemen,
and curse be on the winner!
Agyaat: It would rather be the sword that
pierces the heart in action. At least we will tire each other out, to see the
feel of death from a friend.
Singh: I agree. We will witness the love and
valour of each other.
(They fight)
Enter Miss Ahuja
Ahuja: (Breathless) Baron Gajbhare! Please do
something and stop the fight. What if something happens to anyone of them? I
came rushing here when I heard the news.
Lord Agyaat,
I love thee. Please, fight no more or I die along with thee!
(Lord Agyaat is wounded and Sir Singh is shaken)
No, Sir
Singh. Not another stroke. Thou would rather sheathe thy sword in my heart.
Gajbhare: I think we have a solution. Sir Singh
can court Princess Parida, whilst Lord Agyaat (if he survives) can court Miss
Ahuja. Alas, Miss Ahuja you came a little late. I will call the doctor. You
nurse the wound to prevent the blood flow.
(Exit)
Enter M. James
M. James: The world lives by some fool’s grace.
People kill just for honour and love, where nobody gets any pleasure. What for
thou two were taking each other’s life? A woman who neither loveth any of thee?
Wise men will say, thou keep away from women and love none, for all the world
is a trouble!
Ahuja: Yes sir. But if a lady loves a
gentleman, is it unwise?
M. James: Not at all, my lady. For then thou
art saving a life, and building a new one!
Enter Princess Parida, Miss Tanvi and
Miss Joshi.
Parida: One of them must be dead by now!
Tanvi: The news killed me before I should
see anyone of them die. If thou did loveth my brother, thou should have said to
me. If anyone dies today, I ain’t forgiving thee!
Singh: Here comes my lady. So your Highness,
didn’t thy heart melt by this sight or should I ask someone again to duel me?
Tanvi: Alas, dear brother! I was so much
grieved. Woe to me, that I see such a day, that I lose my brother or his
friend.
Parida: Oh! Lord Agyaat is wounded, and Miss
Ahuja is taking care of him. I can’t bear the sight. How weak is women to
blood!
(She faints)
Joshi: Sir Singh, fetch some water. The
Princess needs air.
(She sprinkles water on Princess Parida)
She is
reviving. Poor soul, couldn’t bear the sight of blood!
Parida: How is he? Lord Agyaat?
Joshi: He will survive, I think. Miss Ahuja
is nursing him.
Parida: What?
(Faints again)
Enter Baron Gajbhare with the doctor
Doctor: I think we will have to take him to
the hospital. Ha, what happened to the Princess?
Joshi: She fainted at the sight of blood.
Doctor: Let’s take her to the hospital too.
(They Exit)
ACT II
Scene I
(Private chamber at Miss Ahuja’s
place)
Agyaat: I feel for thee, that thou art the
best of thy kind! Thou should love me, and yet never show thy love for me seems
unusual but not rare for thyself. If I had but a glimpse of thy heart, I would
rather lay my life for thee than seek a Princess’ hand.
Ahuja: My cousin Parida hath a cold heart.
Wonder, how and who will melt that stone heart of hers? She has become more of
Lady Disdain than a Princess because of my Uncle’s liberty.
O’ Lord Agyaat,
listen to my heart. I loved thee from whence I know not. But I couldn’t say to
thee for thou spread thy love freely to someone who loved thee not.
Agyaat: My lady, sometimes we men commit
grave mistake not out of wit but for our interest. I admit I made a mistake,
but no man knoweth the woman of his soul, until she reveals to him. This
marriage is more an experiment of hit and trail, and the fortunate ones find
their soulmate at the first hit.
I give thee
my word, that I will prove to this world how much I love thee. The whole of
Sarcastic Land shalt remember my love for thee.
Ahuja: Show thy love, and diminish the
blemish that thou had for my cousin Parida. My heart will be pleased.
Agyaat: As thou sayst, my lady.
Scene II
(Garden, Sarcastic Land)
Enter Princess Parida, Miss Tanvi,
and Miss Joshi
Joshi: Did thou know that Lord Agyaat spread
his love all over the Sarcastic Land by invoking the Northern Lights and
writing his love for Miss Ahuja? It was a miracle that the neighbouring kingdom
did not see. The sky was lit with the message – Miss Ahuja, I love thee! Fortunate girl she is!
Tanvi: No, not she. Only the King can
invoke the Northern Light to give a message all over the Sarcastic Land. Lord
Agyaat has broken the law and will be banished forever from the kingdom. I
believe His Highness King Adi has already banished him.
Parida: Poor me! It is all my cousin Ahuja’s
fault. That’s why I avoided Lord Agyaat’s love. He becomes too passionate for
anyone. My cousin must have asked him to do so, to prove his love for her.
Joshi: Aye, my Princess. But what will
happen if Lord Agyaat is exiled forever. The kingdom will be more of a
graveyard without his sarcastic questions!
Parida: We have Sir Singh and Baron Gajbhare.
Let’s see if I can do anything. What sayst thou Miss Tanvi?
Tanvi: We should somehow bring him back. I
shall ask my brother to help.
Scene III
(Private chamber, King Adi’s palace)
King Adi: Why doth my lovely daughter look so
upset? Say anything in the kingdom that hurts thee, I shalt destroy it.
Parida: Your Highness, I was wondering about
Lord Agyaat’s banishment.
King Adi: He has been eternally banished from
the Kingdom for making use of the Northern Lights. It is strictly restricted
for emergency use only, and that too only by me.
Parida: But it was only a love message.
Eternal banishment means we can never see of him again. Your Highness, can’t
thou do something to alleviate the punishment?
King Adi: He has broken a major law, and the
council of ministers have voted in favour of his exile. But why doth my little
daughter want me to sway my decision and the decision of the ministers?
Parida: I know not, father. I want him back.
I feel guilty, like he was banished because of me. Isn’t there any way?
King Adi: There is only one way – the blood for blood rule. Someone else
has to volunteer to go into exile, if he is to return.
Parida: Then, that’s the way. I volunteer to
go into exile to see his return.
King Adi: What! Are you in your senses,
Princess? Thou art the crown princess of this land, and no Princess shall go
into exile. Thy words have been more devastating than Lord Agyaat’s action. I
forbid thee to speak about this again.
Parida: Your Highness, on my eighteenth
birthday, as is the custom of this land, I was granted a wish from thee. Now I
ask thee, I want Lord Agyaat back, and for that I volunteer to go into exile.
King Adi: Dear daughter, thou art being harsh
on thyself. Given that we are bound by family traditions to let children do as
they want after eighteen provided that they aren’t breaking the law, I suppose
thou reconsider thy decision.
Parida: (aside) I already made up my mind.
Scene IV
(Public garden, The Sarcastic Land)
Enter Agyat, Baron Gajbhare, Sir
Singh, Miss Tanvi
Agyat: Glad to be back. But I have lost my
name and position.
Gajbhare: Princess Parida is now gone. All
because of thee.
Agyat: Aye, she came, she brought me back
and she disappeared. I have become more of a fool to come back into a land I
was banished from.
Gajbhare: Maybe, I shall also go into exile.
The love of my life doesn’t love me. I would rather see the world than spend my
life fooling in this small kingdom.
Tanvi: That would be thy most beautiful gift
to thyself, Baron Gajbhare. And thou shalt learn something better so that on
thy return, the people profit from thy wisdom.
Singh: Aye, that would be good. It’s better some
time that we exile ourselves to learn the ways of the world, so that we can
build a better kingdom.
Enter M. James
Gajbhare: Hello old friend, art thou travelling
the world round?
M. James: Aye, I am. If thou want to join me,
thou can.
Gajbhare: Will consider thy proposal, but for
now, we must celebrate Agyat’s return.
(Agyat, Baron Gajbhare, Sir Singh and Miss Tanvi
exeunt)
M. James: This is a fool’s world. Thou fight,
kill, and despise the only friends thou loveth. Why? For the sake of a woman or
love? For her memory, love her, cherish her, and honour her. Not that ye fight or do unruly activities
that hurt everyone. And when she cometh by, she seeth none of old to greet her
and make her welcome warm.
This kingdom
and tale as thou hath witnessed doth exists in the modern world as social
website groups, where each group is a kingdom in itself. And though we may be virtual, but we art more real than people of the real world!
(Exit)
(Curtain falls)
The Exile in the Modern World
Reviewed by Polymath
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