CHARACTERS:
MADAME RANEVSKY
: MRS. REHANA (owner of the restaurant and house)
ANYA
: RUMANA (her daughter, aged 17)
VARYA
: FARHANA (her daughter, aged 24)
GAYEV
: RAIHAN (brother of Rehana)
LOPAKIN
: KARIM (a businessman)
TROFIMOV
: JOY (a student)
PICHCHIK
: RAHMAN (a landowner)
CHARLOTTA
: AYESHA (a governess)
EPIHODOV
: HUSSAIN (a clerk)
DUNYASHA
: SUFIA (servant)
FIRS
: ABDUL (a male servant, aged 87)
YASHA
: JAMAL (a young male servant)
THE PLAY IS SET ON THE HOUSE OF MRS. REHANA.
ACT IV.
The room is dark, windows are closed. Complete silence- no sound at all. Only a half
broken armor is left in the corner. Close to the main door a traveler suitcase and some
other packages are piled up. The door on the right is open, and from there FARHANA
and RUMANA’S murmurs are audible. KARIM is anxiously waiting outside of the main
door. JAMAL holds a tray with cups of tea. HUSSAIN is busy tying up some packages at
the corner of the stage. In the background there is some murmur of the neighbors who
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have come to show their gratitude and love. The voice of RAIHAN is heard: “Thanks, you
were more than a neighbor to us, we would never forget you.”
JAMAL: The neighbors have come to say good-bye and they also have bought some
gifts. At my point of view, Karim Sir, the neighbors are good-mannered enough but
they don’t know anything about right timing. We are going to catch a train, we will be
late!
The murmur fades away. MRS. REHANA and RAIHAN are wandering around the room.
No tears on her eyes but one can see by looking at her face she is going to burst up with a
cry in any minute. She is trying to be as strong as she possibly can.
RAIHAN: You gave Sufia your gold earrings, Rehana. You should get rid of this attitude,
you know, you should!
RAHANA: It’s a habit of my childhood! I still can’t believe I don’t have money to live
my life before!
Both leave the room.
KARIM: [At the out (main) door, asks them] Anyone wants a cup of tea? Please do. It’s
the best tea ever! You wouldn’t get tea like this at the station. Please have a cup of
tea. [pause, pretending to be disappointed.] What’s the matter? No one has the
decency to show respect! Well, I will certainly have tea. [JAMAL sets the tray down
on the floor.] You can have the tea, JAMAL, if you want.
JAMAL: Thank you for being nice to me. [Drink a sip of tea] You were right about this;
this is the best tea ever!
KARIM: Only one cafeteria in this small town makes this irresistible tea! It’s help get rid
of stress also.
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JAMAL: There is damn cold today. This tea really helps. Oh! I will miss this tea forever.
KARIM: What are you talking about? You will come again.
JAMAL: I don’t see that will happen again.
KARIM: It’s January already. Summer is not that far when this place will turn like a
heaven. [Looks at the watch] Has anyone notice the watch? The train leaves in fortyfive minutes. You are still packing? If you have intention to catch the train, better
hurry up.
JOY enters from outside.
JOY: Okay, everybody, it’s time to hurry up; taxi’s are here. Shoot, where is my cap?
I’ve lost it already! [In the corridor, looking for his cap.] Rumana, did you see my
cap with my initial on it. I don’t know where I kept it.
KARIM: Well, as for me, I’m off for Dhaka. We’ll be taking different train. I’ll spend
some time on Dhaka to get the new plan for remodeling my restaurant and hire some
good chef. In the meantime, renovating of this house will continue. I’ve taken rest
enough. I’m so very ready to get to work now. I enjoy doing hard work, it makes me
sane. I have never felt this way in my entire life; my mind and body are perfectly
ready to reach my goal.
JOY: Well, we are leaving, so you’ll be able to reconstruct the restaurant pretty soon.
KARIM: Have a cup of tea.
JOY: I can really have some tea.
KARIM: So, you are off to Khulna University, aren’t you?
JOY: Yes, I’ll be with them until they reach at Rajshahi, and tomorrow I’ll go to Khulna.
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KARIM: Yes, I assume professors are eagerly waiting for you there, since you are such a
good student!
JOY: Well, what can I say? A man got to do what a man got to do.
KARIM: So, when do you think you are goanna finish your study? Are you ever goanna
finish studying and make a living?
JOY: I see, you are insulting me, aren’t you? [searches for his cap] You know, probably
we’ll never see each other again, in that case let me give you an advise. Now that you
are an owner of a restaurant, try to behave as nicely as you can, there is no harm in
treating people nicely. And one more thing, this thing of reconstructing a restaurant
and speculating how you will beat the business of other restaurant owners; you know,
make sure you are calculating right. As a hard working person, I rather like you. You
have this tremendous determination and perseverance; that never seize to amaze me.
Deep down, you’ve got a good and sensitive heart too.
KARIM: (embarrasses him) Thanks for your advice and compliment. I will remember it.
Allow me to help with anything you need –may be some money for the journey.
JOY: I don’t think I need any money from you, thanks anyway.
KARIM: I am afraid you don’t have enough money for your tuition though.
JOY: Yes, I have, thank you. I managed somehow. [Speaking loudly and searching
around for his cap] But I still can’t find my cap.
FARHANA: [From upstairs] Oh! Take your precious cap! [Throws a cap onstage.]
JOY: What’s wrong with you, Farhana? That’s certainly not my cap. I can’t afford
Tommy Hilfiger cap.
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KARIM: Look, I made thirty thousand from my poultry business recently. Moreover, I
am looking for more profit from my fishery business. So, I would like to lend you a
decent amount of money so that you can be tension free for your upcoming tuition
fees. I came hard on you earlier. I would like to make it up for you. Now, listen, you
don’t turn me down because a son of busboy is trying to help you.
JOY: Your father was a busboy, mine was a teacher, which doesn’t prove anything.
[KARIM takes out his wallet] Don’t even think about that. Even, if you offered me
one hundred thousand, I wouldn’t take it. I want to be a free man. And all those
material things that all of you, whether you are a filthy rich or poor, value so highly
and desire so deep, none of it amazes me. I am rich in my mind and soul. I can get by
without anybody’s help. There are much higher things to achieve on earth like
humanity, which no one bothers to think about.
KARIM: Are you intending to achieve that so deeply?
JOY: Oh, sure! I will try my best and be an example for others.
A breaking noise is heard in the distance.
KARIM: Good luck, Joy; it’s about time to leave. We might come hard on each other
earlier, I regret that. But, life doesn’t stand still and nor do we. I will relax when I will
start constructing my dream restaurant where my father used to have low tips and
sometimes rebuked by others. As a restaurant owner, I am beginning to think I
accomplished something for my father. I have gained my existence on earth. It’s
about time I will have respects from people. If you think deep, you will see why some
people are floating in the air with all the praise and respects. Money talks, Joy;
Anyway, none of this what makes the earth move around the sun! I heard that that
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Mr. Raihan has taken a job at the local school of Khulna. He’s way too lazy to keep
his job.
RUMANA: [enters the room.] Ma requests you not to let the renovation start until she is
gone.
JOY: Yes, you really could have been a little more careful about Mrs. Rehana’s feeling.
KARIM: [hesitantly] Okay, I told my workers not to start their work until eleven. Idiots!
They couldn’t wait to start the work. I’ll take care of it.
RUMANA: [asking to JAMAL] Has Abdul been taken to the clinic?
JAMAL: I told them to take Abdul. He barely can walk by himself. I guess, they must
have taken him.
RUMANA: [asking to HUSSAIN, who is taking the luggage outside] Hussian, would you
find out whether Abdul has been taken to the hospital?
JAMAL: [out of jealousy] Why are you worried so much? I am sure Abdul is fine.
HUSSAIN: I think that Abdul wouldn’t make it this time. He is eighty seven years old. I
am sure, he lived enough life. [Puts a suitcase on a table which breaks after taking
the load] Oh! Shoot! I could have understood it.
JAMAL: [mock at him] A good for nothing!
FARHANA: [Comes from the servants’ room] Does any one know about Abdul?
RUMANA: Yes, he’s been taken care off.
FARHANA: Why didn’t he take his note from the doctor?
RUMANA: Then, we need to send it somehow.
FARHANA: Where is Jamal? Jamal, your mother came to say good bye to you.
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JAMAL: [rushes in his work to see his mother] They’ll go to the station with me. [SUFIA
was busy packing up everything all this time. Now that Jamal is alone, she gets her
chance to talk to him]
SUFIA: JAMAL, how could you leave me like that? All those time you told me, you
adored me. [Sobs and grab his shirt angrily]
JAMAL: [annoyingly] What the hell you are talking about? I might have a crash on you
but I have never loved you. I am so tired of this boring place. I can have some change
in life. But, I don’t want you to be unhappy. You have your whole life ahead of you.
Try to compromise with your situation, will you?
SUFIA: [fix her hair and wipe out tears from her face] Will you send me your pictures in
future? I love you with all my heart, Jamal. I can never love someone the way that I
love you.
JAMAL: Stop crying, they are coming. [Jamal start himself busy with packing up
luggage. MRS. REHANA, RAIHAN, RUMANA and AYESHA enter.]
RAIHAN: [looking at JAMAL] Hurry up Jamal, we should leave now. We are running
out of time.
REHANA: In fifteen minutes, we should sit on taxi. [looks around the room painfully]
Allah Hafez, dear home, dear old sweet home, forgive me for loosing you. Next
spring, you won’t be here anymore. They will break you down. But you will be in my
mind forever. Here lies my youth, these walls have seen every moment in my life.
[RUMANA hugs her and cry] My little girl, don’t cry. Everything will be alright.
RUMANA: Yes, ma, we will start a new life far from here.
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RAIHAN: Yes, that right. I am feeling very calm right now. We have suffered enough for
the last few days. But now that we know, we can’t get back to previous position; we
need to settle our mind into a new direction. Before the restaurant was sold, we were
all anxious. I have got this new job in Khulna-I have become a teacher. Rehana, don’t
tell me you are not feeling the freedom.
REHANA: My mind is much clear than before. I am not afraid of losing my asset
anymore. [Ayesha hands her scarf to her] And, I won’t have to take the headache of
running a restaurant anymore. Take my suitcase carefully, Jamal. There are some
memorable things I took from this house. It’s about time. [To RUMANA] It won’t be
long, until we meet each other again. I will be off in Khulna, living on the money
your aunt sent us to keep the restaurant- May Allah take care of her. But that won’t be
a permanent solution.
RUMANA: Try to come back soon, ma. After having my school degree, I will help you.
We’ll spend some quality time together. [Hugs her mother] and we will be ready for
the new world.
REHANA: Sure we will. [Kisses her forehead]
KARIM enters, AYESHA softly hums a song
AYESHA: [picks up a pile of cloths that looks like a baby] Aye Aye Chad mama tip dye
JA (Hush, hush my pretty little angel) [throws the clothes back madly] I am going to
be mad. Please find me a job somewhere. I can’t take it anymore of this.
REHANA: We’ll find you a job, Ayesha. Have faith on me.
RAIHAN: Everyone wants to leave us now; don’t they? Farhana is going too. Suddenly,
we’re all alone and good for nothing to everyone.
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AYESHA: I don’t have any relative that I known of. I have to find a new place too.
[Sings mildly with sadness] AIE PRITHIBI TEKON TO AR SEI PRITHIBHI NOI.
(World has changed a lot, no longer we have the previous better world).
Mr. RAHMAN enters.
KARIM: Well look who is here!
RAHMAN: Oh! It’s damn hot here. Let me take a breath..! Can I have a glass of cold
water please?
RAIHAN: Mr. Rahman, What a pleasant surprise. I thought I have to leave without
saying you good bye.
RAHMAN: It’s been a long time sine I came to visit. I am sorry. I couldn’t come earlier.
[To REHANA] Look at you! You are a symbol of purity. [looking at KARIM] Hey,
Karim, you are here too. Nice to see you. What a intelligent man you are! I admire
you. Here, something; [gives money to KARIM] I owe you twenty thousand five
hundred taka.
KARIM: [Astonished] Is it a dream or something? How did you manage come up with all
this money? I heard about your bankruptcy.
RAHMAN: Wait a second. I’m so thirsty. [SUFIA gave him a glass of water] Let me
finish the water. Amazing thing happened. Finally, I got the lottery of five hundred
thousand taka. God knows how much money I have spent on the lottery ticket
throughout my whole life.
[To REHANA] And here’s twenty thousand taka that I owe you, my dear [gives her
the money] I’ll give you the rest by next Friday.
RAIHAN: Well, good for you. You can get rid off all the debts you have.
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REHANA: Well, we’re moving to Khulna.
RAHMAN: What! [Disappointed] Why are you moving out? You love this place.
[Remembers the auction incident] Oh! I see. Everything is packed up. [Erase his
tears] Never mind, wherever you live, try to optimistic and be happy. Life is not a
bed of roses, my dear. [Embraces her] If you ever hear that my end is near, please
pray for me and remember me sometime. [Leaves the room without saying Good bye,
but returns within a second and says from the door] My wife asked me to send her
regards. [Goes out]
REHANA: Good man with a good heart, now we can leave. I’m leaving with two
unfinished thoughts still on my mind. Leaving poor Abdul who serves this family
with all his hearts. Now that he needs me, I can’t help him.
RUMANA: Abdul has been taken care of, ma. Jamal send him off this morning to
hospital.
REHANA: My other worry is Farhana. She never had spent a night without me. She is so
quiet and doesn’t share her feelings with anybody. Now that she accepts a job from a
bank in Dhaka, I wonder how is she going to live by herself is a busy city alone. She
seems like a little fish out of an aquarium. She is crying all day- I don’t know why
she made that choice. [Pause] You know Karim, I thought you two are good for each
other. [Waves her hand to Ayesha and she gets out] You are both hard working and I
think you would be a perfect couple. But I don’t understand- why is that you two
avoid each other?
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KARIM: I have to say that I don’t understand either. I tried to propose her earlier but I
couldn’t successful. If there is enough time, let’s get the unfinished job done right
way.
REHANA: At last! Now, that’s the enthusiasm. I’ll send her in.
Behind the door, MRS. REHANA feels relived. And at last FARHANA enters.
FARHANA: Where the hell are my bangles? I kept it carefully, and now I can’t
remember.
KARIM: I heard you got a job and going to Dhaka. Isn’t that a challenge?
FARHANA: Yes, It seems everyone is choosing a new challenge for his life.
KARIM: I am off to Dhaka on the next train. Looks like you got a company.
FARHANA: Lucky me!
KARIM: I will get an architect for remodeling the restaurant. I have an awful lot of plans
for my future.
FARHANA: That’s sounds good.
KARIM: Oh! Look at the weather. It’s seems gorgeous. It’s was a bit cold last year
around this time.
Voice from the background “MR. KARIM”
KARIM: [He rushes as if he had long expected to escape from here] Coming Up!
KARIM runs out quickly. FARHANA sits on the floor and sobs quietly. MRS. REHANA
comes in curiously.
REHANA: Well, we have to go. Did he say anything?
FARHANA: [shows her anger] Do you think he will ever be able to say anything.
[Pause] Let’s go ma, we are getting late.
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RUMANA, RAIHAN, AYESHA and JAMAL enters, arranges the luggage.
REHANA: So, we’re ready for a new beginning.
RUMANA: [excited] yes, new beginning.
JAMAL: Well, everyone take your moment to leave your old home.
REHANA: I’ll wait a minute. It suddenly occurs to me as though I have seen every
inches of my house, I can’t get enough of it. I can still smell my ma is cooking. I can
see the secret closet where I used to hide to stay away from school. Oh! [Cries] The
walls and ceilings of this house, I feel like they are alive, trying to tell me something.
RAIHAN: I remember being seven years old and sitting on that roof. Hiding and
watching dad go off to the Mosque. Oh! I hated to pray when I was a kid.
[RAIHAN and REHANA hug each other]
REHANA: [to JAMAL] have you checked the room properly?
JAMAL: [announced] I double checked everything.
KARIM: [To JOY] If you need anything, I mean anything, just give me a call.
JOY: [in a polite manner] That won’t be necessary, Thanks anyway.
FARHANA: Joy, your cap is right over there by the blue suitcase. [looks affectionately to
JOY] Do your self a favor. Buy a new cap.
JOY: [putting his cap] Oh! I love it. Let’s roll friends. We should get going.
RAIHAN: [fumbles when talks, afraid of weeping]
KARIM: Is everything here, now? Nothing left?
FARHANA: [assure him] Everything is here. Don’t worry.
RUMANA: Good byes, old memories. Good bye old life.
JOY: [excitedly] And welcome new life [wave his hat upward] Ya-hoo.
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Everybody left the stage. The stage is quite and empty. Suddenly, sound of drilling
machine heard in the background. Labors start the construction work again. Some one
cut the mango tree which is in the corner of the house. ABDUL appears in the door way
on the right. He can barely walk. He is coughing.
ABDUL: [goes on the main door and sees the empty room] They have left already… [Sits
on the floor and coughs.] They’ve gone without saying me good-bye. What am I? A boss
or something? Of course they have gone. I am sure Raihan Sir hasn’t drunk milk before
he left. He would suffer on journey. He can’t eat anything during journey [anxiously]. I
should have come early. [Coughs again]Time and tide wait for none. [Lies down on the
floor] Better sleep for a while. What else I can do, I’m just a poor worthless who can
hardly keep his eyes open.
Worker stops the drilling. There is cloud in the sky as if sky can’t hold its tear any
longer. Thunder bolt strikes and rain starts.
CURTAIN
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