Turning Point ( A Short 10 minute play)

This is a short 10 minute play I had written for a Short & Sweet Drama workshop.

The Turning Point

NARRATION: This is a story of Siddhartha… his most important night. Just 17 years old, frustrated and agitated… He sees it all yet others do not.  His dream of playing cricket while his folks want him to just study. Fought a lot but in vain, it’s time for him to maybe… leave it all or leave his house. So in the dead of the night, as he is about to leave…

(Boy opens the door, a Man walks in)

Boy: Who are you?

Man 1: You, after 24 years.

Boy: Huh.

(Man walks towards the chair and sits on it, with his elbows on his knees. The boy follows and sits on the chair)

Man 1: Yep, believe it. I know it is a big occasion for you. BTW, I did walk out of the door.

Boy: Wow, Really! Then what?

Man1: I did play cricket my entire life. Oooh, that’s fun.

Boy: Great, I need not hear any further. I am going.

(Boy opens the door, another man walks in)

Boy: Now, who are you?

Man 2: You, after 40 years.

(Man walks towards the chair and sits on it, with his right ankle resting on his left knees. The boy follows and stands between the chair)

Man 2: Yes, yes, just like this one. But I didn’t walk out.

Boy: Hmm.

Man 2: So don’t you want to know what happened?

Boy: Yes, of course. But, no, go on… but why 2 and different years… no, no, you tell me.

Man 2: Just retired today. Phew, that plushy job and my cabin. Ahh! Hated it a lot at times.

Man 1: No wonder you are so fair… unlike me.

Man 2: But you were all the while outside… under the sun… playing the game they call cricket. How was that? Don’t even remember how to hold a bat.

Man 1: It was hard work for sure.

(Man 1 stands up)

Man 1: 24 years back, when I left this house… Did not know what it would take? But then… Those years of toil… You have no idea how to find a roof over your head.

(Boy stands behind Man 2)

Man 2: I bought a nice apt when I was 24, a decent job right after college and a few years later.

(Man 1 shakes his head and sits back on his chair)

Man 1: Good for you. For me, that was just one of the worries. Even before I could go and look for a cricket club… I needed a job to survive. Then working at that roadside dhaba. It was also my home for the first few years.

(Man 1 looks at the boy pointing towards the ornament around his neck and the years)

Man 1: Be careful about those, it helps you buy the kit and get into the Andheri Cricket club.

Man 2: What are you speaking about? Cricket, cricket… I would only watch that IPL once in a year. That too if the seats are good. Just a fun weekend evening.

Man 1: Hmm.. Cricket and life.. synonyms for me.

(Boy grins and stands behind Man 1)

Man 1: Playing cricket in the day and working in the night. All my complaints would vanish the moment I took my guard to face a ball in the morning.

Man 2: Complaints… Well, that was the first thing I did most of the mornings… hmm.. Monday mornings.

Man 1: Batting, fielding… awesome it used to be... and then trying to teach myself some bowling so that I can get picked up in higher level teams.

Man 2: Now that sounds similar. I too had to crack it up a notch in front of my idiot managers and the idiot box. That fucking rat race. Phew, finally it was over.

Man 1: But I never progressed. I was never good enough.

Man 2: Hahaha… Look at me… I retired as a VP today. Those colleagues of mine just threw me nice fun filled send off.

Man 1: Ohh so you had friends?

(Boy moves behind Man 2)

Man 2: Who the f knows? Maybe, they were happy to get rid of me. But, my wife, Monisha…

Man 1: Hmm, I remember her. I used to see her every evening. I mean, she would be there at the bus stop.

Man 2: Ohh yes… She was happy. She said that at least now you can spend some more time with me.

Man 1: I love her so much. I even did try to get close to her. But then, it never happened. Maybe, I was too, I don’t know… unstable?

Man 2: Haha… She is one of the best things to happen to me. Gave her all the riches and my kids. (winks)

Man 1: Oh, so you had family, friends and, huh, what about mom, dad?

Man 2: Hmm, they were all staying with us only till, you know, they passed away.

Man 1: Don’t know if I regret it, but at times… when I was all alone… when I needed someone… I thought about them.

(Man 1 buries his head in hand for a second and then raises it again)

Man 1: Today evening, it was my last day too. There was no send off like you though.

Man 2: Huh… What last day? You would be called and told that you are not picked up anymore in your state… oh no, you never reached there… the what.. ha, club team.

Man 1: No calls, nothing. I went there and I saw my name was not there. Waited the entire afternoon to speak to the main guy.

Man 2: What else do you expect? You useless.

Man 1: Yeah, he made it pretty clear. I was no longer needed.

(Man 1 pauses, Boy puts a hand on his shoulder)

Man 1 (While holding and then removing the boys hand): No, that was fine. I was sitting on the ground next to the railway lines. Saw a little boy… maybe 5 or 6… playing cricket with his elder brother and father.

Man 2: So what? I see that so often.

Man 1: Did you see the child’s face? Oh no, forget it you will not understand. But then at that very instant a ball flew past me. I leapt up and followed it to collect the ball. But I did not see… hahaha…

Boy: What, what did you not see?

Man 1: The train… I picked up the ball and then… that was it… my life. All over and no one knows.

Man 2: No friends, no lover, no parents, no one… hahaha… and I thought you are poor. You are miserable. Good I came here.

(Boy puts his hand on Man 2’s shoulder, then on Man 1’s shoulder and comes to the front of the stage. After a slight thought, he moves towards the door and opens it).

Man 2: What are you doing?

Boy: I will keep an eye for that train (and winks).

(Man 2 and Man 1 then put arms on each other’s shoulders and smiles at the Boy)

Narration: Who are we to judge how one must justify one’s life? Who are we and how are we to measure success, measure joy.. measure life)

THE END