Onto the Stage - Slighted Souls and other stage and radio plays by BS Murthy (ebook reader web TXT) 📖

thank his forefathers for saving him the bother.

Muthyal Rao: What do you mean by that Shaukar?

Shaukar Suryam: Why, didn’t they make it your privilege to have the lowly brides in their nuptials beds? With bride a night, where’s the need for you to keep any, much less keep an eye?

Papa Rao [aside]: The women he takes to bed could be his half-sisters and most of the lowly youth must be his bastard sons. But here comes an exception.

[Enter: Narsimma bearing the bruises.]

Muthyal Rao: Yera Narsiga why those bruises, were you caught picking a pocket or what?

[Narsimma proceeds ignoring them.]

Muthyal Rao: Lamdiki, have you turned deaf?

Narsimma: Dora, I’m Narsimma, not Narsiga. And, I’m a college student, not a pickpocket.

Papa Rao: Osos, if Inter-pass Narsigadu is Narsimma, then what would be Narsigadu the graduate?

Shaukar Suryam: Well, Narsimma Saab of Rampur, won’t he be?

Papa Rao: Dora, the way the sarkar is pampering these, one day we may have to call him Narsimma Sir.

Muthyal Rao: Bhosdike, if you’re Narsimma, what to say of Yelligadu thera baap?

Papa Rao: Dora, it has to be Yellaiah garu, no less. Why doubt that?

Narsimma: Papa Rao Patel, be it a patel father or a dalit father, father is a father.

Papa Rao: Naayaala, don’t forget your aukaat. If Yellaiahs and Pullaiahs are Yella Raos and Pulla Raos, what’s the use of being a dora, leave alone a patel or a patwari?

Narsimma: B.A. is bound to change my aukaat but many patels may remain anguthachaaps.

Papa Rao: Banchut, what audacity, mind you, you would pay for it.

Shaukar Suryam: Well, was it not Gandhi who brought things to this pass. How he turned these lowly against us saying they are harijan. It’s as if we are devil’s descendents.

Muthyal Rao: Why blame Gandhi who’s dead and gone. Isn’t it the sarkar that feeds their egos with free food and all, that too with the taxpayers’ money? And the irony is they prefer to be referred as dalits, whatever it might mean.

Papa Rao: Dora, how are the naxals any better? Don’t they extort money from us to turn these against us?

Muthyal Rao: Well said Papa Rao Patel, this naxal extortion is a damn good business without investment. What about joining their gang?

Shaukar Suryam: Dora, if only we’re young enough to take a little beating in the woods, then maybe, it’s not a bad business line at all.

Papa Rao: Any way, Narsiga, better keep off from the naxal hawa or else you would come to grief in the end.

Muthyal Rao: Narsiga, fetch your baap here and now. I’ll find out why he failed to teach you how to respect your dora.

Papa Rao: Why dora forgets about poor patels.

Shaukar Suryam: Now why spoil our time with these men. Isn’t it time to spend time with their women? Why not summon him to the gadi tomorrow.

Muthyal Rao: Oh, how I’ve got carried away. Orey Narsiga, haven’t you heard what Shaukar Saab said? Tell your abba to be at the gadi at eleven in the morning. Sharp eleven. [Exit: Narsimma in all silence.]

Shaukar Suryam: Dora, didn’t you see the defiant look in him. If this is going to be the trend with them, then what would the future portend us?

Papa Rao: My son pesters me to shift to Karimnagar but I thought there’s no point in becoming a nonentity there. Now that these too don’t khatir us any more, maybe it calls for a rethink on my part.

Shaukar Suryam: Don’t lose heart Papa Rao Patel. Wait and watch as dora takes Yelligadu to task. Won’t Narsigadu fall in line then?

Papa Rao: Dora, looks like it has turned out to be two swords in a sheath syndrome now. It’s either they or us, and that’s for sure.

Muthyal Rao: Papa Rao Patel, all I can say is, wait till the morrow.

Shaukar Suryam: Dora, do remember, the proof of pudding is in the eating.

Muthyal Rao: Let come the dinner time. [He gets up.]

[Exit: Others too get up. Curtains down.]

 

Scene - 10 

[Curtains up: Muthyal Rao, Papa Rao and Shaukar Suryam in the courtyard of Muthyal Rao’s gadi.]

Papa Rao: Why dora, Yelligadu hasn’t turned up so far!

Shaukar Suryam: Well, won’t he need time to pick up courage to come?

Muthyal Rao: And gather his wits as well.

[Enter: Head Constable Veeraiah amidst their laughter.]

Veeraiah: What makes the dora so mirthful, that too in these naxal times!

Muthyal Rao: Oh, leave it Veeraiah, what brings you here so often? Is it a second set-up or what?

Veeraiah: Dora, with sarkari salary where’s the scope for a havaldar having a chinnillu?

Shaukar Suryam: Maintain wife with salary, and sustain keep with mamools. Isn’t it the norm with the sarkari naukars?

Veeraiah: Shaukar Saab, it was the case in the good old days. But now, it’s the politicians that are lining their pockets, leaving us with soiled hands. By the way, is there any fish here that’s not in your net already?

Muthyal Rao: With so many brothels in the town why cry foul Veeraiah. Raid a den and you’re in. Isn’t it as simple as that?

Veeraiah: Dora, we’re more at raiding naxal hideouts these days. Now it’s all about braving bullets and not pulling pallus. Oh, these annalu and their god-damn intent to kill cops.

Papa Rao: Mori Saab, do you smell a rat here or what?

Veeraiah: Well, we suspect that Madanna Dalam has a mole here.

Muthyal Rao: Who could that be?

Veeraiah: Dora, looks like its Yellaiah’s son Narsimma. Once he was Madanna’s roommate at the SC-ST Hostel.

Papa Rao: So, he’s just a step away from joining his gang.

Veeraiah: Who knows by my next visit, he would’ve gone underground. Well we all have to keep an eye on him.

Muthyal Rao: Don’t worry Veeraiah, leave that to me.

Veeraiah: It will surely make my job easy. Yellostha dora.

[Exit: Veeraiah.]

Shaukar Suryam: Dora, won’t that explain Narsigadu’s impudence?

Papa Rao: Now it’s high time our dora gets tough with him.

Muthyal Rao: Let Yelligadu come and then see the tamaasha.

Shaukar Suryam: But why is there no sign of him yet?

Papa Rao: Who knows if Narsigadu cared to tell him at all?

Muthyal Rao: Maybe it’s possible. It’s as if the rascal is already putting on naxal airs.

Papa Rao: If we fail to act now, it might even send wrong signals to them.

Shaukar Suryam: Why, it will be surely taken as our weakness.

Muthyal Rao: Why not I send my men to drag them here together.

Papa Rao: Better we make an example of both of them in their own backyard dora. That would send the right signals to one and all.

Shaukar Suryam: What do you say about that dora?

Muthyal Rao [Gets up]: Come, let’s nip it in the bud. [He gets up.]

[Exit: Others too get up. Curtains down.]

 

Scene – 11 

[Curtains up: Yellaiah’s hut of scene -1 in the dalit mohalla.]

[Enter: Muthyal Rao, Papa Rao and Sahukar Suryam with their walking sticks and their henchmen.]

Papa Rao: Orey Yelliga.

Yellaiah [From inside]: Dandaalu Patel garu.

[Enter: Yellaiah with folded hands.]

Yellaiah: Why take the trouble of coming here dora. You could’ve sent word to me.

Muthyal Rao: Yera, didn’t Narsigadu tell you?

Yellaiah: He told me nothing dora.

Muthyal Rao: Where’s that rascal?

Yellaiah: He left in the morning dora, I don’t know where to.

Muthyal Rao [Raising the walking stick]: Jhootakor, don’t tell lies, tell us where he is.

Yellaiah: Believe me dora, I really don’t know where he has gone. Please tell me what’s wrong with him, and I will set him right.

Sahukar Suryam: Dora, if only we set right the father, the son gets it right, won’t he?

[Muthyal Rao strikes Yellaiah with his walking stick followed by Papa Rao and Sahukar Suryam: As Yellaiah falls on the ground, they beat him still, hurling abuses at him. All the while the terrified onlookers watch helplessly.]

Muthyal Rao: Yedava naayaala, if you want to stay here, send your son to the gadi.

[Enter: Sarakka from outside, and goes to Yellaiah.]

Muthyal Rao [Pulling Sarakka away from Yellaiah]: Arre, how I failed to notice this lass all these days?

Yellaiah: She’s just a kid dora.

Muthyal Rao: Bhosdike, do you think your dora is blind or what?

Papa Rao: Don’t worry Yelliga; we’ll let her taste the sweetness of life before her brother tastes its bitterness.

Yellaiah: Dora, it won’t go well with ammorlu, Sarakka and Sammakka. Know she’s born with their blessings.

Papa Rao (Beating Yellaiah with his stick): So you want to invoke their curse on us.

Muthyal Rao: Try sending your ammoru Sammakka to save your daughter Sarakka.

[Exit: Muthyal Rao dragging a wailing Sarakka, followed by Papa Rao, Shaukar Suryam and the henchmen.]

[The neighbours gather around Yellaiah. Someone fetches him some water that he drinks. Yellaiah slowly goes into the hut as all leave.]

[Enter: Narsimma after a while and finds a distraught Yellaiah ]

Narsimma: Why what happened?

Yellaiah: But why did you offend the dora?

Narsimma: Well, he called me Narsiga and I told him that I’m Narsimma. Has he taken it out on you or what?

Yellaiah: Don’t you know these peddollu are quick to take offence. Didn’t your mother bind you to bear till you’re a B.A.? But still you turn a hotheaded at the least provocation.

Narsimma: Why, didn’t I bear the banduldoddi? Or did I fail to keep my cool after the police lockup. Animals too retort but we, oh how we’re conditioned not to protest even. Oh, what a life we lead, if it can be called life at all. But don’t try to bind me with that sentiment any more. Enough is enough.

Yellaiah: Please yourself with your foolhardy as we pay the price for it.

Narsimma: Why where’s Sarakka?

Yellaiah: What I can tell you? [He cries no end.]

Narsimma: Why don’t you tell me what happened to her?

Yellaiah: Oh how your amma died protesting against the injustice to her brother’s daughter. Failing to protect my own daughter why am I still alive? Oh what an accursed life.

[Enter Sarakka with tattered clothes and shattered look. As Yellaiah takes her into his arms, Narsimma picks up a sickle from the bamboo work.]

Narsimma: Who’s that?

Sarakka: Not one, it’s three of them.

Narsimma [Raising the sickle.]: Tell me who they are? I’ll see their end.

Yellaiah: Why put your life at risk as if we’re not harmed enough. Won’t they see your end before you raise your hand?

[Narsimma throws the weapon in frustration, and folds about Sarakka in emotion]

Narsimma: Oh, if only I acted in time, I would’ve been Madanna’s deputy by now. Who would’ve dared touch you then?

Yellaiah: It’s as well you’re not. Now don’t get carried away in the heat of the moment and ruin your life. In time, all this will come to pass any way.

Narsimma: Now that they’ve tasted our blood, do you think they won’t thirst for more of it. Can’t I see this as their proxy war against Madanna?

Yellaiah: Whatever, lay low till you get your degree, and all will be fine thereafter.

Narsimma: Oh the god-damn degree. Of what avail is it when my sister’s life is in tatters.

Sarakka: If anything, your Renu’s life is worse for she has to endure more of it. Oh, how she longs for you.

Yellaiah: Sarakka don’t be crazy and incite him further. Don’t you know whoso revolted came to grief? Have you forgotten what happened to your mother? Don’t they say devils tread where angels fear. Let him not spoil the show after all the preparation. Once he gets a job, we’ll get rid of this hell and be done with them.

Narsimma: Patience beyond a point is cowardice naayana. Didn’t amma prove that point in the panchayat? And even if we get away from here, our folks remain entrapped all the same. Its better I die fighting the peddollu than live a slighted soul.

Yellaiah: But don’t you see the police are shooting these naxals like stray dogs these days.

Narsimma: It’s worth dying for the downtrodden than live as one. I’ve made up my mind now; I won’t let you live as their vassals any longer.

Sarakka: Anna, now I’ve no reason to live than to be avenged. And if that helps our dalit cause as well, won’t I have a purpose added to it. Oh, how I’m raring to go now.

Yellaiah: Why there’s no thought