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Sundrum

The one act play depicts the daily struggles of Rani, a domestic worker in India, and her husband Raju. Rani works for a wealthy but cruel employer in the city and dreams of a better life, while Raju works long hours in their village for low pay. In scene two, a social worker named Anita visits Raju and tells him she has good news from the NGO she works for, implying opportunities may become available to improve their lives. Both Rani and Raju feel trapped in difficult circumstances and yearn for change.

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kislay kathuria
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33 views

Sundrum

The one act play depicts the daily struggles of Rani, a domestic worker in India, and her husband Raju. Rani works for a wealthy but cruel employer in the city and dreams of a better life, while Raju works long hours in their village for low pay. In scene two, a social worker named Anita visits Raju and tells him she has good news from the NGO she works for, implying opportunities may become available to improve their lives. Both Rani and Raju feel trapped in difficult circumstances and yearn for change.

Uploaded by

kislay kathuria
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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A Play in One Act: The Choice

Characters:

 RANI: A young woman from a poor family in rural India. She works as a domestic helper
for a wealthy family in the city.
 RAJU: Rani’s husband.
 ANITA: A social worker who works for an NGO.
 MR. SHARMA: The employer of Rani. He lives in a luxurious apartment in the city.

Scene 1:

 The curtain is drawn to show Mr. Sharma’s apartment. Rani is cleaning the floor while Mr.
Sharma is sitting on a sofa, reading a newspaper. He looks annoyed and impatient.

MR. SHARMA: Rani, hurry up! I have an important meeting to attend. How long does it take to
clean this floor?

RANI: Sorry, sir. I’m almost done.

MR. SHARMA: You’re always slow and clumsy. You should be grateful that I give you a job and a
place to stay. Do you know how many people are begging for work in this city?

RANI: Yes, sir. I’m very grateful, sir.

MR. SHARMA: Don’t talk back to me. Just do your work and keep quiet. And don’t forget to cook
dinner for me and my guests tonight. I want everything to be perfect.

RANI: Yes, sir.

 Mr. Sharma gets up and walks towards the door.

MR. SHARMA: I’ll be back in a few hours. And don’t touch anything that doesn’t belong to you.

RANI: Yes, sir.

 Mr. Sharma exits. Rani continues to clean the floor. She looks tired and unhappy.

RANI: (to herself) How long will I have to live like this? Working day and night for this cruel man
who treats me like a slave. I miss my home, my family, my village. I wonder how Raju is doing. He
hasn’t called me in a week. . I hope he’s safe and healthy.

 She pauses and looks at the newspaper that Mr. Sharma was reading. She picks it up and
tries to read it, but she can’t.

RANI: (to herself) What is this? I can’t understand anything. It’s all strange symbols and words. I
wish I could read. I wish I could learn. I wish I could have a better life.
 She puts down the newspaper and resumes her work. The curtain closes.

Scene 2:

 The curtain opens to show Rani’s hut in the village. Raju is sitting on a cot, holding a
phone. He looks worried and frustrated.

RAJU: (into the phone) Hello? Hello? Rani? Can you hear me? Rani?

 He hangs up the phone and sighs.

RAJU: (to himself) Damn it. The network is so bad here. I can’t even talk to my wife. She must be
working hard too.

 He looks around the hut. It is small and dirty.

RAJU: (to himself) How long will I have to live like this? Working day and night for this greedy
contractor who pays me peanuts. I miss my home, my family, my village. I wish I could have a
better life.

 He hears a knock on the door. Anita enters. She is wearing a salwar kameez and carrying
a bag.

ANITA: Namaste, Raju. How are you?

RAJU: Namaste, Anita. I’m fine. How are you?

ANITA: I’m good, thank you. Can I come in?

RAJU: Sure, sure. Please, come in.

 He lets her in and offers her a seat on the cot. He sits on the floor.

ANITA: Thank you. So, how’s work?

RAJU: Work is work. Hard and tiring. But what can I do? I have to feed my family.

ANITA: I understand. And how’s Rani?

RAJU: Rani is fine. I think. I haven’t spoken to her in a while. The phone connection is very bad
here.

ANITA: I see. Well, I have some good news for you.

RAJU: Good news? What is it?

ANITA: Well, you know the NGO I work for, right? The one that provides education and
empowerment to women in rural India?

RAJU: Yes, yes. I know.

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