The Slap That Is Sometimes Needed

Curtain Rises

Scene 1

A humongous domed room with 511 seats. No pillars anywhere only seats filled with weird looking fabric faces of white. 500 of them are sitting in the circular rows, clothed all in white kurta (men), and saffron sari (women). 10 of them in the middle at the foot of the rows, typing with an air of servitude. There is another seat in front on the top, enclosed in a box and with a huge chair. The speaker sits there (but he hardly ever gets a chance to speak).

Half of the hall is laughing and the other half is looking at the laughing lot with an air of vengeance. Angry, very angry. The speaker is trying not to involve himself. One fabric face on the laughing side is standing.

Fabric Face: …the woman must stay at home. Kitchen is her parliament, home her country. No need to pass this bill speaker sir. Today you give her this reservation, tomorrow they will want to fly a plane. As it is they are destroying the nation by getting into the armed forces and the civil cervices. Far from giving them a reservation here, I say their education should also be stopped...

(There is much confusion after this.)

Scene 2

A girl is sitting in a moving bus and reading the newspaper. Probably going to office. Her face has an expression of absolute unrestrained anger. White as a sheet it reflects nothing else. The newspaper has been circulated to the audience as well with the same article that the girl is reading marked on it. The bus keeps moving for some time.

Scene 3

There is a rectangular large hall. Very large; filled with about 50 cubicles. The girl is standing just outside one of them with a boy.

Girl: What do you mean by why did I scream at him?

Boy: Why did you scream at him?

Girl: Because those bastards think of us women to be good for nothing…

Boy: (a bit surprised by the reaction, and not knowing where this was headed) what are you talking about?

Girl: (now screaming) those bastards said that women should not even be given an education, that we will want to fly a plane some time, dosent he know that we already fly the plane, that we have gone into space…that if we weren’t there they wouldn’t be either…they also said…(now weeping and screaming) that they…don’t even…have…a right…to education…( a loud noiseas that of a slap).

There is stunned silence in the hall. Everyone turns to the look at them.

Boy gently holds the girl in his arms and softly whispers in her ears.

Boy: In your hate for them, don’t become them.

Lights out.