scene 1
(Girl gets up on the shrill sound of an alarm and quickly picks up her bedding, then she goes to the kitchen to prepare sandwiches for the two kids Ratna and Priya.
Then she rushes to their room to wake them up as they have to get dressed for school. they make a huge fuss.)
ratna- 5 minutes more
priya- can you just stop bugging me, you don’t even go to school, so how will you understand the amount of handwork i need to do
merry- but you’ll get late then
ratna- Shut up, how does it even matter to you?
priya- yeah. how does it.
merry- but….
priya- oh shit! I’m late
ratna- crap, all thanks o you, you stupid fool
merry- sorry, ill just go and prepare your milk
(ratna and priya go to get ready meanwhile merry gets the newspaper from the gate and then works in the kitchen followed by mopping the floor)
scene 2
(at breakfast now. merry is out of breath, the children just as petulant. now enters their overbearing mother.)
mother: merry, stop panting like a dog and clean faster. i swear, you make such a mess.
merry: yes, madam.
ratna spits out milk: PAH! i hate malai! how many times do i have to tell you?
merry: i must have confused your glass with —
priya: ewww, this milk is cold. mama!
mother: confused. that’s all you ever are, haan? listen, merry. i get up at 7. i have to wake up the kids and get them both ready for school. what do you do? you just keep mopping the floor and panting like a dog? useless i tell you.
merry- mumbles sorry
mother-now stop all this sorry business and prepare breakfast for sahib
merry- yes ma’am
(the girls rush to catch their bus, merry carries both of their bags and goes to leave them outside meanwhile the mother complains about merry)
mother- stupid girl! can’t do a thing right in life. I’ve to teach her how to do everything! *sigh*
(mother exits)
(the girls’ father enters)
father- Merry!!!
merry- comes inside running. yes sir?
father- where is my newspaper?(even though it’s lying on the table right infront of him)
merry- here sahib
father- haven’t i told you to prepare my tea before i get up
merry!
merry- ill just bring it sahib
(rushes to the kitchen)
father- now where are my spectacles
(starts searching for them)
merry- here is your tea.
father- where did you keep my spectacles now? keep on losing my stuff. irresponsible girl
merry-sahab, (points at his forehead)
father- oh! okay..im leaving for office now
merry hands him his stiffen and he exits
scene 3
(merry walks out of the living room, rubbing her eyes. The morning has been exhausting.She wanders into the bathroom and starts to look around for the cleaning solution.
She finds it in a corner and squats next to the toilet to start to clean it.
scrubbing and scrubbing, she becomes very sleepy.
she rests first one elbow on the toilet seat, and continues to clean.
before she knows it, her arms are crossed on the toilet and she is dozing off.)
(just then, the childrens’ mother walks by.)
mother- MERRYYYYYYYY!
merry- what? yes, madam? *drowsily wipes face*
mother- ARE YOU MAD?
*picks up a sweeper lying nearby and swats merry’s arm, sending her reeling backwards, away from the toilet and onto the floor*
*merry starts to quietly cry*
mother: have you never even HEARD of infection? falling asleep on a toilet!! i know you grew up in a slum and your mother never taught you anything . . .
*merry starts sobbing*
mother- you want to die or what? foolish people don’t know what’s good for them
merry- i don’t HAVE my mother, and if you wanted what was good for me you would have at least not hit me with that thing. I have had enough, you have made my life miserable and you don’t value me or the anoint of handwork i do. you are my master and i am your servant NOT your slave. I’m leaving. you are great, you don’t need me
ratna exits
mother takes out her handbag and calls up her neighbor mrs.khanna
mother-hello
mrs.khanna- oh hello!
mother- big problem, come right now!
mrs.khanna- be there in a jiffy
mother-okay bye
merry comes carrying a small bag
mother- i will increase your salary girl
merry- i don’t need your money
mother-then what do you want
merry- respect and concern
mother is left bewildered
merry walks out of the house with her head held high.
scene 4
mother sits down on the sofa and looks around baffled,and starts complaining to herself, at the same time calling merry an ungrateful person.
mrs. khan enters along with her husband
mrs khanna- what happened? i just saw merry outside with a bag in her hand
mr khanna- are you alright?
mrs khanna- say something
mother- that ungrateful useless girl just left the house, she behaved so rudely with me
mr khanna and mr khanna together WHAT!
mrs khanna- these girls i tell you
mr khanna- yes!they are such a pain in the neck
mrs khanna- so true
mother- and she told me that i didn’t value her, i used to always give the girls’ giveaway clothes to her.
mrs. khanna- now don’t you worry, we will find a new maid for you
x——x——–x——x——x——-x——-x——-x——-x——x—–x——x——-x——-x
narrator: on exiting the house merry was asked by their other neighbors about what had happened, they all knew how cruel and heartless her employer was, but merry never said a single mean thing about her, infect she didn’t tell anyone about the physical violence she used to go through or how rude they had been to her. she told everyone that she had been fired for being lazy and not doing her work properly. she was loyal to them, more than they deserved. but she had still cared about them and loved the girls as though they were her siblings, as for the girls’ family, they were unable to find any domestic help. and remembered her as well as missed the way she had taken care of their lives as if it were her own. it is hightime we started valuing these laborers who make our life beautiful and comfortable in various ways. its now or never, because they deserve our love and affection.
By-Raina X-D
raina2802 