The Mystery Revealed
Characters
Laila
Meesha
Malathi the maid
Man
Pretty lady
Scene 1
(Laila is cleaning the room, Meesha is lying on the bed staring at the ceiling and humming an old song) (The clock shows 23:15)
Laila: Meesha, stop humming and please help me clean the room
(Meesha continues humming)
Laila: (with a sharp voice) Meesha
Meesha: (looks lethargically at Laila) ya will do it
Laila: hmmmm, I don’t see that happening any time soon
Meesha: Laila, I want to tell you something
Laila: (with a slightly surprised tone) what is it? You finally like somebody else? Did you break up with that jerk? Wow. I’ll be the happiest if it is so.
Meesha: (sharply) Laila!! Stop calling him a jerk.
Laila: (with a slight smirk) that’s what he is baby
Meesha: come on Laila, he is a nice guy and he loves me
Laila: (sarcastically) ya right
Meesha: whatever (rolls her eye balls), anyway that’s not what I wanted to discuss with.
Laila: then what is it?
Meesha: It’s about this house...
(Suddenly they hear the plates fall in the kitchen)
Laila: Malathi, is everything fine???
Malathi: (from the kitchen) nothing madam, the same cat.
Laila: (with a loud voice) oh ok, just give her some milk, poor thing must be hungry. (Turning to Meesha) you were telling me something
Meesha: Laila don’t you think there is something weird about this house
(Laila ignores and continues cleaning)
(Enters Malathi with a milk tray)
Malathi: bedtime milk madams
Meesha: Malathi, don’t you think there is something very spooky about this house???
Malathi: (sits next to Meesha’s cot) yes madam, this house has some activity going on. There is a long story...
Laila: (to Meesha and Malathi) can you guys please stop talking about this. Let’s ignore the fact.
Meesha: Malathi, what is it that you know??
Malathi: (slightly frightened) Madam, you know I have been in the city all my life this house has been giving a lot of stories to the village people. Even the other day when Ramu kaka wanted to tell me about this broker Natwarlal stopped him from doing so. (Whispering) there is a rumour that people who reveal the story die. And Ramu kaka is missing since from the day he told me the story.
Meesha: (inquisitively) Oh really. I would want to know the story.
Malathi: (fearfully) madam, you want me to get killed.
Meesha: come on Malathi, do u believe in that, you know Ramu kaka was unwell for quite some time. so must be at home.
Laila: Meesha I don’t think you should force her.
Meesha: oh come people Malathi now tell us what is it?
Malathi: ok madam if you insist.
(Laila and Meesha sit closer to Malathi with a curious look on their face)
Malathi: It is about Mr Sharma son and his lady love. And how she was burnt alive in this in this house, they say this house is haunted by her ghost.
Laila: (surprised) the owner of this house???
Malathi: Yes madam the same Mr Sharma
Laila: ok, isn’t he in London now?
Malathi: Yes he is.
Meesha: (irritated) could you guys stop your question and answering session now and Malathi could you please tell us the story.
Laila: Malathi, before she does something to us.
(Meesha just angrily stares at Laila)
Malathi: Mr Sangeeth Sharma was the most handsome guy in the whole of this village. He was the heartthrob of most of the village girls. His parents were really very sweet; he being the only son was pampered a lot by his family. His mother was very proud of her son reason being he was very handsome and yes was very smart. He studied in London, and then came down to India for good but he went back to london
Meesha: But why?
Laila: Meesha, there might be a reason for that let Malathi tell us the story only then we’ll know the truth behind his return to London
Malathi: yes madam there is a reason for him to return back to London.
Meesha: what is it?
Laila: do not spoil the suspense, Meesha.
Malathi: Ok now will you girls stop fighting and let me continue the story.
Laila and Meesha at the same time: sorry
Malathi: where was I?
Laila: he came down to India
Malathi: oh yes. Then he met this beautiful girl. Madam trust me when I say this I have not seen a prettier girl than her. Tamanna was her name like the name suggests she was absolutely desirous.
Meesha: oh you have seen her?
Malathi: yes madam she was from the neighbouring village and she used to come down to our village to meet her friends. One of her friend was Sangeeth sir’s best friend’s sister. And Tamanna madam used to visit her house. And Sangeeth sir also used to visit his friend’s house. And that is where they first met. And sir was mesmerised by her beauty.
Laila: sounds like one of those old Hindi movie where the actor and the actress meet.
Malathi: It was no less than that madam. Eventually they fell in love. Sangeeth sir was crazy about her. It was so beautiful to see them so much in love that the whole village used to admire the beauty.
Meesha: (curiously) Then what happened?
Laila: let her tell the story what is the hurry?
Malathi: Every girl envied her and every boy envied him, they were the talk of the town. Mr and Mrs Sharma also adored her. But Sangeeth sir’s cousin Sneh always had an eye on Tamanna madam. He was a year younger than Sangeeth sir. Sneh Sir was always jealous of Sangeeth sir as he used to get all the attention of the family as well as the village people to add it all Sangeeth sir and Tamanna madam were in love with each other. Sneh Sir always wanted Tamanna madam. In fact they studied in the same college and there were rumours that Sneh sir used to trouble Tamanna madam a lot. He even proposed to madam and she did not accept his proposal.
Meesha: ah there enters the villain of the movie.
Laila: Hmmm. So much like it.
Malathi: after few months Sangeeth sir and Tamanna Madam got engaged. (Dreamily) she looked like an angel that day. Sneh sir couldn’t accept the fact that they both got engaged. Few people in the village spoke that he tried to break the engagement a lot of times.
Laila: I can’t believe he actually tried to do that. I mean he was Sangeeth’s Cousin and (not knowing what to say further, Exclaims in shock) my goodness.
Malathi: Finally the marriage date was fixed. It was exactly a month after the engagement. Everybody in the family was very happy. Except for Sneh sir. Then on the marriage night Tamanna madam room was on fire. Nobody knew what happened and how the room set on fire but then sadly they could do anything the room was completely burnt. I hearad people say that they did not even find Tamanna madam’s body. It went missing
Meesha: How is it possible?
Malathi: Ramu kaka told me the rest the other Day. He says it was Sneh sir who set the room on fire. Actually Sneh sir tried to misbehave with Tamanna Madam and she slapped him. He could not take the humiliation so he set the room on fire.
Laila: (disgusted) what a jerk? How could he even think of doing something like that?
Meesha: exactly. How could he even think of killing somebody who is so beautiful?
Malathi: Sangeeth sir almost went into depression. Before anything more could happen, Mr and Mrs Sharma shifted to London.
Laila: oh ok. They have somebody in London
Malathi: Sharma sir’s younger brother lives there.
Meesha: What Happened to Tamanna?
Malathi: (in a spooky tone) they say she still lives in this house.
Meesha :( with the squeaky voice) really, lately I have been hearing a lot of weird noise
Laila: (Shocked) oh my god. Even I have been hearing some kind of weird noise.
(The clock strikes 00:00)
Laila: Ok people it’s high time we all crash.
Meesha: oh ya. I have to be out of bed by 7:30
(Malathi Pulls her mattress down from the top of the wardrobe and lays it down)
Laila: Gets into bed. Good night everybody (switches the light off)
Meesha: good night lai
(Malathi snoring away to glory)
Scene 2
(Laila wakes up to go to the washroom)(Clock shows 1:15)
Malathi: (In her sleep) I’ll kill you, leave me. I’ll kill you. Don’t kill me.
Meesha: oh gods (half sleepy) stop it. Malathi when did you start speaking in your sleep?
(Laila gets back from the wash room, notices Malathi sleeping in a weird manner. Ignores it and goes back to bed)
Scene 3
(Meesha wakes up hearing Laila scream)(Clock shows 4:00)
Meesha: what happened?
Laila: (shaking Malathi) Malathi, Malathi
Meesha: what happened?
Laila: I don’t know she is not responding.
Meesha: what are you saying?
Laila: (Frightened tone) Meesha, we shouldn’t have asked her to tell us the story
Meesha: oh god Laila, I dint know it was this serious I thought it was like the stories tell people to scare them for the thrill of it
Laila: Meesha, it’s not very exciting always.
Meesha: Oh God! What do we do now? By the way last night I heard her talking in her sleep. She was saying something like do not kill me. Do you thing the ghost of Tamanna must have done something to her?
(Door bell rings)
Meesha: somebody at this hour!!!
(Laila runs to attend it)
Enters Laila with a pretty lady)
Meesha: who is it?
Pretty lady: (in a spooky voice) Tamanna
(Meesha looks at Laila)
Meesha: (frightened tone) what are you saying? This is not true.
Pretty Lady: but it is true that Malathi is dead.
(Meesha rubs the dripping sweat off her face)
Pretty Lady: you killed Malathi. You made her tell the story and now see what happened.
Meesha: no I did not do this. I never wanted this to happen
Laila: I told you Meesha don’t force her you never listened to me. Now see what you have done.
Meesha: (falls on Malathi and starts crying) I’m sorry Malathi. I thought this story was like the one’s I told people scare them for the thrill of it.
Malathi: Even I did for the thrill of it madam.
Meesha looks up surprised and frightened at the same time)
(A roar of laughter passes across the room)
Meesha: (confused) could somebody explain to me what is happening?
(Enters a Man): well let me explain
Meesha: (surprised looking at the man) (exclaims) you?
Laila: Surprised looking at your cousin?
Meesha: (stern tone) yes. Now could you please explain?
Laila: well! We learnt this trick from you itself, other day you scared Ramu kaka with your spooky story about how this house is haunted and thanks to you he is not been coming home since then. When asked, he told this. So Malathi and I planned on this.
Malathi: we knew it madam that you had no clue that the owner of the house is none other than your cousin.
Laila: Suman called me up the other day to tell me that he will be coming down so I thought why not include him in the story.
Man: (interrupting) by the way meet Tamanna, my would be (blushing slightly).
Laila: we just wanted you to realize that it is not good to keep scaring people always and that is why we plotted this plan
Man: looks like it worked Laila.
Laila: all thanks to Tamanna. Had she not come on time our plan would have gone for a toss.
Meesha: (relieved) guys, you really scared me.
Malathi: Madam, you should be thankful to me for my story telling and my acting skills
Laila: Malathi, you should have been in Hollywood, wonder how you ended up here?
Malathi: Yes Madam. My father sent me to school but I used to escape from school and tell stories and show my acting skills to my friends and that s how I landed up here
(Roar of laughter passes across the room)
******************************* The end***********************************
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
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