THE SACRIFICE

CHARACTERS: An old man, 4 terrorists, Passengers

SCENE: The inside of a plane---passenger’s cabin

Flight IA-2315 is in mid air.

The passengers are seated.

An address is being made to the passengers from the cockpit: “Dear boarders, our
plane is about to land at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in ten minutes
time. Thank You.”

All of a sudden a commotion is observed and four armed men occupy the centre
stage of the passenger’s cabin and make a gesture which is something like a Nazi
salute: “INTEKAM INTEKAM INTEKAM”

Ter 1: “This plane has been hijacked. Just stay in your position and don’t do
anything silly.”

The passengers are struck with terror. Two women start weeping (oh maa ki hobe
go!) and one faints.

Ter 1: “I hate stupid noises.” (Immediately the weeping stops)

Ter 1: (To one of his comrades) “Take the pilots.”

Ter 2 heads towards the cockpit.

An announcement is made from the cockpit: “The pilots are under our control.”

In the freezing silence an old man coughs.

Ter 3: Buddhe sala ! Tere zindagi ke akhri dus minute jee bhar ke khas le.

Old man: What are you up to?

Ter 3: (To TER 1) Saas nahi le sakta aur hum se puchte hai!

Ter 1: (To the old man) Nice to see a man though old you are.

Old man: That’s not the answer.

Ter 1: So you will set terms for us. Fine, put into your head that Hell is just 10
minutes away.

Old man: What does that mean?

Ter 1: Simple, our big bird crashes on the Indian Parliament in ten minutes.

Howling is heard-----“oh maa go ke sobbonas holo go”.

A single stare of the Ter 1 and all stops.

Old man: What good that does to you?

Ter 1: That’s our mission.

Old Man: To breed more hatred, to spill more blood.

Ter 1: To avenge the deaths of our comrades.

Old Man: Can darkness dispel darkness?

Ter 3: Commmanderji aap kuon is buddhe ki baton mein aa rahe hain?

Ter 1: There is something in his voice that takes me away from me. As if I am what
I am not.

Old Man: None of us is lost for good. There is only a mist that hangs over your
soul. And it is the light of love that dispels all darkness.

Ter 1: Father Michael!!!

Old Man: Your mother came to me with you. She had none but you. And ARZOO
she gave your name. What wonderful dreams she had of you!

Ter 1: She is no more.

Old man: She lives. In you.

Ter 1: Why do you make me weak?

Old man: She gave me a sapling and I was to grow it into a tree that bears fruits,
that gives shade. I was your teacher.

Ter 1: The best part of my life was with you. And once you saved my life from
drowning in the river.

Old Man: Was it to see this day?

Ter 1: I am lost. The world has been too harsh to me.

Old Man: So why can’t you be kinder to it?

Ter 1: I am not a saint.

Old Man: You are part of the divine. You are divine.

Ter 4: Budota akta faad pathche. Sabdhan Commander!

Ter 1: I roamed all alone. There was no love, no kindness only greed, hatred and
violence. I went into the fire, got burnt and I became fire. If only a drop of love I
had…….

Old man: What you looked without was within. (He rises and touches with his
right hand the heart of Ter 1 who feels a great shockwave running through him.)

Ter 1: What have you done to me! As if a cold wave passes through my entire
being and all my passion is spent. Oh what a bliss! But I hear cries, I see beings
seething in agony and tears soaked in blood flooding the oceans.

Old Man: My boy that’s your soul.

Ter 1: All my resolve is undone. I give up arms.

Ter 3: Commanderji apne aap mein nahin hai . Jao No 2 ko bulao.

Ter 4 goes inside and comes out with Ter 2.

Ter 1: “I ask all of you to give up arms.”

Ter 2: “You quit the mission and we quit your leadership. Now you die.”

(He points the gun towards Ter 1 and fires. The Old Man comes in between

and receives the bullet in his chest.)

Old man (seething with agony utters his last words): May the lord forgives you.

My blessings… (he dies and falls on the spread out hands of Ter 1)

Ter 1: (With a passion that is unprecedented)

“Spill blood to your heart’s content till you realize it’s your own blood.

Make me bleed for that will cleanse your soul.

He’s dead to the eye. But he lives. He is me.”

All the terrorists fall silent, drop their arms and encircle the body of the dead man
who lies in the arms of Ter 1.

An announcement is made from the cockpit: “This is your pilot speaking. We have
safely landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.”