Ratnavali

Characters:
King Uday: Pradyun
Vasavadatta: Pooja
Ratnavali: Ekta
Yougandhara: Aditya
Vikram: Soham
Trader: Anish
Susangata: Mahek
Sarika: Lavina
Narrator 1: Ramchandra
Narrator 2: Shubhankar
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Scene I
Narrator: Uday is the king of Kaushambi. He is happily married to Vasavadatta. He has a loyal
minister, Yougandhara. One day, Yougandhara comes to the court with an overture.

(in the court)

Yougandhara: Long live the king!

Uday: Yes Yougandhara. What brings you here today?
Vasavadatta: Yes, you do look happy minister.
Yougandhara: Your majesty, I know of a prophecy the concerns Ratnavali.
Vasavadatta: Ratnavali? My sister?
Yougandhara:Yes, the princess of Sinhala, daughter of king Vikram.
Uday: What about her?
Yougandhara: A sage had prophesied that the man who marries Ratnavali will become a
sarvabhauma.
Uday:So you want her to become my second wife?
Yougandhara: Yes your majesty.

Scene II
Narrator: From Kaushambi, Yougandhara goes to Sinhala to talk to King Vikram. In king Vikram’s
court-

Yougandhara: Greetings your majesty!

Vikram: Welcome, Minister of Uday. I can guess what has brought you here. But I still will ask you,
What do you have to say?
Yougandhara: I have come with a proposal for your daughter Ratnavali from my king, the valiant,
brave, Uday of Kaushambi.
Vikram: My daughter to be the queen of Kaushambi? I see. Tell me minister, isn’t Uday married to
my niece Vasavadatta.
Yougandhara: yes, your majesty.
Vikram: I’m sorry I cannot accept your proposal. Your king is married to my niece and I know that
his love for her is deep and true. If I agree to this proposal, either Vasavadatta or my daughter will
be unhappy.

Scene III
Narrator: King Vikram does not accept Uday’s proposal. Yougandhara returns to Kaushambi. Then,
the news of Vasavadatta’s death spreads. This news is in fact a falsehood initiated by the devious
minister, Yougandhara to facilitate the second marriage. King Vikram, agrees to the proposal and
sends Ratnavali to Kaushambi with the Royal navy. Unfortunately, she is shipwrecked.
Ratnavali: Hello? Is anyone there? Where am I?
Trader: Who are you?
Ratnavli: I should not disclose my real identity. I may be held for political ransom and King Uday or
my father may be made to give up territories for her my release. I will pretend to suffer from
amnesia. I don’t know who I am.
Trader: You were shipwrecked. I’m a trader from Kaushambi. You look like you’re from the royal
family because of your ornaments and manners. I will take you to Minister Yougandhara.

Scene IV
Narrator: At Yougandhara place.

Soham: Ratnavali’s ship crashed. We don’t know where she is. Everyone else is dead.
Yougandhara: Thank you. You may leave.
( Ratnavali and the trader enter.)
Yougandhara: Yes? what is the matter?
Trader: Sir, this lady was shipwrecked and she has lost her memory. But she looks of noble birth
and that’s why I brought her to you.
Yougandhara: Oh my! She is princess Ratnavali!
Trader: What sir?
Yougandhara: Nothing. Thank you. I’ll see what to do.
(Trader leaves)
Yougandhara: From today, your name is Sagarika. I will ask the queen to appoint you as her maid.
She will feel pity on you and agree instantly.
Ratnavali:Ok

Scene V
Narrator: Yougandhara sees this as an opportunity to convince Vasavadatta to agree to a co-wife.
Under the name of Sagarika, Ratnavali works as Vasavadatta’s maid. But during a festival,
Sagarika come across Uday and they fall in love. One day, Sagarika confesses her love for Uday
to her friend Susangata and Sarika overhears this conversation. She tells Uday who admits that he
has fallen in love with Sagarika. Susangata and Sarika make a plan to get Uday and Sagarika
together.

Susangata: What can we do to bring Uday and Sagarika together?

Sarika: We need to work out a plan.
susangata: Yes. Think.
Sarika: I have an idea.
Susangata; What is it?
Sarika: We will tell Sagarika to disguise herself as Vasavadatta and then meet the king.
Susangata: That is a great idea. We will tell King Uday about this plan and also tell both of them
where and when to meet.
Sarika: Ok, I hope it works.

Scene VI
Narrator: Sarika and Susangta devise a plan to bring Uday and Sagarika together.But they don’t
realise that Vasavadatta has overheard them and now knows about sagarika and uday’s love. She
goes to the place where Uday and Sagarika are to meet and Uday mistakes her as Sagarika who
has come in disguise of vasavadatta.

Uday: Greetings Sagarika. I have finally got a chance to meet you and I will not waste anymore
time. Sagarika, I ask you, will you become my queen, the queen of Kaushambi?
Vasavadatta: Uday! What is this?
Uday: Vasavadatta? This is you! Oh no. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. Please forgive me.
Vasavadatta: I got to know about your plan. How could you do this? (walks away)

Narrator: When Sagarika comes to know that their plan has failed, she decides to commit suicide.
Still in Vasavadatta’s disguise, she ties a noose to her neck and is about to hang herself when
Uday enters.

Uday: Vasavadatta! What are you doing? I’m really really sorry. Please don’t do this.
Sagarika: I’m not Vasavadatta. I’m sagarika. And please don’t stop me.
Uday: Finally we meet. Will you become my queen Sagarika?
Vasavadatta: Uday! How dare you?I had come to talk to you about this and here you are.(she
leaves)
Uday: Vasavadatta! Wait!

Scene VII
Narrator: Vasavadatta walks away. Sagarika too goes but no one knows where she is. Queen
Vasavadatta prisons her secretly.

Vasavadatta: Keep her inside and don’t let anyone know about her.
Guard: As you say her highness.

Narrator: At the royal palace.

(Uday rushes in)

Vasavadatta: What’s the matter?
Uday: The prison has sought fire. There is mayhem all around.
Vasavadatta: What! ( starts sobbing)
Uday: What happened to you? Why are you crying?
Vasavadatta: I’m really sorry Uday. How could I do this!
Uday: Do what?
Vasavadatta: I prisoned Sagarika. (sobs) Please go and save her Uday. Or she will die because of
me.
Uday: Ok. I will go right away.

Scene VIII
Narrator: Uday saves Sagarika and brings her to the palace where king Vikram has come.

Sagarika: (bows to the Queen) Thank you.

Vikram: Ratnavali! How are you here?
Vasavadatta: Uncle, this is Ratnavali!
Vikram: Yes, Vaasavadatta.
Vasavadatta: Oh sister, I’m so sorry.
Ratnavali: It is alright Vasavadatta. I’m sorry too.
Yougandhara: Finally my plan worked. The fire was a trick by a magician. Pardon me your majesty
for playing this scheme. It was the only way to make this marriage work.
Uday: That was a clever scheme Yougandhara, and that’s why, I forgive you. Vasavadatta, will you
accept your sister Ratnavali as my second queen?
Vasavadatta: Gladly. She will, I’m sure make you emperor.
Uday: King Vikram. do you accept this proposal?
Vikram: I do.
Uday: And most importantly, Sagarika, I mean Ratnavali, Do you accept this and agree to become
the Queen of Kaushambi?
Ratnavali: Yes, I do.

Narrator: Vasavadatta gladly brings about the marriage of Uday and her cousin Ratnavali. King
Uday, as prophesied becomes a powerful emperor and leads a happy life.