Gainda

By Ismat Chughtai

Drama script by : Nisarga Kakade

1|P age
Gainda
Bibi
Bhaiya
Bahu
Mewaram
Lallu

2|P age
 Act 1

(Late evening in the rural area, it is outside a rustic Indian home which
shows the family is well to do. Soft music cue and sound of girls
giggling as they are playing around. One is wearing white clothing the
other is wearing colorful ones. Music fades off)
GAINDA
This is our shack (giggling continues)Let’s play Dulhan-Dulhan.
(wears an old red dupatta and acts to be very shy)
BIBI
(very enviously)
it’s my turn now, Gainda…my turn
(Bhaiya enters the stage looking angry)
BHAIYA
Hey, what’s going on here?
(Bibi and Gainda freeze as if they have done something wrong,
GAINDA throws her dupatta away)
BIBI
well…we’re just playing
BHAIYA
You little devils- what do you mean, sitting here like this? (pinching GAINDA cheek)
and you Gainda. You’re wasting your time here. I’m going to tell Natha

GAINDA

3|P age
 (startled and tried to run away)
Arre baap re!
BIBI
Oh Gainda, don’t go!
GAINDA
(scared)
Dada will bash me up
BIBI
No, he won’t. You’ve already finished your chores
BHAIYA
Okay, you can sit here (gently to GAINDA) But Bibi, I’ll certainly get you trashed.
You’re spoiling your clothes romping on the ground.

(BHAIYA holds GAINDA’s hand playfully and flirting manner)

BIBI
(scared stiff)
Do your worst. I don’t care

BAHU
(Voice over)
Gainda…Hey Gainda…Where on earth are you)
(GAINDA freaks out and breaks her hand from BHAIYA’s grip, and
BIBI looks upset)
4|P age
 BIBI
(to BHAIYA)Go away
BHAIYA
(to BIBI)Witch
(BHAIYA storms off the stage)

GAINDA
(sounding melancholic)
Who should a widow dress herself for?
BIBI
Widow! (she continues to grind the red brick to make powder) Widow!
GAINDA
Of course. I’m a widow (says this with hint of pride)
BIBI
(envious)
And I?
GAINDA
You?(laughs) You’re a virgin! Hee hee hee
(everyone freezes and only BIBI speaks)
BIBI
I could never compete with her in anything. She had been married off in the month of
Baisakhi the year before. All dressed up in red garments, she became the sole owner of a
set of glittering silver jewelry. For days together she strutted around showing off her
finery. I was of no importance. I always caught myself either gapping at her or following
5|P age
her around like a wistful kitten. I counted her bangles, tied her anklets, or ran to lift her
tinsel-trimmed dupatta when it touched the ground. How unjust could Amma be! I
know I am younger than Gainda, but I am not too young to be a bride. Gainda’s
husband died during the rainy season. The whole house lamented so did Gainda. No
one paid heed to me. How long will I be too small, my favorite kurti and all my other
clothes are small for me. When some real issues came up, I was a child, but usually I am
big. I wish I could choose.
(BIBI goes to her last spot and the scene continues)
BIBI
So, you don’t deck yourself up anymore?
GAINDA
When a girl’s husband is dead, who will she deck herself up for? A wife wears sindoor
or bangles for her husband only...
BIBI
(cutting her off)Look Gainda, what a lot of sindoor we’ve made!
GAINDA
Don’t tell Bhabhi…please…(looking excited to play again)
(GAINDA again gets ready as if she was married and the children are
giggling around)
BIBI
What are you doing? I’ll get messy

6|P age
 GAINDA
Now it is your turn
BIBI
And how about my Bindi?
GAINDA
Sure, I’ll take care of it
(BHAIYA enters, GAINDA is shy and blushing on his entrance.
BHAIYA walks past BIBI. He looks at GAINDA with lots of feels and
pulls her cheeks, GAINDA is extremely receptive and shy in this
situation. BIBI feels left out)
GAINDA
Aa!Aa!
BHAIYA
What the hell is this?
BIBI
This is sindoor. We made it
BHAIYA
(To GAINDA)Come on, let me put sindoor on you
GAINDA
(hiding her face)
No!

7|P age
 BIBI
Bhaiya, Gainda is a widow. She doesn’t wear sindoor.
BHAIYA
Doesn’t she?(To BIBI) The witch, lemme see (holds GAINDA’s hands and try to
persuade her to show her face) Gainda I won’t talk to you ever again
BHAIYA
Gainda, will you marry me?
GAINDA
(looking extremely shy)
Go away
BHAIYA
Why go away? Tell me, will you marry….
(VO of anklet sound and enter Bahu)
BAHU
Gainda….Hey raand, what are you doing here? Go warm the iron, and how dare you
braid your hair and make the parting?(hits GAINDA)

(BHAIYA AND BIBI shudder seeing this. BAHU and BHAIYA leaves
the stage)

GAINDA
Smell it

8|P age
 (brings her blouse to BIBI’s nose)
BIBI
Arre wah! Where did you get attar?
GAINDA
Bhaiya!
(BIBI makes jealous face behind GAINDA’s back)

BHAIYA
(speaks from off stage)
Gainda take this coat for ironing
(GAINDA leaves the stage smiling and giving a wink to BIBI.
Everything freezes again. BIBI speaks)
BIBI
Gainda walks with a supple gait as though she has no bones on her body. When I walk
it is like I was a galloping mare. Oh God! I am burning in jealousy. Bhaiya sprinkled
attar in Gainda. Perhaps he had forgotten me. But why? Or did he do it deliberately?
Come to think of it, I was his own sister. And Gainda? She was nothing to him. I hate
Bhaiya from now onwards.
(Bibi kept on muttering and enters MEWARAM)
MEWARAM
Stop! What are you doing, Bibi?
BIBI
He’s nothing to me (direction) Mewa. Come here for a minute

9|P age
 MEWARAM
What is it?
BIBI
Take this sindoor, and sprinkle it on my head
MEWARAM
(laughing at the child)
You call this sindoor?
BIBI
Listen…I…a widow?
MEWARAM
What is it, Bibi?
BIBI
Mewa…will you marry?
MEWARAM
Marry! But I am already married
BIBI
When?
MEWARAM
Oh God! It’s been ages
BIBI
I see. So, you’re a widower?

10 | P a g e
 MEWARAM
Oh no! My malin is sitting there in the hut
BIBI
Are you married to Malin, then?
MEWARAM
Hmmm…
(MEWARAM exits)
BIBI
So, the crone who I thought was Mewaram’s mother was actually his wife! What a
strange world!
(Blackout, the setting is BHAIYA’s room. GAINDA enters very
suspiciously, carrying clothes in a wrapped towel, and is counting them,
BHAIYA is flirtatiously looking at GAINDA. Through a peeping door
BIBI is witnessing this because she saw GAINDA enter)
BHAIYA
Wrong! You can’t count!
(BHAIYA holds GAINDA in romantic manner and tickle her.
GAINDA slaps BHAIYA. BIBI gets horrified at what she saw and
leaves the scene. Blackout. Fade in light again at the backyard where
BIBI is playing and GAINDA enters.
BIBI
(anxiously)
What happened?
GAINDA
Nothing

11 | P a g e
 (GAINDA and BIBI keep on talking, ominous music fades in, BIBI’s
expression change and get serious, GAINDA exits Music fades out)
BIBI
But…why all this?
(BIBI is seen to play around with no playfulness, slowly her actions also
slow down signifying her interest in anything to be lost, except in being
a bride. BIBI sees MEWARAM enter and starts rolling on sand)
MEWARAM
tch… tch… Bibi , why are you wallowing in dirt? Get up! Quick! Get up or I will tell
Bhaiya that you’re spoiling your dress. Will you get up or…

BIBI
Pig! Who the hell are you?... Take this…
(BIBI throws a pebble at MEWARAM)
MEWARAM
Hey… Just wait! I’ll get you nicely whacked. She wanders all afternoon in the scorching
sun and rolls in dirt. Try to stop her and…
(MEWA signs after getting hit by the pebble and limps away from the
stage)
BIBI
This Mewaram is hopeless bloke. Never has a good word for me. As though he’s the
only man around! This is the right punishment for such a fellow!

12 | P a g e
 (Fade out, There are series of events happening throughout fade in of
light and fade out showing that due to negligence of everyone BIBI gets
rebellious and a lady comes and takes her away. Full blackout

ACT 2
VOICE OVER
(After two years BIBI comes back from her aunt’s place and gets to
know that everything changed. Bhaiya has been sent to Delhi, Mewa
died due to pneumonia and Gainda had a baby. Fade in light on half
stage with BIBI)
BIBI
Gainda’s child!!!! But how?
(Fade into the other part of the stage GAINDA looks even more
tattered and a malnourished baby playing beside GAINDA. GAINDA
is scared to hear someone enter but looked relieved after seeing it was
BIBI)
BIBI
Ai, how tiny he is! What a little darling. Let me hold the baby
(GAINDA looks away from BIBI)
BIBI
You’re crying?(voice chocked) Such a darling of a baby, and you’re crying! Give him to
me
(GAINDA shows no sign of picking up the baby and starts crying. BIBI
tried to pick the baby but is hesitant)

13 | P a g e
 BIBI
Oh Gainda, please lift him for me
(GAINDA wipes her tears, picks her baby up effortlessly, and just looks
at BIBI, she looks a little assured now and continue to keep on looking
at BIBI GAINDA and BIBI holding the baby sit on gunny sack)
GAINDA
Bibi I was only fourteen or fifteen when Lallu was born, even I was not able to
understand what was happening around, I just knew that I was getting beaten by for
months and wasn’t given any food. Why is that when Bahu had that black-coal child
who died in few days, everyone sung and danced and they shoved jaggery and ghee
down her gullet, but I had to suffer even after a beautiful baby boy, Bahu cursed that if
Lalu had died it would have left them at peace (breaks down crying) I tied a black string
around Lallu’s ankle to ward of such evil things that everyone says. Now Bhaiya doesn’t
even come during the holidays.
BIBI
He’ll come this time. Last year he had gone down to Mussoorie
GAINDA
(looking hopeful)
Bibi, will you write to him?
BIBI
Sure
GAINDA
Will you tell him that Lallu sends his salaam and remember him often?

14 | P a g e
 BIBI
Yes
GAINDA
And…that…he must bring a red vest for him like the one Basanti’s son wears
BIBI
Look, Gainda…how he nibbles…
GAINDA
He’s hungry
BIBI
Feed him, or he’ll start crying
(BIBI hands the baby to GAINDA, she starts breastfeeding the baby,
and lights fade out)

15 | P a g e