LIGHTS OUT

62 I Manjula Padmanabhan Lights Out I 63

NAINA. Most people don't just stand around taking pictures! SURINDER: What're you saying!
'They all ignore her. NAINA: They've all gone!
SURINDER: I still think we should beat them up - LEELA: (disappointedly) Oh!Then it must be over for tonight!
All right. First the pictures, then the beating up. The lights cut out quickly. The cast moves aside to afford an unimpede
shakes her head to herselfand looks towards the window. view of the curtain over the window. On the curtain thefollowing b
messages are projected:
BHASKER. Well, if we're beating them up,then I think I have just
the thing - some steel rods. D'you think they'll be of "This play is based on an eyewitness account. The incident to p
any use? in Santa Cruz, Bombay, 1982.

SURINDER: First class! "The characters are fictional. The incident is a fact.
"In real life, as in the play, a group of ordinary middle cla P ^
looks m She gets up and goes to the window. She chose to stand and watch while a woman was being rut
on her fa the group, with a curious expression neighbouring compound.
talking ^^ ^^rtains and returns to where the rest are still "In real life, as in the play, the incident took place over a p
MOHAN: But RKosker,
1 t_how good is your camera? weeks.

BHASKER: Perfp..
zoom-shoom, focus-pocus!
"And in reallife, as in the play, no one went to the aid ofthe
MOHAN: And a flash? We'U need one in this light. Each slide stays on for aboutfire seconds. slowly
««ASKE1. Yes. that too. Leela? (Appeared, the cast has exited. The last slide ts e
it fills over with red, till the lettering is quite obhtera
LEELA: • ,
^ nay cupboard! The theatre lights come on abruptly There is no cu
: then it's decided- note
MOHAN: Hn.
SIIDIX there? ere, thc altemutive Isi
SURINDER: We can take mv fn case a slide projector is difficult to arran
' my car -
UAINA: v.. ct he over for tonight!
LEELA: (disappointedly) Oh! Then it mu
fn pxit From outside the
MOHAN: Why- The theatre lights dim, and the cast startj
NAINA: You'
'Window, the harsh bright light remains a in a quiet, unemotional
The text ofthe slides is heard as a voice o
towards ^ window)
^^^^^"^tng's
There's nostopped,
one left{she
out there. tone, with distinct pauses between eac