SCENE 6 — THE BREAK: PUT IT OUT
(SUBHAS is suddenly practical—too practical. MANTU moves to obey.)
SUBHAS:
Pack everything.
Cover the food.
Snuff the candles.
MANTU:
Borda—
SUBHAS (hard):
Do it.
(MANTU begins. Candle by candle. The room darkens. Each flame dying is a beat. SUBHAS watches like it’s punishment he ordered for himself.)
SUBHAS (to audience):
It isn’t the empty room that hurts.
It’s the room you prepared.
(A plate is covered. A chair is pushed in. A cloth is folded. The celebration collapses into ordinary objects.)
MANTU (quiet):
You should eat something, Borda.
SUBHAS:
Don’t.
(MANTU finishes. Only the desk lamp remains.)
SUBHAS:
Leave me. I will write.
MANTU:
I’ll stay nearby, Borda.
SUBHAS:
Do what you want. Just… don’t speak.
(MANTU retreats to the edge, not intrusive.)