SCENE 4 — SWAYAMPRABHA’S EMOTIONAL OUTBURST, RECONCILIATION, AND APOLOGY
CHARACTERS
- SWAYAMPRABHA
- ARUNDHUTI
- SUBHO
- SURJYA
- CHAT VOICE (BODHISATWA)
SETTING
SWAYAMPRABHA’s home. Morning rush. Kitchen-living room. Lunchboxes, kettle, ironing board. Phone on table charging.
SFX: pressure cooker whistle, spoon clink, ceiling fan, distant street vendor.
(Lights up. SWYAMPRABHA is already moving—chopping, stirring, packing.)
PHONE (SFX): ARUNDHUTI CALLING…
(SWYAMPRABHA hits “silent.” The call stops. She doesn’t exhale.)
SURJYA
Ma, I’m leaving.
SWAYAMPRABHA
Call when you reach.
SURJYA
Okay.
SUBHO (clears his throat.)
I’m leaving.
SWAYAMPRABHA
Will you come for lunch?
SUBHO
No. I’ll eat outside.
(They exit one by one. The door closes. The house becomes silent too fast.)
SFX: Messenger “ding.”
(SWYAMPRABHA lifts the phone slowly, like lifting a stone.)
CHAT VOICE (BODHISATWA)
You have not responded since yesterday.
Is everything alright with you and your family?
SWYAMPRABHA (types aloud—heat rising.)
Why say it now, BODHISATWA?
You say “loved” like a polite memory—
like a label next to your sculpture.
CHAT VOICE (BODHISATWA)
Did I upset you?
SWYAMPRABHA (typing faster, spilling)
Not at all. Why should you?
I hate you.
I hated you then. I hate you more now.
(She hits send. Immediately—doorbell, sharp.)
SFX: doorbell.
(SWYAMPRABHA tosses the phone onto the sofa like it burned her. She opens the door. ARUNDHUTI stands there—breathless, hair slightly messy, worry in her eyes. Phone in hand like evidence of missed calls.)
ARUNDHUTI
Is everything alright with you?
I called—no response!
What happened?
SWAYAMPRABHA
I fought with him again.
I was tired and his message came—
and… I exploded.
ARUNDHUTI
What did you say?
SWYAMPRABHA (sits, gestures to the phone.)
You can read.
(ARUNDHUTI picks up the phone, scrolls. Her face tightens at “I hate you.” She looks at SWAYAMPRABHA—sympathy mixed with scolding.)
ARUNDHUTI
You went too far.
SWAYAMPRABHA
Yesterday Subho read everything.
Surjya fought with him.
The whole house became a court.
I never wanted this.
ARUNDHUTI
And BODHISATWA got the blast of all that.
SWAYAMPRABHA
I don’t know how to handle this.
ARUNDHUTI (sits close, takes her hand.)
You can block BODHISATWA forever.
SWAYAMPRABHA
I found something—meaning.
Beyond being a wife… beyond being a mother.
And that scares me.
If I keep him, I ruin my house.
If I block him, I go back to… only…
ARUNDHUTI
Stop punishing yourself.
SWAYAMPRABHA
But I did something wrong.
I let feelings come out.
And now Subho thinks—
thinks I’m—
ARUNDHUTI
I know what he thinks.
You are not doing anything wrong by reconnecting with an old friend.
(SWYAMPRABHA looks unconvinced.)
ARUNDHUTI (contd.)
If BODHISATWA said everything—
Atlanta, London, daughter, sculptures—
but did not say “I loved you once”…
would you react like this?
(SWYAMPRABHA is silent. That silence answers.)
ARUNDHUTI (contd.)
So why are you punishing him and yourself for one statement?
SWAYAMPRABHA
Because it shook me.
ARUNDHUTI
Yes. It shook your buried feelings.
He is not demanding anything.
It was a confession from the past.
SWAYAMPRABHA
But it broke my house.
ARUNDHUTI
Your house was already carrying unspoken things—
This message didn’t create all that.
It just got exposed.
SWYAMPRABHA (wipes her eyes—angry at tears.)
And Subho?
ARUNDHUTI
Subho is a separate fight.
You don’t solve that by burning BODHISATWA.
SWYAMPRABHA (a beat. nods.)
I should apologize to BODHISATWA.
ARUNDHUTI
Yes.
Not because you’re guilty.
Because you were unfair.
ARUNDHUTI (checks her watch, stands.)
I’ll go now.
I’ll call you later. This time—pick up.
(She squeezes SWAYAMPRABHA’s shoulder and exits.)
(SWYAMPRABHA sits alone, stares at the chat thread, takes a long breath, types.)
SWYAMPRABHA (typing aloud)
BODHISATWA… I’m sorry for being rude and unjust.
(She swallows—adds the truth.)
When I found you,
all my memories came together.
It flooded me.
I got overwhelmed.
I spoke unfairly.
I’m sorry.
(pause)
I hope I didn’t offend you.
I don’t want to hurt you.
(She hits send.)
(Lights dim slowly.)