SCENE (9) – THE CROWNING AND THE CITY
Setting:
- The throne room. Torches blaze brighter than before.
- The throne is bare. The air is expectant, volatile.
- (IMAM stands at the center—alone, uncertain.)
- (GANESH stands a step below the throne.)
- (TRIPURA SUNDARI DEVI stands composed.)
- (PHULJANI stands beside Ganesh—present, alert, measured.)
IMAM
By what right—
(Before he can finish, loud footsteps echo.)
(A group of HINDU PRIESTS enter the royal hall uninvited. The lead PRIEST carries an old crown wrapped in cloth.)
PRIEST
Enough of borrowed tongues in this hall.
IMAM
This is a consecrated space—
PRIEST
Consecrated by whom? By outsiders who renamed our land?
IMAM
You speak with insolence.
PRIEST
And you ruled with silence.
(The Priest steps closer, deliberately invading the Imam’s space.)
PRIEST
This throne no longer requires your permission.
IMAM
This coronation violates—
PRIEST
—your comfort. Not our memory.
(The Priest turns to Ganesh, unwraps the crown.)
PRIEST
Raja Ganesh, son of this soil—We place upon you the crown that waited while history was occupied.
(He lifts the crown high. He places the crown on GANESH’s head.)
PRIEST
Rule.
IMAM
This hall was never meant for this.
PRIEST
No. It was meant for correction.
(to IMAM)
Leave.
IMAM
This insult will not be forgotten.
PRIEST
Good. Memory has finally returned.
(IMAM exits—slow, dignified, wounded.)
(GANESH stands crowned. He does not smile.)
HINDU RADICAL
This land is ours—outsiders must leave!
MUSLIM MERCHANT
We were born here!
RADICAL VOICE (Offstage)
The Adina Mosque—tear it down!
(Chanting overlaps with screams. Flames rise.)
(GANESH stands alone now. The noise reaches him.)
(GANESH looks toward where PHULJANI was seating. He finds PHULJANI’s seat is empty and she is nowhere.)
GANESH
Find Begum Phuljani.
(A guard hesitates.)
Now.
(The court breaks apart, pulled toward the sound of fire.)
(The Adina Mosque is seen in a corner of the stage.)
(Torches. Crowds pressing in from all sides.)
HINDU RADICALS
MUSLIM CLERICS & MERCHANTS
BUDDHIST MONKS
ROYAL SOLDIERS
COMMONERS
(Noise. Shouting. Chanting.)
HINDU LEADER
(pointing to the structure)
This place was stolen!
MUSLIM CLERIC
That place was a ruin when Sikandar Shah built this mosque.
HINDU LEADER
You destroyed our temple.
HINDU RADICAL
Carved stones taken from our gods!
MUSLIM CLERIC
This is a mosque—sanctified by prayer for generations!
HINDU LEADER
Generations of occupation!
MUSLIM MERCHANT
My grandfather prayed here. My father prayed here. Where should my son pray?
HINDU RADICAL
Anywhere but stolen ground!
(A BUDDHIST MONK steps forward, voice calm but firm.)
BUDDHIST MONK
Before mosque. Before temple.
This land was ours first. A Jagaddala Mahavihar stood here.
SECOND MONK
Our pillars were reused. Our stones renamed.
BUDDHIST MONK
History buried us quietly.
HINDU PRIEST
Land decides memory!
MUSLIM CLERIC
Memory does not justify expulsion!
HINDU PRIEST
Then leave peacefully!
MUSLIM WOMAN
Peacefully? They dragged my husband from prayer!
SOLDIER
Orders!
CROWD (HINDU RADICALS)
Break it down! Reclaim it!
CROWD (MUSLIMS)
Protect it! This is our home!
BUDDHIST MONKS
This was ours before you both!
(Torches are raised. Stones lifted.)
GANESH ARRIVES
(A horn. Soldiers part the crowd.)
(RAJA GANESH enters—unarmored, crowned.)
(Silence ripples unevenly.)
GANESH
Stop.
(The shouting falters—but does not end.)
HINDU RADICAL LEADER
This is Hindu land now!
GANESH
This is ruined land trying to decide what it remembers.
MUSLIM CLERIC
Will you protect us?
GANESH
I will protect order.
HINDU RADICAL
We waited centuries!
GANESH
And learned nothing but how to wait for revenge.
MUSLIM MERCHANT
Tell us plainly—will this mosque stand?
(Ganesh looks at the walls, the arches, the sky.)
GANESH
This place will not be decided by mobs.
HINDU PRIEST
Then by whom?
GANESH
By law.
HINDU RADICAL
Your law or theirs?
(Ganesh cannot answer immediately.)
(A stone is thrown. It hits the wall—crack.)
MUSLIM CLERIC
They are destroying it!
GANESH
STOP!
(No one listens.)
(At the edge of the crowd, PHULJANI watches—unseen.)
(She turns away.)
GANESH
(to a CAPTAIN)
Fire answers fire. But faith answers differently.
CAPTAIN
What are your orders?
GANESH
Find Nur Qutb Alam.
I need a language stronger than swords.
(Another stone hits. Dust rises.)
(Chaos overlaps. Cries. Chanting. Flames.)
(The mosque stands—scarred but upright.)
(Crowds still shouting.)
(Above them all—the broken arch framing the sky.)
BLACKOUT
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