Hayavadana_GirishKarnad.pdf

HAYAVADANA NOTE Hayavadana was originally written in Kannada and I m ust express my thanks to the Homi Bhabha Fellowships Council for the fellowship which enabled me to write the play. The central episode in the play—the story of Devadatta and Kapila— is based on a tale from the Kathasaritsagara, b u t I have drawn heavily on Thomas M ann’s reworking of the tale in The Transposed Heads and am grateful to Mrs Mann for permission to do so. My special thanks are also due to Mr Rajinder Paul who persuaded me to translate the play into English and first published this translation in his journal, Enact. In translating this play, I have not tried to be consistent while rendering the songs into English. Some have been put in a loose verse form while, for others, only a straightforward prose version has been given. G ir is h K a r n a d Hayavadana was first presented in English by the Madras Players at the Museum Theatre, Madras on 7 December 1972. The cast was as follows: S. R a m a c h a n d e r The Bhagavata A.V. D h a n u s h k o d i Actor I/Devadatta S. K r i s h n a s w a m y Hayavadana E. R a g h u k u m a r Actor II/Kapila A. R a t n a p a p a Padmini VlSHALAM EKAMBARAM Doll I Bh a g ir a t h i N a ra y a n a n Doll II L a k s h m i K r is h n a m u r t y Kali A m a n M it t a l Child Directed by L a k s h m i K r is h n a m u r t y Ya m u n a P r a b h u Music by B.V. K a r a n t h for S_____ Act One The stage is empty except for a chair, kept centre-stage, and a table on stage right— or at the back— on which the Bhagavata and the musicians sit. A t the beginning of the performance, a mask o f Ganesha is brought on stage and kept on the chair. Pooja is done. The Bhagavata sings verses in praise o f Ganesha, accompanied by his musicians. Then the mask is taken away. O Elephant-headed Herambha whose flag is victory and who shines like a thousand suns, O husband of Riddhi and Siddhi, seated on a mouse and decorated with a snake, O single-tusked destroyer of incompleteness, we pay homage to you and start our play. BHAGAVATA: May Vighneshwara, the destroyer of obstacles, who removes all hurdles and crowns all endeavours with success, bless our performance now. How indeed can one hope to describe his glory in our poor, disabled words? An elephant’s head on a hum an body, a broken tusk and a cracked belly— whichever way you look at him he seems the em bodim ent of imperfection, of incompleteness. How indeed can one fathom the mystery that this very Vakratunda-Mahakaya, with his 106 HAYAVADANA crooked face and distorted body, is the Lord and M aster of Success and Perfection? Could it be that this Image o f Purity and Holiness, this Mangalamoorty, intends to signify by his very appearance that the completeness of God is something no poor m ortal can comprehend? Be that as it may. It is not for us to understand this Mystery or try to unravel it. Nor is it within our powers to do so. Our duty is merely to pay homage to the Elephant-headed god and get on w ith our play. This is the city of Dharmapura, ruled by King Dharmasheela whose fame and empire have already reached the ends of the eight directions. Two youths who dwell in this city are our heroes. One is Devadatta. Comely in appearance, fair in colour, unrivalled in intelligence, Devadatta is the only son of the Revered Brahmin, Vidyasagara. Having felled the mightiest pundits o f the kingdom in debates on logic and love, having blinded the greatest poets of the world w ith his poetry and wit, Devadatta is as it were the apple of every eye in Dharmapura. The other youth is Kapila. He is the only son of the ironsm ith, Lohita, who is to the King’s arm oury as an axle to the chariotwheel. He is dark and plain to look at, yet in deeds which require drive and daring, in dancing, in strength and in physical skills, he has no equal. (A scream o f terror is heard off-stage. The Bhagavata frowns, quickly looks in the direction o f the scream, then carries on.) The world wonders at their friendship. The world sees these two young men wandering down the streets of Dharm apura, hand in hand, and remembers Lava and Kusha, Rama and Lakshmana, Krishna and Balarama. (Sings.) Two friends there were —one m ind, one heart— (The scream is heard again. The Bhagavata cannot ignore it any more.) Who could that be— creating a disturbance at the very outset ACT ONE 107 of our performance? (Looks.) Oh— It’s Nata, our Actor. And he is running. What could have happened, I wonder? (The Actor comes running in, trembling with fear. He rushes on to the stage, runs round the stage once, then sees the Bhagavata and grabs him.) ACTOR: Sir, Bhagavata sir— BHAGAVATA (trying to free himself): Tut! Tut! W hat’s this? W hat’s this? a c to r: S ir...o h my God!— God!— Let me go! I tell you, let go of me! b h a g a v a ta : (Freeing himself.) Now what’s this? W h a t... ACTOR: I— I— I— Oh God! (Grabs him again.) Let me go! b h a g a v a ta : (The Actor moves back.) W hat nonsense is this? W hat do you mean by all this shouting and screaming? In front of our audience too! How dare you d istu rb... ACTOR: Please, please, I’m— so rry... But— b u t... BHAGAVATA (more calmly): Now, now, calm down! There’s nothing to be afraid of here. I am here. The musicians are here. And there is our large-hearted audience. It may be that they fall asleep during a play sometimes. But they are ever alert when someone is in trouble. Now, tell us, what’s the matter? ACTOR (panting): Oh— Oh— My h e a rt... It’s going to b u rs t... BHAGAVATA: Sit down! Sit. Right! Now tell me everything quietly, slowly. I was on my way h ere... I was already late... didn’t want a c to r: to annoy y o u... So I was hurrying down w h en...O h h ! (Covers his face with his hands.) BHAGAVATA: Yes, yes. You were hurrying down. Then? ACTOR: I’m shivering! On the w ay... you see... I had drunk a lot 108 HAYAVADANA of water this m o rn in g... my stomach was fu ll... so to relieve m yself... BHAGAVATA: Watch what you are saying! Remember you are on stage... ACTOR: I didn’t do anything! I only wanted to...s o I sat by the side of the road—and was about to pull up my dhoti w h en... BHAGAVATA: Yes? ACTOR: A voice— a deep, thick voice... It said: ‘Hey, you there— don’t you know you are not supposed to commit nuisance on the main road?’ BHAGAVATA: Quite right too. You should have known th at much. ACTOR: I half got up and looked around. Not a man in sight— no one! So I was about to sit down again when the same voice said... BHAGAVATA: Yes? ACTOR: ‘You irresponsible fellow you, can’t you understand you are not to commit nuisance on the main road?’ I looked up. And there— right in front of me— across the fence... BHAGAVATA: Who w a s there? ACTOR: A h o rse ! BHAGAVATA: What? ACTOR: A horse! And it was talking. BHAGAVATA: What did you have to drink this morning? ACTOR: Nothing, I swear. Bhagavata sir, I haven’t been near a toddy-shop for a whole week. I didn’t even have milk today. BHAGAVATA: Perhaps your liver is sensitive to water. ACTOR (desperate): Please believe me. I saw it clearly— it was a horse— and it was talking. (resigned): It’s no use continuing this nonsense. So b h a g a v a ta you saw a talking horse? Good. Now go and get m ade u p... ACT ONE 109 ACTOR: Made up? I fall to your feet, sir, I can’t... BHAGAVATA: Now look h e re... ACTOR: Please, s ir... (He holds up his hand. I t’s trembling.) You see, sir? How can I hold up a sword with this? How can I fight? BHAGAVATA (thinks): Well then. There’s only one solution left. You go b ac k... ACTOR: Back? BHAGAVATA:...b a c k to that fence, have another look and make sure for yourself that whoever was talking, it couldn’t have been that horse. ACTOR: No! BHAGAVATA: N ata... ACTOR: I c a n ’t! BHAGAVATA: It’s a n o r d e r. a c to r (pleading): Must I? BHAGAVATA: Yes, you must. ACTOR: S ir... (The Bhagavata turns to the audience and starts singing.) BHAGAVATA: Two friends there were — one mind, one heart— Are you still here? (The Actor goes out looking at the Bhagavata, hoping for a last minute reprieve. It doesn’t come.) Poor boy! God alone knows what he saw— and what he took it to be! There’s Truth for y o u... Pure Illusion. (Sings.) Two friends there were — one mind, one heart— (A scream in the wings. The Actor comes rushing in.) Now look h ere... ACTOR: It’s coming. C om ing... 110 HAYAVADANA BHAGAVATA: W hat’s coming? ACTOR: Him! He’s com ing... (Rushes out.) BHAGAVATA: Him? It? W hat’s coming? Whatever or whoever it is, the Actor has obviously been frightened by its sight. If even a hardened actor like him gets frightened, it’s more than likely that our gentle audience may be affected too. It’s not proper to let such a sight walk on stage unchallenged. (To the wings.) Hold up the entry-curtain! (Two stage-hands enter and hold up a half-curtain, about six feet in height— the sort o f curtain used in Yakshatgana or Kathakali. The curtain masks the entry o f Hayavadana, who comes and stands behind it.) W ho’s that? (No reply. Only the sound of someone sobbing behind the curtain.) How strange! Someone’s sobbing behind the curtain. It looks as though the Terror which frightened our Actor is itself now crying! (To the stage-hand.) Lower the curtain! (The curtain is lowered by about a foot. One sees Hayavadana’s head, which is covered by a veil. A t a sign from the Bhagavata, one o f the stage-hands removes the veil, revealing a horse’s head. For a while the horse-head doesn’t realize that it is exposed to the gaze o f the audience. The moment the realization dawns, the head ducks behind the curtain.) BHAGAVATA: A horse! No, it can’t be! (He makes a sign. The curtain is lowered a little more—ju st enough to show the head again. Again it ducks. Again the curtain is lowered. This goes on till the curtain is lowered right down to the floor. Hayavadana, who has a man’s body but a horse’s head, is sitting on the floor hiding his head between his knees.) Incredible! Unbelievable! (At a sign from the Bhagavata, the stage-hands withdraw. The Bhagavata goes and stands near Hayavadana. Then he grunts to himself as though he has seen through the trick.) ACT ONE 111 Who are you? (Hayavadana lifts his head, and wipes the tears away. The Bhagavata beckons to him to come centre-stage.) Come here! (Hayavadana hesitates, then comes forward.) First you go around scaring people with this stupid mask. And then you have the cheek to disturb our show with your clowning? Have you no sense of proportion?... Enough of this nonsense now. Take it off—I say, take off that stupid mask! (Hayavadana doesn’t move.) You won’t?— Then I’ll have to do it myself! (Holds Hayavadana’s head with both his hands and tries to pull it off. Hayavadana doesn’t resist.) It is tight. Nata— My dear A ctor... (The Actor comes in, warily, and stands open-mouthed at the sight he sees.) Why are you standing there? Don’t you see you were taken in by a silly mask? Come and help me take it off now. (The Actor comes and holds Hayavadana by his waist while the Bhagavata pulls at the head. Hayavadana offers no resistance, but can’t help moaning when the pain becomes unbearable. The tug-of- war continues for a while. Slowly, the truth dawns on the Bhagavata.) Nata, this isn’t a mask! It’s his real head! (The Actor drops Hayavadana with a thud. Hayavadana gets up and sits as before, head between knees.) Truly, surprises will never cease! If someone had told me only five m inutes ago that there existed a man with a horse’s head, I would have laughed out in his face. (To Hayavadana.) Who are you? (Hayavadana gets up and starts to go out. The Actor hurriedly moves out o f his way.) Wait! Wait! That’s our green room there. It’s bad enough that you scared this actor. We have a play to perform today, you know. 112 HAYAVADANA (Hayavadana stands, dejected.) (Softly.) Who are you? (No reply.) W hat brought you to this? Was it a curse of some rishii Or was it some holy place of pilgrimage, a punyasthana, which you desecrated? Or could it be that you insulted a pativrata, dedicated to the service of her husband? O r did y o u... HAYAVADANA: H ey... b h a g a v a ta (taken aback): Eh? hayavadana: What do you mean, Sir? Do you think just because you know the Puranas you can go about showering your Sanskrit on everyone in sight? W hat temple did I desecrate? What woman did I insult? W h a t... BHAGAVATA: Don’t get annoyed... hayavadana: W hat else? W hat rishii W hat sage? What? Whom have I wronged? What have I done to anyone? Let anyone come forward and say that I’ve caused him or her any harm. I haven’t— I know I haven’t. Y et... (He is on the point o f beginning to sob again.) BHAGAVATA: Don’t take it to heart so much. W hat happened? W hat’s your grief? You are not alone here. I am here. The musicians are here. And there is our large-hearted audience. It may be that they fall asleep during a play som etim es... hayavadana: W hat can anyone do? It’s my fate. b h a g a v a ta : W hat’s your name? HAYAVADANA: Hayavadana. BHAGAVATA: How did you get this horse’s head? HAYAVADANA: I was born with it. Then why didn’t you stop us when we tried to take b h a g a v a ta : if off? Why did you put up with our torture? ACT ONE 113 hayavadana: All my life I’ve been trying to get rid of this head. I thought—you with all your goodness and punya... if at least you manage to pull it o ff... Oho! Poor man! But, Hayavadana, what can anyone b h a g a v a ta : do about a head one’s born with? Who knows what error com m itted in the last birth is responsi... HAYAVADANA (annoyed): It has nothing to do with my last birth. It’s this birth which I can’t shake off. BHAGAVATA: Tell us what happened. Don’t feel ashamed. hayavadana (enraged): Ashamed? Me? Why should I... BHAGAVATA: Sorry. I beg your pardon. I should have said ‘shy’. HAYAVADANA (gloomy): It’s a long story. BHAGAVATA: Carry on. hayavadana: My m other was the Princess of Karnataka. She was a very beautiful girl. When she came of age, her father decided that she should choose her own husband. So princes o f every kingdom in the world were invited— and they all came. From China, from Persia, from Africa. But she didn’t like any o f them. The last one to come was the Prince of Araby. My m other took one look at that handsome prince sitting on his great white stallion— and she fainted. ACTOR: Ah! HAYAVADANA: Her father at once decided that this was the man. All arrangem ents for the wedding were made. My m other recovered— and do you know what she said? ACTOR, BHAGAVATA: What? HAYAVADANA: She said she would only m arry that horse! ACTOR: What? HAYAVADANA: Yes. She w ouldn’t listen to anyone. The Prince of Araby burst a blood-vessel. A CTOR: Naturally. 114 HAYAVADANA hayavadana: No one could dissuade her. So ultimately she was m arried off to the white stallion. She lived with him for fifteen years. One morning she wakes up— and no horse! In its place stood a beautiful Celestial Being, a gandharva. Apparently this Celestial Being had been cursed by the god Kubera to be born a horse for some act of misbehaviour. After fifteen years of human love he had become his original self again. b h a g a v a ta : I must admit several such cases are on record. hayavadana: Released from his curse, he asked my m other to accompany him to his Heavenly Abode. But she wouldn’t. She said she would come only if he became a horse again. So he cursed h e r... ACTOR: No! hayavadana: He cursed her to become a horse herself. So my m other became a horse and ran away prancing happily. My father went back to his Heavenly Abode. Only I—the child o f their marriage—was left behind. b h a g a v a ta : It’s a sad story. ACTOR: Very s a d. HAYAVADANA: W hat should I do now, Bhagavata Sir? W hat can I do to get rid of this head? BHAGAVATA: Hayavadana, what’s w ritten on our foreheads cannot be altered. HAYAVADANA (slapping himself on the forehead): But what a forehead! W hat a forehead! If it was a forehead like yours, I would have accepted anything. But this!... I have tried to accept my fate. My personal life has naturally been blameless. So I took interest in the social life of the Nation— Civics, Politics, Patriotism, Nationalism, Indianization, the Socialist Pattern of Society... I have tried everything. But where’s my society? Where? You must help me to become a complete man, Bhagavata Sir. But how? W hat can I do? ACT ONE 115 (Long silence. They think.) b h a g a v a ta : Banaras? HAYAVADANA: What? BHAGAVATA: If you go to Banaras and make a vow in front of the god th e re... HAYAVADANA: I’ve tried that. Didn’t work. BHAGAVATA: Rameshwaram? HAYAVADANA: Banaras, Rameshwaram, Gokarn, Haridwar, Gaya, Kedarnath— not only those but the Dargah of Khwaja Yusuf Baba, the Grotto of O ur Virgin Mary— I’ve tried them all. Magicians, mendicants, maharshis, fakirs, saints and sadhus— sadhus with short hair, sadhus with beards— sadhus in saffron, sadhus in the altogether— hanging, singing, rotating, gyrating— on the spikes, in the air, under water, under the ground— I’ve covered them all. And what did I get out of all this? Everywhere I went I had to cover my head with a veil— and I started going bald. {Pause. Shyly.) You know, I hate this head, but I just can’t help being fond of this lovely, long m ane. (Pause.) So— I had to give the miss to Tirupati. (Long silence.) BHAGAVATA: Come to think of it, Hayavadana, why don’t you try the Kali of M ount Chitrakoot? HAYAVADANA: Anything you say. BHAGAVATA: It’s temple at the top of M ount Chitrakoot. The goddess there is famous for being ever-awake to the call of the devotees. Thousands used to flock to her temple once. No one goes now, though. HAYAVADANA: Why not? BHAGAVATA: She used to give anything anyone asked for. As the people became aware of this, they stopped going. HAYAVADANA: Fools! BHAGAVATA: Why don’t you try her? 116 HAYAVADANA HAYAVADANA (jumps up): Why not? I’ll start at o n c e... Good. But I don’t think you should go alone. It’s a b h a g a v a ta : wild road. You’ll have to ask a lot of people, which won’t be easy for you. S o... (To the Actor.) You’d better go with him. a c to r: Me? BHAGAVATA: Yes, that way you can make up for having insulted him. HAYAVADANA: But, Bhagavata Sir, may I point out that his roadside m anners... ACTOR: There! He’s insulting me now! Let him find his own way. W hat do I care? Come, come, don’t let’s start fighting now. (To b h a g a v a ta : Hayavadana.) D on’t worry. There’s no highway there. Only a cart-track at best. (To the Actor.) You’ve no reason to feel insulted. Actually you should admire him. Even in his dire need, he doesn’t lose his civic sense. Be off now. hayavadana (to the Actor): Please, don’t get upset. I won’t bother you, I promise. (To the Bhagavata.) I am most g rateful... (blessing him): May you become successful in your b h a g a v a ta search for completeness. (The two go.) Each one to his own fate. Each one to his own desire. Each one to his own luck. Let’s now tu rn to our story. (He starts singing. The following is a prose rendering o f the song.) BHAGAVATA (sings): Two friends there were— one m ind, one heart. They saw a girl and forgot themselves. But they could not understand the song she sang. FEMALE CHORUS (sings): Why should love stick to the sap of a single body? When the stem is drunk with the thick yearning ACT ONE 117 of the many-petalled, many-flowered lantana, why should it be tied down to the relation of a single flower? BHAGAVATA (sings): They forgot themselves and took off their bodies. And she took the laughing heads, and held them high so the pouring blood bathed her, coloured her red. Then she danced around and sang. f e m a l e CHORUS(sings): A head for each breast. A pupil for each eye. A side for each arm. I have neither regret nor shame. The blood pours into the earth and a song branches out in the sky. (Devadatta enters and sits on the chair. He is a slender, rather good- looking person with a fair complexion. He is lost in thought. Kapila enters. He is powerfully built and darker.) k a p ila (even as he is entering): Devadatta, why didn’t you come to the gymnasium last evening? I’d asked you to. It was such f u n ,,, d e v a d a tta (preoccupied): Some work. Really, you should have come. The wrestler from Gandhara— k a p ila : he’s one of India’s greatest, you know— he came. Nanda and I were wrestling when he arrived. He watched us. When I caught Nanda in a crocodile-hold, he first burst into applause and sa id... (Notices that Devadatta isn’t listening and stops. Pause.) DEVADATTA (waking up): Then? KAPILA: Then what? DEVADATTA (flustered): I m e an...w h at did Nanda do? KAPILA: He played the flute. DEVADATTA (more confused): N o...I m e an...y o u were saying som ething about the wrestler from Gandhara, weren’t you? KAPILA: He wrestled with me for a few minutes, patted me on the back and said, ‘You’ll go far.’ DEVADATTA: T hat’s nice. 118 HAYAVADANA KAPILA: Yes, it is... W ho’s it this time? d e v a d a tta : What do you mean? KAPILA: I mean— who— is— it— this— time? DEVADATTA: W hat do you mean who? KAPILA: I mean— who is the girl? DEVADATTA: No one. (Pause.) How did you guess? KAPILA: My dear friend, I have seen you fall in love fifteen times in the last two years. How could I not guess? d e v a d a tta : Kapila, if you’ve come to make fun of m e... KAPILA: I am not making fun of you. Every time, you have been the first to tell me about it. Why so reticent this time? DEVADATTA: How can you even talk of them in the same breath as her? Before her, they’re a s... KAPILA:...a s stars before the moon, as the glow-worms before a torch. Yes, yes, that’s been so fifteen times too. (exploding): Why don’t you go home? You are d e v a d a tta becoming a bore. k a p ila : Don’t get annoyed. Please. DEVADATTA: You call yourself my friend. But you haven’t under stood me at all. KAPILA: And have you understood me? No, you haven’t. Or you wouldn’t get angry like this. D on’t you know I would do anything for you? Jump into a well— or walk into fire? Even my parents aren’t as close to me as you are. I would leave them this m inute if you asked me to. DEVADATTA (irritated): D on’t start on that now. You’ve said it fifty times already. k a p ila :... And I’ll say it again. If it wasn’t for you I would have been no better^han the ox in our yard. You showed me that there were such things as poetry and literature. You taught m e... ACT ONE 119 DEVADATTA: Why don’t you go home? All I wanted was to be by myself for a day. Alone. And you had to come and start your chatter. W hat do you know of poetry and literature? Go back to your smithy—th at’s where you belong. KAPILA (hurt): Do you really want me to go? DEVADATTA: Yes. KAPILA: All right. If that’s what you want. (He starts to go.) DEVADATTA: Sit down. (This is o f course exactly what Kapila wants. He sits down on the floor.) And don’t speak... (Devadatta gets down on the floor to sit beside Kapila. Kapila at once leaps up and gestures to Devadatta to sit on the chair. Devadatta shakes his head but Kapila insists, pulls him up by his arm. Devadatta gets up.) You are a pest. (Sits on the chair. Kapila sits down on the ground happily. A long pause.) DEVADATTA (slowly): How can I describe her, Kapila? Her forelocks rival the bees, her face is... (All this is fam iliar to Kapila and he joins in, with great enjoyment.) BOTH:...is a white lotus. Her beauty is as the magic lake. Her arm s the lotus creepers. Her breasts are golden urns and her w aist... DEVADATTA: No. No! KAPILA: Eh? DEVADATTA: I was blind all these days. I deceived myself that I understood poetry. I didn’t. I understood nothing. Tanvee shyama— BO TH :...shikharidashanapakvabimbadharoshthee—Madhyekshama chakitaharinee prekshana nimnanabhih. 120 HAYAVADANA The Shyama Nayika— born of Kalidasa’s magic d e v a d a tta : description— as Vatsyayana had dream t her. Kapila, in a single appearance, she has become my guru in the poetry of love. Do you think she would ever assent to becoming my disciple in love itself? k a p ila (aside): This is n ew ! (his eyes shining): If only she would consent to be my d e v a d a tta Muse, I could outshine Kalidasa. I’d always wanted to do that— but I thought it was im possible... But now I see it is within my reach. KAPILA: Then g o ahead. W rite... DEVADATTA: But how can I without her in front of me? How can I concentrate when my whole being is only thinking of her, craving for her? KAPILA: W hat’s her name? Will you at least tell me that? DEVADATTA: Her name? She has no name. k a p ila : But what do her parents call her? DEVADATTA (anguished): W hat’s the use? She isn’t m eant for the likes of m e... KAPILA: You don’t really believe that, do you? With all your qualities— achievements— looks— family—grace... DEVADATTA: Don’t try to console me with praise. KAPILA: I’m not praising you. You know very well that every parent of every girl in the city is only waiting to catch y o u... Don’t! Please. I know this girl is beyond my wildest d e v a d a tta : dreams. But still— I can’t help wanting her— I can’t help it. I swear, Kapila, with you as my witness I swear, if I ever get her as my wife, I’ll sacrifice my two arms to the goddess Kali, I’ll sacrifice my head to Lord R udra... KAPILA Ts! Ts! (aside): This is a serious situation. It does look as though this sixteenth girl has really caught our Devadatta ACT ONE 121 in her net. Otherwise, he isn’t the type to talk of such violence. DEVADATTA: I mean it! W hat’s the use of these hands and this head if I’m not to have her? My poetry won’t live w ithout her. The Shakuntalam will never be excelled. But how can I explain this to her? I have no cloud for a messenger. No bee to show the way. Now the only future I have is to stand and do penance in Pavana Veethi... KAPILA: Pavana Veethi! Why there? DEVADATTA: She lives in that street. KAPILA: How do you know? DEVADATTA: I saw her in the market yesterday evening. I couldn’t remove my eyes from her and followed her home. KAPILA: Tut! Tut! What m ust people have thought? She went into a house in Pavana Veethi. I waited d e v a d a tta : outside all evening. She didn’t come out. k a p ila : Now tell me. W hat sort of a house was it? d e v a d a tta : I can’t remember. KAPILA: What colour? DEVADATTA: Don’t know. KAPILA: How many storeys? d e v a d a tta : I didn’t notice. KAPILA: You mean you didn’t notice anything about the house? The door-fram e of the house had an engraving of a d e v a d a tta : two-headed bird at the top. I only saw that. She lifted her h and to knock and it touched the bird. For a minute, the bird came alive. KAPILA (jumps up): Then why didn’t you tell me before? You’ve been wasting precious tim e... DEVADATTA: I don’t u n d erstan d... 122 HAYAVADANA My dear Devadatta, your cloud-messenger, your bee, k a p ila : your pigeon is sitting right in front of you and you don’t even know it? You wait here. I’ll go, find out her house, her nam e... DEVADATTA (incredulous): Kapila— K apila... KAPILA: I’ll be back in a few m in u tes... DEVADATTA: I won’t ever forgot this, K apila... KAPILA:Shut u p !... And forget all about your arms and head. This job doesn’t need either Rudra or Kali. I’m quite enough. (Goes out.) DEVADATTA: Kapila— K apila... He’s gone. How fortunate I am to have a friend like him. Pure gold. (Pause.) But should I have trusted this to him? He means well— and he is a wizard in his smithy, in his farm, in his fields. But here? No. He is too rough, too indelicate. He was the wrong man to send. He’s bound to ruin the whole thing. (Anguished.) Lord Rudra, I m eant what I said. If I get her, my head will be a gift to you. M other Kali, I’ll sacrifice my arms to you. I sw ear... (Goes out. The Bhagavata removes the chair. Kapila enters.) KAPILA: This is Pavana Veethi— the street of merchants. Well, well, well. W hat enorm ous houses! Each one a palace in itself. It’s a wonder people don’t get lost in these houses. (Examines the doors one by one.) Now. This is not a double-headed bird. It’s an eagle— This? A lotus. This is— er— a lion. Tiger. A wheel! And this? God alone knows what this is. And the next? (In disgust.) A horse!—A rhinoceros— Another lion. Another lotus!—Where the hell is that stupid two-headed bird? (Stops.) W hat was the engraving I couldn’t make out? (Goes back and stares at it. Shouts in triumph.) That’s it! Almost gave me the slip! A proper two-headed bird. But it’s so tiny you can’t see it at all unless you are willing to tear your eyes staring at it. Well now. Whose house could this be? (Looks around.) No one in sight ACT ONE 123 Naturally. W hat should anyone come here for in this hot sun? Better ask the people in the house. (Mimes knocking. Listens. Padmini enters humming a tune.) PADMINI:...H e re comes the rider— from which land does he com e?... KAPILA (gapes at her. Aside): I give up, Devadatta. I surrender to your judgement. I hadn’t thought anyone could be more beautiful than the wench Ragini who acts Rambha in our village troupe. But this one! You’re right— she is Yakshini, Shakuntala, Urvashi, Indum ati— all rolled into one. p a d m in i: You knocked, didn’t you? KAPILA: Er—y es... p a d m in i: Then why are you gaping at me? What do you want? KAPILA: I— I j u s t w a n t e d t o k n o w w h o s e h o u s e t h i s w a s. p a d m in i: Whose house do you want? KAPILA: This o n e. PADMINI: I see. Then who do you want here? KAPILA: The m aster... PADMINI: Do you know h is name? KAPILA: No. PADMINI: Have you met him? KAPILA: No. PADMINI: Have y o u s e e n h im ? KAPILA: No. PADMINI: So. You haven’t met him, seen him or known him. What do you want with him? KAPILA (aside): She is quite right. W hat have I to do with him? I only want to find out his n am e... PADMINI: Are you sure you want this house? O r were y o u... KAPILA: No. I’m sure this is the one. 124 HAYAVADANA p a d m in i (pointing to her head): Are you all right here? KAPILA (taken aback): Yes— I think so. PADMINI: How about your eyes? Do they work properly? KAPILA: Yes. PADMINI (showing him four fingers): How m a n y ? KAPILA: Four. p a d m in i:Correct. So there’s nothing wrong with your eyes. As for the other thing, I’ll have to take you on trust. Well then. If you are sure you wanted this house, why were you peering at all those doors? And what were you mumbling under your breath? KAPILA (startled): How did you know? p a d m in i: I am quite sa n e...a n d I’ve got good eyes. k a p ila(looks up and chuckles): Oh, I suppose you were watching from the terrace... (in a low voice, mysteriously): Listen, you’d better be p a d m in i careful. We have any num ber of thefts in this street and people are suspicious. Last night there was a man standing out there for nearly two hours w ithout moving. And today you have turned up. It’s just as well I saw you. Anyone else would have taken you to the police. Beware! (Aloud.) Now tell me. W hat are you doing here? KAPILA: I— I c a n ’t te ll y o u. PADMINI: Really! Who will you tell it to? k a p ila : Your fath er... PADMINI: Do you want my father or do you want the master of this house? k a p ila : Aren’t they the same? PADMINI (as though explaining to a child): Listen, my father could be a servant in this house. Or the master of this house could be my father’s servant. My father could be the master’s father, ACT ONE 125 brother, son-in-law, cousin, grandfather or uncle. Do you agree? k a p ila : Er— yes. PADMIN1: Right. Then we’ll start again. Whom should I call? k a p ila : Your father. PADMINI: And i f h e ’s not in? k a p ila (lost): Anyone else. p a d m in i: Which a n y o n e ? k a p ila : Perhaps— your brother. PADMINI: Do you know him? KAPILA: No. PADMINI: Have y o u m e t h im ? KAPILA: No. p a d m in i: Do you know h is name? k a p ila (desperate): Please, please— call your father or the master or both, or if they are the same, anyone... please call someone! PADMINI: No. No. That won’t do. k a p ila (looking around; aside): No one here. Still I have to find out her name. Devadatta must be in agony and he will never forgive me if I go back now. (Aloud.) Madam, please. I have some very im portant work. I’ll touch your feet... PADMINI (eager): You will? Really? Do you know, I’ve touched everyone’s feet in this house some time or the other, but no one’s ever touched mine? You will? KAPILA (slapping his forehead as he sinks to the ground): I’m finished— decimated— powdered to dust— powdered into tiny specks of flour. (To Padmini.) My mother, can I at least talk to a servant? PADMINI: I knew it. I knew you wouldn’t touch my feet. One can’t 126 HAYAVADANA even trust strangers any more. All right, my dear son! I opened the door. So consider me the door-keeper. W hat do you want? KAPILA (determined): All right! (Gets up.) You have no doubt heard of the Revered Brahmin Vidyasagara. p a d m in i: It’s possible. KAPILA: In which case you’ll also know of Devadatta, his only son. A poet. A pundit. Knows the Vedas backwards. Writes the grandest poetry ever. Long, dark hair. Delicate, fair face. Age twenty. Height five feet seven inches. W eight... p a d m in i: Wait a minute! W hat’s he to you? KAPILA: Friend. Greatest in the world! But the main question now is: W hat’s he going to be to you? {Sudden silence.) PADMINI (blushing as the import o f the remark dawns on her): Mother! (Runs in. Kapila stands, staring after her.) KAPILA: Devadatta, my friend, I confess to you I’m feeling uneasy. You are a gentle soul. You can’t bear a bitter word or an evil thought. But this one is fast as lightning— and as sharp. She is not for the likes of you. What she needs is a man o f steel. But what can one do? You’ll never listen to me. And I can’t withdraw now. I’ll have to talk to her fam ily... (Follows her in.) BHAGAVATA: Need one explain to our wise and knowing audience what followed next? Padmini is the daughter of the leading merchant in Dharmapura. In her house, the very floor is swept by the Goddess of Wealth. In Devadatta’s house, they’ve the Goddess of Learning for a maid. What could then possibly stand in the way of bringing the families together? (Marriage music.) Padmini became the better half of Devadatta and settled in his house. Nor did Devadatta forget his debt to Kapila. The old friendship flourished as before. Devadatta— ACT ONE 127 Padmini— Kapila! To the adm iring citizens of Dharmapura, Rama— Sita— Lakshmana. {Enter Devadatta and Padmini.) PADMINI: Why is he so late? He should have been here more than an hour ago. (Looks out o f a window.) d e v a d a tta : Have you packed your clothes properly? PADMINI: The first thing in the morning. And the mattresses? We may have to sleep out in the d e v a d a tta : open. It’s quite chilly. We’ll need at least two rugs. p a d m in i: Don’t worry. The servant’s done all that. DEVADATTA: And your shawl? Also some warm clothes... PADMINI: W hat’s happened to you today? At other times you are so full of your books, you even forget to wash your hands after a meal. But today you’ve been going on and on and on all morning. Padmini, I’ve told you ten times already I don’t like d e v a d a tta : the idea of this trip. You should rest— not face such hazards. The cart will probably shake like an earthquake. It’s dangerous in your condition. But you won’t listen. My condition! W hat’s happened to me? To listen to you, p a d m in i: one would think I was the first woman in this world to become pregnant. I only have to stumble and you act as though it’s all finished and g o n e... DEVADATTA: For God’s sake, will you stop it? PADMINI (laughs): Sorry! (Bites her tongue in repentance.) I won’t say such things again. DEVADATTA: You’ve no sense of what not to say. So long as you can chatter and run around like a ch ild... PADM INI (back at the window): Where is Kapila? DEVADATTA:...a n d drool over Kapila all day. 128 HAYAVADANA PADMINI ( taken aback): W hat do you mean? What else should I say? The other day I wanted to d e v a d a tta : read out a play of Bhasa’s to you and sure enough Kapila drops in. PADMINI: Oh! That’s biting you still, is it? But why are you blaming me? He was your friend even before you m arried me, wasn’t he? He used to drop in every day even th e n... But shouldn’t he realize I’m a married man now? He d e v a d a tta : just can’t go on as befo re... PADMINI: Don’t blame him. It’s my fault. He learnt a bit about poetry from you and I thought he might enjoy Bhasa. So I asked him to come. He didn’t w ant to but I insisted. DEVADATTA: I know that. PADMINI: Had I realized you would be so upset, I wouldn’t have. DEVADATTA: I’m not upset, Padmini. Kapila isn’t merely a friend— he’s like my brother. One has to collect merit in seven lives to get a friend like him. But is it wrong for me to want to read to you alone? Or to spend a couple of days with you w ithout anyone else around? (Pause.) O f course, once he came, there wasn’t the slightest chance of my reading any poetry. You had to hop around him twittering ‘Kapila! Kapila!’ every minute. PADMINI: You aren’t jealous of him, are you? Me? Jealous of Kapila? Why do you have to twist d e v a d a tta : everything I say... PADMINI (laughs. Affectionately): Don’t sulk now. I was just trying to be funny. Really you have no sense of humour. d e v a d a tta : It’s hum our for you. But it bum s my insides. PADMINI: Aw, shut up. Don’t I know how liberal and largehearted you are? You aren’t the sort to get jealous. If I were to fall into a well tomorrow, you wouldn’t even miss me until my bloated corpse floated u p... ACT ONE 129 DEVADATTA (irritated): Padmini! PADMINI: Sorry, I forgot. I apologize— I slap myself on the cheeks. (Slaps herself on both cheeks with her right hand several times in punishment.) Is that all right? The trouble is I grew up saying these awful things and it’s become a habit now. But you are so fragile! I don’t know how you’re going to go through life wrapped in silk like this! You are still a baby... DEVADATTA: I se e. Look now. You got annoyed about Kapila. But why? You p a d m in i: are my saffron, my marriage thread, my deity. Why should you feel disturbed? I like making fun o f Kapila— he is such an innocent. Looks a proper devil, but the way he blushes and giggles and turns red, he might have been a bride. DEVADATTA (smiles): Well, this bride didn’t blush. No one taught this bride to blush. But now I’m learning p a d m in i: from that yokel. (They both laugh. She casually goes back to the window and looks out.) DEVADATTA (aside): Does she really not see? O r is she deliberately playing this game with him? Kapila was never the sort to blush. But now, he only has to see her and he begins to wag his tail. Sits up on his hind legs as though he were afraid to let her words fall to the ground. And that pleading in his eyes— can’t she really see that? (Aloud.) Padmini, Kapila isn’t used to women. The only woman he has known in his life is his mother. mean it’s dangerous to be w ith him? The way you p a d m in i: Y o u talk one would never imagine he was your best friend. DEVADATTA (incensed): Why do you have to twist everything I say... PADMINI (conciliatory): W hat did I say? Listen, if you really don’t want to go to Ujjain today, let’s not. W hen Kapila comes, tell him I’m ill. 130 HAYAVADANA d e v a d a tta : B u t...y o u will be disappointed. PADMINI: Me? O f course not. We’ll do as you feel. You remember what the priest said— I’m your ‘half’ now. The better half! We can go to Ujjain some other tim e... In another couple of m onths, there’s the big Ujjain fair. We’ll go then—just the two of us. All right? We’ll cancel today’s trip. (trying to control his excitement): Now— if you aren’t d e v a d a tta going to be disappointed— then— truly—th at’s what I would like most. Not because I’m jealous o f Kapila— No, I’m not, I know that. He has a heart of gold. But this is your first baby... PADMINI: What do you mean first? How many babies can one have within six months? d e v a d a tta : You aren’t going to start again? PADMINI: No, no, no, I won’t say a word. DEVADATTA (pinching her cheek): Bad upbringing— th at’s w hat it is. I don’t like the idea of your going out in a cart in your present condition, that’s all. PADMINI: Ordinarily I would have replied I had a womb o f steel, but I won’t— in the present condition. (Both laugh.) All right. If you are happy, so am I. DEVADATTA (happy): Yes, we’ll spend the whole day by ourselves. The servants are going home anyway. They can come back tomorrow. But for today— only you and me. It’s been such a long time since we’ve been on our own. KAPILA (off-stage): D evadatta... PADMINI: There’s Kapila now. You tell him. (She pretends to go in, but goes and stands in a corner o f the stage, listening. Kapila enters excited.) KAPILA: I’m late, ain’t I? What could I do? That cartm an had kept the cart ready but the m om ent I looked at it, I knew one of ACT ONE 131 the oxen was no good. 1 asked him to change it. ‘We won’t reach Ujjain for another fortnight in this one,’ I said. He started... DEVADATTA: K apila...... making a scene, but I stood my ground. So he had to k a p ila : fetch a new one. These cart-hirers are a menace. If ours hadn’t gone to C hitrapur that d ay... DEVADATTA: Kapila, we have to call off today’s trip. KAPILA ( suddenly silenced): Oh! DEVADATTA ( embarrassed): You see, Padmini isn’t w ell... k a p ila : Well, then of co u rse... (Silence.) I’ll return the cart then. DEVADATTA: Yes. KAPILA: Or else he may charge us for the day. DEVADATTA: Uhm. KAPILA (aside): So it’s off. W hat am I to do for the rest of the day? W hat am I to do for the rest of the week? Why should it feel as though the whole world has been wiped out for a whole week? Why this emptiness? Kapila, Kapila, get a tight hold on yourself. You are slipping, boy, control yourself. Don’t lose that hold. Go now. D on’t come here again for a week. Devadatta’s bound to get angry with you for not visiting. Sister-in-law will be annoyed. But don’t come back. Go, Go! (Aloud.) Well then— I’ll start. DEVADATTA: Why don’t you sit for a while? KAPILA: No, no. We might upset sister-in-law more then with our prattle. DEVADATTA: That’s true. So come again. Soon. KAPILA: Yes, I w ill. (Starts to go. Padmini comes out.) 132 HAYAVADANA Why are you sitting here? When are we going to start? p a d m in i: We are already late... {They look at her, surprised.) k a p ila : But i f you aren’t well, we won’t... W hat’s wrong with me? I’m in perfect health. I had a p a d m in i: headache this m orning. But a layer of ginger paste took care of that. Why should we cancel our trip for a little thing like that? (Devadatta opens his mouth to say something but stays quiet.) (To Kapila.) Why are you standing there like a statue? k a p ila : No, really, i f you have a headache... PADMINI: I don’t have a headache now! d e v a d a tta : But, P ad m in i... PADMINI: Kapila, put those bundles out there in the cart. The servant will bring the rest. (Kapila stands totally baffled. He looks at Devadatta for guidance. There's none.) Be quick. Otherwise I’ll put them in myself. (Kapila goes out. Padmini goes to Devadatta. Pleading.) Please don’t get angry. Poor boy, he looked so lost and disappointed, I couldn’t bear to see it. He has been running around for us this whole week. DEVADATTA (turning his head away): W here’s the box in which I put the books? Let me take it. You are an angel. I knew you wouldn’t mind. I’ll bring p a d m in i: it. It’s quite light. (Goes out.) DEVADATTA (to himself): And my disappointm ent? Does that mean nothing to you? (Aloud.) Don’t. I’ll take it. Please, don’t lift anything. (Goes in after her.) BHAGAVATA: Why do you tremble, heart? Why do you cringe ACT ONE 133 like a touch-m e-not bush through which a snake has passed? The sun rests his head on the Fortunate Lady’s flower. And the head is bidding good-bye to the heart. (Kapila, followed by Padmini and Devadatta, enters miming a cart- ride. Kapila is driving the cart.) How beautifully you drive the cart, Kapila! Your hands p a d m in i: don’t even move, but the oxen seem to know exactly which way you want them to go. (Kapila laughs happily.) Shall we stop here for a while? We’ve been in this cart all day and my legs feel like bits of wood. Right! Ho— H o... k a p ila : (Pulls the cart to a halt. They get down. She slips but Devadatta supports her.) W hat a terrible road. Nothing but potholes and rocks. p a d m in i: But one didn’t feel a thing in the cart! You drove it so gently— almost made it float. I remember when Devadatta took me in a cart. That was soon after our marriage. I insisted on being shown the lake outside the city. So we started, only the two of us and Devadatta driving—against my advice, I m ust say. And we didn’t even cross the city-gates. The oxen took everything except the road. He only had to pull to the right, and off they would rush to the left! I’ve never laughed so much in my life. But of course he got very angry, so we had to go back hom e straight! (Laughs. B ut Kapila and Devadatta don’t join in.) Kapila, what’s that glorious tree there? That one, covered with flowers? KAPILA: Oh that! That’s called the Fortunate Lady’s flower— that means a married w o m an... p a d m in i: I know! But why do they call it that? KAPILA:Wait. 1*11 bring you a flower. Then you’ll see. (Goes out.) 134 HAYAVADANA p a d m in i(watching him, aside): How he climbs— like an ape. Before I could even say ‘yes’, he had taken off his shirt, pulled his dhoti up and swung up the branch. And what an ethereal shape! Such a broad back: like an ocean with muscles rippling across it— and then that small, feminine waist which looks so helpless. (aside): She had so much to talk about all day, she d e v a d a tta couldn’t wait for breath. Now, not a word. (aside): He is like a Celestial Being reborn as a hunter. p a d m in i H ow his body sways, his limbs curve— It’s a dance almost. DEVADATTA (aside): And why should I blame her? It’s his strong body—his manly muscles. And to think I had never ever noticed them all these years! I was an innocent— an absolute baby. PADMINI (aside): No woman could resist him. DEVADATTA (aside): No woman could resist him — and what does it m atter that she’s married? What a fool I’ve been. All these days I only saw that pleading in his eyes stretching out its arms, begging for a favour. But never looked in her eyes. And when I did, took the whites of her eyes for their real depth. Only now I see the depths. Now I see these flames leaping up from those depths. Now! So late! Don’t turn away now, Devadatta, look at her. Look at those yellow, purple flames. Look how she’s pouring her soul into his mould. Look! Let your guts burn out. Let your lungs turn to ash, but don’t turn away. Look and don’t scream. Strangle your agony. But look deep into these eyes— look until those peacock flames burn out the blindness in you. Don’t be a coward now. PADMINI (aside): How long can one go on like this? How long? How long? If Devadatta notices... (Looks at Devadatta. He is looking at her already and their eyes meet. Both look away.) ACT ONE 135 (aloud): There he comes. All I wanted was one flower p a d m in i and he’s brought a heap. (Kapila comes in, miming a whole load o f flowers in his arms and hands. He pours them out in front o f her.) KAPILA: Here you are. The Fortunate Lady’s flowers. p a d m in i: And why a ‘Fortunate Lady’, pray? k a p ila :Because it has all the marks of marriage a woman puts on. The yellow on the petals. Then that red round patch at the bottom of the petals, like on your foreheads. Then, here, that thin saffron line, like in the parting of your hair. Then— u h m... oh yes— here near the stem a row of black dots, like a necklace of black beads— PADMINI: W hat imagination! (To Devadatta.) You should put it in your poetry. It’s good for a simile. DEVADATTA: Shall we go? It’s quite late. PADMINI: Let’s stay. I have been sitting in that cart for I don’t know how long. I didn’t know the road to Ujjain was so enchanting. KAPILA: The others take a longer route. This is a more wooded area, so very few come this way. But I like this better. Besides, it’s fifteen miles shorter. PADMINI: I wouldn’t have m inded even if it were fifteen miles longer. It’s like a garden. KAPILA: Isn’t it? Look there, do you see it? T hat’s the river Bhargavi. The poet Vyasa had a hermitage on its banks. There’s a temple of Rudra there now. DEVADATTA (suddenly awake): A temple of Rudra? KAPILA: Yes, It’s beautiful. And— there— beyond that hill is a temple o f Kali. (Two stage-hands come and hold up a half-curtain in the corner to which he points. The curtain has a picture o f Goddess Kali on it. The Bhagavata places a sword in front o f it.) 136 HAYAVADANA It was very prosperous once. But now it’s quite dilapidated. DEVADATTA ( as though in a trance): The temple of Rudra! KAPILA: Yes, that’s old too. But not half as ruined as the Kali temple. We can have a look if you like. PAD MINI: Yes, let’s. d e v a d a tta : Why don’t you go and see the Kali temple first? KAPILA: No, that’s quite terrible. I saw it once: bats, snakes, all sorts of poisonous insects— and no proper road. We can go to the Rudra temple, though. It’s nearer. p a d m in i: Come on. Let’s go. d e v a d a t t a : Y ou two go. I won’t come. p a d m in i (pause): And y o u ? d e v a d a tta : I’ll stay here and watch the cart. KAPILA: But there’s no fear of thieves here. (Sensing the tension.) Or else. I’ll stay here. d e v a d a tta : No, no. You two go. I’m also a little tired. (aside): He has started it again. Another tantrum. Let p a d m in i him. What do I care? (Aloud.) Come, Kapila, we’ll go. k a p ila : But perhaps in your co n d itio n... PADMINI (exploding): Why are you two hounding me w ith this condition? If you don’t want to come, say so. Don’t make excuses... k a p ila : Devadatta, it’s not very far. You come too. d e v a d a tta : I told you to go. Don’t force me, please. PADMINI: Let’s not go. I don’t want the two of you to suffer for my sake. d e v a d a tta (to Kapila): Go. KAPILA (he has no choice): Come. We’ll be back soon. (Kapila and Padmini go out.) Good-bye, Kapila. Good-bye, Padmini. May Lord d e v a d a tta : Rudra bless you. You are two pieces of my heart— Live happily ACT ONE 137 together. I shall find my eternal happiness in that thought. (Agonized.) Give me strength, Lord Rudra. My father, give me courage. I’m already trem bling, I’d never thought I would be so afraid. Give me courage, Father, strengthen me. (He walks to the temple o f Kali. I t’s a steep and difficult climb. He is exhausted by the time he reaches the temple. He prostrates himself before the goddess.) Bhavani, Bhairavi, Kali, Durga, Mahamaya, M other of all Nature, I had forgotten my prom ise to you. Forgive me, Mother. You fulfilled the deepest craving of my life. You gave me Padmini— and I forgot my word. Forgive me, for I’m here now to carry out my promise. (Picks up the sword.) Great indeed is your mercy. Even in this lonely place some devotee o f yours— a h u n ter perhaps or a tribesm an— has left this weapon. Who knows how many lives this weapon has sacrificed to you. (Screaming.) Here, M other Kali, here’s another. My head. Take it, Mother, accept this little offering of my head. (Cuts o ff his head. Not an easy thing to do. He struggles, groans, writhes. Ultimately succeeds in killing himself. A long silence. Padmini and Kapila return to the cart.) PADMINI (enters talking):...he should have come. How thrilling it was! Heavenly! But o f course he has no enthusiasm for these things. After a ll... (Notices Devadatta isn’t there.) W here’s Devadatta? (They look around.) He said he’d stay here! KAP.ILA (calls): Devadatta— Devadatta— PADMINI: He’s probably somewhere around. Where will he go? He has the tenderest feet on earth. They manage to get blisters, corns, cuts, boils and w ounds w ithout any effort. 138 HAYAVADANA KAPILA (calls): Devadatta. PADMINI: Why are you shouting? Sit down. He’ll come. (Kapila inspects the surrounding area. Gives a gasp o f surprise.) W hat’s it? KAPILA: His footprints. He has obviously gone in that direction. (Pause.) But— that’s where the Kali temple is! PADMINI: You don’t mean he’s gone there! How absurd! k a p ila : You stay here. I’ll bring him back. PADMINI: But why do you have to go? There’s nothing to fear in this broad daylight! (hurrying off): It’s very thickly wooded there. If he gets k a p ila lost, he’ll have to spend the whole night in the jungle. You stay here. I’ll come back in no time. (Runs out.) PADMINI (exasperated): He’s gone! Really, he seems more worried about Devadatta than me. (She sits down. Kapila goes to the Kali temple— but naturally faster than Devadatta did. He sees the body and his mouth half opens in a scream. He runs to Devadatta and kneels beside him. Lifts his truncated head and moans.) KAPILA: You’ve cut off your head! You’ve cut off your head! Oh my dear friend, my brother, what have you done? Were you so angry with me? Did you feel such contem pt for me, such abhorrence? And in your anger you forgot that I was ready to die for you? If you had asked me to jum p into fire, I would have done it. If you had asked me to leave the country, I would have done it. If you had asked me to go and drown in a river, I would have accepted. Did you despise me so much that you couldn’t ask me that? I did wrong. But you know I don’t have the intelligence to know what else I should have done. I couldn’t think— and so you’ve pushed me away? No, Devadatta, I can’t live without you. I can’t breathe without you. Devadatta, my brother, my guru, my frien d... ACT ONE 139 (Picks up the sword.) You spurned me in this world. Accept me as your brother at least in the next. Here, friend, here I come. As always, I follow in your footsteps. (Cuts off his head. I t’s an easier death this time. Padmini, who has been still till now, moves.) Where are they? Now Kapila’s disappeared too. He p a d m in i: couldn’t still be searching for him. T hat’s not possible. Devadatta’s too weak to have gone far. They must have met. Perhaps they’re sitting now, chatting as in the old days. For once, no bother of a wife arQund. No, more likely Devadatta’s sulking. He’s probably tearing poor Kapila to shreds by just being silent and grumpy. Yes, that would be more like him. (Pause.) It’s almost dark. And they aren’t back. Shameless men— to leave me alone like this here! No, it’s no use sitting here any longer. I had better go and look for them. If I die of a snake-bite on the way, serve them right. Or perhaps, so much the better for them. (Walks to the temple, slowly. Rubs her eyes when she reaches there.) How dark it is! Can’t see a thing. (Calls.) Kapila— Kapila— Devadatta isn’t here either. W hat shall I do here? At this time of the night! Alone! (Listens.) W hat’s that? Some wild beast. A hyena! It’s right outside— what shall I do if it comes in? Ah! It’s gone. M other Kali, only you can protect me now. (Stumbles over the bodies.) W hat’s this? W hat’s this? (Stares at the bodies and then lets out a terrified scream.) Oh God! W hat’s this? Both! Both gone! And didn’t even think of me before they went? What shall I do? What shall I do? Oh, Devadatta, what did I do that you left me alone in this state? Was that how much you loved me? And you, Kapila, who looked at me with dog’s eyes, you too? How selfish you 140 HAYAVADANA are, you men, and how thoughtless! What shall I do now? Where shall I go? How can I go home? (Pause.) Home? And what shall I say when I get there? W hat shall I say happened? And who’ll believe me? They’ll all say the two fought and died for this whore. They’re bound to say it. Then w hat’ll happen to me? No, Mother Kali, no, it’s too horrible to think of. No! Kapila’s gone, Devadatta’s gone. Let me go with them. (Picks up the sword.) I don’t have the strength to hack off my head. But what does it matter how I die, Mother? You don’t care. It’s the same to you— another offering! All right. Have it then. Here’s another offering for you. (Lifts the sword and puts its point on her breast when, from behind the curtain, the goddess’s voice is heard.) VOICE: H ey... (Padmini freezes.) Put it down! Put down that sword! (Padmini jumps up in fright and, throwing the sword aside, tries to run out o f the temple. Then stops.) PADMINI: W ho’s that? (No reply.) W ho’s that? (A tremendous noise o f drums. Padmini shuts her eyes in terror. Behind the curtain one sees the uplifted blood-red palms o f the goddess. The curtain is lowered and taken away and one sees a terrifying figure, her arms stretched out, her mouth wide open with the tongue lolling out. The drums stop and as the goddess drops her arms and shuts her mouth, it becomes clear she has been yawning.) KALI (completes the yawn): All right. Open your eyes and be quick. Don’t waste time. (Padmini opens her eyes and sees the goddess. She runs and falls at her feet.) ACT ONE 141 PADMINI: M other— K ali... k a li (sleepy): Yes, it’s me. There was a time— many years ago— when at this hour they would have the mangalarati. The devotees used to make a deafening racket with drum s and conch-shells and cymbals. So I used to be wide awake around now. I’ve lost the habit. (Yawns.) Right. W hat do you want? Tell me. I’m pleased with you. p a d m in i: Save me, M other... k a l i: I know. I’ve done that already. Do you call this saving, M other of all Nature? I can’t p a d m in i: show my face to anyone in the world. I can’t... kali (a little testily): Yes, yes, you’ve said that once. No need to repeat yourself. Now do as I tell you. Put these heads back properly. Attach them to their bodies and then press that sword on their necks. They’ll come up alive. Is that enough? Mother, you are our breath, you are our bread— and— p a d m in i: w ater... KALI: Skip it! Do as I told you. And quickly. I’m collapsing with sleep. p a d m in i (hesitating): May I ask a question? KALI: If it’s not too long. p a d m in i: Can there ever be anything you don’t already know, Mother? The past and the future are mere specks in your palm. Then why didn’t you stop Devadatta when he came here? Why didn’t you stop Kapila? If you’d saved either of them, I would have been spared all this terror, this agony. Why did you wait so long? kali (surprised): Is that all you can think of now? p a d m in i: M other... KA LI: I’ve never seen anyone like you. PADMINI: How could one possibly hide anything from you, Mother? 142 HAYAVADANA KALI: That’s true enough. PADMINI: Then why didn’t you stop them? KALI: Actually if it hadn’t been that I was so sleepy, I would have thrown them out by the scruff of their necks. PADMINI: But w hy? KALI: The rascals! They were lying to their last breaths. T hat fellow Devadatta— he had once promised his head to Rudra and his arms to me! Think of it— head to him and arms to me! Then because you insisted on going to the Rudra temple, he comes here and offers his head. Nobly too— wants to keep his word, he says— no other reason! Then this Kapila, died right in front of me—but ‘for his friend’. Mind you! Didn’t even have the courtesy to refer to me. And what lies! Says he is dying for friendship. He must have known perfectly well he would be accused o f killing Devadatta for you. Do you think he wouldn’t have grabbed you if it hadn’t been for that fear? But till his last breath— ‘Oh my friend! My dear brother!’ Only you spoke the truth. PADMINI: It’s all your grace, M other... KALI: Don’t drag me into it. I had nothing to do with it. You spoke the truth because you’re selfish, that’s all. Now don’t go on. Do what I told you and shut your eyes. PADMINI: Yes, M other... (Eagerly, Padmini attaches the severed heads to the bodies o f the men. But in her excitement she mixes them up so that D evadatta’s head goes to Kapila’s body and vice versa. Then presses the sword on their necks, does namaskara to the goddess, walks downstage a n d stands with her back to the goddess, her eyes shut tig h t) PADMINI: I’m ready, Mother. k a li (in a resigned tone): My dear daughter, there should b e a lim it even to honesty. Anyway, so be it! ACT ONE 143 (Again the drums. The curtain is held up again and the goddess disappears behind it. During the following scene, the stage-hands, the curtain as well as the goddess leave the stage. Padmini stands immobile with her eyes shut. The drums stop. A long silence follows. The dead bodies move. Their breathing becomes loud and laboured. They sit up, slowly, stiffly. Their movement is mechanical, as though blood-circulation has not started properly yet. They feel their own arms, heads and bodies, and look around, bewildered. Henceforth the person with the head of Devadatta will be called Devadatta. Similarly with Kapila. They stand up. It’s not easy and they reel around a bit. Padmini is still.) d e v a d a tta : What— happened? KAPILA:What happened? (Padmini opens her eyes, but she still doesn’t dare to look at them.) PADMINI: Devadatta’s voice! Kapila’s voice! (Screaming with joy.) Kapila! Devadatta! (Turns and runs to them. Then suddenly stops and stands paralysed.) KAPILA: W h o...? DEVADATTA: Padmini? KAPILA: W hat—happened? My head— Ooh! It feels so heavy! DEVADATTA: My body—seems to weigh— a ton. (running around in confusion): What have I done? W hat p a d m in i have I done? What have I done? Mother Kali, only you can save me now— only you can help me—W hat have I done? W hat have I done? What should I do? Mother, M other... DEVADATTA (a little more alive): Why are you-—crying? KAPILA: W hat’s— wrong? PADMINI: What shall I tell you, Devadatta? How can I explain it, Kapila? You cut off your heads. But the goddess gave you 144 HAYAVADANA life— but— I— I— in the d a rk... Mother, only you can protect me now—Mother! I— mixed up your heads— I mixed them up! Forgive me— I don’t deserve to live— forgive m e... KAPILA (looking at Devadatta): You m ix e d u p... DEVADATTA:...th e heads? ( They stare at each other. Then hurst into laughter. She doesn’t know how to react. Watches them. Then starts laughing.) d e v a d a tta : Mixed-up heads! k a p ila : Heads mixed-up! d e v a d a tta : Exchanged heads! k a p ila : Heads exchanged! d e v a d a tta : How fantastic! All these years we were only friends! KAPILA: Now we are blood-relations! Body-relations! (Laughing.) What a gift! DEVADATTA: Forgive you? We must thank y o u... KAPILA: We’ll never be able to thank you— enough... DEVADATTA: Exchanged heads! (They roar with laughter. Then all three hold hands and run round in a circle, singing.) ALL THREE (together): What a good mix! No more tricks! Is this one that Or that one this? Ho! Ho! (They sing this over and over again until they collapse on the floor.) KAPILA: Oooh— I’m finished! p a d m in i:...D ead! d e v a d a tta : Nothing like this could have ever happened before. PADMINI: You know, seeing you two with your heads off was bad ACT ONE 145 enough. But when you got up it was terrible! I almost died o f frig h t... (They laugh.) k a p ila : No one will believe us if we tell them. p a d m in i (suddenly): We won’t tell anyone. d e v a d a tta : We’ll keep our secrets inside us. PADMINI: ‘Inside us’ is right. (Laughter.) k a p ila : But how can we not tell? They’ll know so o n... DEVADATTA: No one’ll know. k a p ila : I’m sure they’ll... DEVADATTA: I’ll take any bet. KAPILA: But how’s that possible? DEVADATTA: You’ll see. Why worry now? p a d m in i: Come. Let’s go. KAPILA: It’s late. DEVADATTA: No Ujjain now. We go back home! k a p ila : Absolutely. PADMINI: This Ujjain will last us a lifetime. Come. (They get up. Every now and then someone laughs and then all burst out together.) PADMINI: Devadatta, I really don’t know how we’re going to keep this from your parents. They’ll guess as soon as they see you bare-bodied. DEVADATTA: They won’t, I tell you. They take us too much for granted. KAPILA: W hat do you mean? DEVADATTA: Who ever pays attention to a person he sees every day? 146 HAYAVADANA k a p ila : I don’t mean th a t... PADMINI: I’m not so sure. I’m afraid I’ll get the blame for it ultimately. DEVADATTA: Stop worrying! I tell you it... KAPILA: But what has she got to do with you now? d e v a d a tta (stops): W hat do you mean? KAPILA:I mean Padmini m ust come hom e with me, shouldn’t she? She’s my wife, so she m u st... (Exclamations from Devadatta and Padmini.) PADMINI: What are you talking about, Kapila? k a p ila(explaining): I mean, you are Devadatta’s wife. I have Devadatta’s body now. So you have to be my wife. PADMINI: Shut up! DEVADATTA: Don’t blather like an idiot! I am D evadatta... PADMINI: Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? KAPILA: But why, Padmini? I have Devadatta’s body n o w... DEVADATTA: We know that. You don’t have to repeat yourself like a parrot. According to the Shastras, the head is the sign of a m a n... KAPILA (angry now): That may be. But the question now is simply this: Whose wife is she? (Raising his right hand.) This is the hand that accepted her at the wedding. This the body she’s lived with all these months. And the child she’s carrying is the seed of this body. PADMINI (frightened by the logic): No, no, no. It’s not possible. It’s not. (Running to Devadatta.) It’s not, Devadatta. DEVADATTA: Of course, it isn’t, my dear. He is ignorant. (To Kapila.) When one accepts a partner in marriage, with the holy fire as one’s witness, one accepts a person, not a body. She didn’t marry Devadatta’s body, she married Devadatta— the person. ACT ONE 147 If that’s your argument, I have Devadatta’s body, so I am k a p ila : Devadatta— the person. Listen to me. O f all the hum an limbs the topm ost— d e v a d a tta : in position as well as in importance— is the head. I have Devadatta’s head and it follows that I am Devadatta. Accord ing to the Sacred Texts... KAPILA: Don’t tell me about your Sacred Texts. You can always twist them to suit your needs. She m arried Devadatta’s body with the holy fire as her witness and that’s enough for me. DEVADATTA (laughs): Did you hear that, Padmini? He claims to be Devadatta and yet he scorns the Texts. You think Devadatta would ever do that? You can quote as many Texts as you like, I don’t give a k a p ila : nail. Come on, P adm ini... ( Takes a step towards her. But Devadatta steps in between.) DEVADATTA: Take care! PADMINI: Come, Devadatta. It’s no use arguing with this rascal. Let’s go. DEVADATTA: Come on. KAPILA ( stepping between them): Where are you taking my wife, friend? DEVADATTA: Will you get out of our way or sh o u ld... KAPILA: It was you who got in my way. DEVADATTA (pushing Kapila aside): Get away, you pig. KAPILA ( triumphant ): He’s using force! And what language! Padmini, think! Would Devadatta ever have acted like this? This is Kapila’s violence. DEVADATTA: Come, Padmini. KAPILA: Go. But do you think I’ll stay put while you run away with my wife? Where will you go? How far can you go? Only to the city, after all. I’ll follow you there. I’ll kick up a row in the streets. Let’s see what happens then. 148 HAYAVADANA (Devadatta stops.) PADMINI: Let him scream away. Don’t pay him any attention. No. He’s right. This has to be solved here. It’ll create d e v a d a tta : a scandal in the city. PADMINI: But who’ll listen to him? Everyone will take you for Devadatta by your face. Ha! You think the people in Dharmapura don’t know my k a p ila : body, do you? They’ve seen me a thousand times in the wrestling pit. I’ve got I don’t know how many awards for body-building. Let’s see whom they believe. PADMINI (pleading): Why are you torm enting us like this? For so many years you have been our friend, accepted our hospital ity... I know what you want, Padmini. Devadatta’s clever head k a p ila : and Kapila’s strong b o d y... p a d m in i: Shut up, you brute. DEVADATTA: Suppose she did. There’s nothing wrong in it. It’s natural for a woman to feel attracted to a fine figure of a man. KAPILA: I know it is. But that doesn’t mean she can just go and live with a man who’s not her husband. That’s not right. PADMINI (crying out): How can we get rid of this scoundrel! Let’s go— Let’s go anywhere— to the woods—to the desert anywhere you like. You’ll have to kill me before you’ll really escape me. You k a p ila : could. I don’t have the strength to resist Kapila. PADMINI (using a new argument): But I gave you life— KAPILA:That was no favour. If you hadn’t, you would have been a widow now. Actually he should be grateful to me because my wife saved his life. Instead, he’s trying to snatch you away. (Padmini moans in agony.) ACT ONE 149 d e v a d a tta : This way we won’t get anywhere, Kapila. k a p i la : Call me Devadatta. d e v a d a tta : Whatever you are, this is no way to solve the problem. O f course not. If marriage were a contract, it would be. k a p ila : But how can Padmini’s fancy be taken as the solution? Then what is the solution to this problem? d e v a d a tta : (They all freeze.) What? W hat indeed is the solution to this problem, b h a g a v a ta : which holds the entire future o f these three unfortunate beings in a balance? Must their fate remain a mystery? And if so shall we not be insulting our audience by tying a question m ark round its neck and bidding it good-bye? We have to face the problem. But it’s a deep one and the answer m ust be sought with the greatest caution. Haste would be disastrous. So there’s a break of ten m inutes now. Please have some tea, ponder over this situation and come back with your own solutions. We shall then continue with our enquiry. (The stage-hands hold a white curtain in front o f the frozen threesome, while the Bhagavata and others relax and sip tea.) Act Two The white curtain is removed. BHAGAVATA: What? What indeed is the solution to this problem, which holds the entire future o f these three unfortunate beings in a balance? Way back in the ages, when King Vikrama was ruling the world, shining in glory like the earth’s challenge to th e sun, he was asked the same question by the demon Vétala. A nd the king offered a solution even without, as it were, battin g an eyelid. But will his rational, logical answer backed by the Sacred Texts appeal to our audience? (Sings.) The future pointed out by the tongue safe inside the skull is not acceptable to us. We must read the forehead which Brahma has disconnected from the entrails. We must unravel the net on the palm disclaimed by the brain. We must plumb the hidden depths of the rivers running under our veins. Yes, that would be the right thing to do. So our three unfortunate friends went to a great rishi in search o f a solution to their problem. And the rishi— ACT TWO 151 remembering perhaps what King Vikrama had said— gave the verdict: (In a loud, sonorous voice.) As the heavenly Kalpa Vriksha is supreme among trees, so is the head among hum an limbs. Therefore the man with Devadatta’s head is indeed Devadatta and he is the rightful husband of Padmini. (The three spring to life. Devadatta and Padmini scream with delight and move to one corner o f the stage, laughing and dancing. Kapila, brokenhearted, drags his feet to the other corner.) DEVADATTA (embracing Padmini): My P ad m in i...m y lovely P adm ini... PADMINI: My King— My M aster... DEVADATTA: My l i t t l e l i g h t n i n g... PADMINI: The light of my jo y... d e v a d a tta : The flower of my p alm... PADMINI: My celestial-bodied G andharva... My sun-faced In d ra... DEVADATTA: My Queen of Indra’s C o u rt... PADMINI (caressing his shoulders): Come. Let’s go. Let’s go quickly. W here the earth is soft and the green grass plays the swing. DEVADATTA: Let us. Where the banyan spreads a canopy and curtains off the skies. PADMINI: What a wide chest. What other canopy do I need? DEVADATTA: My soft, swaying Padmini. What other swing do I want? PADMINI: My Devadatta comes like a bridegroom with the jewellery o f a new b o d y... DEVADATTA (a manly laugh): And who should wear the jewellery but the eager bride? PADMINI: Let’s go. (Pause.) Wait. (She runs to Kapila.) Don’t be 152 HAYAVADANA sad, Kapila. We shall m eet again, shan’t we? (In a low voice, so Devadatta can’t hear.) It’s my duty to go with Devadatta. But remember I’m going with your body. Let that cheer you up. (Goes back to Devadatta.) Good-bye, Kapila. d e v a d a tta : Good-bye. (They go out, laughing, rubbing against each other. Kapila stands mute for a while. Then moves.) BHAGAVATA: Kapila— K apila... (No reply.) Don’t grieve. It’s fate, Kapila, a n d... KAPILA: Kapila? What? Me? Why am I Kapila? (Exits.) So the roads diverged. Kapila went into the forest and b h a g a v a ta : disappeared. He never saw Dharm apura again. In fact, he never felt the wind of any city again. As for Devadatta and Padmini, they returned to Dharm apura and plunged into the joys of m arried life. (Padmini enters and sits. She is stitching clothes, Devadatta comes. He is carrying in his hands two large dolls— which could be played by two children. The dolls are dressed in a way which makes it impossible to decide their sex. Devadatta comes in quietly and stands behind Padmini.) DEVADATTA: Hey! PADMINI (startled): Oh! Really, Devadatta. You startled me. The needle pricked me! Look, my finger’s bleeding. DEVADATTA: Tut—Tut! Is it really? Put it in my m outh. I’ll suck it. PADMINI: No, thanks. I’ll suck it myself. (Sees the dolls.) How pretty! Whose are these? DEVADATTA: Whose? Ours, of course! The guest is arriving soon. He m ust have playmates. p a d m in i: But the guest won’t be coming for months yet, silly, a n d... ACT TWO 153 I know he isn’t, but you can’t get dolls like these d e v a d a tta : any tim e you like! These are special dolls from the Ujjain fair. p a d m in i:They are lovely! (Hugs the dolls.) They look almost alive— such shining eyes— such delicate cheeks. (Kisses them.) Now sit down and tell me everything that happened at the fair. You wouldn’t take me with y o u... How could I—in your condition? I went only because d e v a d a tta : you insisted you wanted to keep your word. But I’m glad I went. A very funny thing happened. There was a wrestling pit and a wrestler from Kamarupa was challenging people to fight him. I don’t know what got into me. Before I’d even realized it, I had stripped and jumped into the pit. PADMINI (fondling the dolls): You didn’t! You’ve never ever wrestled before... Didn’t think of anything. I felt ‘inspired’! W ithin a d e v a d a tta : couple of minutes, I had pinned him to the ground. p a d m in i (laughs out): What would your father say if he heard of this? d e v a d a tta : My few acquaintances there were quite amazed. (caressing his arm): That day in the gymnasium you p a d m in i defeated the champion in a sword-fight. Now this! D on’t overdo it: people may start suspecting. O f course they won’t. I was standing there bare d e v a d a tta : bodied and not a soul suspected. A friend even asked me if I’d learnt it from Kapila. PADMINI: You have, after all! (They laugh.) You know, I’d always thought one had to use one’s d e v a d a tta : brains while wrestling or fencing or swimming. But this body just doesn’t wait for thoughts— it acts! PADMINI: Fabulous body—fabulous brain— fabulous Devadatta. 154 HAYAVADANA I have been running around all these days without d e v a d a tta : even proper sleep and yet I don’t feel a bit tired. (Jumps up.) Come on, we’ll have a picnic by the lake. I feel like a good, long swim. PADMINI (mocking): In my condition? I didn’t ask you to swim. You sit there and enjoy the d e v a d a tta : scenery. Once our son’s born, I’ll teach you to swim too. p a d m in i: You go on about it being a son. W hat if it’s a daughter? DEVADATTA: If she’s a daughter like you, I’ll teach the two of you together. PADMINI: Ready! (He pulls her to him.) Now— now—what about the picnic? d e v a d a tta : Quite right. First things first. PADMINI (pause): D evadatta... DEVADATTA: Yes? p a d m in i: Why do you— have to apply that sandal oil on your body? DEVADATTA: I like it. PADMINI: I know, b u t... DEVADATTA: What? PADMINI (hesitating): Your body had that strong, male smell before— I liked it. d e v a d a tta : But I’ve been using sandal oil since I was a child! PADMINI: I don’t mean that. But—when we came back from the temple of Kali—you used to smell so m anly... You mean that unwashed, sweaty smell Kapila had? d e v a d a tta : (Incredulous.) You liked that? (pause. Then lightly): It was just a thought. Come on, p a d m in i let’s start. We’ll be late. (They go out. A long silence.) DOLL I: Not a bad house, I would say. ACT TWO 155 DOLL II: Could have been worse. I was a little worried. DOLL I: This is the least we deserved. Actually we should have got a palace. A real palace! DOLL II: And a prince to play with. A real prince! How the children looked at us at the fair! How their eyes d o l l I: glowed! DOLL II: How their m others stared at us! How their mouths watered! DOLL I: Only those beastly men turned up their noses! ‘Expensive! Too expensive!’ d o l l II: Presuming to judge us! W ho do they think they are! DOLL I: Only a prince would be worthy of us. DOLL II: We should be dusted every d ay... d o ll I:...dressed in silk... d o l l II:...seated on a cushioned shelf... d o ll I:...given new clothes every week. DOLL II: If the doll-maker had any sense, he’d never have sold us. DOLL I: If he had any brains, he should never have given us to this m a n... DOLL II:... w i t h h is r o u g h l a b o u r e r ’s h a n d s. DOLL I: Palms like w o o d... DOLL II: A g r ip lik e a v i c e... DOLL I: My arms are still aching. DOLL II:He doesn’t deserve us, the peasant. (Devadatta comes running in, tosses the dolls in the air, catches them and kisses them.) DEVADATTA: My dolls, your prince has arrived! The prince has come! DOLL I (in agony): Brute! An absolute brute! DOLL II (in agony): Beast! A complete beast! 156 HAYAVADANA (runs to the Bhagavata): Here, Bhagavata Sir, take d e v a d a tta these sweets. You must come to the feast tom orrow at our house. BHAGAVATA: W hat’s it for? DEVADATTA: Haven’t you heard? I’ve got a son like a gem— a son like a rose—Y ippeee... (He goes out dancing some Lezim steps. A long silence.) DOLL I: Is that little satan asleep yet? DOLL II: Think so. God! It’s killing m e... DOLL I:... c r y i n g , a ll d a y... doll II:... m a k i n g a m e s s e v e r y f if te e n m i n u te s. d o l l I: W hat have we come to! One should never trust God. d o l l II:It’s our fault. We should have been wary from the m om ent we saw that child in her dreams. DOLL I: We should have noticed she was bloating day by day. DOLL II: We should have suspected foul play then. DOLL I: It wasn’t our fault. How could we know she was hiding this thing inside her? DOLL II: How she was swelling! Day by day! Week by week! As though someone were blowing air into h e r... DOLL I: How ugly she looked... DOLL II:... n o t t o h e r h u s b a n d , th o u g h ! DOLL I: When they were alone, he would place his hand on her belly and say, ‘Is he kicking now?’ DOLL II ( seriously): We should have been on our guard. DOLL I ( dispirited ): We should. DOLL II: And then comes this little monster. DOLL I:... t h i s l u m p o f f l e s h... DOLL II: It doesn’t even have proper eyes or e a rs... DOLL i:... b u t i t g e ts a ll t h e a t t e n t i o n. ACT TWO 157 DOLL II (in disgust): U g h... DOLL I (sick): A w k... (Devadatta and Padmini enter with the child, for which a wooden doll may be used. They walk across the stage, engrossed in talking to and about the child, and go out.) DOLL I: A spider’s built its web around my shoulders. d o l l II: Yesterday a mouse nibbled at my toe. d o l l I: The other day a cockroach ate my left eye. d o l l II: Six m onths— and not a soul has come near us. DOLL I: Six months— and n o t a hand has touched us. DOLL II:Six m onths and we reach this state. W hat’ll happen in a year’s time? (Padmini and Devadatta enter.) p a d m in i: Listen. d e v a d a tta : Yes. PADMINI: You m ustn’t say ‘no’— at least this time. d e v a d a t t a : To what? PADMINI: We’ll take him to the lake. DEVADATTA: In th i s c o ld ? PADMINI: W hat if it’s cold? He’s older now. There’s no need to mollycoddle him. I grew up running around in heat and cold and rain— and nothing happened to me. I’m all right. DEVADATTA: No, it’s unnecessary trouble for everyone. PADMINI: W hat do you mean trouble? W hat’s happened to you these days? You sit at home all day. Never go out. You’ve forgotten all your swimming and sports. d e v a d a tta : I’m a Brahmin, Padmini. My d u ty... PADMINI: I’ve heard all this] It was fun the first few days because it was new. All d e v a d a tta : that muscle and strength. But how long can one go on like 158 HAYAVADANA that? I have a family tradition to m aintain— the daily reading, writing and studies... PADMINI: I don’t know. DEVADATTA (affectionate): Now look here, P ad m in i... (Puts his hand round her shoulder. She suddenly shudders.) Why? W hat happened? PADMINI: Nothing— I don’t know why— I suddenly had goose flesh. (Pause.) (withdrawing his hand): Do you know where I’ve kept d e v a d a tta the copy o f Dharma Sindhu? I’ve been looking for it. PADMINI: I think I saw it on the shelf. Must be th e re... (Devadatta goes to Doll I, moves it aside and picks up the book. Doll I shudders.) DOLL II: Why? What happened? DOLL I: He touched me, a n d... d o l l II: Yes? DOLL I: His palms! They were so rough once, when he first brought us here. Like a labourer’s. But now they are soft— sickly soft— like a young girl’s. d o l l II: I know. I’ve noticed something too. DOLL i: What? DOLL II: His stomach. It was so tight a n d muscular. N ow... DOLL I: I know. It’s soft and loose. DOLL II:Do you t h i n k i t ’ll s w e ll up to o ? (They laugh.) DOLL I (holding its hands in front o f its stomach to suggest a swollen belly): It’ll swell a little... DOLL II (holding its hands a little farther in front): — t h e n m o r e... DOLL I (even further): — m o r e a n d... DOLL II (even further): — a n d m o r e u n t i l... ACT TWO 159 d o l l I:... i f it’s a w om an... d o l l II:...th e re ’ll be a child... DOLL I:...a n d i f i t ’s a m a n... DOLL II: BANG! (They roll with laughter. Padmini comes in with the child. She sings a lullaby.) PADMINI: Here comes a rider! From what land does he come? Oh his head a turban with a long pearly tail. Round his neck a garland of virgin-white jasmines. In his fist a sword with a diam ond-studded hilt. The white-clad rider rides a white charger which spreads its tossing mane against the western sky, spreads its mane like breakers against the western sky. Sleep now, my baby and see smiling dreams. There he comes—here he is! From which land does he come? But why are the jasmines on his chest red O so red? What shine in his open eyes? Pebbles O pebbles. Why is his young body cold O so cold? The white horse gallops across hills, streams and fields. To what land does he gallop? Nowhere O nowhere. 160 HAYAVADANA (Half-way through the lullaby, Devadatta comes in and sits by Padmini’s side, reading. They don’t look at each other. A t the end o f the lullaby, they fall asleep.) DOLL I (in a hushed voice): Hey. DOLL II: Yes? d o l l I: Look. DOLL II: Where? DOLL I: Behind her eyelids. She is dreaming. DOLL II: I d o n ’t se e a n y t h in g. DOLL I: It’s still hazy—hasn’t started yet. Do you see it now? DOLL II (eagerly): Yes, yes. (They stare at her.) d o l l I: A man. DOLL II: But not her husband. DOLL I: No, someone else. d o l l II: Is this the one who came last night? d o l l I: Yes— the same. But I couldn’t see his face then. DOLL II: You can now. Not very nice— rough. Like a labourer’s. But he’s got a nice body—looks soft. DOLL I: Who do you think it is? DOLL II: I— It’s fading. (Urgently.) Remember the face! DOLL I: It’s fading— Oh! It’s gone! DOLL II:And she won’t even remember it tomorrow. (Padmini and Devadatta sit up.) PADMINI: Are you ill? DEVADATTA: Why? PADMINI: You were moaning in your sleep last night. DEVADATTA: Was I? PADMINI: Aren’t y o u fe e lin g w ell? ACT TWO 161 Who? Me? I’m fine. d e v a d a tta : (Gets up energetically to show how well he feels. Suddenly grabs his shoulder with a groan.) PADMINI: W hat’s wrong? Tell me. (avoiding her eyes): Nothing. I went to the gymnasium d e v a d a tta yesterday m orning. Then went swimming. PADMINI: To the gymnasium? After all these years? But why? d e v a d a tta : I just felt like it. T hat’s all. Don’t go on about it. PADMINI (without irony): Are you going again today? DEVADATTA (flares up): No, I’m not. And there’s no need to laugh. I know I’ve made a fool of myself by going there. I won’t again. (Goes out. Long pause.) PADMINI: W hat are you afraid of, Devadatta? W hat does it m atter th at you are going soft again, that you are losing your muscles? I’m not going to be stupid again. Kapila’s gone out o f my life— forever. I won’t let him come back again. (Pause. ) Kapila? What could he be doing now? Where could he be? Could his body be fair still, and his face dark? (Long pause.) Devadatta changes. Kapila changes. And me? (Closes her eyes.) d o l l I: There he is again. DOLL II: In th e m i d d l e o f t h e d ay ? DOLL I (doubtful): I’m not sure this is the usual visitor. This one looks rougher and darker. DOLL II: It’s him all right. Look at his face. d o l l I: He goes to h e r... DOLL II:... v e r y n e a r h e r... d o ll I (in a whisper): W hat’s he g o in g to d o n o w ? (even more anxious): What? d o l l II (They watch.) 162 HAYAVADANA d o ll I (baffled): But he’s climbing a tree! DOLL II (almost a wail o f disappointment): He’s dived into a river! DOLL I: Is t h a t a ll h e c a m e fo r? DOLL II: It’s g o i n g... DOLL I:... g o i n g... DOLL II: Gone! Wretched dreams! They just tickle and fade away. (Padmini wakes up and mimes putting the crying child to sleep.) (suddenly vicious): Change! Change! Change! Change! p a d m in i Change! The sand trickles. The water fills the pot. And the moon goes on swinging, swinging, swinging, from light to darkness to light. (Devadatta comes in. He is now completely changed to his original self.) A pundit’s coming to see me. He wants me to explain d e v a d a tta : some verses to him. Can you keep some sweets and lime-juice ready? PADMINI: Yes. (Pause.) Did you h ea r...? The maid was telling me. DEVADATTA: What? PADMINI: Kapila’s m other died this morning. (Pause.) Poor thing! She’d been bed-ridden all these years, ever sin ce... DEVADATTA (snapping at her): What did you expect me to do about it? (Then embarr

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