After the Applause

Ek hi SPOTLIGHT stage ke center par jal rahi hai. Dust particles hawa mein chamak rahe hain. Dark seats ka samundar. Silence.

SIDDHARTH (43), silk kurta, scarf ek shoulder par, cane ke saath stage par khada hai. Uske haath mein script pages hain.

Aman (27), plain T-shirt, jeans, notebook aur marked pages ke saath side se aata hai.

Show khatam ho gaya, Sir.

Show khatam hota hai. Stage nahi.

Aman halka sa smile karta hai. Notebook kholta hai.

Aapki last monologue rehearsal ke liye

main ruk gaya tha.

Bohot meherbani.

Cue de.

Aman script dekhta hai.

"Aaj main jo hoon..."

Siddharth line bolta hai. Pehle shaky, phir controlled.

Aaj main jo hoon, uske liye

main ne jo chhoda...

...woh bhi yaad rakhna padta hai.

Siddharth rukta hai, Aman ko dekhta hai.

Tu assistant director hai ya judge?

Dono ka kaam same hota hai.

Galtiyan dekhna.

Siddharth huff karta hai, phir line continue karta hai.

...woh bhi yaad rakhna padta hai.

Beat.

Tumhara naam?

Aman.

Aur aaj raat bas helper.

Helper log hi theatre ko zinda rakhte hain.

Aman notebook mein kuch mark karta hai.

Aajkal theatre ko log nahi,

sponsors zinda rakhte hain.

Siddharth hansi dabata hai.

Bahut gyaan hai.

Jo shadow mein kaam karte hain,

unhe light ka price pata hota hai.

Siddharth thoda chubhta hai. Seedha dekhta hai.

Itni filosoify kahaan se aayi?

Rejections se.

Aur kuch purane logon se.

Siddharth line bhool jaata hai.

Agli line?

"Main laut aaya hoon."

Main bhoolta nahi hoon.

Aap bhoolte nahi.

Bas jo yaad rakhna chahiye,

woh nahi rakhte.

Silence.

Siddharth cane ko stage floor par thoda zor se tikata hai.

Kya bol raha hai tu?

Aman kuch seconds tak use dekhta hai. Phir notebook ke beech se ek purana folded script page nikaalta hai.

Yeh pehchaan rahe ho?

Siddharth page dekhta hai. Uske chehre ka rang utar jaata hai.

Yeh... old production ka page hai.

Haan.

Aapka favourite dialogue bhi ismein tha.

Tumhe kaise pata?

Aman page kholta hai. Us par ek faded marking.

Kyunki bachpan se sun raha hoon.

Siddharth stunned.

Bachpan?

Haan. Bachpan.

Jis bachche ko aapne kabhi stage ke

piche bhi dekhna avoid kiya tha.

Siddharth ka grip cane par tight.

Kya bakwaas kar raha hai?

Aman notebook band karta hai.

Bakwaas nahi.

Main Aman hoon.

Aur main aapka beta hoon.

Silence hits hard.

Nahi.

Haan.

Maa ne naam badla, shehar badla,

aur aapne career bachaya.

Maine...

Aapne chuppi choose ki.

Us time ke liye sahi hogi.

Mere liye nahi thi.

Siddharth ek kadam aage badhta hai, phir ruk jaata hai.

Tu aaj bata raha hai?

Aaj pehli baar aapke saamne khada hoon.

Assistant ke roop mein.

Beta ke roop mein nahi.

Siddharth ki aankhon mein guilt.

Main nahi jaanta tha...

Aapne puchha nahi.

Beat. Spotlight hums softly.

Tera talent...

Teri line delivery...

Sab...

Aap jaisa hai?

Haan.

Ghalat mat feel kijiye.

Surname hota to zindagi aur hoti.

Talent to tha.

Bas entry pass nahi tha.

Siddharth script pages ko dekhta hai, phir Aman ko.

Main ne fame bachane mein

ek beta kho diya.

Beta khoya nahi jaata.

Bas choose nahi kiya jaata.

Siddharth ko yeh line lagti hai. Uske haath kaanp jaate hain.

Main sorry bolne ke layak bhi nahi hoon.

Sorry se years wapas nahi aate.

Toh kya chahiye?

Aman usse dekhta hai. Long beat.

Sach.

Siddharth slowly cane side mein rakhta hai. Script pages kholkar ek gehri saans leta hai.

Theek hai.

Woh monologue dobara shuru karta hai, par is baar character ki tarah nahi, apne aap ki tarah.

Main jo tha...

woh stage ne banaya.

Main jo hoon...

woh meri chuppi ne.

Aur jo main khona nahi chahta tha...

woh mere saamne khada hai.

Aman ki aankhon mein tears, but controlled.

Main ne applause ke liye ghar ko andhere mein rakha.

Aur andhera itna lamba ho gaya

ki chehre pehchaan mein nahi aaye.

Silence.

Main late aaya.

Par agar ek mauka ho...

toh main aaj bhi yahin hoon.

Aman notebook ko dheere se band karta hai.

Rehearsal ho gayi.

Aur baaki zindagi?

Wo bhi shayad ab script mein likhni padegi.

Dono ek dusre ko dekhte hain. Koi hug nahi. Koi big resolution nahi.

Bas ek sach.