Last Stop, Ladies

Peeling paint. Harsh tube lights. Ceiling fan dheere-dheere ghoom raha hai. Vending machine ka neela glow bench ke paas pad raha hai. Door se intermittent PLATFORM ANNOUNCEMENTS gunj rahi hain.

Ek BENCH par ASHA (52), cotton dupatta, tired feet, firm but loving. Uske bag ke paas plastic bags aur ek THERMOS.

POOJA (24), jeans aur sneakers, earbuds neck par. Woh phone scroll kar rahi hai, irritate bhi, amused bhi.

SAMEER (28), wrinkled shirt, backpack, sleepy-eyed, responsible dikhne ki nakam koshish mein.

Asha

Train kitni late hai?

Sameer

Bas... thodi.

Pooja

“Thodi” matlab kitni, bhai?

Sameer

Bas enough ki hum sab zinda hain.

Pooja rolls her eyes.

ANNOUNCEMENT (V.O.)

Dhyan deejiye... platform par badlav sambhav hai...

Asha turns to Sameer.

Asha

Platform number yaad hai?

Sameer

Haan. Obviously.

Pooja

“Obviously” se mujhe darr lagta hai.

Sameer forces a smile.

Asha opens one plastic bag. Peeks inside.

Asha

Snacks?

Sameer

Main lane wala tha.

Pooja

Aur lane se pehle khana bhi yaad tha?

Sameer

Pooja.

Pooja

Kya? Main bas confirm kar rahi hoon ki tu travel agent hai ya disaster artist.

Asha gently but firmly holds up the railway ticket.

Asha

Tickets mere paas kyun hain?

Sameer

Maine... safe rakh diye the.

Pooja

Safe? Matlab bhool gaya.

Sameer

Nahi.

Pooja

Haan.

Sameer

Nahi!

Asha

Sameer.

He straightens.

Sameer

Main sab dekh raha tha.

Pooja leans back.

Pooja

Galat platform bhi dekh raha tha kya?

Sameer freezes.

Asha notices the freeze.

Asha

Kya matlab?

Sameer

Nahi, matlab... platform...

Pooja

Tu bola tha 2.

Sameer

Haan.

Pooja

Ticket pe 4 hai.

A beat.

Sameer

Kya?

Asha slowly opens the ticket, checks it. Then another.

Asha

Haan. 4.

Sameer

Main... shayad app mein...

Pooja

App? Tune app use ki?

Sameer

Nahi, but...

Pooja

But kya? Gyaan?

Asha stares at him.

Asha

Beta, sach bol.

Sameer looks at the floor.

Sameer

Main late ho gaya tha. Phir rush mein... platform dekhna bhool gaya.

Pooja bursts out laughing, then stops herself.

Pooja

Tu sach mein genius hai.

Asha

Aur snacks?

Sameer

Bhool gaya.

Asha

Thermos?

Sameer

Aapka hai.

Asha

Aur destination?

Sameer

...

Pooja

Oho.

Sameer

Main soch raha tha... koi bhi platform chalega jab tak train mil jaaye.

Pooja

Kya philosophy hai!

Asha

Aur agar train wrong side par aa gayi toh?

Sameer

Toh... hum cross kar lenge.

Pooja

Humein? Tu bhi “hum” bol raha hai?

Asha takes a long breath, then reaches into her dupatta.

She pulls out a SECOND set of tickets.

Pooja and Sameer stare.

Pooja

Yeh kahan se?

Asha

Main ne hi rakhe the.

Sameer

Confused)

Toh mere paas jo...

Asha

Tumhare paas jo tha, woh tumhara confidence tha. Ticket nahi.

Pooja chokes on a laugh.

Sameer

Ma...

Asha

Tumne platform bhi galat bataya.

Sameer

Main—

Asha

Bas.

She points to the ticket.

Asha (CONT’D)

Train platform 4 par aayegi. Tumne 2 bola.

Sameer is stunned.

Pooja

Announcement bhi 4 bol raha hai.

Sameer

Mujhse sab manage nahi hua.

Asha softens a little.

Asha

Hota bhi nahi. Isliye hum teen hain.

A loud ANNOUNCEMENT cuts through.

ANNOUNCEMENT (V.O.)

Train number... platform 4 par aa rahi hai.

All three freeze.

Pooja

Oh ho. Wrong platform ka drama real tha.

Sameer

Theek hai, theek hai. Bags.

He grabs the backpack and thermos.

Asha hands him the plastic bags.

Asha

Dhyan se.

Pooja picks up the tickets and phone.

Pooja

Main check karti hoon. Tu bas bhaag.

Sameer

Main bhaag raha hoon, okay?

Pooja

For once, useful.

They move toward the exit.

The three squeeze through the doorway, a small unit now.

Sameer stops for half a second.

Sameer

Ma... sorry.

Asha doesn’t stop walking.

Asha

Aage se yaad rakhna.

Pooja

Aur agar yaad na rahe, toh hum hain na.

Sameer smiles, relieved.

Sameer

Haan.

Asha

Bas adult banne ka natak kam kar.

Pooja

Aur snacks zyada.

Sameer

Deal.

They hurry off toward the stairs.

The waiting room empties back into silence.

THE END.