THE SEASIDE STORY

Written by
Aliza Bakht & Arbab Ahmad

Based on The Mariner's Revenge Song by The Decemberists

Shunya, Ramjas College

8860145394

EXT. SHORE
The stage is pitch black. Nothing is visible except for rare
random bouts of thunder. Wild waves make crashing noises and
the roaring of the harsh storm adds to the noise.
Two men occupy the scene. This is established as the sound of
them grunting is heard.
MAN1
(In a state of panic)
Socorro! Socorro! Tira-me o senhor
mar! Voc fala Ingls? Help me! O
please! These bloody pirates killed
all my fellow brothers! Hello!
Hello! Paas mein koi hai? Mujhe sun
sakte hain? Paas mein koi hain ki
nahi? Help!
MAN2
Main hoon yahan. Im here. Relax.
MAN1
Are you one of them?
MAN2
No. They ate my ship.
MAN1
Mine too.
Silence follows. Man 2 replies after a short pause.
MAN2
Indian ho?
MAN1
Yes. You?
MAN2
Portuguese. Par main Goa mein rehta
tha, Isliye hindi aati hain.
MAN1
When did you leave?
MAN2
When your bloody Nehru kicked us
out! These pirates attacked our
ship on the sly. What do you think
theyll do with us?

2.

MAN1
Sell us (Painful uncomfortable
silence. Once again). Did they take
away everything?
MAN2
Yes.
MAN1+
I still have my rucksack.
MAN2
How come?
MAN1
I hid it in my pants.
Both laugh.
MAN1 (CONTD)
So! Are you still a soldier?
MAN2
Huh? How do you know that? Umph.
How are we going to get out here?
Any clue?
MAN1
Who said anything about getting
out?
MAN2
Wait. What do you mean?! What are
you... Hosh mein ho bewakoof?!
Wait. What is that? Why do you have
a kni- Aaargh!
Lights are switched on. We see the two men. One on the floor,
bleeding from his leg and the other standing with a knife in
one hand and a lit torch in the other one. His rucksack is
lying on the floor. MAN2 is in an army attire and MAN1 is
dressed as a priest.
They are on top of a rectangular box. The box is 6 feet in
length and 3 feet in breadth. It has doors on all 4 sides
which are presently shut.
MAN1
Oh kind sir, I fear that you were
rather too quick to judge my
intentions. You see, I plan to die
right here in the belly of this god
forsaken ship.
(MORE)

3.

MAN1 (CONT'D)
But I dont plan to do so
immediately! (pause) Not before I
kill you that is.
MAN1 goes, looks inside his rucksack. Takes out a recorder
and starts playing a track Dekha na haye re socha na from
the hit movie Bombay to Goa. The current year is 1972.
MAN2
Who the hell are you? (wincing) I
said tell me! What have I done? You
are a priest for Gods sake! What
have I done for you to do such a
thing? PLEASE! HAVE YOU NO MERCY?
MAN1
Oh kind sir dont you worry so
much. We have some time to kill.
You dont remember me do you? Its
a pity Wincent Dsouza. I hope you
remember Goa though? Yes? I can see
your eyes recollecting it already.
Oh joy! I was 13 then.
The minute MAN1(NARRATOR) says this, an immediate character
change occurs in both the men. MAN1 jumps and goes inside one
of the doors with a neutral face. MAN2(SOLDIER) becomes
younger and more cockier looking version of himself. He jumps
off too and goes off stage.
The music fades away. The minute the NARRATOR gets inside the
door and slams it shut...
EXT. OUTSIDE HOUSE (GARDEN)
Another box door opens and a Young 13 year old boy comes
running out. He starts killing little ants and other insects.
His mother comes out from another door and sees the boy doing
so. She gets frustrated but finds his behavior funny and
laughs at the same time. Approaches him animatedly. The
timeline has shifted to 1955.
MOTHER
Oh dear God! You silly boy! What
were you doing? Answer me! Fine.
Dont. Act like a coward.
BOY
(Screams in anger) Im not a
coward!

4.

MOTHER
Then why are you taking out your
anger on these harmless insects?
BOY
I want to kill them and eat them
up!
MOTHER
They cannot speak to you or harm
you so you needlessly act cruel
towards them and kill them?
BOY
So what? You want me to hit you?
(Tries to hit the mother in a
childish manner. Mother firmly
holds his hand)
MOTHER
If you lived in a land where people
were killed for no fault of theirs.
If a large number of common men
were killed by a big man. Not
because they had done him wrong but
because the man did not feel like
letting them live. Would you be
happy?
BOY
Yes. If I was the big powerful man.
MOTHER
Power and revenge are very
dangerous things my dear boy! A
person with a never ending thirst
for power is called a fanatic- A
mad man. Only god is responsible
for avenging the wrong. By taking
vengeance in your own hand , not
only are you defying the almighty
but are also harming yourself.
BOY
How?
MOTHER
By losing your soul! Your anger
will make you blind to the
suffering that you will be
imparting on others. A blind angry
man who is revengeful is a lost
man.
(MORE)

5.

MOTHER (CONT'D)
He is the kind of man who doesnt
look in the mirror because he
doesnt recognise himself anymore.
Hence, Mr. Balu Shalu, you must
never be vengeful. Always. Always
remember that.
The womans speech is interrupted by a manic ringing of a
loud siren. Air raids are in process. A voice is heard, Sab
log gharon ke andar chale jaayein! Sarkari hawaai jahaaz phir
se hamla kar rahe hain. Jab tak siren band na ho, anuwad hai
ki koi apne ghar se bahaar na nikle!
Lights are becoming dimmer and lighter as if to signify the
passing of the airplanes.
MOTHER (CONTD)
Hurry up! Another air raid. These
people have lost their minds. Come
on dear! Lets go inside.
BOY
Nahi! Aap toh mujhe raakshas maante
ho na. Main toh bura hoon! Toh
theek hain. Main mar jaaunga!
MOTHER
Arre! Have you gone crazy? Get
Inside!
BOY
No!
MOTHER
Get inside you crazy boy! (Starts
pulling him by the hand)
BOY
Not today! Never!
Gunshots are heard. Both run inside two respective doors of
the box immediately.
EXT. SAME AREA
Air raid continues. Mother and Boy are inside the box.
Meanwhile, a man enters, barely managing to walk. He stands
outside, then bends and then collapses in the garden. Right
where the boy was standing before. The raid finally comes to
an end. Mother and child slowly peek out, look around, spot
the man and rush towards him. Mother puts the mans head on
her lap. The boy sits on the side and leans in closer to see
him.

6.

This man is the SOLDIER(MAN2).

BOY
He is a Portuguese soldier! Lets
leave him here!
MOTHER
No. All of us are children of God.
Get him some water immediately.
BOY
But mother, no one will appreciate
you doing this.
MOTHER
Hurry up! Please go get water.
Hell die.
BOY
Yes mother. Just two minutes.
The soldier tries to say something.
MOTHER
Relax sir. We are not going to harm
you. You are safe here. How are you
feeling?
The soldier mumbles again. The mother and boy lean in closer
to hear him out.
BOY
Sir, please try and be more
audible.
SOLDIER
Voc linda ah! You are a
beautiful angel. Thank you so much
lovely!
BOY
Mother! This bastards hitting on
you!
MOTHER
(blushes) Shhhhh!
SOLDIER
Lovely lady...lovely angel
BOY
(flabbergasted) Mother!

7.

MOTHER
Shhhhhh! Sir, Put your arm around
my shoulder. There there. Just like
that.
All freeze except for the boy. He keeps looking at them both
with a distant air and shakes his head in sad disapproval. He
then looks at the soldier and starts speaking.
BOY
He had a very charming air, all
cheap and debonair like those
seaside romeos whose sole love,
apart from whores, was liquor. At
first I was very dubious. The old
man had died only three years ago.
I mean, Mas sheets still reeked of
him. It was disgusting to see her
all giddy and girl like in front of
this cheapskate. But I didnt
really have a say. He had her
hooked the minute she laid eyes on
him and so she decided to keep him,
till he got better that is.
Boy joins the sequence. They break freeze and start a silent
mimicking. First the soldier gets up and dusts his clothes as
mother watches him. Shyly she steps closer to him. He holds
her face and the boy looks the other way. Then the mother and
soldier extend their hand and the boy holds it. They pull him
closer and the three embrace. The man pats the boys head.
They are in the middle of enjoying peaceful domesticity.
Meanwhile, the narrator has entered the stage and has started
speaking. AS he speaks the following, the sequence mentioned
above is executed.

NARRATOR
Initially, I was very repulsed by
you. In retrospect I should have
trusted my better senses. The thing
was that it was Ma who made me
melt. I could have gone on hating
you but she- she just seemed so- so
happy. And I would secretly curse
her for it, but then I grew
jealous. I was jealous. She was so
happy. I wanted to be a part of It.
I wanted to be a part of the happy
space that the both of you shared.
(MORE)

8.

NARRATOR (CONT'D)
So I tried and you gladly let me in
and I felt it, that happiness and I
was rejoicing in it and you got
better and you both got closer and
soon enough, what only seemed like
a strong possibility in the future,
became our reality.
EXT. CHURCH
The Narrator signals to the four chorus members to come on
stage and take over and goes off stage himself. Like savages
and old relatives, the chorus enters gossiping and making a
considerable amount of noise. They completely destroy the
domestic peace sequence of the family and the threesome
unwillingly smile to greet them.
One of them hands the mother a veil, the soldier a hat and
the boy a camera and rings that he holds in his fists. 2
people from the chorus are holding a table which they put
down. The mother and father (soldier) are pushed in the front
center of the stage with the boy on one side and the
uncivilized guests on the other with the table. Chorus
members are excited and thus, hooting and cheering in their
unrefined manner while the soon to be wedded blush and keep
breaking into huge grins and short laughs. Church music
plays. Spotlight on the couple who look in the direction of
the light. For a minute, everyone is sober. A godlike voice
is heard.
VOICE (V.O.)
We have gathered here today..
CHORUS
Hoot Hoot! (Animalistic soucds)
VOICE
Do you solemnly swear to never
part, in life or in death
CHORUS
Whoo! Whoo!
VOICE
Please exchange your vows.
MOTHER
I will be there for you forever and
all that.
SOLDIER
I will rip your clothes apart as
soon as they leave us alone.

9.

CHORUS
Awwww! Awwwww! Haaa haaa! Ho he!
Eeee Eeee!
VOICE
Do you take each other for husband
and wife?
MOTHER
I do.
SOLDIER
I do.
CHORUS
WHAAAAAAAAA (Cheering
control)

is out of

VOICE
Ahem. (A sudden tense silence
follows. Suddenly the chorus is
intense and panicky, as if with the
rings coming evil foreboding and
tension is building)
The boy comes, cleans the rings with his coat and hands it to
the couple. They make each other wear it. A terrified gasp
escapes one of the chorus members but no one notices.
VOICE (CONTD)
I pronounce you Husband and Wife!
You may now.....(Chorus is back to
grinning cheekily and looking more
and more intently at the couple)
HUG the bride!
The couple laugh and hug. The chorus goes out of control
cheering. They get up and congratulate the couple while the
boy clicks pictures. Then the guests start enjoying the party
amongst themselves. The soldier asks the mother to come to
the side.
SOLDIER
Dear, you have that saved up money
right? Ill go and take it from the
house.
WIFE
What? Right now? This is our
celebration darling! Enjoy
yourself!

10.

SOLDIER
I know I know! I feel like a pig
but I told you that this is
important. After today we can live
in peace and forget about all this.
WIFE
I. dont know what to say.
SOLDIER
Remember how we envisioned it. Just
you, me and our child. Without fear
or debt. Poor but free. Poor but
happy. I just want it for us as
soon as I can manage it!
WIFE
I know, butSOLDIER
Cmon girl! Cheer up!
WIFE
ButSOLDIER
(Tries talking to her in a baby
voice)Cmon!A quem sabe esperar
ensejo, tudo vem a seu tempo e
desejo.
WIFE
(Sigh)He that can have patience can
have what he will. Alright. But
come back to me fast. Ill be
waiting.
SOLDIER
And Ill be yours.
He kisses her and goes into the house i.e One of the box
doors. The chorus members go and sit on the table. Mother
comes to the side. Boy follows her. They both go inside
seperate doors as the soldier comes out with the money.
INT. GAMBLING HOUSE
Meanwhile, the chorus members have taken off their coats,
opened their collar buttons and rolled up their sleeves. Some
are wearing vests inside and their shirt is open. They are
playing a card game. Poker maybe? The scene has shifted to a
bar. The soldier goes straight to the table, drops the cash
on it and attempts to take a seat.

11.

SOLDIER
Deal me.
CHORUS1
You little scumface! Where is the
rest of the money.
SOLDIER
Give me one more week. Ill Hand it
all to you. Just deal me.
CHORUS2
No cant do old boy

SOLDIER
But Ive paid most of it back!
CHORUS1
Look asshole. Pay all your debt off
first eh? Not last month or the
years.
SOLDIER
But how will I get the money if I
dont earn it back? There is no
food left in the house. We havent
eaten in ages!
CHORUS1
Do I look like I care? You have a
wife who works. Dont you?
SOLDIER
Ive given you most of her savings.
CHORUS1
Look at this filthy dog! Listen
scumface. Go home. Come back only
when you have the whole sum.
SOLDIER
You cannot do this to me.
CHORUS1
Watch me.
They resume their game and the soldier storms off, furious
and shaken. As he leaves, they pick up their table and leave.

12.

EXT. OUTSIDE HOUSE

The Mother/Wife has come out. Worried, paranoid and walking
briskly back and forth. The boy is trying to calm her down.
It is not working. The soldier goes there, tries to ignore
her and get inside the house. She stops him.
WIFE
Where the hell were you? There was
no food left in the house today.
You took the last bit of money
which was to be spent on the food!
SOLDIER
I needed it.
WIFE
For what? Please tell me this. Why
did you need it last week or the
week before that? Was it the whores
or the poker? Just what?
Soldier remains silent. She makes him face her.
WIFE (CONTD)
I want to know where you were all
night (Smells him. Recoils
disgusted) Are you drunk?
SOLDIER
Dont irritate me. (Tries to evade
her) Do not bother me right now.
WIFE
Who are you and what have you done
to my husband?
SOLDIER
(holds and shakes her angrily) YOUR
HUSBAND DIED A VERY LONG TIME AGO
BITCH!
BOY
Dont you dare touch her!
SOLDIER
(To wife) If this wimp comes closer
I swear Ill kill him right here.
WIFE
Go to your room (To boy but still
looking at husband)

13.

BOY
Ma! No!
WIFE
Go inside. Do you not understand.
GO!
BOY
Ma, no.
The soldier gets impatient and drags her inside, pulling her
by the hair. The boy is too shocked to respond as mother
screams Stay there! For the last time. They close the door on
his face. He turns towards the audience. The sound of
hitting, screaming, crying etc is heard. Loud at first and
then softly, almost like a background music.
BOY (CONTD)
I stood there like a fool. I just
stood there silently.
The narrator has entered the stage. He addresses the boy.
NARRATOR
I could have done something but I
was shell shocked. It boils down to
power. The powerful always get the
last say. They do the innocent
people wrong and walk away, feeling
not the slightest taste of guilt.
They do it because they can.
(consoles the boy) I should not be
so hard on myself. I was the
powerless and he the powerful. I
was the innocent and he the sly. I
was helpless. I couldnt have done
anything. It was not my fault. No,
I should not feel that way. (Holds
the boy and looks down)
The soldier gets out with a bag of money, wipes his face and
hurries off. Noises have stopped.
BOY
Mother could not bear the pain. She
took to consumption.
(Mother bursts out of the door. Drunk and messed up.)
BOY (CONTD)
God was kicked out of the door of
our humble abode.
(MORE)

14.

BOY (CONTD)
We had no money left and mother had
to quit her job. Just when it
seemed that things couldnt get any
worse
NARRATOR
Mother fell sick.
BOY
Very sick.
The narrator gestures the chorus to enter. Two chorus members
enter from one side and convert the box into a bed on which
the mother lies down. The other two enter from the opposite
side casually. NARRATOR is still holding the YOUNG NARRATORS
shoulder and looking at him intently.
CHORUS1
Poor woman! She lost her mind.
CHORUS2
Well of course! She was a naive
fool to trust a soldier.
The mother wails. The chorus looks at each other and starts
consoling her.
CHORUS3
There there, Dont cry. Hush now.
Everything will be over soon.
She is wailing and trying too get up but the CHORUS keeps
pulling her down making patronising sounds. Shh shh shh!
Young narrator runs to his mother, Narrator following close
behind. They stand on opposite sides of the bed.
YOUNG NARRATOR.
Ma?
MOTHER
Son, Itll be over soon. You take
care of yourself. Try and be calm
and work hard and youll make it!
(grunts)
YOUNG NARRATOR.
Ma no! Stay with me and we will
solve all of this! Talk to me ma!
Say something!
NARRATOR
Mother had made up her mind. She
couldnt live like this.
(MORE)

15.

NARRATOR (CONT'D)
She had to let go. I would have
lost all hope too, but in the end,
just- (A chorus member interrupts
him and signals him to leave. He
follows.)
The YOUNG NARRATOR looks on helplessly as they all leave
trying to call them back but they dont even look behind. The
mother is lying down taking her last breath. As his attention
gets distracted from her, she sits up with a jerk and holds
him tightly. With the last ounce of energy left in her, she
sings/whispers to him, her last words.
MOTHER
Find him, bind him. Tie him to a
pole and break his fingers to
splinters. Drag him to a hole until
he wakes up, naked. Clawing at the
ceiling of his grave.
MOTHER dies. The chorus enters faking tears and put the
mother inside the box. It has now turned into a coffin.
EXT. CEMETERY/HOUSE AREA
Young narrator stays near the grave.
YOUNG NARRATOR.
It turns out that the money he had
took from us that night was all the
money we had. His shadow loomed
over in the form of heaps of debt
he owed to gambling. His shadow
took over our house, my mother and
all that was right.
(Two chorus members take the box
away and put it in the center of
the stage, turning it into a
bench.)
The magistrate took our house
away. A weak young boy would surely
not be able to pay the rent. The
nothing that surrounded me made me
want to get numb for the next 6
years in the secluded company of
the hippies. A blur of all sorts of
intoxicants, women and pity.
The chorus enters dressed as hippies. The soundtrack lonely
boy by the The Band plays.

16.

They hand the YOUNG NARRATOR a drink which he starts

galloping in sync with the music. Some of the hippies are
smoking up, the other drinking. One is chilling to the music
and the other does nothing in particular. He is tripping on
his own. They have few inaudible conversations. Some laughs.
Then they notice that the YOUNG NARRATOR has passed out. So
they simply pick up his bottle, remove his clothes and run
away. Boy is now lying down alone on stage. Music has faded
out.
Suddenly, the door facing the top of the box opens and the
mother comes out. A vision in her sons dreams. She roams
around and sings/whispers her last words again. Then she
disappears off-stage. The Narrator wakes up with a jerk.
YOUNG NARRATOR. (CONTD)
I was lost. I was alive and my
mother was not. God wanted me to
live. Her vision in my dream was
not a coincidence. His death would
be by no hands other than mine. I
swore that on God.

The YOUNG NARRATOR now signals the CHORUS to enter the stage
when initially it was just the NARRATOR who was controlling
them. Three CHORUS members enter shirtless and in vests,
dressed as fishermen. Two of them have a net in their hand
which they throw on the stage. One has brought in some wood
work and he is working there. YOUNG NARRATOR acknowledges
them showing familiarity. He is a part of them.
YOUNG NARRATOR. (CONTD)
The fishermen knew every nook and
cranny of the waters as well as the
land. Befriending them was the only
way to find out if he was still
here or had cowardly sailed away.
A fisherman talks to another fishermen. Young narrator
overhears.
CHORUS3
A part of Portuguese soldiers have
left for their country on a ship
not so long ago. Cowards all of
them.
CHORUS4
Yes. The captain I heard was a
cruel drunken mess.

17.

CHORUS3
I heard from someone that his wife
passed away paying off his gambling
debts.
YOUNG NARRATOR.
I had found you! Now I had to find
a ship to get to you.
YOUNG NARRATOR goes and sits on the bench, deep in thought. A
priest walks on the stage. He looks at the boy, observes him
for a minute and with a quizzical look, he walks up to him.
PRIEST
Are you hungry son? Here. Eat this.
YOUNG NARRATOR.
Thank you (Stars gnawing at
piece of bread).

the

PRIEST
So you know English?
Young Narrator nods while hes stuffing food in his mouth.
PRIEST (CONTD)
Do you want more food?
YOUNG NARRATOR.
Yes.
PRIEST
Son, would you want to join our
ship crew and help in the Lords
work?
Young Narrator stops chewing. He stands up. Narrator comes
and stands beside him, with the same look on his face.
NARRATOR AND YOUNG NARRATOR
Will you take me to Portugal?
The priest laughs as he pats both of their heads. He goes
behind the box taking the two with him. The fishermen
transform the box into a boat.
INT. SHIP STORM
The narrator, young narrator, the priest and one more worker
are on the box. Both narrators are working as their timelines
are intervening now. We hear storm noises. The priest holds
on the mast. The ship shakes and moves.

18.

In this violent scenario both narrators zone out and start

looking towards the center stage. They see their mother,
singing.
MOTHER
There is one thing that I must say
to you, as you sail across the sea.
Mother is always watching over you,
as you avenge this wicked deed.
As the mother walks away, the two narrators come back to
reality. The storm shakes of the younger narrator off the
boat. A few ropes are thrown at the boat. Pirates infiltrate
the ship to capture the surviving men. Flicker then blackout.
EXT. SHORE
Music fades into Dekha na haye re socha na The Narrator is
dancing. The soldier/man2 tries to escape by screaming and
clawing the box. Narrator stops him.
NARRATOR
Where do you think youre going old
man?
SOLDIER
Youve got the wrong man!
NARRATOR
No. I positively do not.
SOLDIER
Im innocent!
NARRATOR
You are certainly not sire.
SOLDIER
I. I am very sorry. It was such a
long time ago. I was a naive good
for nothing rascal. Ive changed
now. I have become a different man.
If you could only just listen to me
once.
NARRATOR
I appreciate your honesty. I really
do but with all due respect sir,
how does it change anything?
SOLDIER
I am repenting and Im begging for
your forgiveness.
(MORE)

19.

SOLDIER (CONT'D)
Your mother was-(Winces as he
strangles him at the mention of the
mother.) There is no point of this.
What will you even get from killing
me?
NARRATOR
What will I get? Temporary
satisfaction perhaps. The exact
thing you got after spending my
mothers money.
SOLDIER
If you could please just- Aagh!
Please have mercy for gods sake!
NARRATOR
Youre right. Mother used to tell
me that god alone is the sole
avenger of all wrongdoings. And
perhaps god would want me to have
mercy on you. God had mercy on me
as he asked fate and providence to
lead me to you. Maybe just to make
me realize that I should forgive
you. But then here you are kissing
my feet like an insect that I can
just crush and eat. And you know
what? God is never bringing my
mother back.
Soldier tries to crawl back, away from him.
NARRATOR (CONTD)
Cmon lean in close.
SOLDIER
Why?
NARRATOR
To listen to the last words youll
hear
We hear a scream and a shhhh. Cue exit music , mothers
lullaby, first at a low tempo and then slowly at a faster
tempo. Playful and mocking.
END OF PLAY
THE END
LALALALAbu.

20.