A Thousand Splendid Suns (Play Script) by Ursula Rani Sarma

Author:Ursula Rani Sarma [Sarma, Ursula Rani]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2018-02-06T00:00:00+00:00

SCENE SEVEN

Night. The house is quiet except for the singing of a nightingale. Rasheed lies sleeping in his room. Laila creeps from their bed and goes to Mariam’s room, where she is pacing anxiously.

LAILA: Don’t make a sound . . .

MARIAM: (turns and sees her, worried) Aziza?

LAILA: She’s fine . . . listen . . . (Beat.) Aziza and I . . . we’re leaving.

MARIAM: (confused) Leaving where?

LAILA: Here . . . I’ve been stealing from him, just a little at a time, I’ve hidden the money in the lining of my dress. I have a thousand afghani, that’s enough for the bus fare to Peshawar and to keep us going for a while when we get there.

MARIAM: When?

LAILA: Now, before he wakes.

MARIAM: It’s not possible.

LAILA: But it is, we can change things, we just have to try . . . come with us . . .

MARIAM: How can I?

LAILA: How can you not? How can you stay here if leaving is an option?

MARIAM: But it isn’t . . . it won’t work. Women are forbidden to travel without a male relative, you know what they will do if they catch us?

LAILA: We’ll find someone at the station, I’ll say I’m a widow, someone will take pity on us.

MARIAM: And if we get to Pakistan? Rasheed said two million Afghan refugees have already fled there, the borders are closed, we have no visas—it won’t work.

LAILA: We will make it work, we will find a way to make it work. What choice do we have? How long before he kills one of us? Maybe even Aziza? (A noise from offstage makes them both look up in fear.) She’s the reason we can’t stay here . . . (She sits closer now, aware of the danger of this secret.) The night before Tariq left he came to me . . .

Tariq enters, another memory coming back to life. 1992.

TARIQ: I’m saying we’re leaving.

LAILA: No.

TARIQ: Tomorrow . . . we’re going to Peshawar first, then I don’t know after. Maybe Hindustan or Iran . . . I was going to tell you, Laila, I swear . . . It’s my father. His heart can’t take it anymore, all this fighting and killing and my mother is so afraid all the time. Laila . . . please look at me . . . (Beat.) I want to marry you, today, and then you can come with me.

LAILA: I told him I couldn’t . . .

TARIQ: We’ll go to a mosque, find a mullah—

LAILA: But I should have said yes . . . yes . . .

TARIQ: Your father will give his blessing, I know he will.

Babi appears suddenly. Laila goes to him. 1992.

BABI: I’m so glad I have you, Laila. Every day I thank God for you. Every single day. Sometimes when your mother is having one of her really dark days, I feel like you are all I have . . .

LAILA: How could I leave my father? How could I?

Babi fades into the darkness.

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