Three Plays

come to lead the alliance against the Mughal.
ACTOR 2: Not lead, but fight together under the leadership of the great House of Mewar.
ACTOR 1: He has brought twenty-thousand of the finest horses of Marwar.
ACTRESS 1: The best riders fall the hardest.
ACTRESS 2: A noble commander must have a noble army.
ACTOR 2: The fruit seller’s mangoes are always sweet.
ACTRESS 2: Surely they must be the sweetest if this fruit seller is any guide.
ACTOR 1: The Mughal is rushing down like a river, and nothing will stop him.
ACTOR 2: The Rajput princes will damn the river.
ACTOR 1: The real soldier only speaks of success.
ACTRESS 1: I’d rather be a peasant in peace than a prince in war.
ACTOR 2: This will be a good war.
ACTRESS 1: There is never a good war.
ACTOR 1: There must be a war against the Mughal.
ACTOR 2: Ride a horse to catch a horse.
ACTRESS 2: To catch the Mughal is to catch a fox.
ACTRESS 1: Only cats know cats.
ACTOR 1: We have to fight to defend our honour.
ACTRESS 1: The bird chooses its tree, not the tree the bird.
ACTRESS 2: Our men aren’t afraid to fight.
ACTOR 2: True gold isn’t afraid of fire.
ACTRESS 1: The best soldiers are not warlike.
ACTOR 2: He who leads an ox to drink has to get wet.
ACTRESS 1: War is the festival of death.

7. The Sister-in-law is Jealous
ACTRESS 2: If the Rani pleases, a Rana’s wife doesn’t carry on in this manner.
ACTRESS 1: Mira puzzled.
ACTRESS 2: She doesn’t observe the looks of young men.
She sees her lord’s image in every man.
ACTRESS 1: How can I see the Rana in every man? The Rana is too good.
ACTRESS 2: There are ways which must be observed in court.
ACTRESS 1: Mira questioningly.
ACTRESS 2: It was evident to the smallest child.
ACTRESS 1: Mira still puzzled.
ACTRESS 2: There is a way of welcoming guests.
ACTRESS 1: Mira courtesying in an exaggerated way.
Oh, you mean like this?
And she smiles.
ACTRESS 2: Yes.
ACTRESS 1: But he’s my cousin.
ACTRESS 2: You don’t go up and embrace a man like that. I almost died of shame. Think of your sacred husband. What must he have felt … and in front of everyone … if I had been the Rani …
ACTRESS 1: Oh, I didn’t mean … I didn’t mean … I didn’t think the Rana would … What shall I do? What will the Rana think?
ACTRESS 2: The damage is done.
ACTRESS 1: Appealing.
What am I going to do?
ACTRESS 2: You will stay away from your cousin. At least the court will not get any more ideas.
ACTRESS 1: What about the Rana?
ACTOR 1: Enter Rana.
ACTRESS 1: Mira blushes and leaves.
ACTOR 1: Why did Mira leave in such a hurry? Her cousin was asking for her.
ACTRESS 2: Already?
ACTOR 1: The Rana looking surprised.
ACTRESS 2: A wise man drapes a curtain between a stranger and his mistress.
ACTOR 1: Jai is a fine young man.
ACTRESS 2: Even an elephant may slip.
ACTOR 1: Oil your own wheel first.
ACTRESS 2: The heron is a saint as long as there’s no fish in sight.
ACTOR 1: It is for the Rana to judge the Rani.
ACTRESS 2: A king is supposed to see by his ears.
ACTOR 1: Why doesn’t Princess Uda make friends with Mira?
ACTRESS 2: Mira has everything and she doesn’t want to be a Rani.
ACTOR 1: Uda would like to be Rani, wouldn’t she?
ACTRESS 2: Uda is quiet.
ACTOR 1: Uda would like to be a Rani, wouldn’t she?
ACTRESS 2: Uda nods.
ACTOR 1: The Rana leaves.
ACTRESS 2: Uda sees Jai and Mira coming. Hides.


8. Surely the Rana Knows
ACTOR 2: Mira is the Rani of a magnificent palace!
ACTRESS 1: Where palaces are magnificent, fields are poor and granaries are empty.
ACTOR 2: Something is wrong, and I’m afraid.
ACTRESS 1: Nothing is wrong.
ACTOR 2: Something is wrong.
ACTRESS 1: Jai, I’m going to have a son.
ACTOR 2: Jai claps in approval.
ACTRESS 1: Shh … not so loud. No one is supposed to know.
ACTOR 2: Surely the Rana knows.
ACTRESS 1: No. Especially not he.
ACTOR 2: I am so proud. We should announce it to the whole world.
ACTRESS 1: Oh no!
ACTOR 2: How do you know it’s a boy?
ACTRESS 1: I feel it inside me.
And she places his hand on her stomach.
ACTOR 2: I can’t feel anything.
ACTRESS 1: I can.
ACTOR 2 and ACTRESS 1: They stare at each other.
ACTOR 2: Then Jai smiles.
ACTRESS 1: She smiles back.
ACTOR 2: And Jai embraces her.
I am so happy.
ACTRESS 1: Happy, happy.
ACTOR 2: What are you going to call the child?
ACTRESS 1: Son.
ACTOR 2: What if it’s a girl?
ACTRESS 1: I’m going to have a son.
ACTOR 2: What will be his name?
ACTRESS 1: The son.
ACTOR 2: Jai takes her hand affectionately.
ACTRESS 1 AND ACTOR 2: And both excitedly dance to beautiful music.
ACTOR 2: Enter Rana.
ACTRESS 2: And Uda.
ACTRESS 3: And Jhali.
ACTOR 1: Let us drink to the alliance.
ACTOR 2: To victory!
(Dance of the warriors.)
ACTOR 1: To victory! The Mughal fox has crossed the river and tripled his strength.
ACTOR 2: Why didn’t the governors resist?
ACTOR 1: They are stooges of an infidel dynasty. The blood of Ghengiz Khan and Tamerlane rushes through Babur’s veins.
ACTOR 2: The blood of Babur will pale before the Rajput alliance.
ACTRESS 2: A shrewd commander doesn’t underrate an enemy.
ACTOR 2: Neither is he awed by him.
ACTRESS 1: A wise soldier is humble.
ACTRESS 3: Fools win wars, not wise men.
ACTRESS 2: Victory comes with reason and tactics.
ACTOR 2: Victory comes with courage.
ACTRESS 1: Courage is blind, said the wise man.
ACTOR 2: War is blind, said the fool.
ACTRESS 2: War makes men noble.
ACTRESS 1: War degrades life.
ACTRESS 2: Life is an illusion, said the wise man.
ACTOR 2: Give me more illusions, said the fool.
ACTRESS 1: Life is sorrow, said the wise man.
ACTOR 2: Give me more sorrows, said the fool.
ACTOR 1: Victory is no sorrow or illusion. To victory!
ACTOR 2: To victory and to the new Rana soon to see the sun!
ACTRESS 1: