Blind Date (A Short Play) Part - II

PART - II (Read First Part of this Play)

SCENE 3 

DAY - DESOLATE ROAD 

The girl's right palm is bleeding and her vehicle is down on the dust. She's shaking nervously while holding her bleeding palm at the point of the wound. Mahesh parks the car and rushes out with Mak to her aid. She looks at Mahesh angrily. But words fail her. 

Mahesh (Jittery)

'Oh Lord !! I'm so sorry. I'm extremely sorry. '

Meanwhile Mak picks up the girl's vehicle and puts it on its stand. 

Mahesh (To Girl)

'Can I please check your wound ?'

Girl slowly removes her grip from the wounded palm and stretches it towards Mahesh. He notices that her injured palm is slightly fleeced and is bleeding. Mahesh rushes back to his car and pulls out a bottle of water. He starts pouring it's cold contents on her wound. She hisses in pain. Then he pulls a hanky from his pocket and offers it to her to tie around her palm. 

'Let me just take you to a dispensary, for first aid. I know one nearby.'

Mak

(Whispering to Mahesh )

What the hell are you doing? 

(Mahesh looks confused for a moment. He turns around and pushes Jayanth to a corner.)

Mahesh:

" I'll have to take her to the hospital Mak. Please go to 'Rendezvous Point' &  fill in for me, till I reach there. Can you do this much bro ?

Mak

Buddy, do you seriously want me to remind you of the life altering significance of this day in your existence ?

Mahesh

(Looks stunned and puzzled) What ??!!

Mak

I'm talking about your date. 
You have worked so hard for this. Countless sessions of pleading and wooing won you her approval for this occasion. Have you forgotten that or what ? 

Mahesh

(Firmly) Look Mak, I can't just leave her like this because I have a date. And by the way if I think lily1984 to be the girl she is, she'll understand. Trust me

Mak

Can't you see, she has some minor wounds that's all.

Girl overhears their conversation and announces that she'll take their leave and tries to turn on the ignition of her vehicle. But her right palm hurts badly. She can't turn the accelerator. Mahesh catches hold of her vehicle and puts it back on stand. Girl looks scathingly at both men. Mahesh is convinced that he's gotta take her to medical. 

Mahesh to Girl :

No No. You're not going anywhere, not till I've had you treated. Le'me just grab a few things ok ?

(Girl is unresponsive)

Mak & Mahesh enter the car. Mak still can't believe that Mahesh is risking his date over some minor accident. Mahesh notices Mak's dilemma 

Mahesh

Trust me on this Mak. She's gonna be proud of me when she finds out. Just tell her what has happened and ask her to wait for me.

Mahesh rides away with the injured girl on her scooty.

Mak (murmuring to himself)

The bugger didn't even tell me how to recognize lily 1984.
Darn !

Mak drives away to the eatery - joint "Rendezvous Point"where Mahesh's date is supposed to meet with him

FADE IN

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SCENE 4

DAY -  DISPENSARY

Girl is partially lying down on the flexible bed. The nurse has just finished dressing her wound. And she's preparing to inject her. She rubs her left arm muscle with some rectified spirit and puts the needle of the syringe to the spot for pushing it in.

Mahesh

What’s this for, sister ?

Nurse

Anti tetanus toxide. 
So that she doesn’t get tetanus.

Mahesh

Oh!!! Ok, 

How soon can we leave sister ?

Nurse

As soon as she feels alright to go.

Nurse 2

It's pouring outside. Just wait for sometime.

Mahesh

Yeah, sure.

Girl to Mahesh

What's your name ?

Mahesh

Mahesh

Girl

Thanks Mahesh

Mahesh

Listen, ...I'm sorry for all the trouble that I caused you...

Girl

Sohini. 

That's my name

Mahesh

I'm sorry Sohini. 
I mean it.

Sohini

It's Ok.  Accidents happen, so do mistakes. How we deal with them is more important.

And ofcourse, I know you mean your apology, else you'd have listened to your friend instead of bringing me here.

(Mahesh looks down and nods. Suddenly he realizes the import of her last words)

Mahesh

Come again ?

Sohini

Your friend was not quite happy with your choice to bring me here right ?

Mahesh

(Surprised) Excuse me ?

Sohini

I must have come between some urgent engagement of your's.

Mahesh

Well ..

Sohini

 I'm pretty confident that you have risked something in lieu of being a gentleman. 

She slowly flexes her palm muscles. It hurts her and she can't prevent pain from filling her face.

Mahesh (looking at her palm and looking back at her face)

Should I call the nurse ?

Sohini

No, I'm fine.....

You were saying something ?

Mahesh

(Taking a deep breath) ..(Nods) 

Leave it

Sohini

Whatever that work was, to tear away from it and bring me here, was very selfless and kind of you.

Mahesh

Thank You. But please stop mentioning it now.  It's nothing, considering that I was the one who caused all this......

(Sohini's cellphone rings. She takes the call)

Sohini

Yeah ..Where are you guys ? ..Where am I ? I'm at the casualty ward..bed no... bed no...uh,,,  (looks at Mahesh)

Mahesh

Bed No. 6

Sohini

Bed No. 6
Ya, alright !!!

To Mahesh

My friends they are here...I'd sms'd them on our way here

Mahesh

Ok. I guess I should leave then

Sohini

Wait. You should meet my friends. Awesome gang!!!

Mahesh

Naah.. I think I should go. Important work..remember ??

Sohini

Ya.. Very Important Work !!! (Smiles)

Bye

Mahesh

 Sorry once again..bye !!!

FADE IN

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SCENE 5

DAY - RESTAURANT (RENDEZVOUS POINT) 

It's midday and the eatery is bustling with people. Mostly with those who are whiling away with their lovers over shared glasses of rainbow like contents. There's a large TV, monotonously playing at a corner, to which nobody is paying any attention. All the tables are occupied by either couples or college students. No table, except the one near the window side at the southern exit, is  partially claimed. A girl is sitting there, directly facing the entrance, her eyes behind the spectacles, are fixated at some page of a gossip magazine. Suddenly she raises her head as she turns the page. She notices Mak watching her.

Mak's made out that she must be Mahesh's date since she's the only one in that place who was sitting alone. 

Mak steadily walks upto her.

Mak

You must be....uh....lily....1984 ??

Girl

Mahesh ?

Mak

No No. 
I'm his friend Mak. Hi.

Girl

Oh !... Hi

Where's Mahesh ?

Mak

Look. He'll be a bit late. 

Girl

Is everything Ok ?

Mak

He just called me and said that there's some problem with his bike. But he's already getting it fixed at some nearby garage and he'll be on his way soon.

Girl

How cliche'd !!

Mak

(Laughs pretentiously) You bet.

Girl's phone rings.

Girl

Yup....

(Shocked) What ?.....when ?.......shoot........

And she told you but didn't call ME ?

I'll be there in a moment. Just stay there. No no, I'll manage.

(Hangs up)

To Mak

Listen. There's some emergency I've gotta go.

Mak

Do you want me to call Mahesh ?

Girl

Don't bother. I'll explain to him everything tonight.

Sorry. See you around. Bye

Mak

Bye

FADE IN

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SCENE 6

DAY - BUSY ROAD 

Mahesh  frantically walks out of the dispensary, crosses the road waving for a cab. Finds one and asks it's driver to rush to "Rendezvous Point". He then calls Mak.

Mak (OVER PHONE)

Yeah. 

Mahesh

How is it going bro ?

Mak

She's gone

Mahesh

What do you mean by 'she's gone'? \
What the hell did you tell her ? 
Oh Mak !!

Mak

Hold your horses dude. I said nothing.

She got a call. There was some emergency and she said that she'll explain everything to you tonight.

Mahesh (pauses momentarily & contemplates)

This doesn't sound good.

Mak

Don't worry. Everything will work out just fine.

And by the way, she is really pretty. 

Mahesh

We'll find out tonight.

Mak

Hey wait, What about the girl you took to the clinic ? Is she OK ?

Mahesh

Yeah she's fine. A lovely person she turned out to be.

Mak

Ok. Ok. I guess I'll hear from you tomorrow. It's gonna be a long night for you friend.

Mahesh

Don't know that. Ok. Bye

Hangs up.  

Tells the cab driver his home address and asks him to turn.

He's lost in thought as busy traffic sounds drown in soft music. He smiles to himself helplessly.

FADE IN

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SCENE 7 

NIGHT - MAHESH'S BEDROOM

Mahesh is online since  an hour. There's no sign of lily1984. Suddenly he receives a notification. 

"lily1984 has sent you a message....."" 

Mahesh clicks on it. 

It reads

Hi Mahesh,

I know how much you were looking forward to this ..blind date. Trust me, I was too. Sorry we couldn't meet.

Something happened and I couldn't show up. But here's a confession.

I had sent my friend Neetu to "Rendezvous Point" instead of going myself. It was a blind date and I wanted to have some fun. I'd asked her to pull your leg a bit before I make a surprise entry.  But I hear that your buddy Mak had come there instead of you as you were fixing some glitch in your bike. Poor Mak took Neetu to be me. Unfortunately she had to leave due to some urgent work.

And that urgent work was attending me in hospital. 

Yup. I landed up in hospital after a mindless guy on the wheels, knocked me off the road. But he turned out to be a very nice person. He took me to the hospital despite his urgent requirement somewhere else. He took great care to see that I was properly attended to. And he even waited till my friends arrived. Wish more men were like him.

You aren't feeling jealous right ??   :-) :-) )

Don't worry about me Mahesh. I'll be just fine.

I really wanted to see you. Been longing to watch your eyes respond to my teases and hear you say the words that you type every time. 

Am I blabbering ?? May be it's the sedative in the painkiller.

Let's Hope That We Meet  Soon.

Love
lily1984

End of Message By liliy1984"


Mahesh is frozen. Slowly a smile sweeps his face. 

He whispers  

"You have heard me my Love. You have."

FADE IN

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SCENE 8 (REPEAT SCENE 1 WITH EXTENSION):

A WEEK LATER 

 DAY- RESTAURANT - A TABLE IN THE MIDDLE

Mahesh is with Sohini in the neighbourhood eatery. 

It's quiet all around. They are the first guests of that morning. Both seem to be loving the fact they are alone and the whole staff of the eatery is focused on their comforts. It's a fresh morning and the sunshine is beaming hopes, scattering them like a kind dispenser.

Mahesh

(Fiddling with the fork) Such games of life have always restored my faith in what I believe.

Sohini:

Which games ?

Mahesh:

(Smiles)

While I tread, looking for chance, over a promising boulevard, It stealthily slips another from an alley where I never cared to offer a fleeting glance.

Girl:

Meaning ?

Mahesh

(Takes a deep breathe)

When I touched your heart unplanned, I was planning unaware for the same.

Sohini stretches her hand and slips her fingers in between Mahesh's, forming a warm loving grip.

Sohini

You sure did - planned or unplanned doesn't matter. 

In a way I'm glad about that accident. It got me to know what you really are.

Mahesh (Smiling)

Uh..there is something else I always wanted to find out though.

Sohini

What ?

Mahesh

Your first impression about the way I look. I mean it's more important for a friend of mine, Mak, you know Mak, right ? He was chewing my brains over how ordinarily I was dressed for my blind date. And how much he was scared that I'd leave a very forgettable first impression on you and all that.

Sohini

Well, tell him the adage 'handsome is what handsome does.'

(Mahesh's eyes glitter with reassurance.)

Mahesh

Are you calling me handsome ?

Sohini

I am. My Love.

(Both Smile)

(Zoom out slowly with upbeat piano music playing in the background)

 (A waiter walks up to them and neatly places the Menu Cards. Mahesh asks him something and he points at some page in the Card. Mahesh gestures towards the sky. The three of them have a hearty laugh.)

(FADE OUT)

                                                             THE END

(CREDITS ROLL) 

("Blind Date" is a work of fiction and any resemblance in it, to any person, incident or place is purely co - incidental)