To start from the first scene, click here.
Click here to go to the previous scenes.
Note: In celebration of women’s month, I decided to post this play that I wrote when I was in second year high school. My groupmates helped me come up with ideas, but I was the one who was largely responsible for the conceptualization of the story and the writing of the script. In this play, I talk about two sisters who are awoken to the plight of women and are moved to fight oppression. I also slightly touch upon the issue of honor killings, specifically how raped women (usually in the Middle East) are killed because they have brought “dishonor” to their family. Our group was assigned to write about Pakistan, but in this script, I changed the name of the country into a fictional country because the depiction of this world is not an accurate depiction of Pakistan. I also changed “Allah” to “Azlah” because the god described in this story and the religious practices depicted are not accurate depictions of the Muslim faith.
Scene 11: Anwaar is left alone. She is kneeling. A dim light is focused on her.
Anwaar
Anwaar: Tradition. How cruel is your hand. You have yet again been blinded by your selfishness. Injustice lives in your system, yet you choose to ignore it. Will I let you triumph? Oh Fareda, my dear, you have risked your life for women’s rights, yet society sees you as a criminal. What an outrage!
(Two people clad in black enter. Their faces are hidden under a hood. Other people who are dressed the same way position themselves in the audience. Those who are on the stage grab each of Anwaar’s hands.)
Shadow 1: What can you do? You are a woman, weak and helpless. Bow down to society and you shall live. Do not make this any harder. Can you see your sister? What has become of her? Do you want to have the same bitter end? Turn back now and you shall be spared.
(Anwaar stands up and reaches out to the audience.)
(Shadow 1 and 2 stop her from running away.)
Anwaar: No! I need to go to Fareda!
Shadow: It is no use woman. That’s her fate, now it’s time to find yours.
(Shadow 1 and 2 throws Anwaar to the ground and they exit. The ones positioned in the audience also exit.)
Anwaar: Tradition, how dare you. Society might have been incapable of seeing your wrath but I have not. I will fight you! My sister will live on through me. I will continue her work, and I will break tradition.
(Lights out. Anwaar exits.)
Scene 12: It is nighttime at the house of Najiya. The servants are seen cleaning the house.
Saameira, Maisa, Imtithal
Maisa: It has been a year since Ms. Fareda passed away, but darkness still envelops the whole house.
Imtithal: Poor Ms. Anwaar. She has spent long hours locked up in her sister’s room, crying, I guess.
Saameira: Come. Let us try to cheer her up.
Maisa: But it’s already night. I don’t think its right to disturb her sleep.
Imtithal: Sleep? Ms. Anwaar barely sleeps because she is too tortured by the memory of her sister.
Maisa: Oh all right. Let’s go to Ms. Anwaar’s room.
(Maisa and Imtithal are about to leave but Saameira stops them.)
Saameira: Wait. Look! There’s a shadow and it’s moving towards the flea market!
Maisa, Imtithal and Saameira: (look at each other.) Ms. Anwaar!
(Lights out. They exit.)
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Age of the Diary by Jasmine T. Cruz. If you like this post, please subscribe to this blog. Follow Ja on Twitter: ageofthediary. Email Ja at: ageofthediary@gmail.com.
