KHIRI the Queen
KHIRI the Queen
KHIRI।
Where is Kashi?
KASHI।
Here I am.
KHIRI।
Where are your four attendants?
KASHI।
It is a perfect misery to be dogged by servants day and night.
KHIRI।
Should the elephant ever complain of the weight of its tusks? Malati!
MALATI।
Yes, Your Highness!
KHIRI।
Teach this girl why she must be followed by attendants.
MALATI।
Remember that you are a Rani's grand-daughter. In the Nawab's house, where I used to serve, the Begum had a litter of pet mongooses; each of them had four maids for their attendants, and sepoys besides.
KHIRI।
Kashi, do you hear?
ATTENDANT।
Moti of our neighbourhood craves audience.
KHIRI।
Malati!
MALATI।
Yes, Your Highness!
KHIRI।
What is the form of salutation expected from visitors in your Begum's house?
MALATI।
They have to walk forward, salaaming by touching the earth at each step, and then retire walking backward, salaaming again.
KHIRI।
Let Moti come before me in proper style.
[MALATI brings in MOTI.]
[MALATI brings in MOTI.]
MALATI।
Bend your head low. Touch the floor, and then touch the tip of your nose. Once again -not so fast -step properly.
MOTI।
Ah my poor back! How it aches!
MALATI।
Take dust on the tip of your nose three times.
MOTI।
I am rheumatic.
MALATI।
Once again.
MOTI।
Long live Rani Mother. Today, being the eleventh day of the moon, is for fasting and for almsgiving.
KHIRI।
Your Rani Mother can ascertain the phases of the moon even without your help, if she finds it profitable.
MOTI।
Let me receive alms from our Rani and take leave singing her praises.
KHIRI।
The first part of your prayer I prefer to ignore; therest I graciously grant. You may leave immediately singing my praises. Malati!
MALATI।
Yes, Your Highness!
KHIRI।
Let this woman take her leave in proper style.
MOTI।
Then I go.
MALATI।
Not so easily. Bend your head down. Take up the dust of the floor on the tip of your nose. Once again. Once more.
(MOTI goes.)
(MOTI goes.)
KHIRI।
Bini, what happened to the ring you had on your forefinger? Has it been stolen?
BINI।
Not stolen.
KHIRI।
Then lost?
BINI।
Not lost.
KHIRI।
Then someone has cheated you of it?
BINI।
No.
KHIRI।
You must admit that a thing either remains, or is stolen, or lost, or....
BINI।
I have given it away.
KHIRI।
Which plainly means that someone has cheated you of it. Tell me, who has it?
BINI।
Mallika. She is the poorest of all your servants, withher children starving. I have such a heap of rings, I thought. . .
KHIRI।
Listen to her! Only those of moderate means earn fame by spending in charity, while the rich in doing it earn ingratitude. Charity has no merit for those who possess too much. Malati!
MALATI।
Yes, Your Highness.
KHIRI।
Mallika must be dismissed at once.
MALATI।
She shall be driven away.
KHIRI।
But not with the ring on her. What music is that outside my palace?
AN ATTENDANT।
A marriage procession.
KHIRI।
A marriage procession in front of the Rani's house! Suppose I happen to object, what is there to prevent me? Malati!
MALATI।
Yes, Your Highness!
KHIRI।
What do they do in a Nawab's house in such a case?
MALATI।
The bridegroom is taken to the prison, and, for three days and nights two amateur flute players practice their scales at each of his ears, and then he is hanged if he survives.
KHIRI।
Ask my guards to give everyone of the party ten strokes with a shoe.
FIRST ATTENDANT।
Only ten strokes! It almost sounds like a caress.
SECOND ATTENDANT।
They ought to rejoice at this happy ending.
THIRD ATTENDANT।
Our Rani has the gift of humour, for which God be praised.
(Enters a MAID.)
(Enters a MAID.)
MAID।
My pay has been in arrears for the last nine months. To slave and yet to borrow money to feed oneself is not to my taste. Either pay up my wages or allow me leave and go home.
KHIRI।
To pay up your wages is tolerably good, but it saves a lot of trouble to allow you to leave. Malati!
MALATI।
Yes, Your Highness.
KHIRI।
What is your advice?
MALATI।
Let her be fined at least a hundred rupees.
KHIRI।
As she is poor I remit fifty rupees out of her fine.
FIRST ATTENDANT।
Rani, you are kind.
SECOND ATTENDANT।
How lucky for her to get fifty rupees for nothing.
THIRD ATTENDANT।
You can as well count it nine hundred and fifty rupees out of a thousand.
FOURTH ATTENDANT।
How few are there whose charity can be such a drain.
KHIRI।
You do make me blush. [ To the MAID] Now you may go away with proper ceremony and finish the rest of your weeping at leisure outside my palace.
(MALATI takes away the MAID making her walk backwards with salaams.)
(Re-enters MALATI.)
(MALATI takes away the MAID making her walk backwards with salaams.)
(Re-enters MALATI.)
MALATI।
Rani Kalyani is at your door.
KHIRI।
Has she come riding on her elephant?
MALATI।
No, walking. She is dusty all over.
KHIRI।
Must I admit her in?
FIRST ATTENDANT।
She should sit at a proper distance.
SECOND ATTENDANT।
Let her stand behind your back.
THIRD ATTENDANT।
She can be dismissed by saying that. Your Highness is tired.
KHIRI।
Malati!
MALATI।
Yes, Your Highness!
KHIRI।
Advise me what to do.
MALATI।
Let all other seats be removed but your own.
KHIRI।
You are clever. Let my hundred and twenty slave girls stand in a row outside that door. Sashi, hold the state umbrella over my head. Malati!
MALATI।
Yes, Your Highness!
KHIRI।
Is it all right?
MALATI।
Perfect! like a picture!
KHIRI।
Bring her into my presence.
[MALATI goes out and returns with KALYANI.]
[MALATI goes out and returns with KALYANI.]
KALYANI।
Are you well?
KHIRI।
My desire is to keep well, but the rest of the world tries its best to wreck me.
KALYANI।
I must have a talk with you in private.
KHIRI।
Nothing can be more private than this. Only yourself and I. These are mere servants. Malati!
MALATI।
Yes, Your Highness!
KHIRI।
Is it possible to send them away?
MALATI।
I shudder to think of it.
KALYANI।
Then let me tell you briefly. Our Pathan King has forcibly robbed me of my lands.
KHIRI।
You are not joking? Then those villages Gopalnagar, Kanaiganj and. . . .
KALYANI।
They no longer belong to me.
KHIRI।
That's interesting. Haven't you some cash left?
KALYANI।
Nothing whatever.
KHIRI।
How funny! That sapphire necklace and those wonderful diamonds and that chain of rubies, seven rows deep. . . .
KALYANI।
They are all taken away.
KHIRI।
Doesn't our scripture say that wealth is unstable like a water drop on a lotus leaf? And your jewelled umbrella, and that throne with its canopy -I suppose they also have followed the rest.
KALYANI।
Yes.
KHIRI।
This is instructive. Our sages truly say that prosperity is like a beautiful dream that makes the awakening all the more dismal. But have they left you your palace?
KALYANI।
The soldiers are in possession.
KHIRI।
It does sound like a story -a Rani yesterday and today a beggar in the street. Malati!
MALATI।
Yes, Your Highness!
KHIRI।
What do you say?
MALATI।
Those who grow too high must have their fall.
KALYANI।
If I may have shelter here for a short time I can try to recover my lost fortune.
KHIRI।
How unfortunate! My palace is crowded with my servants no space left where a needle can be dropped. Of course I could leave you my room and try to rough it in my country-house.
FIRST ATTENDANT।
Absurd!
SECOND ATTENDANT।
It will simply break our hearts.
KALYANI।
I cannot dream of putting you to such inconvenience. I take my leave.
KHIRI।
Must you go so soon? By the by if you still have some jewelry left, you may leave it with me for permanent safe keeping.
KALYANI।
Nothing has been saved.
KHIRI।
How late it is. It gives me a headache if I am made to talk too much I feel it already coming on. (KALYANI goes.) See that my State chair and footstool are carefully put back in the store-room. Malati!
MALATI।
Yes, Your Highness!
KHIRI।
What do you think of this?
MALATI।
It makes one laugh to see the frog turning into a tadpole again.
AN ATTENDANT।
A woman craves your audience. Shall I send her away.
KHIRI।
No, no, call her in. I am in a delightful mood today.
[Enters the WOMAN.]
[Enters the WOMAN.]
THE WOMAN।
I am in trouble.
KHIRI।
You want to pass it on to others?
THE WOMAN।
Robbers came to my room last night.
KHIRI।
And you must take your revenge on me!
THE WOMAN।
I ask for your pity.
KHIRI।
Pity for what you have lost yourself and nothing for what you ask me to lose?
THE WOMAN।
If you must reject my prayer, tell me where I may get it granted.
KHIRI।
Kalyani is the proper person to suit you. My men will go and show you her place.
THE WOMAN।
Her place is well known to me, -I go back to her! (Revealing herself) I am the Goddess Lakshmi!
KHIRI।
If you must leave me, do it in proper style. -Malati, Malati, Tarini! Where are my maids?
(Enters KALYANI.)
(Enters KALYANI.)
KALYANI।
Have you gone mad? It is still dark, and your shouts bid fair to wake the whole neighbourhood.
KHIRI।
What ugly dreams I have had all night! It is a new life to wake up from them. Stay a while, let me take the dust of your feet. You are my Rani, and I am your servant for ever.
KHIRI the Queen
KHIRI।
Where is Kashi?
KASHI।
Here I am.
KHIRI।
Where are your four attendants?
KASHI।
It is a perfect misery to be dogged by servants day and night.
KHIRI।
Should the elephant ever complain of the weight of its tusks? Malati!
MALATI।
Yes, Your Highness!
KHIRI।
Teach this girl why she must be followed by attendants.
MALATI।
Remember that you are a Rani's grand-daughter. In the Nawab's house, where I used to serve, the Begum had a litter of pet mongooses; each of them had four maids for their attendants, and sepoys besides.
KHIRI।
Kashi, do you hear?
ATTENDANT।
Moti of our neighbourhood craves audience.
KHIRI।
Malati!
MALATI।
Yes, Your Highness!
KHIRI।
What is the form of salutation expected from visitors in your Begum's house?
MALATI।
They have to walk forward, salaaming by touching the earth at each step, and then retire walking backward, salaaming again.
KHIRI।
Let Moti come before me in proper style.
[MALATI brings in MOTI.]
[MALATI brings in MOTI.]
MALATI।
Bend your head low. Touch the floor, and then touch the tip of your nose. Once again -not so fast -step properly.
MOTI।
Ah my poor back! How it aches!
MALATI।
Take dust on the tip of your nose three times.
MOTI।
I am rheumatic.
MALATI।
Once again.
MOTI।
Long live Rani Mother. Today, being the eleventh day of the moon, is for fasting and for almsgiving.
KHIRI।
Your Rani Mother can ascertain the phases of the moon even without your help, if she finds it profitable.
MOTI।
Let me receive alms from our Rani and take leave singing her praises.
KHIRI।
The first part of your prayer I prefer to ignore; therest I graciously grant. You may leave immediately singing my praises. Malati!
MALATI।
Yes, Your Highness!
KHIRI।
Let this woman take her leave in proper style.
MOTI।
Then I go.
MALATI।
Not so easily. Bend your head down. Take up the dust of the floor on the tip of your nose. Once again. Once more.
(MOTI goes.)
(MOTI goes.)
KHIRI।
Bini, what happened to the ring you had on your forefinger? Has it been stolen?
BINI।
Not stolen.
KHIRI।
Then lost?
BINI।
Not lost.
KHIRI।
Then someone has cheated you of it?
BINI।
No.
KHIRI।
You must admit that a thing either remains, or is stolen, or lost, or....
BINI।
I have given it away.
KHIRI।
Which plainly means that someone has cheated you of it. Tell me, who has it?
BINI।
Mallika. She is the poorest of all your servants, withher children starving. I have such a heap of rings, I thought. . .
KHIRI।
Listen to her! Only those of moderate means earn fame by spending in charity, while the rich in doing it earn ingratitude. Charity has no merit for those who possess too much. Malati!
MALATI।
Yes, Your Highness.
KHIRI।
Mallika must be dismissed at once.
MALATI।
She shall be driven away.
KHIRI।
But not with the ring on her. What music is that outside my palace?
AN ATTENDANT।
A marriage procession.
KHIRI।
A marriage procession in front of the Rani's house! Suppose I happen to object, what is there to prevent me? Malati!
MALATI।
Yes, Your Highness!
KHIRI।
What do they do in a Nawab's house in such a case?
MALATI।
The bridegroom is taken to the prison, and, for three days and nights two amateur flute players practice their scales at each of his ears, and then he is hanged if he survives.
KHIRI।
Ask my guards to give everyone of the party ten strokes with a shoe.
FIRST ATTENDANT।
Only ten strokes! It almost sounds like a caress.
SECOND ATTENDANT।
They ought to rejoice at this happy ending.
THIRD ATTENDANT।
Our Rani has the gift of humour, for which God be praised.
(Enters a MAID.)
(Enters a MAID.)
MAID।
My pay has been in arrears for the last nine months. To slave and yet to borrow money to feed oneself is not to my taste. Either pay up my wages or allow me leave and go home.
KHIRI।
To pay up your wages is tolerably good, but it saves a lot of trouble to allow you to leave. Malati!
MALATI।
Yes, Your Highness.
KHIRI।
What is your advice?
MALATI।
Let her be fined at least a hundred rupees.
KHIRI।
As she is poor I remit fifty rupees out of her fine.
FIRST ATTENDANT।
Rani, you are kind.
SECOND ATTENDANT।
How lucky for her to get fifty rupees for nothing.
THIRD ATTENDANT।
You can as well count it nine hundred and fifty rupees out of a thousand.
FOURTH ATTENDANT।
How few are there whose charity can be such a drain.
KHIRI।
You do make me blush. [ To the MAID] Now you may go away with proper ceremony and finish the rest of your weeping at leisure outside my palace.
(MALATI takes away the MAID making her walk backwards with salaams.)
(Re-enters MALATI.)
(MALATI takes away the MAID making her walk backwards with salaams.)
(Re-enters MALATI.)
MALATI।
Rani Kalyani is at your door.
KHIRI।
Has she come riding on her elephant?
MALATI।
No, walking. She is dusty all over.
KHIRI।
Must I admit her in?
FIRST ATTENDANT।
She should sit at a proper distance.
SECOND ATTENDANT।
Let her stand behind your back.
THIRD ATTENDANT।
She can be dismissed by saying that. Your Highness is tired.
KHIRI।
Malati!
MALATI।
Yes, Your Highness!
KHIRI।
Advise me what to do.
MALATI।
Let all other seats be removed but your own.
KHIRI।
You are clever. Let my hundred and twenty slave girls stand in a row outside that door. Sashi, hold the state umbrella over my head. Malati!
MALATI।
Yes, Your Highness!
KHIRI।
Is it all right?
MALATI।
Perfect! like a picture!
KHIRI।
Bring her into my presence.
[MALATI goes out and returns with KALYANI.]
[MALATI goes out and returns with KALYANI.]
KALYANI।
Are you well?
KHIRI।
My desire is to keep well, but the rest of the world tries its best to wreck me.
KALYANI।
I must have a talk with you in private.
KHIRI।
Nothing can be more private than this. Only yourself and I. These are mere servants. Malati!
MALATI।
Yes, Your Highness!
KHIRI।
Is it possible to send them away?
MALATI।
I shudder to think of it.
KALYANI।
Then let me tell you briefly. Our Pathan King has forcibly robbed me of my lands.
KHIRI।
You are not joking? Then those villages Gopalnagar, Kanaiganj and. . . .
KALYANI।
They no longer belong to me.
KHIRI।
That's interesting. Haven't you some cash left?
KALYANI।
Nothing whatever.
KHIRI।
How funny! That sapphire necklace and those wonderful diamonds and that chain of rubies, seven rows deep. . . .
KALYANI।
They are all taken away.
KHIRI।
Doesn't our scripture say that wealth is unstable like a water drop on a lotus leaf? And your jewelled umbrella, and that throne with its canopy -I suppose they also have followed the rest.
KALYANI।
Yes.
KHIRI।
This is instructive. Our sages truly say that prosperity is like a beautiful dream that makes the awakening all the more dismal. But have they left you your palace?
KALYANI।
The soldiers are in possession.
KHIRI।
It does sound like a story -a Rani yesterday and today a beggar in the street. Malati!
MALATI।
Yes, Your Highness!
KHIRI।
What do you say?
MALATI।
Those who grow too high must have their fall.
KALYANI।
If I may have shelter here for a short time I can try to recover my lost fortune.
KHIRI।
How unfortunate! My palace is crowded with my servants no space left where a needle can be dropped. Of course I could leave you my room and try to rough it in my country-house.
FIRST ATTENDANT।
Absurd!
SECOND ATTENDANT।
It will simply break our hearts.
KALYANI।
I cannot dream of putting you to such inconvenience. I take my leave.
KHIRI।
Must you go so soon? By the by if you still have some jewelry left, you may leave it with me for permanent safe keeping.
KALYANI।
Nothing has been saved.
KHIRI।
How late it is. It gives me a headache if I am made to talk too much I feel it already coming on. (KALYANI goes.) See that my State chair and footstool are carefully put back in the store-room. Malati!
MALATI।
Yes, Your Highness!
KHIRI।
What do you think of this?
MALATI।
It makes one laugh to see the frog turning into a tadpole again.
AN ATTENDANT।
A woman craves your audience. Shall I send her away.
KHIRI।
No, no, call her in. I am in a delightful mood today.
[Enters the WOMAN.]
[Enters the WOMAN.]
THE WOMAN।
I am in trouble.
KHIRI।
You want to pass it on to others?
THE WOMAN।
Robbers came to my room last night.
KHIRI।
And you must take your revenge on me!
THE WOMAN।
I ask for your pity.
KHIRI।
Pity for what you have lost yourself and nothing for what you ask me to lose?
THE WOMAN।
If you must reject my prayer, tell me where I may get it granted.
KHIRI।
Kalyani is the proper person to suit you. My men will go and show you her place.
THE WOMAN।
Her place is well known to me, -I go back to her! (Revealing herself) I am the Goddess Lakshmi!
KHIRI।
If you must leave me, do it in proper style. -Malati, Malati, Tarini! Where are my maids?
(Enters KALYANI.)
(Enters KALYANI.)
KALYANI।
Have you gone mad? It is still dark, and your shouts bid fair to wake the whole neighbourhood.
KHIRI।
What ugly dreams I have had all night! It is a new life to wake up from them. Stay a while, let me take the dust of your feet. You are my Rani, and I am your servant for ever.
You might also like:
- Novels
- Verses
- Songs
- Stories
- Plays
- Essay
- Others
