Rajiv: Now it’s worse than that, isn’t it?
[The bedroom alarm clock rings six times. Ramya gets up and goes into the drawing room.]
Rangaiah: I’m worried more for that.
[Exit: Rangaiah as Ramya walks up to Rajiv.]
Ramya: What’s troubling you? Is that your dream or what?
Rajiv: Hasn’t my life become a joke for you?
Ramya: Why do you hurt yourself?
Rajiv: Why should I when you are at it anyway.
Ramya: How am I hurting you?
Rajiv: Maybe, that dream has only portrayed my premonition.
Rajiv: What’s that?
[Rajiv keeps mum though Ramya repeatedly asks him to tell her what was bothering him.]
Ramya: Why it can’t be a delirium born out of your failed dream?
Rajiv: Can a wife be more insensitive than that to her husband’s concerns?
Ramya: Why not I fetch some coffee to ease your nerves a little.
[Ramya goes backstage.]
Rajiv: Oh, how I loved her? What an artful bitch she has turned out to be. What a devoted ass of a husband I am! And what a cheating whore of a wife she is? Oh God, why this to me! What I’ve been missing being faithful to her? Well, dames by their dozen. What a tragedy really!
[Ramya returns with some coffee for them. She offers him one cup but he doesn’t take it. Keeping the cups on the teapoy, she sits beside him to soothe him. But he gets up and she catches him by his arm.]
Ramya: Why are you being so childish?
[Rajiv keeps mum.]
Ramya: Be a man and be done with it.
Rajiv: Don’t you see you disgust me?
Ramya: But why?
Rajiv: Don’t act innocent.
Ramya: What do you mean by that?
Rajiv: Why, are you not churlish?
Ramya: Me, churlish!
Rajiv: Why doubt.
Ramya: Mind it; I’m no mirror image of yours.
Rajiv: Enough of your high-mindedness.
Ramya: What madness!
Rajiv: Is it any worse than artfulness?
Ramya: Me, artful. Any more compliments?
Rajiv: If only you drop your veil I’ll tell you more about you.
[Ramya pauses being perplexed.]
Rajiv: You don’t want me to see your ugly moles and hideous warts, do you?
Ramya: What is there for me to hide from you?
Rajiv: You should know that better, don’t you?
Ramya: Oh me, what are you aiming at?
Rajiv: That which you’ve been hiding from me all along.
Ramya: What is that?
Rajiv: Don’t you know it yourself?
Ramya: Why beat around the bush?
Rajiv: It’s better than carrying-on behind my back, isn’t it?