Adam, Eve and Satan
A play excerpted with permission from
“The Big Book of Kashmiri Literature”, edited by Onaiza Drabu.
Characters
Woman
Man 2
Man
(A dressing table and a chair in the left corner. A teapoy with three chairs around it in the middle of the stage. A flower-vase on the teapoy, with a bouquet of plastic flowers in it. A window on the wall in the background. A floral-printed curtain hanging by the window. A similar curtain on the door to the right. A man and a woman enter together, lifting the curtain on the door. Both are laughing excessively. There are tears in their eyes from laughing so much. Their laughter subsides and they walk to the dressing table. They carefully wipe their eyes, so they don’t ruin their make-up. They observe themselves from head-to-toe in the dressing table mirror, straightening the creases in their clothes. They lift their heads and turn around to examine themselves. After being satisfied, they stand beside the teapoy.)25
Man: (To Woman) Miss Sahaab.
Woman: Yes, Mister Jamaal?
Man: I am sorry.
Woman: Mention not.
Man: Why don’t you sit down?
Woman: I don’t want to sit.
Man: But it’s important to sit. You can’t keep standing. Woman: Why can’t I keep standing?
Man: Because that’s what we have rehearsed.
Woman: Oho-ho. Rehearsal, rehearsal, drama . . . theatrics. But I don’t want to sit. I don’t feel like sitting. I want to hop across this stage. And the furniture on this stage, it repulses me.
Man: Miss Sahaab, you are acting somewhat strange today. Woman: Mister Jamaal, yes, I am an actor. And that’s alright, but I am a human being as well. Today, I feel like I want to upend all that you have been teaching me. I want to free myself of your shackles and do what I please . . . Mister Jamaal. Mister Jamaal, are you listening to me?
Man: I’m afraid I’m not Mister Jamaal. I am Adam. Woman: But Mister Adam, I’m not prepared to be Hawa today.
Man: And what have you thought about them? Woman: About who?
Man: There, all those people. They’ve come to watch us perform this play.
Woman: Why should I think about them? The director and the owner of this theatre should have to think of that. I don’t owe them anything.
Man: Miss Hawa.
Woman: No, no. I am Sahaab.
Man: (Loudly) Miss Hawa.
Woman: (Weakly) I am Sahaab. Sahaab!
Man: (Even more loudly) Hawa.
Woman: (Even more weakly) Sahaab.
Woman: (Defeatedly) Speak, Adam. Speak!
Man: Here’s the chair for you.
Woman: A new world where everything is free. Where there are no actors or producers. Where there isn’t a hero or a villain. No light-man or a prompter.
Man: (Surprised) Sahaab, what are you saying?Woman: (In her own elation) Where my name is my own—Sahaab. And where I am not supposed to become Hawa. Where you are just Jamaal, under no compulsion to become Adam.
Man: Sahaab, come to your senses. You’re saying the wrong lines.
Woman: (Comes to her senses) Wrong lines?
Man: (Loudly) Yes, wrong lines. (Calls out) Prompter!Woman: (Calls out similarly) Prompter!
Man: Prompter. Where is he now?
Woman: He must be lying drunk in the wings somewhere. It’s for the best, at least we’re free from this agony.
Man: But Sahaab?
Woman: Jamaal, I know you’re going to ask me about these people who’ve come to watch the play. Aren’t you?
Man: (Nods)
Woman: Leave them be. Let’s just talk to each other. Man: Of course, why not? We aren’t their dependents, nor are we their slaves!
Woman: Jamaal.
Man: Go on, I’m all ears, Sahaab.
Woman: (Looks around) But, after all, we do have to think about them. They must have bought tickets, spent money to watch this play. What will they say?
Man: Bought tickets? Well . . . they can take that up with the theatre owner.
Woman: With that shady thug?
Man: Yeah, with that wretched rascal.
Woman: (Claps) That sounds alright. They can take it up with him.
Man: (Goes near the flower-vase and tries to pluck a
flower) You know, I’ve sometimes had this urge to rough him up one of these days.
Woman: He’s like this plastic flower. Very colourful indeed! But no fragrance. Just lifeless.
Man: It’s all an artifice. False and lifeless!
Woman: As are we. How could you be Adam . . . and I, Hawa? It’s all a farce. A travesty! But let me tell you something, Jamaal.
Man: Tell me.
Woman: Didn’t you just say you wanted to thrash the producer?
Man: Yeah, of course.
Woman: That’s very unmannerly, completely savage. Man: What then, Sahaab, is a civilized approach? A modern way which we can take to get the better of this rascal?
Woman: (Puffs her chest proudly) My approach! My way!
Man: (Fearfully cries out) Sahaab!
Woman: (Laughing) Oh, I know, Jamaal. The fire of envy is smothering you.
Man: Sahaab!
Woman: (Furiously) Otherwise, shouldn’t I have had him lying down, poisoned and put him to sleep in his grave? Even crows wouldn’t have known where to look for him.
Man: Sahaab, you’re a murderess!
Woman: Killing is in my nature, Jamaal. Be it by poisoning someone or stabbing them. Be it with a gesture or by filling them with love, the murder takes place.
Man: (Dreadfully) Sahaab! What are you saying?
Woman: (Takes a coquettish step towards him) Just what is true, Jamaal. Do you get the idea?
Man: Does that mean . . . that I, too, am being executed at your hands?
Woman: (Guffaws) You ask—being executed, Jamaal? You’ve already been killed. And I am your murderer. (Looks at her hands as she laughs) I killed you with these hands. (Laughs hysterically) Ha-ha-ha! Murder! Blood!!
Man: (Walks backwards apprehensively) Sahaab!
Woman: (Lovingly grabs the hem of his coat) Don’t be scared, Jamaal. Don’t run away from me. Come to me, and I’ll show you just how, and with what methods, I killed you. Come close to me!
(Woman hangs onto his arm and looks at him lovingly. Man is impassive at first, but slowly his body loosens up. His expressions soften. Both look into each other’s eyes with passion. Their breathing surges and some moments pass.)
Man 2: (Enters agitatedly, slaps his forehead and shouts) Miss Hawa!
Woman: (Silence)
Man 2: (Shouts) Mister Adam!
Man: (Silence)
Man 2: Miss Hawa! (Loudly) Miss Sahaab!
Woman: What do you want? (Without looking at him) Why don’t you say what you want?
Man 2: (Loudly) Mister Adam! (Yells) Mister Jamaal!
Man: (Without looking at him) Who is it?
Man 2: Mister Jamaal, it’s me! Me!
Man: Oh, shady thug. What do you want?
Man 2: Oh-ho, who are you calling a thug?
Man: You, who else?
Man 2: Are you trying to humiliate me?
Man: Do scoundrels feel humiliated too?
Man 2: This is rude and insolent! The two of you are showing off your shamelessness in front of all these people.
Man: Shamelessness?
Woman: What shamelessness?
Man: He barks!
Woman: Dog! (Man and Woman don’t pay any heed to Man 2. They hold each other closer. Man 2 looks at them alarmingly. He goes around and behind them, staring hard at them. Bewildered, he holds his head in his hands.)
Man 2: This is insane. Absolutely uncivil and shameful. (To the people) Do you see this? What has this world come to? They asked me to lift the curtain saying they’d start the play, and here they are snuggling.
Woman: Hell with the play!
Man: Showing our affection is our rightful privilege. Woman: Birthright! Say it’s our birthright.
Man: Will this dog understand?
Man 2: (Comes closer, clenching his fist) Your birthright? That’s bullshit! Crazy contrived bullshit. You are actors, performers. My paid employees. You have no right to go against my wishes. To defile this theatre with your decadence.
Woman: (Laughs heartily and kisses his hair) Ha-ha-ha!
Man: (Laughs heartily and kisses her hair) Ha-ha-ha!
Man 2: (Grabs Man and pulls him away from Woman) Jamaal! Come to your senses, think what you’re doing!
Man: No, I’m doing nothing. Go ask her.
Man 2: Sahaab, what is all this?
Woman: It’s called killing . . . slaughter . . . murder! (She clings on to Man’s arms once again. Man responds similarly. But before they can embrace each other, Man 2 stands between them.)
Man 2: For God’s sake, put an end to this madness now.
Woman: (Surprised) God? Who is this God?
Man: (Surprised) Is he an actor too?
Man 2: No, he is the most worthy producer! He, who created this whole world, and who created you.
Woman: Then he too must make his actors so miserable!
Man: And does he chastise them to make them disciplined too?
Man 2: You both have gone crazy. That isn’t God.
Woman: Oh okay, then is he that villain? The one who ruined my mother, Eve?
Man: Well, well, it must be the same tyrant who wrecked my father, Adam.
Man 2: You’re blabbering heresy like the Devil has possessed you.
Woman: (Moves a little away) Jamaal.
Man: (From where he stands) Yeah?
Woman: Who is this Devil?
Man: Must be someone. What have we to do with him?
Woman: But yesterday, wasn’t the prompter saying that our producer is a sly Devil?
Man: Then I believe he is the Devil.
Man 2: (Slaps Man right on the face) Shut up!
(Man trembles, as if awoken from a deep sleep. Terrified, he looks around himself.)
Man: Producer sir? What are you doing here?
(Leaving Man there, Man 2 proceeds towards the Woman. As Man 2 raises his hand to slap her, Man runs towards him and grabs his arm.)
Man 2: Let go of me. This is the only way.
Man: (Not letting go of his arm) Hitting a woman isn’t decent, producer sir.
Man 2: And calling your boss a shady thug, a wretched rascal, and the Devil is very polite, is it?
Man: (Leaves Man 2’s hand, surprised) But sir, who would dare call you any of this?
Man 2: You said it. So did Miss Sahaab.
Man: Impossible!
Man 2: Ah, Jamaal sir! Reserve your acting for them. Your acting won’t work with me.
Woman: (Who has been standing still all this while) Jamaal! Who are you chit-chatting with? Our murder isn’t done yet.
Man: Sahaab! Quiet!
Woman: Why should I be quiet?
Man: (Pulls her arms, trying to get her back to her senses) Sahaab! Sahaab!
Man 2: Jamaal, she won’t come to like this. Slap her. You’ve to slap her.
Man: Sahaab! Miss Sahaab!
(Woman tries to embrace him. He grabs both her arms and shakes her vigorously. Slowly, Woman comes to her senses. Surprised, she looks at both the men.)
Woman: Producer sir, why are you on stage? Did something go wrong? Was there an accident?
Man 2: Are you really asking me that? You have disgraced this stage!
Woman: Jamaal, why are you holding my hands?
Man: Just . . . never mind.
Man 2: (To the audience) Please forgive us, dear audience.There was some misunderstanding on the part of our actors, and the play couldn’t continue. But these are your beloved actors—who have time and again won your hearts with their performances. They have entertained you, amused you, made you laugh and cry.
Voice: (Deep and heavy) And filled your pockets!
(Man 2 is startled and fearfully runs out from the door. Man and Woman try to hide their laughter. They walk to the front of the stage.)
Man: The prompter is doomed now.
Woman: Wrong place, wrong time. Look when the truth slipped out from him!
Man: And there goes his job.
Woman: And what about us?
Man: (Becomes scared. But then assumes character and speaks) Hawa! If you are truly with me, I will go against all the world’s people.
Woman: Adam! You are blithering nonsense.
Man: (Comes closer and stresses on his words) Well, who made this world so dishonourable? Whose actions resulted in this favour on the world? Who is it?
Woman: That is exactly what we need to figure out. And that’s who needs to be attacked.
Man: But Hawa, it’s really difficult to find the enemy.
Woman: I will find them among a million people!
Man: Then tell me, Hawa, who is our enemy?
Woman: It’s the despicable human who first drew a line and said ‘this is mine and that is yours’.
Man: Oh Sahaab, you’re making so many mistakes today. Where did you get this line of dialogue? Some famous person has said this, and you just made it your own.
25 This play was also published under the title Chaer Paether as a drama to be staged. This translation is from the version of the play designed for the radio.
“Adam, Eve and Satan” is a play excerpted with permission from “The Big Book of Kashmiri Literature”, edited by Onaiza Drabu, published by Penguin India, 2026. The book launches in India on August 26, 2026.
Published August 25, 2026
