Act I
(Parshah is at war with the Mughal Empire. Shahjah is the King of Parshah. Narcissa is his daughter. Her mother passed away giving birth to her little brother, who passed away too because of being born weak. Shahjah picks up two orphan kids from the streets, brothers, Jadav and Narad, gives them a home and trains them to be fine warriors. Narad turns out to be the finest warrior in all of Parshah, whereas Jadav turns out to be the smartest in the council that governs Parshah, and is made the Vizier of Parshah. After some years, Narad is banished out of the kingdom, sent out to the front lines to fight the Mughals. Jadav is due to be married to Narcissa, and become Shahjah’s successor.)
Scene I
(It is an hour before midnight. Shahjah and Jadav are alone in the King’s chambers, talking. Narcissa is just about to enter the room, when she decides to stop and eavesdrop instead)
Shahjah – We cannot let anybody kidnap her! She is the future Queen of Parshah!
Narcissa (thinking) – What!? Hmm…interesting.
Jadav - I understand baba, it is blasphemous already to openly threaten the King, but why must I guard the palace gates from the inside?
Shahjah (angry) – I have been ruling Parshah for half a century, and here you stand questioning my military strategy?
Jadav (groveling) – No baba, I was just…
Shahjah (calmly) – You’re dismissed, and let me rest now. And remember, don’t let Narcissa hear about any of this.
Narcissa (thinking) – Oh, I see. He does not want me to know. So, tonight is the night...
(Narcissa retreats quickly to her chambers)
Jadav (composing himself in front of the King) – Yes, your highness. I’ll make you proud.
(Jadav bows down, the leaves the King’s chambers, towards his own)
Scene II
(Inside Narcissa and Jadav’s room, Jadav is blabbering something to himself in anger, wearing his armor)
Narcissa (pouring tea) – A little tea for you, I made it myself.
Jadav (confused) – Now?! This late? (Clears throat) Uh uhmm okay…where’s yours?
Narcissa (smiling) – I don’t have to stand guard all night.
Jadav (surprised) – You were eavesdropping? I don’t like this, Narcissa.
Narcissa – I see you wearing your armor, so I assumed it. And the reason for this accusation?
Jadav (pretending to laugh) – Nothing, you don’t need to know.
Narcissa (pretending to be angry) – Tell me now Jadav.
Jadav – The princess of Parshah should not bother herself with such small matters. (Taking the cup and leaving) Try not to miss me too much.
Narcissa (kissing Jadav goodnight) – Don’t worry. I’m going to sleep like a baby.
Narcissa (thinking) – It will be the other way around.
Scene III
(It is midnight. Jadav is sitting on one side of the gates, with his head down, his sheathed sword still tightly clasped in his hand. He has guards placed on the outside. Narcissa, cloaked, makes her way to the gates)
Narcissa (Looking at Jadav and thinking) – Perfect. My sleeping pills are working. I don’t want you to die for nothing by my savior’s hands...
(Narcissa takes the keys from Jadav’s vest, and starts to walk towards the gates. In the next instant, a hand reaches out and firmly grabs Narcissa’s)
Jadav (angry) – I knew you mixed something in the tea. (slapping her) Do you think I am a fool? What do you think is going on here, a game?
Narcissa (angry) – How dare you slap the princess of Parshah!
Jadav – Now I know why I am stationed inside, to keep an eye on you. Do you want to be kidnapped, you fool?
Narcissa (angry) – Yes, I do. I want to be taken away from this place.
Jadav (slapping her again) – Are you out of your mind? The Mughals are going to torture you to death. Parshah will fall.
Narcissa (shouting) – Oh so that is what father told you huh? The Mughals? It is Narad, my true lover, who will be coming to save me.
(Jadav lets out a small hysterical laugh, lets her hand go)
Jadav – You have gone completely insane. Go to your chambers right now!
Narcissa (serious) – Narad and I are in love with each other, Jadav.
(Jadav stares into Narcissa’s eyes smiling. Narcissa stares back with a stern expression. Jadav’s smile slowly fades away, helplessness spreads in his eyes)
Jadav – But I love you Narcissa.
Narcissa – I know. I’m sorry.
(Jadav grabs Narcissa’s arm tight)
Jadav (angry) – Why didn’t you tell this to me earlier? Were you pretending to love me up till now?
Narcissa – This is so not about you Jadav. This is about me and Narad.
Jadav (slowly, looking up) – I can’t believe I fell in love with you. All those lies. And my own brother, he hid such things from me.
Narcissa (gasping) – Ya allah! You still don’t know…
Jadav – Well now I know everything, you lying fo…
Narcissa (interrupts) – Do you know why father banished Narad? Do you?
Jadav – What has that got to do with any…(gasps) Ya allah…what is happening? How did I not see these things?
Narcissa (struggling to get her hand out of his) – Because you are blinded by your reverence for father. Anyway, it doesn’t matter now.
Jadav (not able to contemplate everything at once) – So, you do not love me then?
(Narcissa is just about to answer, as clanking of swords start outside)
Narcissa – Take off your helmet, or Narad will kill you too.
(Jadav takes off his helmet, realizes the seriousness of the situation)
Jadav – I cannot just stand here while my brethren are fighting outside. I want to see for myself, if it’s Narad for real. Then we will talk. Until then, you will stay inside the gates.
(The clanking stops, the smell of fresh blood is in the air. Jadav opens the gates, sees five warriors in the Mughal armor standing in front of him. Fifteen Parshah guards and fourteen Mughal warriors are laid to waste. Jadav and Narcissa see Jahangir in the hands of the warrior in the middle. Jahangir is the holy sword, which was bestowed to Narad, which he stole upon his exile)
Narcissa (with tears of joy) – My savior, at last…
Jadav – The threat was only of a single warrior…
(Jadav takes a quick look again on the bodies, the guards are brutally killed. He knows that Narad would give his foes only an honorary death)
Jadav (shouting) – Run inside Narcissa!!! Alert everyone!
(The Mughal warrior swiftly reaches Jadav from behind, and slits his throat in one clean motion. Jadav falls to the ground, his hands desperately trying to stop the gushing blood)
The Mughal warrior (Looking Jadav in the eye) – There is a reason the Mughal torture is feared throughout the world. Even the mighty Narad Sulaiman, the strongest of Parshah, pissed in his robes.
(The Mughal warrior sees Jadav realizing that Narad is probably dead, and starts laughing at Jadav’s helplessness. He stares into Jadav’s eyes until the light in Jadav’s eyes fades away. Narcissa falls to her knees, unable to move, sheer horror in her eyes)
(To his fellow warriors) Grab the woman! And leave right now!
(They pick up the stunned and immobile Narcissa, and run back towards their horses)
The End
