The Disconnect

Characters : A man, his wife, and the telephone

[The power has gone and the man is helplessly calling up the power office, while his wife searches for matches] M: Hello...Hello is this CESC power supply?? T: Welcome to CESC power supply, how may I help you?? M: Ok, I want to report a power cut in my house. T: Yes Sir, Certainly sir, could you kindly tell me the nature of your problem? M: Nature of the problem?? What do you mean? I said we have a power cut. T: No, sir, do you have a blown mains, or do you have a phase blown, or do you have a transformer fault? M: [Slightly irritated] And how am I supposed to know that? T: Sir, please look out of the window and tell me, whether only your house is affected, or your street, or the entire locality? M: Well, my street is dark. T: Sir, that won't do. Could you kindly inform whether your entire locality is affected or only your street, Sir, we must know whether there is a transformer problem, you see in which case the entire locality will be affected and we will have to send a larger team. M: Just hold on! I will check from the terrace. T: Certainly Sir. M: [Calls to wife] Dear, go to the terrace and see if our entire locality has a power cut? W: [snaps] Why? What do you think of yourself, some kind of king? Go....Go, see for yourself. M: [snaps] I am talking to the electricity board! Go, and make it fast. W: Don't you order me like that...All these men think theyre a gift to mankind.. blah blah..[steps are heard, she goes up and shouts back]. Our street is dark(shout). M: No, no not just the street. Check, the entire locality. [Wife comes down and reports] W: It is dark up to Kusum's house. M: Who is Kusum? W: What? You don't know Kusum? Kusum... Kusum, my school mate. How could you forget her? How could you be so careless? I know all your friends and you dont even care to know mine! M: Allright. I am sorry. I am sorry. Now, where is her house? W: Up the Barkshaw Street, take a left near the Sitaram Jewellery emporium and the third house on the left is Kusum's. M: Hmm, that is a large area. [In phone] Hello, the entire area is out of power. T: Ok, sir. But, I am really sorry to inform you, actually we have a system problem, so we are currently unable to access our database, so could you kindly tell me your consumer id, your light post number and if possible your transformer number too. M: No, no, I dont remember. T: Sir, you can find it in your electricity bill. M: [to wife] Get me the electricity bill, quick. W: What do you think you are doing? Saving your country? What gives you so much audacity to address me like your servant? M: Oh! This is not a time for silly arguments, get me the bill fast. W: I am silly! Am I? I wont... Get your own bill. M: [Grumbling goes to search for bill. Goes to the place where all documents are housed, searches in the darkness, nudges and tumbles a metal vase that falls with a deafening clang.] [Snorts and shouts] Damn, what is wrong with this house? Nothing can be found when needed? When you look for the glass you find the brass, when you look for the brass you recover the glass shattered in pieces. Hell is better than this miserable place. Oh! Where, is this bill, for god's sake. What are all these silly blank papers doing here? Why don't people dispose off the wastes timely?

W: Yes, yes, people! Did you not bring them in a few days back to cut into creepers and decorate the house? Did I not tell you not to place them there? Why do I even bother to advise you? Go do what you wish. M: Oh! Shut up! All you do is shout shout shout. If you showed me where the bills are, it would be lot more useful than a loudspeaker bursting on my ears. W: [Finds the bill, and throws it to her husband] Here, take your bill and save your country! M: [Takes bill to the phone] Hello, I found the bill. Where are the numbers? T: Sir, if you can kindly go the place where your address is printed, you will find a 12 digit number. That is the Consumer id. Your post id is 5 digits, and your transformer number is 10 digits. M: [Confused] Hold it, hold it. A 12 digit, for the consumer. A 5 for the post and a 10 for the transformer, right? T: Yes, Sir, Yes, Sir. M: Okay, I think i got it. Post id 5/61/23. Transformer number, 99754147325. T: Could you please repeat that, I did not hear you clearly. There is a lot of disturbance on your side. M: Arrey! Silence that infernal dog of yours! W: Oh ho! Poor thing is just scared. Why are you getting so angry? M: Hello, Yes are you still there? Please note the transformer number 9975 T: Sir, I really cant hear what you are saying. There is too much of noise. M: Woman, do something about that dog, or I will throw it out of the window. W:Arrey! But its already outside, why are you getting so worked up? M: For gods sake, you shut that wretched dog, or I swear I will kill it with my bare hands. W: Kill my dog? You jump when you see a spider! M: What, you think I cant do it? Are you questioning my masculinity? [slams down phone] W: Hmph! Your masculinity went out of the window when you took 5 lakh rupees from my father, to start your stupid business. M: Watch your mouth woman, I did not go to him begging for money. He had his image to worry about. Didnt your uncle give his son in law m uch more in dowry? W: Ha! And if it hadnt been for that money, you would have been starving. Name one thing you have managed to do in your life, except fooling me to marry you. M: Fool, our marriage was arranged. W: Dont you go calling me a fool, and dont change the topic. [Dog barks a lot again]

M: God, I hope it chokes to death. W: I hope you choke to death. M: How this woman speaks, didnt your mother teach you anything? W: How dare you bring my mother into this? [gasps] Has your family not taught you to respect women? M: Ah-ha! Now, you will teach me respect? You who dont know how to respect your husband? See, you are still here arguing with me. [Dog barks again] Couldnt you have silenced your dog? W: Thats what I have been trying to silence, for the past ten minutes but it keeps yapping back. M: You insolent woman [slaps her]. Know your place in this house! W: You swine, [she sits down and sobs] [Man goes to kitchen for a glass of water, dog barks really loud, the glass slips and falls] M: Son of a bitch, [kicks the fallen glass]. [The man goes out menacingly towards the dog, the power comes back, sounds are heard on the street. He goes to the dog and pats it, and goes back to the house] M: Malati, whats for dinner? W: [Wipes her tears] I have made aloo gobi, come to the table.

[Scene ends]