Maya is Here: So is Robin!

Scene 23

[It is Ruya’s room, and we see a girl in his mid-twenties sitting by Ruya and feeding her. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and the girl went to open it while Ruya watched from afar].

Ruya: (Shouting) Maya, who is there?

Maya: Advik is here. (To Advik) Come in, dear.

Advik: (Entering) How is Ruya doing?

Maya: (Walking towards Ruya) She is improving.

Advik: (Comes and sits beside Ruya) You feel better?

Ruya: Loads better! By the way, may I ask what happened to Bela?

Maya: Who is Bela?

Ruya: A vampire working for Tamas. Two days ago, she created a fuss.

Maya: Did she attack Sitara?

Advik: (Nodding) Yes, but thankfully, there was Laila. She got her.

Maya: While the protection spell protected our little star. 

Ruya: It did, but I must say Laila did excellent work. It wasn’t sheer luck. We have the girl. We can pressure her to give us information and all. (Looking at Advik) What do you think about it?

Advik: (Smiling) First, you become entirely fit.

Maya: Can I ask who tended to Di before you called me?

Ruya: (Smiling) Sahir was here, and he only treated me, dear.

Maya: That reminds me. I thought Tamas’s powers were increasing. What about Sitara, darling? When is she returning?

Advik: (Hesitantly) We have informed her of everything.

Maya: That’s it.

Ruya: For now, leave this topic. We will have time to consider it.

Maya: Time is what we lack at this moment.

Ruya: But we cannot ignore the girl’s sentiments. She has the right to choose.

Maya: What if her choice makes us lose?

Advik: (Confidently) That won’t happen here. Sitara is the most brilliant and sensitive girl to rely on forever. She is swift, agile, and fierce, like Sahr Bhai. She is kind, intuitive, and caring, like Mohini Di. During basketball practice, I saw her speed and precision in making judgments during crises and challenging moments. Although she does not have many friends, she cares for those few she has time and again. She cries for those in pain. She will never leave us when we need her to fight Tamas. She will be our savior. No matter what, she will be leading us in the war!

Maya: Fine then, I will wait for our Little Blue Star! But remember, if she fails, we submit ourselves to Tamas’s rule sooner or later.

Advik: I will die than lie on the feet of a murderer.

Maya: You must listen to his speeches because they are pretty convincing.

Advik: Nothing can justify mass murders and brutal killings.

Ruya: Enough now, both of you. We are already in a mess, and now you want to create one too. (Looking at Maya) Also, Maya, if you support Tamas, you may leave the room because, as a member of the Special Quadrant, our responsibility is to take care of Sitara.

Maya: I am not betraying you or the community. I am telling Tamas is growing his army. His speeches are convincing, and our people seem to be believing. He gathered witnesses who have faced brutality in this world and hate non-magical human beings. Advik, our fight won’t be against Tamas. It will be against a thought that has moved a mass. Our job doesn’t end by killing Tamas. We have to kill those ideas that are compelling people to disbelieve us. Also, rumors are that the Council members are forming alliances with him for the sake of power. But we lack the best leader to be the Council Prime Minister. In short, we are in a rotten state, or you can say in a huge mess. 

Advik: (Moving towards the window and turning to the women) We must invite the Headmistress.

Ruya: (Inquisitively) Invite where?

Advik: (Looking straight towards Ruya) Here. In three days, we will have Sitara’s birthday. Let’s invite the Headmistress and a few other people on that day.

Scene 24

[Laila is inside the forest and playing her flute magnificently. Again, it was a melodious yet sad tune that Laila played silently. Soon a man came and sat beside her quietly. Ignoring everything, Laila kept playing the flute as if nothing could disturb her, not even heartfelt laughter or mourning. After a while, she stopped playing. Laila looked beside her and saw a man in his mid-forties. She smiled and gazed into this Man’s eyes].

Laila: Who are you?

Man: (In trance) I am your slave and only follow you.

Laila: You are my servant then.

Man: I am your servant, then. For you, I will bear all the pain.

Laila: OK, then, let’s test it. You stand up and sit. (The Man did it). Good! Now you stand and bow to me because it will uplift my mood. (The Man did it). Kneel before me (The Man did it). Touch my feet and say you will always follow me.

Man: (Touched Laila’s feet) I will always follow you.

Laila: Say, You Are My Queen!

Man: You are my Queen!

Laila: And you are my slave, My Robin! 

Scene 25

[We see Laila half-lying on her bed and Robin massaging her forehead. His face neither had any expression nor any emotion. He seemed to be in a trance-like state and not realizing any pain].

Laila: So, who are you again?

Robin: I am a Mantrik or a wizard, Robin. 

Laila: What is your sin?

Robin: I married a non-magical woman and lived a happily married life for a long. But one day, everything went wrong. My wife found out my real identity and started treating me with brutality. He called a Healer one evening. He used to hit me in the name of healing. I tried convincing my wife, but she finally went from my life. I tried reaching her, but she has married someone like her. Today is living her life happily ever after.

Laila: And you, who went against your family and community?

Robin: I am left alone for eternity.

Laila: (Clapping and standing up) Fantastic, my Man! I have become your fan! Now go and serve my food. You have uplifted my mood. (The Man bowed and went) All set to go, Advik Chauhan, in Tamas army, soon will be my Man! My Robin will help us to win!