Enchanted Love

A Stage Play by Jason Romoise

A love story that was so good, yet so....

( The setting is of a bus stop. A girl is waiting for the bus to arrive. She is in her late teens and has a wheatish complexion. Her hair is long and untied, and she has donned a black gown. A boy is walking on the road, and all of a sudden it starts raining. He runs to take shelter under the bus stop, and he sees the girl.)

HIM: You?

HER:(pauses for a while ) Er... Yes.

HIM: How come you.. (looks at her gown ) I see. Partying with your boyfriend. (scoffs) Girls.

HER: You don't have to be that mean, Simon.

SIMON: That's the truth, isn't it, Mrs. Vikrant Khanna?

HER: ( angrily ) What is wrong with you?

SIMON: ( looks at her with a dejected smile ) Everything, Nancy.

( NANCY stares at him, speechless )

SIMON: (recovering from his daze with a laugh ) Funny how life is, isn't it? You love a person today, and tomorrow, poof! They're gone... Temporarily.. or.. (looks skywards) Forever.

NANCY:Forever? (gasps) What happened, Simon?

SIMON: (sighs) Granny. She's.. (chokes) no more.

NANCY: (looks down sadly) I'm.. I'm so sorry. My heartfelt condol...

SIMON: You aren't.

NANCY: What?

SIMON: You aren't sorry, Nancy. You aren't.

NANCY: What.. I? Look, will you please stop bringing up that incident. I was equally hurt.

SIMON: (ignoring) This.. (disgustingly) Rain! It has to ruin my plans of going back home soon. I wonder what I would tell mom. ( turns to find NANCY staring at him, arms folded ) What?

NANCY: You heard me.

SIMON: What? I'm sorry.. Did you just say something?

NANCY: Very funny.

SIMON: Yeah, indeed.

NANCY: It's time you realize that I too was hurt.

SIMON: Hmm.. You weren't.

NANCY: How would you know?

SIMON: How would I know? A person like YOU can never, ever be in a true relationship. I am wondering when Vikrant's turn will come...

NANCY: I won't dump him!

SIMON: Yeah, that's what you said to me a year ago, remember?

(NANCY and SIMON stare at each other, without speaking a word )

NANCY: We.. (she chokes)

SIMON: I know that, Nancy. Your excuse: "We are not compatible, Simon!".

NANCY: That's true, Simon.

SIMON: Yeah that's... true.

NANCY: Look, I didn't mean to..

SIMON: (irritably) Break my heart? Shatter it into a million pieces? Guess what.. (spreads his arms) Tada! You've done it!

NANCY:Will you stop overreacting for God's sake!?

SIMON: What? (surprised ) Over... (sighs) Yeah.. I'm the one who's overreacting.

NANCY: Look..

SIMON: No, it was always me, not you.

NANCY: Stop grumbling!

SIMON: I wasn't grumbling to you! (looks away)

NANCY: It wasn't easy for me to.. (looks at SIMON, who is stretching his hand out to check if it was raining. )

SIMON: The rain has stopped.

NANCY: Thank god! (looks at her watch ) Oh no! It's been two hours since I'm stuck here. I guess I'll.. (smiles) Simon?

SIMON: Hmm.?

NANCY: Would you..uh..want to.. uh.. walk me home?

SIMON:(surprised ) Walk you.. home?

NANCY: Yeah.

SIMON: I.. (sighs)

NANCY: Look, I know you don't want to..

SIMON: I never said that.

NANCY: (excitedly) So does that mean you will walk..

SIMON: I never said that either.

(NANCY looks a little confused and upset. She tries to ask him again, but seeing his reaction, she knows he is not going to give in. She starts walking. )

NANCY: It was such an.. ( SIMON joins her )

SIMON: Honour meeting me?

NANCY: (turns towards him) I thought you wouldn't..

SIMON: It's not safe to let you go alone at this time of the day.

NANCY: (grins) Aha! You still care for me, don't you?

SIMON: Care for you? Please!

NANCY: Simon, I... (sighs ) I'm sorry.

SIMON: You aren't, Nancy. You never were. You aren't now. I guess you'd never be.

NANCY: Honestly, I never thought that..

SIMON: We would break up?

NANCY: Yes.

SIMON: Oh! You remember that, now? It's been a year now..

NANCY: I do. It was a.. Thursday.

SIMON: Date?

(NANCY looks down and remains silent. SIMON scoffs)

SIMON: See? You don't..

NANCY: 12th of March.

(SIMON remains silent)

NANCY: It was unforgettable, Simon. It was..

SIMON: I know. One of the most..

NANCY: Special relationships I've ever had.

SIMON: (loudly) Are you..? (realizes he's too loud, lowers his voice) Are you like.. being.. sarcastic?

NANCY: You can take it in whichever sense you want to.

( Both of them continue walking silently. SIMON breaks the ice )

SIMON: So... How's Vikrant?

NANCY: (shrugs) How would I know?

SIMON: (angrily) How wouldn't you? He's your bloody boyfriend and.. (realises he is angry, looks away and exhales)

NANCY: Why are you getting worked up, Simon? (sarcastically) You said that you got over, right?

SIMON: I have. It's just the.. uh.. (thinks for the right word ) Response.

NANCY: (raising her eyebrows) Really?

SIMON: Yeah.. (laughs nervously) Why.. would I.. even.. bother..now?

NANCY: Exactly.

SIMON: (confused ) What?

NANCY: You never bothered after the break up, Simon. Why would you bother now?

SIMON: You broke up with me, Nancy. You deceived me. You never gave a reason why you broke up.. You.. You used me up like a plaything.

NANCY: What!? NO!

SIMON: You can never deny the fact that you broke up with me, can you?

NANCY: No, not that, Simon. I didn't use you as a plaything.

SIMON: What? You..

NANCY: I've felt worse about breaking up with you.

SIMON: I.. (irritated ) Don't do that!

NANCY: Do what?

SIMON: This.. This whole "I-feel-remorseful" kind of drama. You never took this relationship seriously.

NANCY: I did, Simon. But, life has to move on.

SIMON: Know what? You're impossible.

(They walk silently for a long time )

NANCY: How did this year go for you, Simon?

SIMON: I don't really know. (shrugs ) I guess, I had to study my core subjects, and I started writing lately...

NANCY: Writing! Wow! What do you write?

SIMON: (smiling at her curiosity) Just, you know.. stories.

NANCY: Your own life stories?

SIMON: Kind of.

(NANCY smiles at first, then starts laughing )

SIMON: What's so funny?

NANCY: Remember one time, when you told me you were going to pen down our love story, and I said it wouldn't work, you said: "I am going to write it and publish it, even if Shakespeare wakes up from his grave and kills me for my poor English!"

(Both of them laugh)

SIMON: Those were.. great times.

NANCY: They were, indeed.

SIMON: (diminuendo-ing his laughter, melancholically ) Yes, they.. Were.

NANCY: Don't worry, Simon. Remember, life has to move on.

(SIMON gives an understanding nod. )

SIMON: So..uh.. You and Vikrant?

NANCY: We broke up.

SIMON: (astonished) When?

NANCY: Nine months ago.

SIMON: Oh.

NANCY: He had some unrealistic.. expectations, and I.. I couldn't..

SIMON: Fulfill them?

(NANCY nods )

SIMON: So, where did you go?

NANCY: A friend's birthday party.

SIMON: I see.

( NANCY looks down and keeps walking. She looks up after a while, to find SIMON gazing at her intently)

NANCY: What?

SIMON: You were right.

NANCY: Right? About what?

SIMON: Me.

NANCY: You still have this habit of beating about the bush, don't you?

SIMON: You.. You still look..

(They both keep looking at each other)

SIMON: Beautiful.

(NANCY doesn't reply)

SIMON: ( realizing the truth ) I love you, Nancy.

(NANCY gapes at him, dumbstruck )

SIMON: You were right. Maybe I just loved you back then, but didn't understand you fully. Maybe I expected too much, and when I was disheartened, I reacted a lot. Maybe even I was.. unrealistic.

( NANCY's eyes well up )

SIMON: The truth is.. I assumed this whole break up. You still love me, and I still love you. It's the truth! And you left me.. bec.. because..

NANCY: You don't know the truth, do you, Simon?

SIMON: I.. (suspiciously ) Truth?

NANCY: Vikrant and I were committed before you came into my life, Simon. He broke up and I was devastated. But you were an angel. I felt happy, my life was complete with you. We got together, and I wished it would never end. But then, a storm came out of nowhere. Vikrant came back, blackmailing me with one of the love letters I had written him. He said he'll cause trouble, and I didn't want you to suffer because of my past. So I broke up with you. Vikrant forced me into a relationship, which happened for 3 months. And after I destroyed all evidence pointing out to whatever happened in that relationship, I called it off.

SIMON: (painfully ) What.. What about his profile picture?

NANCY: Did I comment on it? Did I reply to any comment?

(SIMON shakes his head. Tears start rolling from his eyes. )

SIMON: Why.. Why didn't you tell me this nine months ago?

NANCY: I thought you might have moved on. Maybe that's why. I thought your feelings for me might have changed in this duration.

(SIMON cups his hand and holds her face.)

SIMON: They never changed, Nancy. Never.

NANCY:(breaking down into tears ) I.. I love you, Simon.

SIMON: I love you too, Nancy.

(They keep staring at each other's eyes.It starts raining. SIMON makes the first move, moves closer to her and rubs his nose against hers. NANCY does not resist, and brushes her lips against his. Their lips meet for a passionate kiss. They taste love, happiness, comfort, relief and redemption. NANCY pulls herself away, gazes at SIMON's lips and kisses him again. They kiss to forget their past nightmares, to bury the whole breakup episode and to rejuvenate their love. They pull away after what seemed to be like the world's last kiss, and smile. )

SIMON: You.. you were my first kiss.

NANCY: Same here.

SIMON: (starts to break down) Don't.. Don't leave me, Nancy.

NANCY: (hugs him tightly) Never.

(SIMON's eyes well up, his tears fusing with the raindrops )

SIMON: How long has it been?

NANCY: 3 hours. Mom will kill me.

SIMON: (laughs) My mom too. (brushes her hair) I love you, Nancy.

NANCY: I love you too, Simon.

(SIMON closes his eyes and smiles. He suddenly feels a hand tapping on his shoulder. He opens his eyes to find VISHARTH, his roommate standing next to him. He rubs his eyes, scratches his head, and realizes where he is. A diary with a few scribbled pages lies on a table in front of him. He is sitting on a chair. )

VISHARTH: Had a long day, huh?

SIMON: (stretches ) Guess so. (looks around, realizes the fact of what just occured to him. Turns to VISHARTH) How long was I out?

VISHARTH: That depends. When did you start writing?

SIMON: Around 4.

VISHARTH: You must've been asleep by.. let's say... 4:30? The time now is 7:30. 3 hours.

SIMON: (chuckles) 3 hours? Great.

VISHARTH: What happened, bro?

SIMON: Nothing special. (gets up) What's for dinner?

VISHARTH: Pongal.

SIMON: Pongal? Hmm.. didn't have that for a long time. Let's go for dinner.

VISHARTH: Are you kidding me? You hate Pongal.

SIMON: I used to.