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Chupkay
Chupkay tells
the story of a kept who kept unbroken her link with love and self-esteem.
Her name (as if it matters to those who say it) is Lalan alias Lalkuvar
alias Lady Lalkuvar, the second wife of Sir Amarsinh Narottam,
the sole son and heir to Sir Nrrottam Tejpal, who in turn was
the sole son and heir to Sir Tejpal Bhatia, knighted by Her Majesty,
the Empress herself. Lalan, on the other hand… Let us put it thus: Her
links with life were tenuous, to start with. Lalan was born as - who
knows (or cares) what? A girl was born somewhere in the Portuguese Goa,
the Konkan coast not too far away from Mumbai. Now, as every old aristocrat
who is young and has good taste knows, Konkan is from where you get
sweet mangoes and concubines. Sir Amarsinh, who knew, tasted one, liked
it and called her Lalan, who was tasty and young. But she was more,
much more, which Sir Amarsinh was to know later. This play is about
the dawning of that surprising knowledge: That woman was a person! She
was herself! Imagine!!
When the play starts, that cunning kept has tricked her keeper into
marriage. This, by pretending that she was on death-bed, ready to die
within hours actually, in the suburban villa where (as per a time-honored
nightly custom) Sir Amar kept his faithful concubine at a convenient
distance. But, the dying Lalan, soon after the makeshift marriage (the
“last wish” of his faithful “beloved”), recovers. Sir Amarsinh is furious.
His first wife had died some time back and he now has advanced plans
to marry a young beauty, Rati, half his age, one-tenth his financial
worth. He consults with his friend-philosopher-and guide in goodly escapades,
(who is also the brother of his beloved and dead wife,) Gokuldas
Sampat. He advises bribery. Starting with a moderate figure it was
a practical way towards a divorce, keeping in view the fact of marriage.
Lalkuvar disagrees. Not with the figure (which Sir Amarsinh soon raises
immoderately) but with the solution. She has already moved from the
villa to the palatial, ancestral home which, she says, is now hers.
The staff likes her : The maids, the cook, the gardener and the drivers,
all. A leading lawyer is summoned, urgently. He finds a law, according
to which the marriage could be annulled, charges could be brought against
Lalkuvar. Lalan now is lost, surely?
Not her. Lady Lalkuvar now makes it clear that she is after neither
the money nor the marriage nor the status (“Lady”). All she wants is
a real, legal, loving father for her sons. 'Sons?' explodes Sir Amar.
Yes, she has sons. Three. One, through Sir Amar. “You bitch” Lady is
willing to retire to Konkan, permanently, without trace, if Sir Amarsinh
adopts her sons, legally. “One if the Three is actually your own!” Amar,
at the end of his wit, especially after a stormy encounter between Lady
and Rati, agrees to adopt one, the one who is his. Lalan challenges
him to find out which. She also advises him to speak to Rati about this.
Amarsinh is confident.
Amarsinh discovers not his son but a few truths about the two women
and about love. He also discovers the true Woman whom he (re) marries!
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