Monologue

Script of a monologue that I wrote for a friend, for auditions of one of the renowned Acting academies.

Characters: Vikram and Sneha.

Background:
Vikram is a guy from a very small town. Poverty-stricken, survival has been the biggest challenge for him and his family. At the same time, he is from a very humble background, so values hold a lot of importance for him. His parents passed out at a very small age, leaving him lonely. He has siblings but they were illiterates and much elder in age to him.. So basically Vikram was a person who was never loved by anyone. His only motivation was that he was a good student. He works hard, completes his graduation and moves to the city. Here he meets a girl through a common friend. The girl, Sneha, is an extrovert. She was brought-up in the city and has a modern outlook towards life. As they start seeing each other, Vikram starts opening up. Going out for movies, may be some clubs, tries smoking and drinking just for the sake of trying it. He falls in love with Sneha. And Sneha finds Vikram attractive, so she also has a crush on him. 1 month of courtship and Vikram expresses his feeling to Sneha. In the meantime, the parents of Sneha had started looking for alliances for her, as she had reached the marriageable age. Now Sneha had a mentality that she would marry a person of her choice. So she agrees to marry Vikram. This whole process happens in about 2 months time. So it is evident that Vikram and Sneha didn’t know each other completely. It was infatuation, or attraction which resulted in marriage. For Sneha, it was like reaching a milestone in life. Marriage was over. Now her parents wouldn’t force her and she could focus on herself and her career and her interests. For Vikram, it was like an achievement of a lifetime.

Character Description:
Vikram - Shy, introvert, with a willingness to succeed in life. A one-woman man. Commitment in whatever he does, and he loves Sneha so much that he can hardly speak a word against her.

Sneha – Happy go lucky types, her career and she herself are very important to her. Everything else comes later. She hates sitting and discussing things. Actions mean more than words to her.

The result is that there is a lack of communication between Vikram and Sneha..

Story:
As it was decided earlier, Sneha continued working after marriage. Apart from that, Sneha also continued the lifestyle she had earlier, like partying and visiting friends. But post-marriage, Vikram started developing certain expectations from her. He wanted Sneha to spend more time at home which Sneha was not very keen for. At the same time, Sneha also started realizing that marrying a commoner like Vikram, who had very traditional mentalities, was a big mistake. Neither Vikram could express his expectations nor Sneha could express that she was unhappy, since she felt it was also a mistake from her side. Days passed by. Sneha would go out with Vikram, and sometimes with other friends too. Vikram couldn’t resist the fact that her wife partied with other people, which was something very common in the environment Sneha was brought up in. 2 months passed by. The anger and frustration kept on building inside Vikram. He tried talking to Sneha, but everytime she changed the topic, by assuring that she loved Vikram – I love you baby. Just calm down. Lets have a drink..
Vikram was a one-woman man. If he was an extrovert, he could have expressed himself in a proper way or maybe befriended other women, and would have been happy. But neither could he express himself fully nor could he think of anyone else. This loneliness, anger, insecurity, frustration kept on building inside him. And one day, he found out that his wife had done an abortion without informing him. He was shocked. He asked Sneha who replied that she was sorry for not informing him. Her career meant more to her at that time frame, more than a child. She also replied – I would have to suffer to give birth. Not you. And I am not ready yet. Now just change the topic. Forget it baby. I am leaving. Have some work. Will be late.
Now this was the point where he committed suicide.
Communication was what was lacking between them. Vikram believed that once Sneha became pregnant, life would change. But it was quite different from what Sneha wanted.
Mind-frame while committing suicide:
Loved Sneha very much in-spite of what she had been doing, could not express his anger and frustration to Sneha or to anyone else, couldn’t resist the abortion, multiple bouts of depression and the final step.

Act:
Vikram is seated on a chair, holding a toy, when this act happens..

Dialogues:
Happy b’day to Sneha, happy b’day to you..I wish you were there with me today..I had been waiting for this day since long..To celebrate your first b’day after our marriage..But death..(silence for 2secs..)
It’s like I met you just the day before..This chirpy girl, full of energy and enthusiasm..It was love at first sight..And I felt that you were the only woman who could complete me..Enhance me..I remember the long walks at Juhu, the rides at Essel World, gosh it scares me when I think about it.. the time spent at parties which I only attended because of you..The one month of courtship and then our marriage..I was very happy that day..The kind of person that I am, I felt I had achieved everything..
But what went wrong that you ended up killing me..I only wanted you to spend some more time with me..I didn’t like you partying with other people..I wanted you to be there with me always..Didn’t I have the right to expect this much from you..A husband from his wife..I said yes to everything you desired, your career, your interests, your wishes, and what did you give me in return..Loneliness, frustration, anger which I could never express..I mean, how could I fight with you..I loved you so much..You never understood my feelings and for all the freedom I gave you, you killed me..
Ya ya..I know you would say that you didn’t kill me and that I committed suicide..But what was the reason?? You Sneha..It was you..You made me kill myself..How could you abort our baby?? And not even care to inform me..And then tell me that your career was more important than the child..Our child..That you were not ready to carry the pain of childbirth..How could you Sneha?? It was our baby..My baby..And you killed it..This toy that I have, I liked it so much that I kept it for our child. What should I do with it..Tell me..Throw it away..Just like my child.. (Silence)
What a mad I am..Crying on your b’day..Happy b’day Sneha..