“Karma Café” by Saswati Banarjee & V. K. Telkepalli

Picture Credit: Ravindra Patoju

Scene I

[While light music is playing in the background, a lady in her early 60s is sitting on the counter talking on the phone, a girl about 20 years of age enters the stage.]

Ramya:
Have a nice day, keep smiling (Hanging down the receiver)... our friends at table number 5 are in a gloomy mood, attend the table quickly! 
 
[Meanwhile, a waitress stops at a table where a few girls are sitting and turns to the counter.]

Waitress:
Ma’am! Someone wants to meet you. She’s sitting there. 

[The waitress pointed towards a table, glancing at the girl]

Ramya:
Kindly tell her that I’m not interested in giving an interview.

Waitress:
I’ve already told that ma’am but she told me to inform you that she is the daughter of one of your old customers.

[Looking at her again, Ramya tries to remember if the girl seems familiar… giving up, she turns towards the waitress.]

Ramya:
Bring some coffee and tell her to come here. Make it extra strong!

[After being informed, the girl comes and sits at a table near the counter and Ramya gently sits there too.]
 
Girl:
Thank you ma’am for your time.

Ramya:
Sorry for the inconvenience dear. Lately, I have stopped talking to people. Each and every person was demoralizing me.

[Waitress enters and places the coffee on the table and exits.]

Ramya:
Here... have it, you look a bit tired.

[Girl sips the drink] 

Girl:
Hmm. Do you really serve this to everyone? I was in need of this, how did you know?

Ramya:
Well, that’s Karma Café…

Girl:
I am really eager to know your story madam. My father used to say, “If you wanna know what passion looks like visit Karma Café.”
 
Ramya:
Well who are you, child? Not a familiar face.

Girl:
My name is Arshi Shah, I work for a food magazine. My father was one of your regular customers and he had recently passed away. 

Ramya:
I am sorry for your loss.

Girl:
He always used to talk about how you guys being business analysts and software engineers started this amazing place and it was his wish that I should visit and write an article about this cafe.
 
Ramya:
Such a kind man. I would certainly like to share our story. Not for you but for your father. I hope we could help in changing his mood a few times at least.

[Blackout]

---

Scene II

[In a scarcely filled restaurant with romantic music playing through the stereo, a 32 year old man enters talking on the phone and sits at a table.]

Kabir: (Frustrated)
​I am fed up with this daily routine… Yes, that’s exactly what I did, you better be careful too. I would just suggest you to follow me. (Checking the phone) Talk to you later my wife is calling.
 
Kabir:
Yes darling… are you okay? Wait, just drop by ‘The Royals’, I will order your favourite… and be calm.

[Hanging up the phone, he calls for the waiter. Background music gradually fades in while he is thinking and a woman who is about 28 years old enters.]

Ramya: (Hastily sitting on a chair in front of him)
How could they do this to me? What were they thinking when they were giving me the bonus in April? Probably they gave it to me by mistake.

Kabir: (Consoling her)
No problem dear… just calm down.

Ramya:
You know what that saala chamcha (Idiotic sycophant) Ajay got the promotion and I am kicked out of my job. Five years ago, those guys were selling shit on thelas (Bicycle street vending cart) while I was the one who worked my ass off to bring them to the peaks and they fired me? What were they thinking really?

Kabir:
Just calm down… you can get another job.

Ramya:
Of course that’s what I’m going to do but how could they do this “lack of performance” bullshit?

Kabir: (Calmly)
Well... I quit my job. 

Ramya: (Without listening to what Kabir said)
I didn’t quit my job, they threw me out... 

[Pausing for a second]
 
Ramya:
What? Didn’t... you… hear what I said until now! If you have got a nagging boss then that’s not a reason to quit a job. We have bills to pay and… how could you do this Kabir?

Kabir:
Probably this is the time we should think of our own venture.

Ramya:
No! This isn’t the time and you know it very well Kabir! 

[After a moment of silence] 

Ramya:
Let’s search for jobs and what did you order?

Kabir:
​Your favourite...

[Blackout]

---

Scene III

[On a blank stage, Kabir is sitting on the sofa while Ramya enters.]

Ramya:
​How did your interview go Kabir?

Kabir:
Gam is kadar badha ki main use pee gaya. Thukhra raha tha mujhko badi der se yeh jahaan, main aaj sab jahaan ko thukra k peegaya.

Ramya:
What are you talking about? Are you high?

Kabir: (Laughing)
That’s a famous dialogue from ‘Guru Dutt’ that carries a lot of depth.

Ramya:
What does it mean?

Kabir:
“I know we had kept it for our future but since the disaster has struck let’s turn this into an opportunity.”

Ramya: (Thinking for a while)
Give me one good reason as to why I should invest in your plan? Except for the fact that you are my husband.

Kabir: (Laughing)
That’s the reason I love you. By the way, I have put our plan into execution and we are getting Rishabh’s place for setting it up.

Ramya:
Are you sure?

Kabir:
Yes, and I’m planning to name it Karma Café… a place where there are no menu cards and customers get served depending on their mood.

[Blackout]

---

Scene IV

Arshi:
​What’s with these mood cards?

Ramya:
That’s the specialty here my child. We believe that food affects every person differently.

Arshi:
Hmm… quite interesting.

Ramya:
A good breakfast rich in proteins helps you boost your performance but might impair your concentration. Males feel calm when they take carbohydrates while females feel sleepy and so on...

Arshi:
Even I have read that chocolate kills boredom.

Ramya:
Yeah, if you are angry, dark chocolate lowers your blood pressure and calms you while Belgium chocolates act as antidepressants. Milk chocolate kills boredom if it contains nuts and resins and it’s the best one to have if lonely. And for the record, white chocolate is nothing but milk solids and fats.

Arshi:
That’s really nice… but how do these waiters and waitresses know this.

Ramya:
They are students of Hotel management and we don’t teach them about food here but we teach people how to read and serve each person uniquely.

Arshi:
Probably that’s the reason why this place is packed even after thirty years.

Ramya:
Not really. We had a lot of outreach for the initial three years then we had to shut down for a while and that started a craving in our customers.

[Blackout]

---

Scene V

[A group of boys enter the stage and into the cafe followed by their rival group and start quarreling with each other]

Kabir:
​Hey! Can you guys leave! You are disturbing the others.

Boy:
Oye uncle! Fuck off!

[The gangs left taking their own time]

Kabir:
These buggers, I felt like bashing them.
 
Ramya:
Honey, just relax, We simply can triple the rates. 

[Kabir gives a puzzled look]
 
Ramya:
Yeah, it will also help us clearing a few of our debts. 

[Blackout]

---

Scene VI

[Rishabh enters in a pace with a group of people while Kabir and Ramya are working on their accounts]

Rishabh:
​Guys! I would like to organize a party here. 

[Turning towards the group of people] 

Rishabh:
I want a chandelier there and the bar should be filled in that rack…

Kabir:
Wo… wo… wo… Rishabh hold on your horses. I think this is not a perfect place for your party.

Rishabh:
Why not? It’s perfect. It is in the prime location and this party will help promote your business too.

Kabir:
But people come here to be calm and peaceful. A party will disturb the atmosphere.

Rishabh:
Well my party is in the night and probably you won’t be having any customers at that time, right?

Kabir:
But it will spoil the reputation of my place.
 
Rishabh:
Dude, I think you are mistaken. It’s my place.

Kabir: (Giving up)
Alright…

[Blackout]

---

Scene VII

Ramya:
​What were you thinking while saying that to him? See now what has happened. Do you have any idea how much we owe?
 
Kabir:
What can I do? He was misbehaving and…

[Kabir and Ramya were packing things of the Café while a couple quarreling enters the stage without noticing the café is closed, the wife sits on one of the tables while the husband follows her.]

Husband:
Please try to understand dear… I’m sorry I didn’t mean it.
 
Wife:
Yeah! You talk about me and say you didn’t mean it. You talk about my parents and say you didn’t mean it. Then what do you mean? I certainly know in what sense you said that.

Husband:
Please try to understand my situation.
 
Wife:
That day you even beat my friend for no reason.

Husband:
That’s because he was being too personal and I didn’t like the way he was either behaving or being with you.

Kabir:
Ahh... I think we should do something for them.

Ramya:
You are right, bring a strawberry ice cream with a touch of mint and dip a few strawberries in it for the wife.

Kabir:
And some salted broccoli for the husband?

Ramya:
Kabir! Please... I know what to do for him.

Kabir:
What?
 
Ramya:
Just follow me yaar.

[Kabir brings the ice-cream as instructed and Ramya brings a tangy orange juice with mint. The couple have them without noticing and they get calmer while Kabir plays some romantic music on the stereo. The couple calm down and start looking at each other and when they start leaving Ramya interrupts.]

Ramya:
A small gift from our side and whenever you quarrel next time please do visit our...

[The couple accept the gift and start moving]
                    
Kabir:
Ah… there’s one more thing left… the bill (smiling lamely)

[The couple exit paying the bill]

Kabir:
​Did you notice Ramya that people don’t come to this place? I mean as a location. They want to go to Karma Café. I think they will come to us no matter where we are.

[Blackout]

---

Scene VIII

Arshi:
Then you guys shifted here, but how?

Ramya:
Well we got sponsors and we had enough savings for setting this whole thing back again and we tried to design it as it was in the old place but you didn’t mention who your father was?

Arshi:
Ma’am... I am the daughter of Mr Rishabh Shah. After your shut down my father tried to set up a disco bar but it didn’t work and he went bankrupt. His anger got the best of him and he tried to ruin you guys but in that process he ruined himself. I think that’s how Karma works.

Ramya:
God bless his soul. Now, I too want to let go of the responsibilities as there is no one to handle this and my husband is already up there calling me.
 
[Ramya gets up and starts walking towards the door, smoke all over, and Kabir in midst of the smoke holding her]

[Next day: Newspaper headline “No heir for happiness”]
 
The Narrator:
​Karma Café shuts down after the death of the whole and sole manager Mrs Ramya…

Team

1. ​Contributor:
   Saswati Banarjee &
   V. K. Telkepalli​
   
   
2. Editors:
   Rajiv R Nair, &
   Sreekar Ayyagari
   
   
3. Photographer:
   Ravindra Patoju

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