Page 49 - ENGLISH 9

Gorkha.(All look shocked and scared Pratik keeps listening to
radio.)
Gayatri : Oh God! Have mercy upon us? Is this the end of our life? What
shall I do?

Pratik : Everyone listen! Do you know what this massive earthquake
did? Dharahara, Basantapur Durbar Square, Patan Durbar
Square, temples and many houses have collapsed.

Paru : Oh! Dear. What a pity. Today is Saturday and there must have
been so many people on the tower. What is going to happen?
What’s next?
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Kumar : That’s too bad. Any human casualty? Perhaps a lot!

(All shocked. Other people also join the crowd.)

SCENE III
(In the evening, people are sitting talking about whatever they
have heard during the day. Some are moaning and sobbing.
Young people are pitching tents and fetching mats and blankets
to stay overnight in the field. Tremors keep continuing)

Dharmendar : I don’t think we can get into our houses tonight. It’s better to
stay under the open sky.

Rajamati : I’m not going anywhere from here. There is always chance of
tremors similar to that. Every tremor will definitely make us
run out of our houses. (She unfolds her mattress and blanket.)

Paru : Pratik, have you got any further updates?

Pratik : Aama, you can’t hear this all. The updates will make you
burst into tears. Anyway we should stay strong. Many
houses, public buildings and monuments in Kathmandu,
Bhaktapur and Lalitpur have been brought down. So far
some 150 deaths have been confirmed in the valley itself.
It is feared that the death toll would be much higher than
what we recon.
Kumar : I’m really sorry. But the reports say there must have been
much more devastation in Sindhupalchok and Gorkha.

(Everyone is silent. All of them spend the night in the field with their family.)

44 English class 9