SCENE 1 – THE ENCOUNTER

(Lights fade in. BUYER walks in, looking tired and annoyed, checking his phone.)

BUYER:
Aaaj pani... reject. Aba audition ma k nai try garne ho yaar. (throws his bag down)
Kathmandu le manche khaanchha ra.

SELLER:
(softly, from the shadows)
Khaanchha, tara jati khaauchha ni, feri timi jastai aauchhan.

BUYER:
(looks around)
Who’s there?

SELLER:
(steps into dim light)
Timilai nai sodhdaichhu — ke khojdaichhau yo bela?

BUYER:
(defensive)
Khojdaichhaina ma! Just walk garda thie.

SELLER:
Walk gardaichhau? Rati kaati bajeko cha?
Yo bela ta kukur pani sutisakchha. Timi ta interesting manchhe raicha.

BUYER:
Hajur pani interesting... random manche lai follow garera kura garna aauchha.

SELLER:
(smiles)
Ma follow gardina, ma ta sirf aauchhu. Manche haru ta aafai bhitra khojdaichhan.
Bhana ta, timilai ke chahinchha?

BUYER:
Chiya.
(pause)
Ra peace of mind, if that’s on discount.

SELLER:
(laughs)
Chiya? Maile chaiya banauna sakdina, tara peace ta thap chha — alik thulo package
ho.

BUYER:
(laughs slightly despite himself)
Bhaena, aba dar lagna thalyo. Timi kukur bhaye bhane ta kati maya lagthyo — kamti
realistic hunthyo.

SELLER:
Kukur bhaye bhane ma timi lai bhukthe, tara ma ta kura garna aayeko ho.

(A short pause. Both smile faintly. Something uneasy but intriguing between them.)

SELLER:
Yo sahar ma manche haru sabai lauko bhitra aatma bechdaichhan. Ma ta sirf help
gardaichhu.
BUYER:
(raises eyebrow)
Ani timi broker ho?

SELLER:
Of sorts. Broker of… need.

BUYER:
(laughs)
Wah, poetic broker. Aba maile timilai Poet dai bhanchhu.

SELLER:
Bhan na, Poet dai. Tara aba bhana — ke khojdaichhau, Poet lai help garna deu.

BUYER:
(sighs)
Maybe... I just want someone to say, “You did good.”
Bas, tyo matra.

SELLER:
(softly)
Tyo sabai lai chahinchha. Tara kasle bhandai bhane?

(Silence. Light flickers. Scene fades to black.)

SCENE 2 – THE BARGAIN

(Lights rise. The two are sitting on opposite sides of the alley, on upturned
crates. The air feels thicker.)

SELLER:
Kati barsa bhayo yo sahar ma?

BUYER:
Dui barsa. Aauda sochthie Kathmandu ma aafno naam banauchhu.
Aba lagchha, naam ta sabai le rakhisake — aba ma ke banau?

SELLER:
Naam ta sabai ko hunchha, tara timro naam ta timilai nai thaha chaina, hai na?

BUYER:
Aba metaphysical kura na gara na Poet dai, dimaag dukhchha.

SELLER:
Thik cha, realistic kura garaun.
Timi le bhannus, ma timilai je chahinchha dinchhu — tara paisa ko kura nagara.

BUYER:
(frowns)
Ani ke dinchhau ta?

SELLER:
Confidence, respect, attention, love — choose ekta.

BUYER:
(sarcastic)
Kati percent discount cha love ma?
SELLER:
(laughs)
Love ta full price ma matra aauchha, tyo ta sabai lai thaha cha.

(They both laugh, but it fades into silence.)

BUYER:
Ani tyo sabai kura timi kasari dinchhau?

SELLER:
By making you believe you already had it.

(Pause. BUYER looks shaken.)

BUYER:
Timi... therapist ho?

SELLER:
Haina. Ma ta timro man ko shadow ho. Timi jasari sochchhau, ma tyasai bolchhu.

BUYER:
(chuckles nervously)
Tyo ta horror movie jasto bhayo. Aba background ma violin bajne ho kya?

SELLER:
(serious now)
Timi majak gardaichhau, tara timro aankha ma ta dar chha.
Timi darauchhau timro sapna bata.

(A tense pause.)

BUYER:
(quietly)
Timi sahi bhayechhau...
Kati patak ma audition dina janchhu, bolne bela ma mute bhanchhu jasto lagchha.
Aafno awaz nai sunindaina.

SELLER:
Tyahi awaz sunna sik, bacha.
Manchhe haru ta sunna paisa dinchhan, bolna ta free chha.

(A slight laugh from BUYER. It’s emotional, not funny.)

SCENE 3 – THE DECISION

(The air is cold now. The Seller is about to leave. The Buyer hesitates.)

BUYER:
Timi... timro naam bhanna bhuliyau.

SELLER:
Naam?
Timi jasto manchhe haru ko naam ma rakhinchha — Hope.

BUYER:
(laughs)
Hope dai? Tyo ta politician ko naam jasto lagchha.

SELLER:
(half-smile)
Haina, ma ta timro bhitra ko politician ho. Promise dinchhu, fulfill gardina.

(They both laugh — genuinely this time.)

BUYER:
Ani aba ke garnu ta?

SELLER:
Simple kura.
Bholi bela uthera feri try gara. Tara aauda bela dar na lyauna.
Ma yaha huneychhu, herera basne.

BUYER:
Timi feri aaunchhau?

SELLER:
Mero kaam ta tyo nai ho — aaune ra herne.

(He starts walking away. The streetlight flickers once, twice, then goes out. The
Buyer looks at the empty alley.)

BUYER:
(softly, to himself)
Poet dai... aba ma bolchhu.

(A faint smile. Lights fade out slowly. End.)