Did You Hear That? 

  Characters

1.            Kavita

2.            Manish

3.            Robert

4.            Asif

5.            Payal

6.            Policeman 1, 2

7.            Bystander 1, 2, 3

A busy street. There are some people walking on both sides of the road. Kavita enters the stage.  She is looking for something in her purse and suddenly stops when she reaches the center of the stage.

Kavita: Oh my god! What was that?

She looks around in a frightened manner. A few people stop too.

Kavita: (to the others who have gathered around) Did you hear that?

Manish:            Hear what?

Kavita: The scream. Did you hear the scream?

Manish:            What scream?

Kavita:             The scream. Didn’t you hear anyone scream?

Manish:            No.

                        (to the others) Did anyone hear a scream?

Others :            No, we did not hear anything. 

Kavita: Well, I definitely heard someone scream. It sounded like a woman.

Robert :            A woman?

Kavita: Yes, a woman. I heard a woman screaming. 

Robert :            We didn’t hear anything. 

Kavita: But I did. The scream came from that house. (looks towards the house)

Man 1:             Which house?

Kavita: That house. (points to the house)

Asif :    That house?

Kavita: Yes.

Manish:            I cannot hear anyone screaming now.

Kavita:             Of course you can’t hear anyone screaming now, because no one is screaming right now. But I did hear a scream.

The others seem to lose interest and start to walk away.

Manish:            Well, I’m sorry but I’m in a hurry…..

Kavita:             Ssshhh! Listen.

Manish:            What?

Kavita:             Ssshhh! Listen carefully.

The others come back and try to listen.

Robert :            I can hear a car starting. Maybe that’s what you heard. I can’t hear anyone scream. Perhaps you heard the car starting.

Kavita:             Of course I did not hear a car. I heard a woman screaming.

Asif :                I can hear a dog barking. Maybe that’s what you heard. I didn’t hear anyone scream. Perhaps you heard the dog barking.

Kavita:             Of course not! I did not hear a dog barking. I heard a woman screaming.

Manish:            I can hear a baby crying. Maybe that’s what you heard. I didn’t hear anyone scream. Perhaps you heard the baby crying.

Kavita:             No, it was not a baby crying. It was a woman and she was screaming. I heard her scream.

Manish:            Are you sure?

Kavita:             Yes, will you come and help me? Let’s go to the house and check.

Manish:            (looking at his watch) I’m in a bit of a hurry….

Robert :            Yes, I’m already late for my meeting.

Asif :                I really need to go now, if my boss finds out….

Kavita:             Oh please, we must help her. What if she is hurt?

Man 1,2,3 :      Oh all right, what do you want us to do?

Kavita:             Let’s go and ring the doorbell.

Manish:            Ok, let’s go to the house.

All go near the house. Robert rings the doorbell. All try to listen at the door.

Robert :            Can you hear anything?

Manish:            No, ring the doorbell again.

They listen again.

Asif :                Why is it taking so long? Maybe there’s no one home.

Kavita:             Of course there is someone home. There is a woman inside. I heard her scream.

They try to peek in the windows. Two policemen walk by and stop near the house.

Policeman 1:     Hey, you there. What are you doing?

Policeman 2 :    Is there a problem?

Kavita:             Yes, officer. I heard a woman screaming in this house.

 Policeman 1 :   A woman screaming.

                        (to Man 1) Did you hear it?

Manish:            No, I didn’t.

Kavita:             But I heard her screaming.

Policeman 1 :    (to Robert) Did you hear a woman scream?

Robert :            No, I didn’t.

Kavita:             But I heard her. I heard a woman screaming.

Policeman 1 :    (to Asif) Did you hear a woman scream?

Robert :            No, I didn’t. She said she heard the woman screaming.

Kavita:             Yes, I did. I heard her screaming.

Three other people walk towards them.

Bystander 1 :    What happened?

Policeman 2 :    (pointing towards Woman 1) She heard a woman screaming. Did you hear anything?

Bystander 2 :    Yes, I heard a woman screaming. But I do not know whether this came from this house.

Bystander 3 :    Yes, I heard a scream too.

Policeman 2 :    Ok, let’s check inside the house.

Policeman 1 :    (to Man 1) Try knocking on the door.

Manish:            All right. (knocks on the door)

Kavita:             Can you hear anyone coming now?

Manish:            No, I don’t think anyone is home.

Policeman 2 :    Knock louder.

Robert :            (knocks with more force) Can you hear anyone now?

Policeman 1 :    No, the house must be empty.

Kavita:             No, it’s not empty. I heard a woman screaming. She is inside the house.

Asif :                Ok, let’s all knock on the door.

All of them knock on the door.

Manish:            Listen, I can hear someone.

Suddenly the door opens and Payal runs out screaming.

Policeman 1 :    Hey wait.

Payal:               Help! Help me!

Kavita:             I told you I heard her screaming.

Policeman 2 :    What is the matter madam. Do you need help?

Payal:               Help me …. He is in the house.

All :                  Who is in the house?

Payal:               He’s inside. That’s why I screamed.

Manish:            Let’s check in the house.

Policeman 1 :    Search all the rooms. You go upstairs. And you, can search in those rooms.

All run in different directions and search.

Robert :            There’s no one here.

Bystander 3 :    No one in that room either.

Bystander 2 :    There was no one in the kitchen.

Payal:               Please catch him. I’m so scared.

Policeman 2 :    There’s no one here madam.

Payal:               No, he’s here. In the kitchen.

Bystander 2 :    I looked in the kitchen. There is no one there.

Payal:               No, he’s there. I saw him just now.

Policeman 1 :    Let’s look again.

They all go into the kitchen. The woman screams again and points to something on the floor.

Payal:               There he is! Catch him please.

All :                  A mouse!!!!