The Women's Coach

Scene 8: Sunday, 2.14 PM

INT: PLATFORM 1, LEVEL 2, KMS

SFX: (off) A SONG PLAYS FROM THE PHONE (ROAR - Katy Perry - From 0.42)

(NIDHI and SANJAY are seated on a platform bench.)

NIDHI: (sings along, cracking voice) ...I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter. Dancing through the fire. 'Coz I am a champion...

SHE SIGHS, PAUSING THE SONG AT 0.58.

Ya, what do you want to tell?

SANJAY: Nothing. You were singing-

NIDHI: You've been really fidgety since you came. So tell.

SANJAY: (excited) Okay.

SANJAY UNZIPS THE BAG.

NIDHI: Oo, did you get something for me?

SANJAY: I wanted to...but my bank bal's zero.

NIDHI: Aish.

SANJAY: Here. This is the something I did.

NIDHI: WHAT? Wow. This is-OMG. How did you do it? I mean, how did you get it?

SANJAY: I just needed to submit a few documents. And in 30 days, I got my ID.

NIDHI: Who-hoo!

SHE REPEATEDLY TAPS THE BENCH.

Congrats, Sanjana Prasanna.

SANJAY: (not that excited) Thanks.

NIDHI: (bummed out) What? Didn't I pronounce it right?

SANJAY: You did. It's just...

NIDHI: Wait... Aunty found out?

SANJAY: Yeah. She found my ID in the mail.

NIDHI: Sheesh. Out of all the days, where she would make you take the mail, she had to go and check. (beat) Things didn't go well, didn't they?

SANJAY: We're talking now, even though it's restricted to my schedule. (beat) Dad doesn't know yet...that's why I'm still...in the closet.

NIDHI: God. When did this all happen? How come I didn't know this?

SANJAY: A month ago. The same day you died.

NIDHI: Damn it. (beat) Ah, curse everyone for doing this. I mean, how can't your mom understand this? She's a fricking lawyer?

SANJAY: It's okay. She didn't expect me to turn out like this.

NIDHI: Turn out? You were born like this.

SANJAY: You know what I mean. Even I didn't know the term I could use for myself is trans, until I heard of the Trans Rights Act three years ago.

NIDHI: See, this is the irritating thing. Half of us don't know what "transgender" exactly means -ah.

SANJAY: Nidhi?

NIDHI HITS HER HEAD.

NIDHI: Aah!

SANJAY: Nidhi!

NIDHI: AH...WAIT, I'm getting something.

SANJAY: What-Oh!

NIDHI: AH...my head's gonna explode.

SANJAY: Come on, Nidhi. You can do this.

NIDHI: (grumbles) Just shut up, Sanju.

PAUSE.

(weak) Ya.

SANJAY: What?

NIDHI: I think I know who killed me.

SANJAY: WHO?

MEANWHILE, BEHIND A WIDE PILLAR:

SG MURTHY: (close) What? So... he didn't kill her? And, he's not a boy? How did this...

SFX: AUDIO OF SO FAR IS REWOUND TO...