SCENE ONE
Rural, suburban sounds, late afternoon. Lights fade up on a map of the world, followed by the legend HASAN TRAVELS. Shahid enters, wrapped in an overcoat and carrying two suitcases. He puts them down and looks at the map and the legend. Mother enters.
Mother Arey, Shahid …!
She pulls a handkerchief out of his pocket, spits on it and proceeds to wipe his face.
Going to college in London and so not smart.
Shahid (protesting) Ammi …
Mother How happy your papa will be in paradise when you return with a college degree.
Shahid HND, Ammi –
Mother (dismissive) Degree is a degree. (Exclaims.) My one son charms a beautiful girl like Zulma from Karachi –
Shahid Not exactly difficult.
Mother Don’t argue. Chili and Zulma are a golden couple. And you are about to charm books into a degree! Have you packed toothpaste? All-Bran? Wake up, brush your teeth, have All-Bran with yoghurt and straightaway you will have perfect motions, smooth as the day is long. Promise me.
Shahid Yes, Ammi.
Mother And ring. Every evening I want to hear progress report, just like your papa used to. Socks – have you packed enough?
Shahid Yes.
Mother Here’s a kebab roll to eat on the train –
Shahid I’m only going to London –
Mother You’ll get hungry – why waste money? I’ve also precisely told Chili to take good care of you. He will visit often –
Shahid Oh, no.
Mother Listen to what he says. Packed the computer Papa bought you?
Shahid Of course.
Mother Papa will be so pleased. And Shahid?
Shahid What?
Mother Don’t talk to
strangers.
Shahid picks up his cases and leaves. Mother hides her face in her sari and starts crying. As he walks off, soundscape gradually shifts to polyglot and frenetic late-eighties London, and we see him journey to his north London digs. Strapper bumps into him.
Strapper Want some E?
Shahid (surprised) What?
Strapper (urgent) E, man – ecstasy! Want some?
Shahid No!
Strapper Keep your shirt on, Paki!
Strapper runs off. Shahid arrives at his digs, unpacks his new Amstrad computer and sits down to work.
As he works, London day and night life passes by in the rooms around him – lodgers variously dancing, smoking dope, praying. Shahid is seen going between his computer and his bed, eating, reading, working and having a wank. The light in his room flickers off.