Scene 1 – The play opens with the description of city traffic and hustle bustle where Ma sits on the bed listening carefully as she leans against the wall. Jaya stands by the window looking out for Om. Then Ma looks at Jaya asking her to come for a moment and help her understand what others are saying outside. Jaya dismisses it. Ma and Jaya argues with each other and Ma gets irritated with Jaya statement about minding her own business. Ma exclaims saying that Jaya by addressing as if she is the royalty of the house pointing out her worrisome face that Om will not get the job while she looks out from the window. Ma taunts Jaya as Jaya does not hope about Om’s getting a job and Ma taunts her again that she should be a dutiful wife hoping the best for her husband at home. Jaya sees Om coming back from the window. Jaya observes Om coming back to the house and Ma still comments sarcasm and taunting about the entire situation of Om’s job. Jaya and Ma argue with each other as Ma seems to dislike her and always find guilt and wrong about Jaya stating that Jaya might have grown up in a jungle and compares to other neighbours with ten people and twenty people living in harmony.
Jaya and Ma argument continues and Jaya says that Ma never consider Jeetu as a family as Jeetu is Om’s brother and Ma’s son. Ma dislikes Jeetu and considers him ungrateful and insolent whom gods put inside her belly comparing him to Jaya. Ma says to Jaya that she ‘wets” herself in the room when Jeetu walks in the door negating it as a sin and curses her for the next life for she will become a cockroach and Ma will smash her implying her fate. Jaya dismisses her and watches out for Om as she opens the door and welcomes her husband Om. Ma exclaims that Jaya’s running out to her husband as some “idiot schoolgirl” but Ma remains smart thinking she even sees whats going inside Jaya’s head and she’s is not a fool. Om walks in with a bulky parcel and Ma exclaims “My son” and welcomes him home . Ma starts the discussion of of the job and Jaya stands at the centre with uncertainty. Ma is concerned and states that it is the loss for them for not hiring Om for a work and wonders how are they going to manage everything. Jaya questions Om regarding the situation of the job and Om said that he got a job by placing the parcel he bought in. Ma is astonished and unbelievable and Om said again that “I got the job” and Ma is happy and congratulated him. Om says that it was easy in the end and Ma orders Jaya to bring him some milk and ask him to come to his mother for hug.
Om tells Ma that he was inside a building with a big machine, iron bars and they wait like “goats at the slaughterhouse” and around six thousand men were waiting in the hot sun. There were guards everywhere in grey uniforms and tells that these guards will be coming at any moment to their house. Jaya , Om and Ma discusses about the arrival of the guards and Om tells them that they are here to inspect the building and set up something in the house. Jaya tells Ma to keep quiet and both Ma and Jaya continuously argues again and Om tells Ma to behave and stay silently. Ma is concerned asks Om if there’s something wrong he has done and asks him what is there to hide about. Om only says that these guards need to check everything and set up the arrangements are perfect. Om has no knowledge about the duration of the work and the money he will get from the job. Om describes to Jaya and Ma about the building that it is endless and many were standing line not only on one floor but above floor as well and said ” being a cage shaped like a tunnel”.
Om starts to tell Ma and Jaya about the building and the work. Om at first didn’t know what was there at the end where the line stops like a place to write a form or queries anbout a person but it was just all forward and moving on. There was one person even fainted while waiting but he was put in the corner next to the pipe where there was water. Ma and Jaya kept question Om what happens next and Om narrates them that it was not an easy moving forward for he has to be ready or others will take the place. Om does not realize how long did he moved but soon he reaches the door and it was dark , cool and fainted in pleasure yet unknown and found himself waking up to know that the ground is moving under him. They were asked to undress their clothes and some water was sprayed. The water has some medicine on it and the ground was moving them to another place to cover their eyes and reaches the other side of the tunnel with pictures and music with a sign of “Resume Clothing”. The ground stops moving and they walked and pass the other side of the building where they find the guards waiting for them.
The guards told them they are selected and many others were confused and blank like him. Their personal details, addresses and other information were gathered from them and gave them the parcel or package and not to open them for they will come at their home for the final instructions. Ma and Jaya becomes suspicious of the work and Om has no answer but tells them that the guards gave them the pamphlet to read that said that they were selected and they were told them to obey their instructions and would be monitored on their lives. In order to be employed , Om and his family has to follow their instructions. When Jaya asks Om how can they afford it a child bursts in their door which was left unbolted exclaiming “Auntie” regarding the arrival of the police or the guards that Om talked about.
The Guard 1 arrives to the door for the approval stating that this is InterPlanta Service and whether the house is the residence of Om Prakash. Jaya answers it as yes and the Guard 1 asks if he is addressing Om Prakash. The Guard 2 and Guard 3 enters while they talk and the other two guards brought an installation setup. The Guard 3 sets up the installation while the Guard 2 installs device onto the window frame. Ma is confused and asks who are they and the Guard 1 tells Om that they are ready to start. The Guard 1 congratulated Om and welcomes him for the program and gives him the starter kit and operator where instructions are given. Meanwhile the Guard 3 has two cartoons set up and goes to the kitchen and starts dumping necessary items from the kitchen while other urchings are talking about what’s happening into Om’s house. Jaya becomes furious at Guard 3 for touching the things from the house and Om hears Jaya’s loud voice but the Guard 1 asks that the Contact Module will be found in the starter kit but Om is distracted and the Guard 1 keeps on talking saying that it will be activated in two hours. Jaya struggles with Guard 3 who keeps dumping all items into the cartoon boxes and she complains calling him a monster, beast or a machine and tells him to stop it. The Guard 3 continues his work and cleans and swbas the entire area and puts a new cooking device and bottles full of multi-coloured pellets.
The Guard 1 tells Om that the first contact will exchange personal information including physical data for matching . When the Guard 1 inquire Om about queries but Om hesitates and is unable to ask further queries. The Guard 1 tells that they will not be responsible for anything but of the maintenance and warns that the InterPlanta Services will give them the fuel for them to consume for their domestic units and they are warned to share or sell the fuel to outside. Also, the electrical appliances will be given to them for the domestic units and other installation of Contact Module for operation and additional loads caused by sharing, selling or loaned will not be entertained . The Guard 1 starts the inquiry and Jaya interrupts regarding her stove which is broken by the Guard 3. The Guard 1 insists to ask the query from Ma and Om tells the query that her mother name is Indumati Prakash. Ma remains silent regarding the query and Om insists his mother but she stays silent. The Guard 1 moves to another member Jaya for she knew that it was her turn and she slams the door and moves forward. Jaya tells her full name and the Guard 1 asks what is her relationship with the donor (donor is Om). Jaya states that she is Om’s sister and Ma is shocked to hear it. Jay even lies about the next query to Guard 1 that her husband is at work and made Jeeten Kumar or simply Jeetu as her husband. Ma is infuriated and shocked. The Guard 1 tells them that the missing member especially Jeetu should contact them before twenty hours for the completion of query or they will lose the advantage of InterPlanta Services. The other Guards discussed the installation process and everything has been checked and done. The Guard 2 steps next to the CONTACT MODULE and points at a remote and a large screen appears. The Guard 1 reports that the installation is done and the sanitization of the place is also done. The Guards decides for departure. The Guard 1 tells Om Prakash to sign that he appreciates the installation process and they departs with greetings.
Ma is sad and questions Om’s job regarding Jaya who has now become Om’s sister due to the kind of job. Ma constantly argues about Jaya’s statement and Om states that nothing has changed and those are just words on the document. Jaya mocks and calls Om a brother and asks how to even cook food since they have taken everything from the kitchen and Om tells them that everything is there in the package regarding the food and other stuffs.
Scene 2 – The scene opens with Ma and Om in the same room and eating the food from their newly installed coloured pellets. Jaya is sitting and leaning her head next to the bed. The package is open and devices and other stuffs can be seen. Ma questions Om about the job and Ma is still confused about the type of job. Ma asks that Om only has to sit all day and stay healthy and he will get money for it which makes her confused. Jaya is bitter about it and demands Om to tell her the truth. Ma tells Jaya to not talk to her husband in loud voice. Jaya and Om argues and Jaya tells that everyone knows about it when grey Guards comes to their house and knows what part of a person’s body has been given away. Ma is scared and demands to know what parts of whom and confused. Jaya keeps subtly tells Ma about the organ sell but Ma sarcastically tells her that she has gone crazy. Om is unable to tell Ma but tells her that he is working for a foreigner and the money comes from abroad. Ma wonders if Om has to go abroad or the entire people has to go abroad but Om denies and Jaya sarcastically tells that it is not the whole people but parts of it meaning organs of the body which will be consumed by the First World Country. Ma is confused again with Jaya’s staement and Om argues with Jaya as he doesn’t want her to bring up what he has done and not let Ma knows the entire truth. Jaya is disheartened by the fact that she has to call Om his brother and that she has become his sister. Om insists that he will become rich and insists that it is better for her to be called as a sister rather than living in the small room being poor.
Ma furiously ask Om regarding the foreigner and how Om even knows her implying the foreigner could be a girl. Om said that they never met before and he(probably a boy) is probably sick and Ma demands answer from him but Om insists that she will never understand. Jaya then tells the truth that Om has sold his rights to his bodily organs including his skin, eyes and arse and cries in pain about how Om’s bodily pieces will be snatched away piece by piece and questions Om on how she would be able to endure such pain of losing him and becoming a widow. Ma is astonished and they argue about this. Jaya is vocal stating that they do not grow on trees or in the bushes implying that they are also a human being and should spare their lives.
After the argument was a long silence and all of a sudden the Contact Module with a large screen comes to life with a face of white lady. She is Ginni and says hello to them. Ginni and Om has a conversation and Ginni is glad that she could have a conversation with Om and how grateful she is. Ma is unable to understand Ginni as she speaks fast. However, Ginni is happy as she is finally able to find hope to save her and honors Om for it. In the conversation when Ginni asks about Ma , Om gladly says that she is his mother but Jaya tells her that she is his wife contradicting to what the Guard 1 has taken noted in the form before. Ginni becomes suspicious about Om as he is supposed to be unmarried and Jaya should be his sister but Om clarifies that he is unmarried and Jaya is his sister. Ginni tells them that they need to trust each other and Om keeps saying that he is telling the truth when it is clearly a lie. Jaya is rude during the conversation and Ginni tells Jaya that she cannot talk to two people at a time and switches to Om. Meanwhile, Ma finds it difficulty with having a conversation with Ginni as Ma is technically illiterate. During the conversation, Ma finds Ginni attractive and calls her an angel and Ma all of a sudden wanted to go to toilet but Ginni insists her to wait for a while but Ma says that she does not need permission from anyone to go to toilet and walks away. Ginni finds out that there are no toilets in their house and Ginni freaks out when Om tells him that there are forty families who share one toilet calling it unsanitary and disgusting.
Ginni talks about installing a new toilet in their house and Jaya interrupts the conversation if she is planning to install a toilet in this room. Jaya says that they cannot as there is no space but Ginni insists that they have to find space for toilet and wonders that they would have been dead by plague years ago. Ginni made Jaya upset with the question regarding the bath as she is unable to answer and Ginni wants to know if she takes bath atleast once a day. Having been unable to answer Jaya gets upset and Ginni tries to compensate by promising her to send whatever she desires and that she will send a chocolate to her. Ginni tells Om that she is departing and the toilet will arrive at his home in an hour. Om is surprised that she is a woman and Jaya thinks that she is young and healthy and does not look sick. Jay and Om have a conversation while having a sarcastic comments on how Jaya could talk rubbish when Jaya accuse Ginni on preying over young men but Jaya is vocal and calls Om his sister and Om apologizes as well as Jaya to Om.
Scene 3 – It is a moonlight and city skyline is the backdrop. A sense of shadowy figure could be seen and some murmuring. Jaya with her torch calls on Jeetu if he is there. There was a quick and appears Jeetu infront of Jaya. Jeetu tells Jaya that this is not the right time for them to meet and Jaya tells him that many things have happened. But Jeetu is not surprised as he has already heard everything. Jaya tells about the installation of toilet when the guards came again in the evening and Jeetu is being summoned by the grey guards for the query. Jaya tells him that Ma does not have to go downstairs for the toilet and they also have installed a bathroom with a water supply. Jaya tells him that they cannot make love anymore but Jeetu tells her that if they can have hit in the public then why not in public too since Jaya has already called him as her own husband. Jeetu and Jaya joke with each other in a sexual tone and how Jeetu used to put his attention on her while Ma goes for a bowel movement.
Jaya and Jeetu still have a sexual conversation and Jaya implies to him on why he care of her needs and sexual desires but Jeetu states that a woman are glutton for satisfaction and cry when they don’t get it and are not satisfied when they get it. Jaya is jealous that Jeetu sleeps with others satisfying them and leaving Jaya all hunger. Jeetu becomes sarcastic about Jaya’s statement saying a mas has to protect himself from the other hunger(Jaya’s desire) implying that small little mouths will cry “Papa ” and he is afraid of that. Jaya tells that this could be the reason why some of his clients are men implying that he sleeps with both men and women and sells himself for sex. Jeetu states that men has more money and spare on such services for gigolo’s. Jaya is concerned and tells him not to sell himself anymore but Jeetu does not mind as he knows that he is not being owned.
After a long gap of silence, Jaya departs to go and tells Jeetu to go telling him to leave before the guards take him away. Jeetu tells Jaya unless there is something inside her mind and Jaya could not resist her own desire and comes close to Jeetu. Jeetu places inside her sari and tries to make love to her. During the sensual romantic ease, they have a conversation where Jaya tells that their life are not a life anymore and more like a spare parts in someone else’s garage. Jeetu places back his arm to himself from Jaya’s sari and Jaya tells Jeetu to come back as Jeetu is concerned that they won’t be pleased with his profession and what he does for living but Jaya pleads him to come back home as they will not give him permit anymore if he does not return. Jeetu tells Jaya that Om should find a dummy of Jeetu to be there for he cannot return and tells Jaya that thinking of her causes more problem for him while he tries not to return back home. Jaya tries to convince him with the money they will be receiving but Jeetu states that no employers pay money for their staff for they pleases to do and tells her that he knows where his organs are going and to whom as it is money at the end. Jeetu highly thought of Om as a pure person but he says that he is also like everyone else only as pure as the price of the rice.
Click Here to know the Summary of Act 2 – https://getsetnotes.com/manjula-padmanabhan-harvest-summary-act-2/
