Page 159 - Musings 2021

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Chaotic Cuisine
Aaditya Kumar
2017A3PS0332P

CHARACTERS

Ramu: Junior Chef

Shanmbu: Junior Chef

Sridhar: Head chef
Srini: Service boy

Vivek: a young boy who recently started as a cleaner at the restaurant

SETTING

Inside a kitchen in a small south Indian restaurant, Durga Tiffin House. Tall ceilings hang
over a poorly lit kitchen. The coal in the ovens illuminates the work area with an orange hue.
There is a pile of dirty utensils on the main sink. The floor is slightly wet as it was recently
mopped clean.

Two chefs, Ramu and Shambhu, are engaged in a heated debate on what items to include in
their evening special menu. The chief Chef, Sridhar, isn’t paying any attention to their
arguments and is lost in thought. Vivek is frantically doing the dishes hoping to finish in time.

BEGIN.

Ramu: (in a high-pitched voice) we HAVE to include Tomato Rasam along with roasted
papad. It’s a local favorite.

Shambhu: The tomatoes were rotten last time. It was a lot of time wasted in prep for nothing.
The papads were soggy by the time service went out as well.

Ramu: It wasn't me who went to the market. If only you were careful, Vivek.

Vivek: (glancing over the kitchen sink) Hey! I get paid to clean up only. I do you a favor and
this is what comes of it. (Shifting his focus back to his sink nervously).
Ramu: Well, do we have anything fresh?

Vivek: (in a sarcastic tone) got a fresh load of utensils over here. Any help would be nice.

(As Vivek wipes the sweat off his eyebrows, some dishwasher foam escapes into his eyes and
it blinds him temporarily. He begins to flip around the sink area as the lemon-flavored acidic
liquid stung his cornea.)

Vivek: Aargh!! Why do we have this poison for dishwashers! This lemon stuff stings! (As he
rushes out of the kitchen to wash his eyes)

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