Page 193 - Musings 2022

The Hidden Truth

Dhiraj Singh Pawar
2019A3PS0286P

Int. Marcus white’s parents’ bedroom, the present – night time

[We see a 12 years old Marcus White lying between his mom and dad,

with his eyes wide open, looking at the corner of the room and thinking.

The room is pitch black except the light coming from the green and red

LEDs of the air conditioner. The bedroom is big and spacious, about 4.5

x 4.5 m. Marcus White, his mom Jeanne White and his dad John White

all are sleeping on a super king size bed (1.8 x 2m). The large array of

curtains are drawn and there is only one sound in the room, the sound of

Mr. John White’s writing on the bed. Marcus is pretending to be asleep

but he can hear his father’s low groans and whimpers. Marcus turns to his

mom who is sleeping on his left and gently wakes her up as he has some

questions that have been troubling him for a long while now.]

Marcus (whispers softly, trying not to wake up his dad): Mom? Ma? Are you up?

Jeanne (in a sleepy voice): Yes son. Now I’m up. What happened? Why haven’t you slept yet?

You have school tomorrow. What’s the time?

[Jeanne reaches for her phone kept on the nightstand on her side of the

Bed and check the time. The display reads 3:37 am.]

Jeanne (speaks softly): Son, the clock is about to hit 4 (exaggerating like mother’s do). What’s

troubling you, my child? Why are you still awake?

Marcus (speaks in a quavering voice): Mom, why does dad whimper in pain every night. Every
night, I observe him groaning softly in pain. It just breaks me to see him rubbing his leg even

in his sleep. I want to know why he suffers like that every night?

[A tear rolls down Marcus’s eyes as he completes his last sentence.

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