S3/N: Narator and Smoker#3

S1: Smoker #1

S2: '' 2

S4: " 4

SW: S3's wife

D: Family doctor

C: Cardiologisr

SCENE 1

(S1, S2 and S3 are talking. S2 i.e. N comes out of the group and starts speaking to the audience.)

N: Hello Every Body! My name is S1. These two here are my friends, S1 and S3. We have organized a campaign by the name of S4 Anti-Smoking Campaign. S4 is a friend of ours whom we lost a few weeks ago. You may be thinking why we have named this campaign on our lost friend. It’s a long story but I’d like to narrate it to you. Hopefully you learn few things and live a better life.

When we met each other, all of us were chain smokers. An year later S1 suddenly had a feeling that what he was doing was not good for his health, for his life and for the ones who cared for him. He stopped smoking that very day. Within an year he had persuaded me to stop smoking too. But S3 and S4 were quite arrogant. I’m going to tell you what happened to them.

SCENE 2

(Group discussion. Everybody laughing. S3 and S4 light cigarettes.)

S1: I know I’ve said this to you many times before and I’m telling you again, why don’t you try to curb this habit? Please stop smoking.

(S3 ignores this and takes along smoke)

S4: Why are you bent on spoiling such a good discussion? You don’t want to smoke… don’t smoke. We are puffing a cigarette, it’s our personal choice. Why do you have to interfere?

S1: I am interfering because I’m your friend and your well wisher. Smoking is injurious to health and that’s why I was saying…

S3: Oh! Will you please let us decide what good for our health.

S1: Well… then you tell me on what basis do you think is nicotine good for your health? You are getting proteins and vitamins form cigarettes it seems. Why inhale such a substance which is of no use to body. It is proven fact that smoking leads to lung cancer, heart diseases and all such ailments.

S4: So what? I can show you at least 20 such people who’ve developed these conditions even without ever touching cigarette.

(N gets up and comes up to the audience)

N: They were too obstinate to realize their own degree of nicotine addiction and how much damage it could do to them.

SCENE 3

(S3’s home)

N: Even S3’s wife also tried to get him rid of nicotine addiction but in vain

(S3 comes in. He keeps his bag, sits on a chair and lights a cigarette)

SW: You’ve again lit a cigarette? I’ve told you many a times not to smoke inside. Actually you should not smoke anywhere.

S3: Don’t you start of like my friends too!

SW: Why don’t you try to understand? What will happen to us if some if suddenly you develop a heart condition or something?

S3: Nothing will happen to me. And if anything does happen it’ll not be at least due to smoking.

SW: And what about the kids. They are growing up seeing their own Dad finish a pack of cigarettes in a day. I don’t them to become chain smokers like you. If you really cannot leave cigarettes, at least keep them out of the house.

N: As you see, even S3’s wife was unsuccessful in making S3 leave smoking. Co-incidentally, just a week after this such a situation arose that S3 had to take back his own words.

SECNE 4

(Same place – S3’s house. After a week)

(S3 comes in. Feeling visually uneasy. Rubbing his chest)

S3: SW, can you bring me a glass of clod water.

SW: Sure. (Out of view)

(SW comes in with a glass of water.)

SW: Here you are. What happened? You’re feeling uneasy it seems.

S3: Oh! Yes. I’m having some chest pain. I’m having gas I think. Not a big deal. The pain will surely subside by tomorrow.

SW: Why take chances when it is a chest pain. It may not be due to gas after all. Especially when you smoke so much it can be some heart problem too.

S3: Oh! Come on. Leave it. Why drag smoking every where? Anyways when you’re saying, I’ve have no problem in visiting the doctor.

SCENE 5

(Inside the doctor’s chamber.)

S3: May I come in?

D: Yes. Oh! Hello Mr. S3. What’s the matter?

S3: Actually doctor I’ve been experiencing a slight pain in the chest during the past two days. I think it is due to flatulency but I thought it is better to pay you a visit.

D: You’re wise to come to me. Chest pain due to flatulency is usually not present for more than a day. Anyways, you make these tests and go straight to a cardiologist with the reports.

SW: Does that mean that he is having some heart problem?

D: You don’t have to worry much. Just do what I’ve told. It may after all turn out to be just a problem of flatulency. But we should take chances isn’t it?

SCENE 6

(Inside the cardiologist’s chamber. The cardiologist is looking at some reports)

SW: What do you think is the matter doctor? Is it anything serious?

C: I’m afraid it is a very serious matter. S3’s heart is in a very bat state. I think, he should get admitted to our hospital right now.

S3: What do mean by get admitted now? I played a football mach with my colleagues just a week ago. I’m as fit as anybody. How can you say that my heart is in bad state.

C: Try to understand the situation Mr. S3. You have an 80% block in your heart. Bypass surgery has to be done immediately.

S3: And what is the cause of it doctor? Why did it happen to me?

C: Well you see, there is no particular cause and this can happen to anyone. But of course as your wife says, you are a chain smoker and smoking does influence heart condition. So in way, your habit of smoking is somewhat responsible. So, you get admitted today only.

SW: And when will he get discharged?

C: For a bypass surgery we keep a patient for only a week. And he can get back to normal life in 3-4 weeks time.

SCENE 7

(S3 is coming out of the hospital. S1, S2, S4 and SW are also present.)

N: S3 had a bypass surgery and was discharged after a week. We all were there to take him back home. S3 had understood by then that S1 and SW were after all his well wishers only.

S1: So, how are you feeling now? Any problems?

S3: No, No. I’m fine. I was only shocked to know that my heart was in such a bad state. Hi S4! Where is SW?

S4: Here she is. She has been quite brave through all of this.

SW: So, didn’t the doctor offer you cigarette before the surgery?

S3: Oh! Come on! Please leave it. I know I was wrong all these years. You and S1 were always right. I’ve decided that I’ll never touch cigarettes ever again in my life. And I’m really sorry I never paid heed to both of your advices.

S1: Nothing to be sorry of, S3. Whenever you realize it is never too late. I’m happy that you’ve decided to leave smoking. And S4, I hope you’ve learnt a few things from this incident and you will also follow suit.

S4: I’m still saying that smoking has little to do with this. I enjoy smoking and I’ll continue to do so. After all we all have to die one day – sooner or later.

N: There are some people like S4 with whom you cannot do anything. They don’t know how to appreciate the advices of friends. And even after seeing what happened to S3 he didn’t learn a lesson. But by then it was too late. After about six months, when I was out of station, I received a heart breaking call from S1. He informed me of the sudden death of S4 due to acute bronchitis which had developed within. We couldn’t save S4 but we want to save others like him. Some people have an inner realization of good and bad. Some are guided towards good. Some come to the right path after stumbling but the fourth kind never leave the wrong path. Don’t be of the fourth kind. It is not too late yet. Leave tobacco, leave drugs, leave all kinds of addiction. Leave a better life.