CHARACTERS
KING: A middle-aged man wearing fine royal robes and a crown on his head.
JINN: A tall, broad, and strongly built man with a strange appearance and horns on his head; blind.
FAIRY: A beautiful young girl with wings on her shoulders, wearing an exquisite dress.
A few horses and sheep.
SCENE 1
Time: Morning
Location: Outdoor – A Beautiful Garden
(The King is strolling through a beautiful garden with colorful flowers blooming all around. As he walks, he reaches the stable where a few horses are standing. The King approaches a black horse, strokes its head gently, mounts it, and rides out of the palace. The horse trots smoothly, and the King enjoys the surrounding natural scenery. Eventually, the horse reaches the edge of a dense, lush green forest. The horse stops near the forest and neighs.)
KING: (Pats the horse reassuringly and moves forward) "Don't worry, we won't go too far."
SCENE 2
Time: Daytime
Location: Outdoor – Forest
(After riding a short distance, the King dismounts near the bank of a stream and sits down, dipping his feet into the water. Suddenly, a sheep comes from one side and starts drinking water.)
KING: (Muttering to himself) "How did a sheep get here? Who does it belong to? Usually, there are only wild animals in this place."
(The sheep drinks water and starts walking away. The King gets up and follows it to see where it is going and where its owner or shepherd might be. The horse neighs and moves forward so the King can mount it again.)
KING: (Stroking the horse's back) "I don't need to ride just yet. How fast or how far can a sheep run anyway? The shepherd must be nearby. You wait here; I'll be back shortly."
(The horse stands obediently with its head bowed.)
SCENE 3
Time: Daytime / Evening
Location: Outdoor – Forest
(The sheep wanders quite far. At first, the King thinks about turning back, but he keeps following the sheep. After walking a considerable distance, the sheep suddenly vanishes into the bushes. The King tries hard to find it, but in vain. While searching for the sheep, the King loses his own way back. He wanders in different directions, completely lost. By now, evening falls.)
KING: (Looks around and mutters) "I'm exhausted... and I'm hungry too. I should pluck an apple from this tree and eat it."
(The King eats the fruit and then climbs up a tree to stay safe from wild animals.)
SCENE 4
Time: Morning / Evening
Location: Outdoor – Forest
(The King climbs down from the tree and begins searching for the path. Walking along, he arrives at a house.)
KING: (Knocking on the door) "Is anyone home?"
(There is no response from inside, nor does the door open. The King looks around and spots a nearby well with a bucket placed next to it. He sits down near a tree to wait for the owner, hoping they can show him the way out of the forest. As evening approaches, he sees a flock of sheep approaching, followed by a Jinn who is feeling his way with a walking stick.)
(The Jinn opens the door of the house and goes inside. He sits in the doorway and begins milking the sheep into a very large bucket. Since the Jinn hasn't closed the door, the King can clearly see the scene inside. Once the bucket is filled with milk, the Jinn drinks it all in a single gulp. He then begins herding the sheep into the pen, assuming all of them have gone inside. However, one sheep strays and walks back out the door. Being blind, the Jinn does not notice. Taking pity on the Jinn, the King decides to help him. He catches the sheep wandering toward the forest and approaches the door.)
KING: (Knocks on the door)
JINN: "Who... who is there?"
KING: "It's me, King Khurram. Your sheep strayed outside, so I caught it and brought it back."
JINN: (Roaring) "Who... King Khurram? Who are you?!"
KING: (Gently) "I am your friend."
JINN: (Surprised) "But I have no friends! I live here all alone."
KING: (Softly again) "From today onward, consider me your friend."
JINN: (Inquiringly) "But why...? Who are you? What are you doing here?"
KING: "I lost my way and ended up here. You cannot see, so as long as I am here, I will take care of all your chores."
JINN: (Gratefully) "Thank you, son of Adam... Aren't you hungry? I drank all the sheep's milk."
KING: "Don't worry about that, I ate some fruits earlier."
JINN: "I wish my eyes were fine so I could show you the way. In fact, if I had my sight, I would have personally escorted you back to your kingdom. But a disease blinded me, and without sight, I cannot use many of my abilities."
KING: (Sincerely) "Perhaps nature intended for me to come here and serve you."
JINN: "Come inside and consider this your own home. You may stay here as long as you like."
KING: "Thank you very much."
SCENE 5
Location: Indoor – Jinn's House
(The King cleans the house, which is extremely filthy—everything is covered in dust and cobwebs are spun everywhere.)
SCENE 6
Location: Outdoor – Jinn's House
(The next day, as the Jinn prepares to go out to graze the sheep, the King steps forward.)
KING: "My friend, you rest. I will take the sheep out to graze."
JINN: "How can you go?"
KING: "If you can go despite being blind, why can't I?"
JINN: "Alright then, but don't go too far. You wouldn't want to forget the path back here too. The sheep are used to grazing in one particular spot; they will walk there on their own."
KING: (Reassuringly) "Alright, I understand."
SCENE 7
Time: Daytime
Location: Outdoor – Lush Hillside
(For two days, the King grazes the sheep in the exact place the Jinn mentioned. On the third day, when he arrives with the sheep, the grass has completely dried up. Looking around for fresh green grass, he notices a lush green hill far in the distance. He had never seen such a green hill before. He takes the sheep there. Delighted with the fresh green fodder, the sheep begin grazing happily. The King sits under a tree to rest. Suddenly, his eyes fall upon a small bird perched on the tree, and an eagle lurking nearby, about to pounce on it. The King throws a stone and chases the eagle away. The bird looks at the King with eyes full of gratitude and alights at his feet. As the King lovingly strokes the bird's head, his hand touches a small pin. He pulls it out, and the bird vanishes—revealing a beautiful fairy standing before him.)
KING: (Astonished) "Who are you?"
FAIRY: "I am Neelam Peri (Fairy Neelam), and I live in Mount Qaf. I broke a law there, and as punishment, I was turned into a bird and sent here. By pulling the pin from my head, you restored me to my fairy form. Thank you so much!"
(The King remains amazed.)
FAIRY: (Plucks a golden strand of hair from her head and hands it to the King) "Keep this strand of hair. It will grant any one wish you make. Just place it over a flame and state your wish. It will come true in the blink of an eye."
KING: (Taking the hair strand) "Thank you very much, kind Fairy."
(The Fairy flies away.)
KING: (Holding the strand of hair, speaking to himself) "I'll place this on a fire and wish to return to my country. But first, let me return the Jinn's sheep safely."
SCENE 8
Location: Outdoor – Outside Jinn's House
(Herding the sheep back to the Jinn's house, the King sees the Jinn fallen on the ground. The King rushes to help him up.)
KING: "What happened, my friend? How did you fall?"
JINN: "I was thirsty and came out to get water, but I tripped over a stone. I can't see, you know..."
KING: (Muttering to himself) "Why not burn Fairy Neelam's hair strand and wish for the Jinn's sight to be restored so he can see again?"
JINN: "What are you saying?"
KING: "Nothing, let's go inside."
(The King supports the Jinn, brings him inside, and offers him water.)
SCENE 9
Time: Evening
Location: Indoor – Jinn's House
KING: "Today, a fairy gave me a strand of her hair that can grant a single wish if burned. I am thinking... why not use it to wish for your sight back?"
JINN: "Don't worry about me. Burn the hair and wish to go back to your own kingdom!"
KING: "No, my friend. I will not leave you in this plight."
(The King burns the fairy's hair over a flame.)
KING: "My wish is for the Jinn's eyes to be restored!"
JINN: (Shouting with joy) "I can see! I can see everything!"
KING: (Delighted) "Can you really see now, my friend?"
JINN: (Kissing the King's hands) "Yes! I can see now. You didn't just call me a friend, you proved to be one!"
(As his sight returns, all of the Jinn's magical powers return as well. He strikes the wall of his house with his hand, and it begins to shine like a mirror.)
JINN: "Mirror, mirror, tell me... where is King Khurram's kingdom, and what is the situation there?"
MIRROR: (A voice resonates) "King Khurram's kingdom lies to the north. Taking advantage of King Khurram's absence, an enemy nation has launched an invasion."
KING: (Worried) "How will I reach there now?"
JINN: "Don't worry, I will take you there, and I will fight alongside you against the enemy."
(The Jinn snaps his fingers/claps his hands, and two flying carpets appear within seconds. The Jinn and King Khurram sit on them and fly into the air.)
SCENE 10
Location: Outdoor – Battlefield in King Khurram's Kingdom
(Soon, they reach King Khurram's kingdom, where a fierce battle is taking place on the field. King Khurram's army is overjoyed to see their King, and their spirits soar. The Jinn joins forces with the King's army, and together they quickly rout the enemy forces. Amid celebrations of victory, King Khurram enters his palace and resumes managing the state affairs.)
SCENE 11
Location: Indoor – Royal Palace
(The Jinn prepares to leave.)
JINN: "My friend, give me leave to depart now."
KING: "Why don't you stay here with me?"
JINN: "No, my friend, I must return to my home. But I will surely visit you often. You must visit me too—and this time, don't lose your way back!"
(The King smiles; the Jinn laughs too.)
JINN: "I am leaving one of the flying carpets with you. Whenever you wish, you can ride it to come and visit me."
KING: (Presenting numerous gifts to the Jinn) "Go safely, my friend, and stay happy!"
(Written by: Shazia Sattar Nayab)