Plot and Story line

Plot: Jassi is a Indian girl who wants to finally move out of her parents home. She is successful and well educated and can take care of herself, but her mom only wants her to leave if she is married to another man. The story is going to into how Jassi is going to tell her parents that she’s ready to be on her own whether they like it or not.

  • Scene 1: Jassi getting ready to prepare her parents and siblings breakfast so it will show a sense of what kind of daughter she is and how the relationship is between her mother and Jassi.

  • Scene 2: her life aat work and with her friends and the life she has at home to really show the difference of the way she is living.

  • Scene 3: Conversations with friends and others pushing her to finally tell mom about her moving out

  • Scene 4: Parents have an arranged marriage waiting at for her so when she gets home from work she is in shock.

  • Scene 5: One night Jassi decides to break it down to parents about moving out and not when she’s married…to be continued.

Dialogue Prompt

Jassi: “Papa please tell mom that I cannot be a nurse. I am a teacher now, Mom, I have tenure! I am youngest teacher to have tenure, you should be proud!”

 

Papa: “Yes, we are both proud of you baache. You are doing good, but I think what your mother wants is something better for you. Teaching is a great thing you are doing but listen to what your mother has to say.”

 

Mom: “You can be teaching in nursing; you can do management and make so much more money with nursing. Look at your cousin sonu, look at how much money she is making. And she has 10 marriage proposals for her. You had that many and you turn every man down”

 

Jassi: “Ma please don’t go there, I am tired of marriage purposals and you comparing me to sonu, I do not care about sonu and her life!”

 

Mom: “AY watch your mouth ladke, don’t forget who you are talking to.”

 

Jassi: “Sorry”

 

Papa: “I think we all need to take a little break from this and have some chai and rusk to calm our nerves? Jassi?”

 

Jassi: “Yes papa, I will go and prepare everything”

 

Jassi leaves the dining room and walks into the kitchen

Character Prompt

Jessica aka Jassi

image:She’s an Indian woman. She’s beautiful, with smooth caramel skin and long beautiful black hair. She is slim and tall and is well accomplished in her life. She is a teacher, who was supposed to be a nurse. She had just received tenure at her job and is one of the youngest teachers to receive it. She is independent now she was not before. And she sees herself as the one who is independent and most accomplished out of her whole family, but they do not see it this way. She is living two separate lives.

 

Voice: Jassi has a soft-spoken voice. She speaks to everyone with respect and has manners. In her family she is not allowed to speak up for herself but when she is away from them, she is well able to. She teaches young children, elementary students. Her voice itself is firm but kind.

 

Desire: She wants to be independent in her eyes not her parents. She does not want her parent’s approval anymore for anything. She wants to begin to do things on her own. Wants to be under control of her own life not what her parents want, they keep forcing the med school on her. She definitely does not want to marry an Indian man.

 

Conflict:Disapproval from family about everything she desires. Forceful arranged marriage. Family keeps forcing a med school on her. The strict Indian culture.

 

Action:Jassi keeps doing things that her parents aren’t approving of. She goes into teaching rather than nursing. She is a different person when she is not with her family. She changes herself by slowly rebelling by not being disrespectful towards her family.

 

Mom (Suni)

Image:Typical Indian mom. Jassi is a spitting image of her. Though mom is shorter than she use to be and is getting older now. Suni was a nurse and is now retired at the age of 50. She encountered some health problems that involved her knees and her diabetic issues. She is a housewife now and she hates it. She loves her Indian serials (shows) and she loves to cook. Her mom (nani) taught her at a very young age. She loves her kids especially Jassi, she sees a lot of potential in her that she wishes she had. She is always pushing her more than the younger siblings.

 

Voice:Suni has a loud voice. She is very blunt; she tells things as it is and she never holds back. She always says what’s on her mind. Especially when it comes to disciplining, her husband (papa/raj) does not come in the way of that. She is an independent woman, just like Jassi and she makes it known that she has accomplished a lot such as getting her nursing license and leveling up to nursing management.

 

Desire:Wants the best for her family. She is especially rooting for Jassi to be like her because she was born in India and somewhat raised there so she knows the culture, traditions, and family values. She wants her to have the best career that is not teaching and wants her to marry into another Indian family. She wants a lot for her family because she is accomplished and provided for hers and wants jassi to do the same but the “Indian” way.

 

 

Conflict:Though Jassi is respectful of her family her and Suni don’t see eye to eye. Suni is always having snarky remarks about jassi’s career and keeps pushing things on her.

 

Action:Suni (mom) communicates in a different way than Jassi wants her to. She is not understanding and only wants her opinions to be heard and just tells Jassi to listen to her.

Prompt # 2

Out of breath, finally I can walk a little. I was running through this park for a while I never thought I would come to an end where I can take a breath. Running is everything, a moment to get away from everything, life. I found a short cut today to get home from the park the last time I was running so today I’m going to try it out. It’s a bit dark to go through but that can be because the sun is going down too. I wish they had some streetlights; I can barely see the other side of the tunnel. I can feel the mud and water on the ground going through my sneakers, it feels cold, slippery, but I can still walk through without falling. I slip on a rock, I didn’t see it there. My foot stepped on top and slipped to the side, I almost fell but caught myself on the walls of the tunnel. Rocky and wet, I can feel the vibrations from above, the cars racing by I can feel them but I can’t hear them, only vibration. I stand against the wall for a few, my body feels the vibrations, it feels nice. Its starting to get chilly, colder than it did at the beginning of the tunnel, it feels good to get away from the sun, the heat has been awful. Wait, I can hear myself breathing, through the echo around me, I can hear myself thinking without any other noise or sound to cloud my decisions. This feels good, I don’t even want to reach the end, I am almost there, I can feel the mud getting warmer at the bottom of my feet, am I near? I can see the sky light at the end, it has gotten darker than it did when I first walked in. I am on the outside again, where I can’t hear my thoughts, but the screeching of the tires, people talking away, dogs barking, and children laughing. I can’t hear myself. I want to hear myself again.

Image Prompt: Dinner Table

Tonight, is the big night, I can’t believe everyone is coming over for the first time since I moved into my own place. All I am hoping for is that they will cooperate, and this night will go well once I tell them the big news.

Mom and Papa  are sitting on the end of the table. Mom always likes to sit beside dad when we’re all eating together. Of course, James and Jen are arguing over who’s better at everything and anything, mom is always saying, “Hey, life is not a competition! Quit arguing!”. Nana and Nani are always concerned about me, always asking, “So how’s your love life honey? When will you get married? Stop focusing on work for a little while, find a nice man you need love honey”, little do they know is that is impossible. Every time I give them the same answer, “Nani I really do not need a man to keep me happy, I am ok”, I want to say that but instead I say, “Yes, Nani soon”, just say that to jump to the next subject.

As we start to get ready to eat, mom starts off with a small prayer. This has always been family tradition since my mom was a baby and she continued it with us. Before mom begins to pray, she holds out both her hands and we all participate in bowing our heads and holding one another’s hand. She starts her pray, as she comes to an end, James hovers his whole body over the table to grab the baked ziti before Jen does. Dad shaking his head, covering his face with his rough cracked hands in embarrassment. “JAMES! This is not a race, behave please! I’m tired of you both fighting over everything”, says mom. Dad is giving Jake the ultimate death stare; eyes were fixated not moving a muscle. Jen is trying so hard not to laugh while James is getting yelled at by mom, while Nani is telling mom, “Relax honey, they’re just kids, you know you and your sister were always fighting so I don’t think you should get all worked up, ease up baby”. Mom rolling her eyes as usual says, “mom again thank you for the parenting input, I can handle this”.

I’m just sitting here really just observing everyone and trying to find the right moment to tell everyone my big news. How will everyone react? Should I even say anything or wait? God, they’re going to be so pissed, alright here goes. “So, guys there’s something I need to tell you…”, no one is even listening to me in this moment. Dad and nana are stuffing their faces like they’ve had food in their life, Jen is making fun of James for getting in trouble while James is rolling his eyes and telling her “well I got it before you so whatever”, and mom and Nani are still arguing about who’s parenting skills are better. You know what? I’m just going to blurt it out and see if they even pay attention, because at this moment I doubt they’ll even hear a word. “I’M PREGNANT GUYS!”, and of course they hear that, everyone stops. Dads mouth is full of food and he says, “Um what did you just say?”, mom’s mouth is wide open in shock, I am pretty sure a fly flew in and out and she didn’t notice. Jen is looking at mom then looks at dad and then looks at me and her face says it all, “oh shit you are about to hear it from them”, and James as usual never cares and says, “Cool sis, who’s the sad guy to get stuck with you?”. I never cared what he said. Nana and Nani have the biggest smile on their face, I am pretty sure they don’t even care who it is at this point.

Nervously laughing, “Yeah so I’m pregnant, and no James there is no sad guy actually, there isn’t a guy at all, I got a donor.”