BURFEELI AANDHI : This is a story of a young girl Mariya who falls in love with Bladimir, who is a poor Military man. The love affair is not supported by Mariya's parents. Both of them decide to abscond and get married in isolation. Bladimir arranges things for the marriage. Mariya absconds from her house with her maid Natalaya to meet Bladimir at the church of Zadrino. Bladimir after arranging things for the marriage starts moving towards the Church with one of the witness, suddenly, storm breaks, and he looses his way. The very next morning at Mariya's house, to the surprise of the audience Mariya is found at home, she is ill & her condition deteriorates day by day. Parents,knowing the reason of her illness, call Bladimir.They are told that Bladimir is called back to his old regiment, since the war has started. Mariya's father gets a heart-attack and he dies.We are told that Bladimir also died while fighting. After five years of this incident Mariya meets Burmin, another army-man, whom she starts liking, and gradually falls in love with him. One day the mystery of that night, when Mariya absconded from her house to get married with Bladimir, is revealed by Burmin……

PISTAUL KA NISHANA : This is a story of a 35 years old man Silvio, who at one time had served Hussars.He was a good shot and known for his bravery.No body knew why he resigned from his regiment and settled in a wretched little town. His principal occupation was shooting from his pistaul, the walls of his room were riddled with bullet holes.Silvio, once, had been insulted by a handsome military officer whom he challenged for a duel, but when it came to his turn, he could not shoot him, seeing him so relaxed in front of death.Since then not a single day of his passed without meditating revenge and finally after 5 years his hour struck….

THE HINDUSTAN TIMES
SATURDAY, JULY 12, 1997
LOVE IN FEUDAL TIMES

Bharti Sharma did a commendable job with a text that is barely amenable to movement. Both tales invite the reader to probe the undercurrent of sensibility, the functioning of fate, the psychology of love, honour, pride, and other emotions and values that ruled the lives of Russian aristocracy of that era. In a play these nuances of characteristic action can be lost, unless the director explores the subtext, which Bharti tried through designed pauses, held gestures and stylized speech.
The use of action reply, where lovers one and two essay identical speech and actions to woo Mariya in similar situations, was a dramatic subtlety.
                                                                                                                KAVITA NAGPAL