PROLOGUE

A nebulous and ethereal world, a shoreline just out of reach softly brushes our ears with the rise and fall of the tide. Is it the ocean or the muffled chorus of relentless sorrow? A sea of lost souls drowning in unfulfilled mortal desire. We catch a glimpse of the GODDESS OF DEATH. Her long, dark hair dances around her in the wind. Her arms open wide and her chest lifts toward the sky. Another set of arms emerge from her body and stretch above her head as her palms meet in a sun salutation. We see LAILA STARR, with her long, raven hair blowing in the wind. She sits on a window ledge high above the streets of Mumbai, slumped over, smoking a cigarette.

They breathe, distinct but dancing together. Their images fade away under the mantra of the ocean.

ACT ONE

A monsoon rain floods the bustling city of Mumbai and slowly drowns out the chorus of the ocean. We meet the cacophony of street vendors, the CHAIWALLAH and WOMAN WITH A PLASTIC BAG OVER HER HEAD haggling over the price of chai, and a very pregnant, MRS. SHAH, in active labor, who hails a rickshaw to Amravati hospital. A funeral procession with those in mourning chanting, “Om Narayana,” is heard. People pray and plead to the Gods for their deepest wishes and trivial wants to come true. LAILA STARR sits on the window ledge.

Up above, we move into the very corporate world of the Gods. AGNI, diligently assigns work to all, but is met with disapproval from DEATH, who feels uninspired and overworked. DEATH is summoned by BRAHMA and let go because a human will invent immortality. BRAHMA has the THREE DEITIES inform DEATH of her new life as a human. DEATH can’t bear the idea of becoming a weak and fragile human. Disgruntled and vengeful, DEATH convinces AGNI to let her be born into a mortal body that will allow her to kill the human who will invent immortality.

A cosmic moment of transition occurs. MRS. SHAH gives birth at Amravati hospital. LAILA STARR falls from the window ledge. DEATH spills from the sky and awakens in a new body. A human body. The body of LAILA STARR. MUN MUN, the ghost of a young girl guides LAILA through her first moments of mortal existence. LAILA experiences physical sensation and pain for the first time. LAILA is on a mission to kill the baby who will become the man that will invent immortality. But when she holds the sweet baby in her arms, she experiences a feeling that gives her pause.

Meanwhile, the hospital has caught wind that the woman who fell from the window has come back to life. They find LAILA holding the baby and call after her. She puts the baby down and runs. MUN MUN, helps her escape and LAILA bolts from the hospital onto a busy street where she gets hit by a bus.

ACT TWO

Darkness. We are in PRANAH, the God of Life’s realm. It’s a liminal space between the world of the Gods and the human world. He studies DEATH, as she sleeps in this new human form of LAILA STARR. It has been eight years since LAILA died. PRANAH has breathed life back into LAILA and nursed her back to health. LAILA seeks to understand why she couldn’t kill the baby. PRANAH explains that she is human now with human feelings. LAILA learns that the baby she held in her arms was DARIUS SHAH, the human who will invent immortality. She must find him.

She encounters KA, a funeral crow who shares with her the very mortal ritual of a funeral. LAILA questions why humans mourn. KA encourages LAILA to “get lost to get found,” by seeing the world through fresh mortal eyes. LAILA finds herself on the beach with a young boy who has run away from home and grapples with the loss of his family servant and dearest friend, BARDHAN. We meet BARDHAN through the boy’s memories and LAILA witnesses BARDHAN and the boy’s special bond. BARDHAN imparts life lessons and leaves the boy with a jackfruit seed, signifying potential that can grow with love and intention. The boy wants to send a jackfruit seed into the ocean to honor BARDHAN but hears his parents calling. He gives LAILA the jackfruit seed and asks her to honor BARDHAN. LAILA, moved by the boy goes to the ocean with the jackfruit seed.

MR. and MRS. SHAH come looking for their son and it is revealed that the boy is indeed DARIUS SHAH. THE SEA OF LOST SOULS pulls LAILA under. She drowns in their torment with the new understanding that death can cause eternal pain- a pain she has caused in the past. LAILA emerges from the water as KA, the funeral crow carries her away.

ACT THREE

Twelve years later, LAILA is alive. PRANAH has lovingly gifted LAILA the breath of life again. Where will she go and what will she do with this life? He ponders.

At a college party in a flat in Mumbai, LAILA, takes in the crowd who is drunk, bodies grinding, dancing, and falls into the liberation only college parties can inspire. Lust, booze, and bumping beats pulse through LAILA’s body. A CIGARETTE kissed by LAILA’s lips comes to life. CIGARETTE loves an unrequited love and being close to LAILA, who has had the experience to know that when you know life is short you live fully.

DARIUS SHAH grieves the death of his best friend, Zafar. He is still in despair from losing BARDHAN, and now, this. Does everything we love have to die? He ponders. LAILA and DARIUS stumble into each other and get into a deep conversation about mortality. LAILA doesn’t understand why humans forget to enjoy live their lives versus getting lost in their quest for meaning. DARIUS yearns to make death less painful for humans and decides he wants to fight to make the world better. DARIUS takes the final puff LAILA’s cigarette and tosses it to the ground.

CIGARETTE decides she is not going to be the only one to burn. A fire ignites and the party goes up in flames taking LAILA with it.

ACT FOUR

The bustling world of the Gods somehow feels more chaotic than before. An incompetent intern has been mishandling the Department of Death. The TRIO OF DEITIES and AGNI try and persuade BRAHMA to put an end to DEATH’S life. BRAHMA explains DEATH’S odd reincarnation cycle is PRANAH’s doing…but he sees their point.

PRANAH and LAILA have tea. Sixteen years have passed since the party in Mumbai. They have both been changed in many ways, by the many deaths of LAILA STARR. LAILA seeks the kind of connection she has witnessed in the human experience. PRANAH feels that connection with LAILA but lets her know it is getting harder to bring her back to life.

PRANAH then reveals it was DARIUS, who was the young man at the party. However, LAILA no longer seeks revenge on the man that will create immortality. She seeks something new.

LAILA finds herself in the lone Chinese TEMPLE in Mumbai. The TEMPLE is surprised LAILA can hear them. She reveals that she used to be the Goddess of Death. The TEMPLE is so happy to have company since Mumbai was not kind to the Chinese migrant population and drove them away. All except for WEI, the last of the mill workers, who visits TEMPLE daily and cares for them. LAILA learns of WEI’s devotion and is moved. TEMPLE gives LAILA directions to DARIUS’ home and LAILA leaves.

LAILA finds her way into DARIUS’ home only to discover a drunk and disheveled man. DARIUS recognizes LAILA and that she has not aged since the party. He has uncovered that LAILA STARR has died one too many times to be human. She reveals she is DEATH and DARIUS blames her for taking his dear wife and everyone he has ever loved. Things escalate until DARIUS’ son appears. DARIUS is fearful that LAILA will take his son, NEEL, too. LAILA runs out the door and into the street ashamed and guilty for all the pain she has caused as DEATH.

A storm is brewing. A funeral procession goes by. It’s WEI. LAILA runs into the TEMPLE and takes shelter for the night. However, the temple crumbles to the ground in the storm.

ACT FIVE

LAILA reads an article about TEMPLE’S passing. She notices her death is not mentioned in the article. PRANAH lets her know how significant she is and that he doesn’t have the power to bring her back again. LAILA understands more deeply how life and death work together and how much they need each other. PRANAH shares that DARIUS has invented immortality but has not shared it with anyone. LAILA makes a very human request to PRANAH, “whisper my name into the sea sometimes.” She decides she wants this life to mean something significant and goes to find Darius.

In Goa, LAILA takes in the merchants selling beaded necklaces, and coconut water fresh from the tree. A white woman with dreadlocks wears beachwear and plays singing bowls. Someone sells her a book of poetry. She recalls that DEATH was born out of love for humanity, to save humanity, and feels a deep sense of purpose again.

Meanwhile, DARIUS, who is aged and now focused on saving the lives of animals is with GILLY, a sweet girl who has brought him a hurt puppy to help. DARIUS notices how special GILLY is because of her ability to see the larger world around her and help those in need. GILLY wants DARIUS to take her in. But, DARIUS no longer takes in humans. He sees LAILA. He has been expecting her.

LAILA and DARIUS share they had both been blinded by rage but have both arrived to a new place of being. DARIUS feels peace having invented immortality and realizes one cannot truly live unless you know you are going to die. DARIUS makes peace with his son NEEL and is ready to die. Desperate, LAILA asks DARIUS to sip the immortality he has created. He tells her where he has hidden it in a box marked “vata.” DARIUS chooses death with LAILA by his side. LAILA experiences death as a mortal and begins to mourn. LAILA offers the box to the ocean.

Marigolds rain from the sky as she lets go.