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Scene 1 – The Ship / Mayun Island – Inside the Cave
Mariam’s legs were trembling as she stood before Omar in the belly of the ship. Armed men surrounded her in a tight circle, while droplets of seawater slid from her tangled, wet hair. Her eyes held a mixture of fear and defiance, as if she were still fighting even after being taken captive.
Omar (in a calm but cutting voice):
— Why did you fire at my men?
Do women on this island usually carry weapons?
Mariam (dry-voiced, but steady):
— No one comes to this island except rapists…
They always kill our people.
A brief silence fell.
Omar exchanged heavy glances with his men; her words were a confession, a warning, and a wound all at once.
Omar:
— And your husband?
Her breath stiffened, as if his question had reopened an old s
