Bengali Association of Nebraska
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Shyama is probably the best dance drama composed by Nobel Laureate poet and musician, Rabindra
Nath Tagore.

Two foreign business persons were having a good time near the kings palace after finishing trading
for the trip. Bajrasen, one of the trader, didn't want to sell the most valuable piece of jewelry ,
"Ratnahar", which he wanted to present to his future lover.

There was a theft in the King's treasury in the mean time and soldiers were looking for any person to
save the face of the judicial department and they arrested Bajrasen, a foreigner without guilt, as a
scape goat. The court dancer, Shyama, found out about it and she fell in love with this foreigner from
her first sight of him. She argued and convinced the chief of security, "Kotal", and got reprieve of the
death sentence for two days.

Shyama had a teenage and much younger shy lover named Utyiya who used to love her from a
distance. Being very angry over the death sentence judgment against Bajrasen, she appealed to the
mass for help to fight against this injustice, since Bajrasen was totally innocent. Utyiya responded to
her appeal and agreed to take the blame instead and was executed in place of Bajrasen.

Being free from so close to death, Bajrasen was in total love with Shyama and was eager to repay his
debt to her, for helping toward the freedom, by all extent. But soon he found out the real news about
Utyiya and started hating Shyama and his own life. Shyama begged to him for forgiveness, but
Bajrasen couldn't extend it to her despite trying very hard to get back to his newly found passionate
lover.