“His Fifth Wife” by Vijay Tendulkar is a piece of metaphysical allegory. Structure of the play: The play is divided into 5 scenes. The first scene of the play begins with the description of a cold winter night. This is the scene in the dimly lit lobby of the government hospital. In the darkness of the night, two figures appear with the sound of a handcart entering the hospital grounds. Dawood and Sakharam enter, carrying the patient across the stretches and they place the stretcher on the ground. Both express their anxiety related to the patient's condition. Sakharam maintains his harsh, aggressive and contemptuous tone as usual. The boy in the room was sleeping soundly, with a blanket over his face. Dawood and Sakharam remove the blanket from the sleeping man. Sakharam is aware of his responsibility towards the patient and he is furious with the careless attendant who comments: “People make a poor woman pregnant and leave her here to avoid responsibility” 3 (p. 49). Later, Sakharam becomes a philosopher and expresses his belief that all accounts of human action must be settled in the other world. Like a philosopher, he dictates to Dawood that one should not deviate from the path of justice and righteousness because God records all human actions. Then the nurse comes and inquires about the nature of the relationship between Sakharam and the patient. Sakharam admits that he guards the women for proper food and safety. Dawood questions Sakharam's honesty in his dealings. The nurse attends to the woman and reveals that due to excessive cold, she has contracted an infection and needs immediate intensive care. Dawood expresses sympathy for the unfortunate condition in which the woman survived. The im of Sakharam...... middle of paper...... form of "heaven" and "hell" which are normally linked to the actions one performs in this world. But the playwright thinks that it is the desire of each person which transforms after life into paradise or hell, even if it remains the same for everyone. In this way, through his naturalistic dialogues, Tendulkar was able to present the reality of life in clear terms. The presence of the "Raven" is felt throughout the room, alluding to the misery of man's life on earth. Thus, Tendulkar “His Fifth Wife” is a metaphysical and social allegory. It is a landmark play in the history of Indian English drama. References: 1. Vijay Tendulkar, “Tendulkar's Five Plays: The Cyclist and His Fifth Wife”, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2004, P. 60.2 . Vijay Tendulkar, “Tendulkar's Five Plays: The Cyclist and His Fifth Wife”, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2004, P..74.