City of Joy Page #16

COURTYARD:

Ashoka sits behind a little table, picking absently athis face. The Goonda is slouched near the table, smokinga cigarette and fiddling with a thin switch. (It's difficult

for him to show Ashoka the respect his inheritedposition gives him.) The Goonda has a bruise under one

eye from his altercation in the City of Joy yesterday.

The air is filled with the MUFFLED SOUNDS OF the STREET.

FROM here, we can see the evermore enfeebled godfatherin his "throne room," wrapped in a cashmere, listening

to the radio. Ashoka looks up, stares impassively at

someone.

ASHOKA:

Well. What have you got to say?

ANOTHER ANGLE:

For the first time, we see who Ashoka's speaking to.

HASARI:

I told them that your fatherprovides us with a great deal andthat --

Ashoka slams his hand on the register.

ASHOKA:

From this minute, you are off thelist! You will leave your rickshawhere... where it will be reserved

for a man who deserves our trust.

He stands up. Hasari is near tears.

HASARI:

Please, Babu, this is as if the

ground has opened up. I have to

speak to Mr. Ghatak!

Hasari starts for the house. The Goonda stops him and,

quickly, has Hasari on his knees, his arm twisted painfully

behind his back. Ashoka jumps at Hasari, grabshis ear.

ASHOKA:

My father's ill! You are speakingto me!

(CONTINUED)

83.

CONTINUED:

HASARI:

I have a family!

ASHOKA:

The decision is made. I have made

it. Now get out before I have Mr.

Bhose break your legs.

He gives Hasari's ear a vicious twist and slams his headagainst the table.

EXT. GODFATHER'S HOUSE - DAY

The side gate opens and Hasari is shoved out. Stumbling,

he runs to the fence, peers through. Two men are pullinghis rickshaw into the courtyard. Hasari watches as a

steel shutter is pulled down, cutting his livelihood fromsight.

ANGLE THROUGH BAR - HASARI

Numb, compromised, defeated. Perhaps the low point ofhis life.

INT. CLINIC - JOAN'S ROOM - "RAFT OF MEDUSA" - NIGHT

Flickering candlelight illuminates the "Raft of Medusa."

Max rails at Joan.

MAX:

I just don't... I don't want to...

I don't want to care! I don't want

to care this much! I just don'twant to be invested in you people.

In people! I became a goddamndoctor because my goddamn fatherwanted me to be a goddamn doctorbecause he was a goddamn doctor!

He was the goddamn king ofdoctors! It's too goddamn hard!

Out of breath, out of words, Joan reaches out and takes

Max to her, brings him beside her on the cot. Beneath

the "Raft of Medusa," she sits with an arm around Max, as

if he were her son.

JOAN:

Not everyone's cut out for this.

You did the best you could.

Better than many. It's all right.

(CONTINUED)

84.

CONTINUED:

MAX:

I didn't do the best I could! I

did what I always do! I shot mybig mouth off and did a half-assedjob. And what I want to do now is

I want to go back to America andmake money and live a life withoutentanglements and demands andpeople hanging on me.

JOAN:

(a beat)

You know, the fact is from the

minute we're born we're

shipwrecked. Some see that as a

lifetime of drowning, of fear,

others only to endure, but totriumph. It's all in the

individual spirit, isn't it?

MAX:

Got it:
To run, to spectate, tocommit.

(raises his hand)

Running spectator.

JOAN:

Then, by all means, go home, Max,

and go with my blessing and myeternal friendship.

The candlelight flickers against them as they sit sideby side. Neither speaks.

EXT. RAM'S HUT - TEA SHOP - NIGHT

At the tea shop, a group relive the day's events. The

children sleep. Aloka sits outside, worried about

Hasari.

Max comes out, meets Aloka's eyes and looks away. She's

heard the conversation.

Hasari, drunk, comes down the slope. Face to face with

Max.

HASARI:

They took away my rickshaw.

Aloka's hand flies to her mouth. Hasari peers at Maxwith his drunken gaze. It's a terrible moment for Max,

but...

(CONTINUED)

85.

CONTINUED:

MAX:

So what do you want me to do aboutit -- get it back for you?

Max takes away a step. Stops.

MAX:

I'm sorry. I'm going home.

Because this isn't my fight. I

got one person to look after -me.

Hasari stares at Max. On the roof, the children listen.

At the tea shop, the late-night talkers listen.

MAX:

All right, I'm running out, okay?

Because I'm a coward, this is me,

this is what I do, I get in overmy head, I let people down, I run.

HASARI:

But I trusted you.

MAX:

Well, that was your goddamnmistake!

Max walks away, leaving Hasari desolate. Aloka comes to

him.

HASARI:

I don't know how I'm going to paythe rent, how we're going to eat.

ALOKA:

We have what is saved for Amrita's

dowry.

The thought of using the dowry is yet another awful blowto Hasari's hopes.

HASARI:

The children must leave the

school; they'll have to work. And

you will not have anything to dowith the clinic or those people

anymore.

Ram joins them.

RAM:

What I earn is yours, too.

(CONTINUED)

86.

CONTINUED:

HASARI:

You can't support all of us. You

have a family in your village, too.

Hasari touches his friend and goes into:

INT. RAM'S HUT

Alone in his pain, he spots his tea caddy in which heplanted his seeds over a month ago. He bends over to

tenderly touch the growing shoot and water the earth.

He looks up and the three children are staring at him.

What will their father do now to keep them alive?

INT. BLOOD DISPENSARY - CLOSE ON HASARI'S ARM - DAY

The needle injected, Hasari's blood flowing into abottle.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

Hasari seated on the stool, watching his blood leave hisbody, his face again broken out in perspiration.

HIS POV - RAFIK

Waiting.

BACK TO SCENE - HASARI

His face immobile, his thoughts distant. The Attendant

starts to pull the needle out. Hasari stops his hand.

HASARI:

Take more.

The Attendant shakes his head.

HASARI:

Take more.

The Attendant looks at Rafik, who shrugs, nods... andallows the blood to flow on out of Hasari's body.

EXT. BLOOD BANK - DAY

Barely ambulatory, Hasari starts down the street, but hasto stop, lean against a wall. Through his woozy haze, hethinks he sees an apparition.

87.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

There, in the entrance to a building, is Gangooly.

Seeing a potential victim, he swoops in.

GANGOOLY:

Not well, brother?

HASARI:

Still stealing from refugees?

Gangooly looks at Hasari, recognizes him, and gives himan amazing smile.

GANGOOLY:

Well, yes, I remember you, of

course -- hello! I am delighted

to see you -- yes. And tell me

immediately, please -- your little

family, your beautiful children,

everyone eats, yes. Come, have a

cup of tea or a little something

stronger, we must celebrate.

Gangooly starts to move, to position himself for a getaway.

Hasari blocks his egress, unsmiling.

GANGOOLY:

Ah, well, you're angry at me, yes,

I wondered if that was still on

your mind -- I am full of regret

about that, yes, even a little

tormented. What can I say? I have

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