City of Joy Page #18

A beat as Hasari fixes Max with an empty stare and thefamily waits to see if Hasari will respond.

MAX:

Go ahead. Go on.

EXT. COURTYARD AND STORAGE SHED - CLINIC

The sound of a PADLOCK being UNLOCKED. DARK SCREEN.

Light flashes. Max and Hasari appear in the doorway.

Surprised by the light, a few rats scurry off. Somewhere

a dog BARKS. Slated, shafted light. He indicates

a corner.

THE RICKSHAW:

Piled up in its ruin.

MAX:

I'm good with my hands. You're

good with yours. What do you say?

Hasari looks at Max, part resentful, part touched.

HASARI:

If I were to go on the street withthis machine, I would end up in agutter with my throat cut.

(CONTINUED)

94.

CONTINUED:

MAX:

Well, it's yours if you want it.

You know the license, the cops,

all that can be fixed. You'll

own this -- it'll have nothing todo with the Godfather.

HASARI:

Doctor Daddah, I'm just a small

man. Don't try to tempt me againwith big thoughts.

Hasari starts to leave. Max blocks his way.

MAX:

You didn't want me to quit. Well,

I came back.

HASARI:

But can you be trusted?

MAX:

I hope so.

Hasari can see the hope and desire in Max's face. After

a moment, Max steps aside. Hasari bends his head and

makes off. Leaving Max and a small sigh ofdisappointment.

EXT. LATRINES - FOUNTAIN - ALOKA - DAY (DAWN)

She takes her morning absolutions, bathing in the fountain.

The process is extremely sensual, though there isnot even a glimpse of her nakedness as she moves herclothing around, cleansing this area, then that. She

glances up to see...

ANOTHER ANGLE:

Max, in an Indian shirt, heading for the square; rathernaturally, he brings his hands together in the Indiansalutation. He carries several bottles of distilled

water, a large value pack of bar soap, and a carton ofmedical supplies. As he passes, his eyes hook onAloka's. He lifts a hand in greeting. After a moment,

she ducks her head. He turns and continues on comingface to face with Ram, an enormous smile on his face.

With him, Hasari. He glances at his wife in the water.

MAX:

(to Hasari)

Going to look for work?

(CONTINUED)

95.

CONTINUED:

When Hasari doesn't answer...

RAM:

Yes, he is.

Ram has a small coughing fit.

MAX:

Are you taking your medicine?

RAM:

Yes, yes, but look at this.

He points at the wheel of his rickshaw; the rim iscracked. Scornfully, Hasari walks on. Max and Ram

glance after him. Max digs out several rupees. Ram

takes them and goes. Max looks after the two men as

they disappear. When he turns...

ANOTHER ANGLE:

...he finds himself face to face with Aloka. Without a

word, they start walking side by side toward the square.

It's several seconds before she says...

ALOKA:

He's very proud.

They walk on in silence -- two friends, separated by agulf.

EXT. DOCKS - FROM THE GATE - DAY

Men moving like ants into the bow of the ship. Hasari is

locked out, turned away without work.

EXT. METRO CONSTRUCTION SITE - DAY

A huge gouge in the black mud, sunlight streaming throughsteel girders across it. Hasari emerges from the ground,

looking for someone. Stops him. The foreman shakes his

head, no, before Hasari even has the chance to ask for

work.

EXT. SKELETON WAREHOUSE - EXTREME CLOSEUP - HASARI'S

FACE - DAY

Then we see he's standing outside Mitra & Co., staring atit, wondering if it's time to sell part of himself. No!

We see on his face a look that tells us he will not be

beaten.

96.

EXT. CLINIC - COURTYARD - DAY

The street children's school now takes up two rooms.

Children peer out of one room now as, to the accompaniment

of Surya's zither, twenty or so girls are doing someIndian classical dancing, under the eye of a young Indianteacher.

Across the way, in the other room, some children aretranslating Bengali words into English. A boy is writingon the board. It's Manooj. We see that Shambu is in the

same class.

INT. EXAMINING ROOM

FROM BEHIND, we watch Max take a wrapping off ofPoomina's wound, Joan assisting him. Indeed, Ashoka

extended Poomina's smile on either side of her mouth.

The scars are healing as nicely as could be expected.

Max did a fine job.

MAX:

You must have had a good doctor.

Still no running, jumping, pickingup anything heavy. And you stayhere. You're going to help SisterJoan and you're going to school.

Do you understand?

A beat, Poomina nods. But now a look of abject fearcomes over her face.

The Goonda stands in the doorway. Max begins singing"Sweet Little Sixteen." The Goodna stares impassivelyat Max.

THE GOONDA:

Time to collect the rent, Sister.

JOAN:

Of course. Come with me, please.

Joan leaves, followed by The Goonda. Max works carefully

at the fine line of scabbing on Poomina's scar...

but then something takes his attention.

ACROSS THE COURTYARD

Manooj, with a small tin of food, looks this way andthat... and then sneaks into the shed.

EXT. SHED - DAY

We hear a, TAP, TAP, TAP. The door is half open. The

padlock is hanging on its chain. Max opens the door.

97.

INT. STORAGE ROOM

Startled, frightened, Hasari presses himself against thewall, as does Manooj. Hasari is wearing a wet dhoti,

caught in the middle of straightening the wheel rim ofthe old rickshaw.

HASARI:

Close the door!

Max is very surprised but, needless to say, pleased. He

looks at the rickshaw, looks at Hasari.

HASARI:

Close the door. The Godfather

has more eyes than a pineapple.

Max quickly closes the door. The half light is brokenby thin beams of light that dance with dust.

Hasari studies Max a moment, then moves to put the firstwheel on. Instinctively, Manooj moves to his side, takeshold of the rickshaw so Hasari can slip the wheel on.

Hasari nods and goes for the other wheel. Manooj movesaround to the other side, hefts the carcass. Hasari

slips on the second wheel. Hasari looks at Max. Max

brings his hands together and starts to go.

HASARI:

I was saying to Manooj that if aman bows down too many times,

there will come a day when he willno longer be able to stand upright.

The two men look at each other... and then Hasari getson with his work.

MAX:

I promised Manooj and Shambu I'dtake them to the movies. Is it

all right?

HASARI:

(a beat)

If a man makes a promise...

Max brins his hands together and starts for the door.

Hasari picks up one of the worn seat boards.

INT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT

We're TRACKING WITH a moving bag of peanuts behind a rowof boy's heads. On the screen in front of them, a "medieval

era" sword battle between the great Kumar Kapur anda legion of bad guys.

(CONTINUED)

98.

CONTINUED:

We hear the sound of CRACKING NUTS as we MOVE FROM Manoojto three kids we've seen in the neighborhood (two boysManooj's age and Shoba, who's Shambu's age) and then toShambu, each kid dipping into the bag in his turn.

Finally:
Max's (and on the other side of him, Amritaand Poomina.) The bag arrives... empty.

MAX:

(whispering)

Thanks, guys. Who wants to go formore peanuts?

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