Gandhi Page #62

Nehru pauses as he lowers his head.

His point of view. Gandhi lies curled awkwardly on his side

of the cot. He is writing, Pyarelal taking the pages as he

finishes, both ignoring all the people, the sounds of gunfire

and distant shouting, but he looks tired and tightens his

jaw occasionally in pain. The camera pans. A doctor sits

near the foot of the cot, Abdul Ghaffar Khan beyond him.

Near the other edge of the canopied area, Mirabehn sits with

Bourke-White. They are whispering quietly, but Mirabehn has

stopped on seeing Nehru and she smiles a relieved greeting.

She knows Gandhi's feeling for him. Bourke-White stares at

him and Patel for a second and then her hand goes slowly,

almost reflexively, for her camera.

CLOSER ON GANDHI

Nehru crosses and kneels so that he is almost at Gandhi's

eyeline. Gandhi must take his eyes from his writing to look,

and he is almost moved to tears at the sight of Nehru. His

hand shakes a little as he holds it out to him.

NEHRU:

Bapu...

Gandhi turns to pat their joined hands with his other hand.

He does so with effort, and at last he sees Patel.

GANDHI:

Sardar...

(He looks him over.)

You have gained weight. You must

join me in the fast.

Patel sits near the head of the cot so the three of them are

on a level. Outside the canopied area, Bourke-White is

crouched, her camera framing the three of them.

PATEL:

(wittily, warmly)

If I fast I die. If you fast people

go to all sorts of trouble to keep

you alive.

Gandhi smiles and reaches to touch hands with him.

NEHRU:

Bapu, forgive me -- I've cheated. I

could have come earlier. But your

fast has helped. These last days

people's minds have begun to turn to

this bed -- and away from last night's

atrocity. But now it is enough.

Gandhi shakes his head.

GANDHI:

All that has happened is that I've

grown a little thinner.

It is despairingly sincere. But Nehru feels he has an antidote

for that despair. The distant sound of an explosion.

NEHRU:

Tomorrow five thousand Muslim students

of all ages are marching here in

Calcutta -- for peace.

(The real point)

And five thousand Hindu students are

marching with them. It is all

organized.

Bourke-White captures the sense of elation in his face. From

her discreet distance, she lowers the camera, holding it

against her mouth, waiting for Gandhi's response.

Gandhi nods to Nehru, accepting the news with a sad

wistfulness.

GANDHI:

I'm glad -- but it will not be enough.

Nehru isn't prepared for this resistance. He glances at Patel,

and we see that they recognize that their bland conviction

that they could talk him out of the fast was deeply misplaced.

Nehru turns back -- this time no confidence, only concern. A

forced smile.

NEHRU:

Bapu, you are not so young anymore.

Gandhi smiles, pain etched in his eyes. He touches Nehru's

hand.

GANDHI:

Don't worry for me -- death will be

a deliverance.

(There is water in

his eyes, but his

words have the weight

of a man truly

determined to die.)

I cannot watch the destruction of

all I have lived for.

Nehru stares at him, feeling the sudden fear that Gandhi

means it. Patel, Mirabehn, Azad, Bourke-White are gripped by

the same realization.

TAHIB'S HOUSE - EXTERIOR - NIGHT

An outside broadcast truck is parked among the usual crowd,

grown even larger now, and more women among them. The sounds

of distant fighting.

TAHIB'S ROOF - EXTERIOR - NIGHT

The senior technician, in earphones, signals across to

Mirabehn. She holds a microphone by Gandhi, who is lying on

his side. He seems almost out of touch.

MIRABEHN:

Bapu...

Gandhi looks at her, and then the microphone. When he speaks

into the microphone his voice is very weak.

GANDHI:

Each night before I sleep, I read a

few words from the Gita and the Koran,

and the Bible...

(we intercut with

Bourke-White and

those on the roof

watching)

tonight I ask you to share these

thoughts of God with me.

And now we go into the streets, intercutting with Gandhi but

seeing Hindus listening around loudspeakers on corners, in

little eating houses, Muslim shops where people live in the

back, and neighbors gathering defensively in groups.

GANDHI:

(the books are there,

but he does it from

memory of course)

I will begin with the Bible where

the words of the Lord are, "Love thy

neighbor as thyself"... and then our

beloved Gita which says, "The world

is a garment worn by God, thy neighbor

is in truth thyself"... and finally

the Holy Koran, "We shall remove all

hatred from our hearts and recline

on couches face to face, a band of

brothers."

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