Gandhi Page #64

Mirabehn, Azad, Pyarelal, the doctor and others on the roof

watch fascinated, a little frightened.

GOONDA LEADER:

It is our promise. We stop. It is a

promise.

Gandhi is looking at him, testing, not giving or accepting

anything that is mere gesture.

GANDHI:

Go -- try -- God by with you.

The Goondas stand. They glance at Suhrawardy; he smiles tautly

and they start to leave, but one (Nahari) lingers. Suddenly

he moves violently toward Gandhi, taking a flat piece of

Indian bread (chapati) from his trousers and tossing it

forcefully on Gandhi.

NAHARI:

Eat.

Mirabehn and Azad start to move toward him -- the man looks

immensely strong and immensely unstable. But Gandhi holds up

a shaking hand, stopping them. Nahari's face is knotted in

emotion, half anger, half almost a child's fear -- but there

is a wild menace in that instability.

NAHARI:

Eat! I am going to hell -- but not

with your death on my soul.

GANDHI:

Only God decides who goes to hell...

NAHARI:

(stiffening, aggressive)

I -- I killed a child...

(Then an anguished

defiance)

I smashed his head against a wall.

Gandhi stares at him, breathless.

GANDHI:

(in a fearful whisper)

Why? Why?

It is as though the man has told him of some terrible self-

inflicted wound.

NAHARI:

(tears now -- and

wrath)

They killed my son -- my boy!

Almost reflexively he holds his hand out to indicate the

height of his son. He glares at Suhrawardy and then back at

Gandhi.

NAHARI:

The Muslims killed my son... they

killed him.

He is sobbing, but in his anger it seems almost as though he

means to kill Gandhi in retaliation. A long moment, as Gandhi

meets his pain and wrath. Then

GANDHI:

I know a way out of hell.

Nahari sneers, but there is just a flicker of desperate

curiosity.

GANDHI:

Find a child -- a child whose mother

and father have been killed. A little

boy -- about this high.

He raises his hand to the height Nahari has indicated as his

son's.

GANDHI:

...and raise him -- as your own.

Nahari has listened. His face almost cracks -- it is a chink

of light, but it does not illumine his darkness.

GANDHI:

Only be sure... that he is a Muslim.

And that you raise him as one.

And now the light falls on Nahari. His face stiffens, he

swallows, fighting any show of emotion; then he turns to go.

But he takes only a step and he turns back, going to his

knees, the sobs breaking again and again from his heaving

body as he holds his head to Gandhi's feet in the traditional

greeting of Hindu son to Hindu father. A second, and Gandhi

reaches out and touches the top of his head.

Mirabehn watches. The Goondas watch. Suhrawardy watches.

Finally

GANDHI:

(gently, exhaustedly)

Go -- go. God bless you...

COURTYARD - POLICE STATION - CALCUTTA - EXTERIOR - NIGHT

Trucks with riot squads (shields and truncheons) in place,

but they are lounging, waiting. There is silence, and air of

somnolence. Some of the riot squad lounge in little groups

around the courtyard. A distant cough.

Featuring a senior riot squad officer dressed and ready for

action. He it is who coughed. He coughs again, clearing his

throat. A police sergeant stands by him, both are reading

the front page of a paper the senior riot squad officer holds.

We see two huge lines of headline: GANDHI NEAR DEATH/NEHRU

GOES ON FAST.

In one of the trucks one of the men offers another a

cigarette.

A telephone rings sharply, inside. The senior riot squad

officer and the sergeant run in as engines start; the men

run to their places, lower visors, headlights go on!

POLICE STATION OFFICE - INTERIOR - DAY

A constable mans the telephone. He listens as the senior

riot squad officer and the sergeant run to him tensely. The

sound of the great doors opening in the courtyard, more

engines revving up.

CONSTABLE:

Yes, sir, yes, sir,

(He holds up his hand

to the senior officer)

"Wait."

He glances up at the senior riot squad officer.

CONSTABLE:

(writing, from the

phone)

Accident, "Christie crossroads," a

lorry and a rickshaw. Yes, sir, I

have it.

He shrugs at the senior riot squad officer and hands the

information slip to another constable behind the desk.

The sergeant sighs, and moves to the outside door. We hear

him bellow, "Stand down." The constable hangs up and sighs

heavily. The senior riot squad officer shakes his head, and

turns and walks slowly to the door.

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