Lal gece Page #3

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Then a man of great wisdom says...

"If anyone knows the cure..."

"...it's Shahmaran,

the snake queen of the underworld."

But where in the world

does Shahmaran live?

No one knows.

This time, another wise man

comes up with a suggestion.

"Let's get everyone in the land

into water," he says.

"That way, we can tell at once

if anyone knows Shahmaran."

So they travel all over the land

giving everyone a good soaking.

They come to Camsab's village

and take him off to be soaked as well.

They give everyone a soaking.

Then they take one look at Camsab...

...and find his skin

turning into snakeskin.

There's such a cruel vizier in charge...

...who has Camsab tortured so brutally...

...that in the end Camsab breaks down.

And he gives away the secret

of where his beloved Shahmaran lives.

They send soldiers

to bring Shahmaran back.

Now Camsab is mortified

at having betrayed Shahmaran...

...a woman he loves enough

to die for her.

In fact, he's so stung by shame

that he'd like to crawl into a hole.

But Shahmaran is so well-meaning

and knows that Camsab is too...

...that she realizes

Camsab didn't set out to betray her.

So she says, "Now you've caught me

I'll tell you my secrets."

"Anyone," she says,

"who takes a bite out of my tail..."

"...will win the key

to all the secrets of the world."

"But take a bite out of my breast,

and you'll die on the spot," she says.

Now remember, the vizier

has his eyes on the sultan's throne.

So he goes straight for the tail

and gobbles down a piece.

And Camsab, anxious for a way

to die with his beloved...

...takes a bite from Shahmaran's breast.

Well, you know how stories go.

The vizier dies there and then...

...Camsab lives

and the sultan recovers.

In fact, Shahmaran realizes all along

how evil the vizier is.

So she gives up her own life

to save her beloved.

This, you see, is

a woman truly in love.

And that's where the story ends.

They went on

to live happily ever after.

All right then?

You've had your story.

C'mon, what's there to cry about?

She sacrifices her life,

the thing most precious to her...

...for a man she really loves.

If I were Camsab, I'd do the same.

And you're my Shahmaran!

Are you going to eat me then?

If I ate you, I'd be left all alone

in this big wide world.

Really! We have so much to eat here.

Bride, c'mon, turn down that bed.

It's almost morning.

Otherwise...

Enough dallying around, c'mon!

Or they'll whisk you away too.

And I won't lift a finger.

Mother...

Mother!

Here, have some water.

Thanks.

Go on, turn down that bed.

Turn down the bed, go on.

Well? Are you getting into bed

in your wedding dress and tiara?

Come here.

Come on.

In the name of God, the Merciful...

C'mon.

- Turn off the light and come to bed.

- But I get scared with the lights off.

Why do you get scared?

There's no one here except us.

- Are you scared there are spirits?

- I feel uncomfortable.

Uncomfortable about what?

Uncomfortable about that.

You're uncomfortable about him?

But he isn't even alive.

My late father...

Have you got what you wanted now?

Now look.

It's almost morning.

I've had it with your silly excuses.

The more I go along with you,

the more excuses you make up.

If you don't want me...

...you should have thought of it

back in your father's house, not here!

If you want to go, there's still time!

Your father's house is that way! Go!

C'mon, come here.

Sit down.

Sit down!

Look, I'm doing

everything you say here.

What more do you want?

I'm scared.

Why? Am I some kind of monster?

No, don't say that.

I'm not scared of you.

What are you scared of then?!

Look, just talk to me, bride.

Tell me why you're scared.

I'm scared of your moustache.

So it's this you're scared of.

My moustache scares you, does it?

We didn't know

the bride minded moustaches.

Had we known beforehand, we'd have

brought her a groom without one.

Don't say that!

Don't say what?

You wanted a clean-shaven groom,

so here he is.

Well?

Do you like the new groom?

What's wrong?

You've become like a different man.

That's what you wanted,

so that's what I did.

But that isn't what I wanted.

God! First you're scared to tears

of my moustache.

And now you say

you don't want it shaved off!

Look, we're not the same age.

You may find me old.

You may even think

you're too young to marry.

But...

In fact...

I don't think

you're right for me either.

I'm an old man.

I'm an old man.

But what can we do?

Call it fate, call it destiny.

Call it custom, tradition,

whatever.

It's brought us together.

Huge families and clans...

...made a pact to have us married...

...to stop the murders and bloodshed

between them.

And here we are playing games

in the bridal chamber!

I can't force you to be my wife!

- I'm sorry. It's not like that.

- Then what is it?

Look, you've made me look ridiculous.

There's nothing I haven't done,

nothing I haven't stopped at...

...to please you.

But every time,

you find a new excuse to avoid me.

You don't have to keep

inventing excuses to avoid me.

The door's there.

If you want someone else,

if you want to go, the door's there.

Go on, get going!

Go on!

I fend for myself honourably in jail

for all those years...

...and come back to my own house

to be made a fool of!

What am I but a fool anyway?

What else have I been?

I didn't mean anything bad.

You've got the wrong idea.

What am I but a damn fool?

What am I but a damn fool?

My mother says, "Marry this girl."

I marry her.

"Divorce her," she says.

I divorce her.

My uncle says,

"Your mother's a stain on our honour."

I kill my mother.

I kill her!

I spend 20 years in jail.

I get out. And my uncle says,

"This man's an enemy."

I kill him too

and spend more years in jail.

Then they tell me to marry you.

And I do.

What else am I but a fool?

Of course I'm a fool.

I'm a damn fool.

You took me for a man, did you?

You were scared of my moustache.

You thought there was a man underneath?

Look.

You told me to shave it off

so I did.

Don't talk like that, please!

I'll do whatever you say, promise.

- You'll do whatever I say?

- Yes, if you stop talking like that.

Right, I'd forgotten.

The bride is

scared of things like that.

- I should keep my mouth shut.

- It's OK. I'm not scared any longer.

So you've stopped being scared.

But I'm scared.

Any minute it'll be time

for the morning call to prayer.

The groom hasn't fired twice

from the window yet...

...to present the bridal sheet.

The sheet's still spotless.

I wonder what they'll say.

Will they think the bride's scared?

Or will they think

the groom isn't up to it?

What do you think?

Which of us is more scared?

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