Midnight's Children Page #6

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DAccA, BANGLADESH 1971

Parvati.

Parvati.

Parvati the witch! Parvati!

Parvati! Parvati the witch!

Parvati!

Saleem?

Saleem?

Saleem! That's it!

And I thought I was

dreaming the whole thing.

come!

come up.

Abracadabra.

Abracadabra.

Abracadabra.

Hey, you there! Hurry up, they're

boarding the plane.

Sir.

What's in this?

Don't disturb her.

It's a personal snake.

And this one?

It's empty, sir. Take a look.

Very good.

Gather your belongings and board the

aircraft.

Is it okay?

And so it came to pass that without

passport or permit...

...I returned in Parvati's basket of

invisibility to India.

My India. The land of my birth.

DELHl, INDIA 1972

Abracadabra. Abracadabra.

Abracadabra.

Yes.

- Bye, Saleem.

- Bye.

"Picture Singh... "

"... the Most charming

Man in the World... "

"charm your friends with

that Eastman Kodak. " That's me.

captain.

Parvati is a good girl.

Very sensible girl.

But she's an orphan.

She's your good friend.

How to take care of her?

Any idea?

Picture-ji...

Do you want tea?

Tea.

Then go make some.

Okay.

No.

No.

Karan, don't.

Abracadabra.

Finally, I have someone

who knows my magic is real.

Why don't you tell the others?

Have you ever met...

...magicians who

believe in real magic?

They don't want witches around here.

Not even Picture Singh?

Not even Picture Singh.

Midnight's children.

You and me. That's something else.

Parvati.

- Parvati, please talk to me.

- No, you talk to me, Saleem!

It... it changes.

I'm sorry.

Are you too grand for me?

Remember I know a secret about you.

You haven't told anyone.

I could have.

I met the other one.

The other one?

The one you're scared of.

He was there at the victory parade.

The biggest hero of the whole war.

Your old buddy.

- You met him?

- Yes.

And you told him.

No.

But maybe I should send for him.

Send for him?

And you think he'll come to you?

To hell with you!

No further, Picture-ji.

come to me. Abracadabra.

come to me.

NUcLEAR TEST, INDIA 1974

certain ironies must

not pass unnoticed,

for had not Shiva risen as I fell?

Which of us became a slum-dweller,

and who was the hero; the most

powerful of Midnight's children?

There's nothing like war...

...for the reinvention of lives.

Who are you, hmm? Woman?

I'm the witch.

Mmhm.

Another Midnight's child.

You.

I have nothing to say to you.

I'm leaving.

come back to me.

Hey!

Saleem.

Woof woof.

How much is that

doggie in the window?.

I do hope that doggie's for sale

I had many families and no family.

There were the parents

I never knew who gave me life.

And the parents who raised me,

whom I lost.

And Midnight's children,

who were taken from me for a time.

I wandered among them all,

and at last I was ready.

I called him because

I was angry with you.

I know.

He left his child with me.

Parvati. Maybe it's not his child.

What do you mean?

When we get married,

it will be ours.

What?

When we get married, it'll be ours.

Your face.

What about my face now?.

Nothing...

Parvati, it's so beautiful.

June 12, 1975, will be

remembered as a historic date.

At 2:
15 this afternoon

the Prime Minister was found

guilty of electoral malpractice.

From a specially built podium, Mrs.

Gandhi told

the crowd that she was a victim...

"Emergency. "

The word "Emergency"

was heard for the first time.

Saleem!

The censorship of the press,

arrest of subversive elements...

...and forced sterilization.

Some things were ending,

something was being born.

Saleem!

It's a baby boy!

Look at your ears, they're so big!

Who knows what things you'll hear?

Aadam.

Aadam Sinai.

Anything you want...

...to be, you can be...

You can be...

...just whatever you want.

With the declaration

of the "Emergency,"

and the birth of a new,

unfree India, a dark night fell.

A continuous midnight

that would last...

...for years.

What's happening?

Where is the daylight?

A curse has come upon us.

I have never seen such a thing.

No doubt about it, Madam.

Your horoscope clearly states that

you are one with the Motherland.

India is the Prime Minister,

Prime Minister is India.

And we started to think

of her as "Devi"

"The Mother Goddess. "

Those who would be gods

fear all other potential deities.

And that's why she hated us.

The magical children of midnight.

It is astrologically proven...

...a threat to the nation, Madam...

...is a threat to

the Prime Minister also.

Saleem?

- Huh?

Saleem?

- Huh?

Did you hear that?

A civic beautification has

been authorized in this sector.

This slum contains subversive

elements, it's an eyesore...

...and a public scandal.

All persons must vacate immediately!

Why are you doing this?

Parvati! Parvati! Aadam!

Go save them!

Parvati!

Shiva!

Rich kid.

Parvati!

Shiva! Shiva, stop!

Now tell me where

the other children are.

Parvati!

Where are they?

- Little Aadam!

He's your son!

Abracadabra.

The "Emergency"...

...was necessary and justified.

Democracy was under threat.

It had to be protected.

We think you're very dangerous.

Or what you might be capable of,

potentially.

What you're plotting to do.

Or might be plotting

at a future date.

We're going to nip you in the bud.

cut you off at the source.

Prevention is better than cure.

This is an "Emergency. "

Your gang of freaks?

It will have to be

smashed... With your help.

Of course.

Names. Addresses.

Physical descriptions.

Nature of peculiar capabilities.

All of it.

Thank you in advance.

Thank you very much.

No. Never.

That wasn't too bad, was it?

Not so bad at all.

Shiva...

...he's really me.

You two, out.

Now!

What the hell are you talking about?

Hm?

Two babies.

Born together.

Same place, same time.

And?

Swapped, see? Swapped.

Speak up.

I stole your life.

Rich boy.

Bastard.

Saleem and Shiva. Shiva and Saleem.

Shiva. No! Stop!

Let them go!

Let them go! Let them go!

Forgive me.

I'm sorry to inform you

that we're obliged to operate.

Operate? What, what... what operation?

"Sperectomy. "

I'm going to take your life away...

...bit by bit, like you took mine.

No! Don't! No, stop! Stop!

Don't do this! Don't do this!

Stop... Stop. Stop.

Take the pyjama off.

The "Emergency," everyone called it...

...but it was really a betrayal.

Her betrayal...

...of her father's dreams.

Who were we? We were

the promises of independence.

And like all promises,

made to be broken.

Vasectomy.

In a stunning upset,

the Prime Minister

Indira Gandhi has been...

...unceremoniously

flung out of office.

Sure of a triumph,

she called an election,

only to have it backfire on her.

The Emergency is over.

Four hundred and twenty of us stood,

blinking in the sunlight.

And then dispersed into

the healing privacy of the crowds.

And what of Shiva?

Shiva, who was now a wanted man.

Parvati...?

Unfortunately, she...

But captain... you have a son.

come. come with me.

come.

She didn't even use

her magic to save her life.

You see, Picture-ji, Parvati gave

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