Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost Page #2

I've killed bears.

The first time I was so scared.

It was father who had to shoot the bear.

He was very upset with me.

But my second bear

I killed with one shot.

One night, it came to my cabin door.

And kept scratching

my door with its claws.

It made no other sound.

I stood here with my rifle.

Then I heard something.

It felt like the bear was going away.

I opened the door.

But there it was.

It jumped up on its two feet

and rushed at me.

I shot into the dark of its mouth.

Are you afraid of the dark?

Not at all.

Let's see, my brave one...

I am off, then.

Stay and cry here all night.

I'm going.

What's happening there?

A gypsy girl has been missing

since last night.

I'll send some of my men into the forest.

You come with me.

Don't worry.

I'm with you.

We'll find your daughter.

I hope the night wasn't too scary.

If you misbehave again,

I'll leave you locked up here forever.

Now, get lost!

I told you to go.

Your father is searching for you.

Come, let's go.

You have to marry me now.

- What?

You have to marry me now.

Or my family will kill me.

And you, too.

It's the only way

they can redeem their honour.

I didn't do anything.

They won't believe that.

You tell them.

They won't believe me.

-Look...

My father will fix everything.

If this had happened to your sisters,

what would your Papaji do then?

I was born under an inauspicious star.

It's not my destiny to marry.

A wife like me

could change your destiny.

That really scared you, didn't it?

So you think you scared me?

-Of course, I did!

Let go of me!

You dog! You bully!

Get off me!

Let go of me!

You dog! You bully!

Get off me!

Get off me!

Kanwar!

Tarlok, wait! Please wait.

I request

your daughter's hand for my son.

My daughter?

My Neeli?

-Yes.

You are a great, honourable man.

Oh, we are relatives now!

My son has become a man.

A man?

Papaji!

My brave son!

Serve some milk to Kanwar.

Child, you come with me.

Eat!

Why don't you dance?

You should have told me the truth

before the wedding.

Now you're the queen of this mansion.

Whatever you want you will get.

Clothes, jewellery...

Everything in this house is yours.

We have no tradition of the veil

in this house.

You should have kept the tradition

for your son.

You... shut up!

What are you saying?

Take off your veil.

Do you hear me?

You don't look stupid to me.

I told you, Kanwar had an accident

when he was a boy.

Nothing can be done about it now.

Mehar.

You speak to her.

Let me go back to my home.

- Don't say that.

You think any married woman

can live like this?

Can you not live here as my daughter?

Mehar...

This girl will do

whatever we ask her to do.

She'll accept everything as her destiny.

And Kanwar?

Tell me about his destiny.

How's this one?

Beautiful?

Look at this one.

How does this look?

- Very beautiful.

Very beautiful, isn't it?

Let's buy this one.

Are you happy?

When you have a son,

I'll buy you the whole shop.

And how's our new bride?

You know,

I was uprooted from my country and home.

All the dreams of my ancestors

turned to ash.

It is only a wife...

who can give you that which

no one can ever take away from you.

Everything comes to an end.

Nothing lasts.

If you manage to stay happy,

Kanwar will be happy too.

Without your mother,

you would never have been mine.

By giving you to me, your mother

rooted me to this earth again.

And who could be a better son

to any father than you.

Come and eat.

Neeli?

Where are you going?

You are a part of my family.

Where are you going?

Our future is in your hands.

You cannot leave us and go.

Listen to me.

Kanwar!

What are you doing here?

Go away.

Go.

Kanwar!

Go away from here!

Go!

Go away from here, Kanwar!

Understand... You...

Listen to me.

There is no other way.

Try to understand, son.

There is no other way.

There will be a son in your home...

in our home.

Go! Go!

You're my son.

You're a good son.

But you're a woman.

You are a girl.

Papaji!

We'll have a son.

A real son.

Papaji!

You should leave now.

There's gold and cash in the trunk.

And I've given the keys

of my father's house to Neeli.

Why didn't you protect me

as you did my sisters?

I was also your child.

You should go.

Go!

Go. You have a long journey.

I have wanted so much

to sit and talk to you.

And now look,

you're sending me so far away from you.

I will come to you.

Now go!

Go!

Stop here.

Here are my clothes.

For you.

While on the train coming here,

I was thinking...

You are free now.

You can do whatever you want.

Forget your old life.

Start anew here.

Here, with me.

You can be what you are.

It was all there.

I just never saw it.

Your face...

Your eyes...

Neeli!

Come here...

Let me look at you.

I fell in love with a woman!

I, too, fell in love with a woman.

Come with me.

Look...

Look at this beautiful woman.

You should have come

to Uncle Keerath first.

You should have informed us.

Kanwar hasn't been too well.

What happened to him? Let's go see him.

Should we call a doctor?

- He doesn't really need a doctor.

Let him rest then. We'll come later.

- Okay.

All right.

We'll come back later.

Bye.

- Bye.

How long can you hide like this?

It would be best...

if I leave...

No, don't say that.

What do we do then?

How are we to live together?

You've locked yourself in this house

and me too.

Let Ma come,

then everything will be all right.

Nothing will be all right, Kanwar.

You can't leave me alone.

I'll go and get Ma.

We'll celebrate Lohri together.

If we are to live together,

you have to accept...

that you're a woman like me.

We are two women.

Friends.

Sisters.

I put on women's clothes...

it feels like

I've got scorpions all over me.

I no longer know who I am,

what I am.

I will help you, Kanwar.

I am with you.

The night flows into us

A serpent of passion

The blood-red star ascends

Soaked in love, it beckons

Hold me back, someone

Hold me!

The threshold pulses

Red and red

Ma?

Ma?

Baali?

Baali?

Brother.

Where did you go to?

What happened here, Baali?

Fire.

- Where is Ma?

Ma died in the fire.

Brother.

Brother Kanwar!

Get up.

Get up.

Baali.

Baali, come with me.

No, I don't.

My house.

I'm cleaning Papaji's room.

You come with me, Baali.

No. No... I have to clean.

So much to do!

- Baali!

If you ever loved my mother,

never set foot in this house.

I'm going to take you and Neeli

back with me.

Never.

Is this the first Lohri since you wed?

- Yes.

It would have been so good

if Kanwar were here, too!

Wasn't Kanwar supposed to be back today?

You have to look at me.

Look at your daughter.

You could never see me as I am,

could you?

Now, you have to look at me.

Look at your daughter.

Your shameless daughter.

Your worthless daughter.

Standing naked in front of her father.

What should I do

with this disgusting woman?

I can't hide her anymore.

She doesn't want to hide anymore.

She doesn't listen to me anymore.

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