The Householder Page #2

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I think she's not very intelligent.

She must be very young.

What's her name?

- Indu.

- Indu?

- Indu's a nice name.

- Do you think so?

Hmm. I like a name

like Nandita or Nimmi.

That is beautiful.

There is a film star called Nimmi.

Perhaps you've heard of her?

I admire her very much.

In Ankhpur my friends and I

would go see all her films.

We even sometimes went

three or four times.

We knew all the lyrics by heart.

[ Singing In Hindi ]

[ Singing In Hindi ]

{ Bell Ringing ]

Nowadays I can't afford

so much to go to the cinema.

''And then the lover...

''sighing like furnace...

''with a woeful ballad...

made to his mistress's eyebrow.''

{ Fan Rattling ]

[ No Audible Dialogue ]

{ Fan Rattling ]

- Good morning, gentlemen.

- [ All Reply ]

Sit down, sit down.

Today I have a very pleasant duty

to perform.

To invite you to a tea party.

- Excellent! Tea party. Very good.

- [ Chattering ]

Sunday, at 4:
00 in the evening.

4:
00 p.m. Sharp.

Oh, yes. Of course,

the ladies are invited, too.

I shall certainly convey this good news

to Mrs. Chaddha as speedily as possible.

- She will be delighted.

- He means we must bring our wives?

But my wife may feel

very shy to come.

It'll be very difficult for her

to make conversation.

- Ladies are usually shy.

- Hmm.

{ Mr. Khanna ]

An hour's relaxation, now and again...

braces the muscles of the mind.

No, no, no.

Not there. Here. Here.

An hour's entertainment

in the midst of a busy schedule...

is like a refreshing bath on a hot day.

Excellent image, sir.

Excellent image.

''A refreshing bath on a hot day.''

A very striking image, sir.

- Very striking.

- { Mr. Khanna ] And so we return to our labors...

revived, refreshed, relaxed.

Mehar Singh, bring the tea.

Ah, yes. I think

we are all ready now for...

the tasty dishes Mrs. Khanna

has prepared for us.

The whole morning

I was in the kitchen.

It's no good leaving things

to servants.

What are you waiting for?

Hand them round. Take.

Take.

Eat. No, no, no. Eat, eat.

What else did I make everything for?

I use only the best ghee

for all my preparations.

You will just taste the difference.

{ Mr. Khanna ] I am particularly happy today

to welcome the ladies among us.

Now our women stand

side by side with us...

to aid in shouldering the burden

of national development.

We must all, men and women alike,

contribute to this national development.

- India awake.

- [ Men ] India awake.

- [ Prem Clears Throat ]

- People with colds should be careful

to cover their mouths when they cough.

- Go on, eat.

- We must not forget the cultural side, too.

Our 5,000-year-old tradition

of sculpture, dance and song.

How pleasant it would be to hear

one of our beautiful Indian songs...

from the lips

of one of these fair ladies.

- You sing.

- You sing.

No, no. You. Please, you sing.

Come on.

What is there to be shy?

No, sorry. I have cold today.

No, no. No excuses.

Come on.

[ Clears Throat ]

{ Chaddha ]

Now, now. What's there to be shy of?.

[ Singing In Hindi ]

[ Chuckles ]

[ Continues ]

[ Stops ]

Um, uh -

[ Resumes ]

[ Stops ]

Oh. Oh, I have forgotten.

- { Mr. Khanna ] Excellent.

- { Chaddha ] The music we have in our country...

it flows from the heart.

The earth is colored with the light

of the young dawn...

and the eyes of the skies are red.

Oh, brothers!

The eyes of the skies are red.

[ Vocalizing ]

[ Singing In Hindi ]

{ Continues ]

Get up.

Is this a time to sleep?

What is all this mess?

Go. Put on the fire.

{ Children Chattering In Distance ]

- Can I come in?

- { Woman ] Yes,yes. Come in.

{ Woman Singing In Hindi On Radio ]

Sit down.

Be quite comfortable.

- What a pretty color.

- Oh, it's a pullover for my Romesh for the winter.

I think this color will be

very suitable for him.

- You are also fond of knitting?

- I like it very much.

At home, in my father's house,

my sisters and my cousins and I...

we used to knit so much.

Here I've done no knitting.

Wool is so costly to buy.

Your husband doesn't give you

sufficient money for your household?

- Romesh, get up.

- He gives...

but what does he understand

of what things cost?

Men are like that.

They don't understand.

Give me money for the pictures

this afternoon, Ma.

What a fine back.

Every day you grow bigger and stronger.

- God bless you.

- One rupee, Ma.

Yes. Oh.

Where is my money?

Here. Can we deny anything

to our children?

- One more rupee, Ma.

- Look.

My mother just the same.

Anything I wanted -

bangles, saris, sandals -

everything she gave.

- But my husband, he never does.

- That is the way it is.

When a girl is married,

she thinks and thinks of her father's house...

and tears come to her eyes.

Oh, no.

No, no. No.

Why must Mrs. Khanna's guests

stay in our staff room?

Oh. It's very hot.

My house is also very hot.

The fan's broken.

Repairing it will cost 1 0 rupees.

How to manage that in our salary?

1 80 rupees a month. Hmm.

What is that these days?

I think we must all go

and ask Mr. Khanna for increment.

- With families to support.

- I have my own family to support...

and also my brother's.

He died of fever three years ago.

Four little children.

Oh, it's terrible.

I will go and ask for raise in salary.

Mr. Khanna must be made to understand

our positions also.

Is it right for one man

to have everything and another nothing?

It's not right. I-It's wrong.

{ Saucers Rattling ]

Ah. Come in, come in.

You see me enjoying my breakfast.

Very important to start the day

with a good breakfast.

Stomach juices must be

encouraged to flow...

or else the system gets clogged

and nasty indigestions follow.

Please, be careful of my carpet.

It's just come back

from the dry cleaners.

There are certain rules

of physical hygiene...

that we must all strictly follow.

Only then can we develop

a healthy mind in a healthy body.

It's bad for too many people

to walk over a carpet.

A healthy mind in a healthy body.

That is the ideal

that we must hold before us.

Mr. Khanna, sir-

Oh.

Mr. Sohanlal lives in Mehrauli.

You eat.

Why let yourself be disturbed?

It is a long way, sir.

He brings his lunch with him.

He has to leave his home

at 6:
00 in the morning on his bicycle.

Cycling is very good

for the development of the leg muscles.

Fine exercise.

I always enjoy it.

Mr. Khanna, sir...

in the shastras it is written...

''It is better to be dead than poor.''

Life is a hard struggle, sir...

and it is the duty of those

whose struggle is lighter...

to give a helping hand to those

for whom it is very hard.

Very good thought. I like to hear people

engage in such philosophical questions.

I, too, am interested in these questions.

Given them a lot of deep thought.

Hand me my shoes.

Why are people encouraged

to come in here?

The principal's living quarters

should be kept separate from the college.

- Some peace there must be.

- It is good for a young man...

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