The Householder Page #5

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Why'd you leave my mother

sitting alone upstairs?

- Have you had a quarrel?

- I don't quarrel.

- What do I do? It's she -

- Shh.

Quick. Get her some more tea.

Broken pieces of bread

and harsh words.

That's the lot of a mother-in-law.

No more tea. Finished.

She must be getting some more.

Hmph.

When we were young,

what respect we paid to a mother-in-law.

We danced on her words.

Hai, hai. Those days are no more.

Ma, can I get you some samosas

from the bazaar?

Bring them for your wife.

I don't want.

See how she shouts?

Indu? What are you doing?

Please come out. Indu.

- Indu.

- { Knocking ]

Don't bother, son.

It's all right.

I know it. She grudges me

the use of the bathroom.

- This morning when I was in there, she banged -

- But I didn't know she was in there.

She didn't know that you were there.

Uh, it was a mistake.

Never mind, son. After all, I'm only the mother.

[ Sniffles ]

Ma, don't cry.

W-Why should you cry?

Tonight I pack my bags.

Tomorrow I sit in the train and go home.

- My daughter-in-law doesn't want me here.

- Of course she wants you here.

Y-You don't know how much

she loves and respects you.

Indu, please come out.

She wants to leave.

Say something nice to her.

Indu.

{ Indu's Voice ]

I'm going home tomorrow.

{ Mother's Voice ] I come to serve my children,

but if they don't want me, it's all right.

- I go.

- { Prem's Voice ] Indu.

{ Indu's Voice ]

My family will be happy to see me home.

[ Chattering, Yelling In Hindi ]

During the 200 years of British raj -

{ Chattering, Yelling Continue ]

During the 200 years of British raj...

they taught us their tongue

and in turn made us forget our own.

This class is being disturbed.

Is this a classroom or a playground?

- Can't you keep your students in order?

- [ Chattering Stops ]

Mr. Chaddha, I've given them

an exercise to do.

You may have given them an exercise,

but they don't seem to be doing it.

The first duty of a teacher

is to enforce discipline -

discipline and silence.

Pin-drop silence.

Uh, further, in our consideration

of the achievements and blemishes-

Uh, repeat.

Uh, blemishes of the British raj...

there are certain points

which I now wish to clarify.

Why did you talk to me like that in class?

How can you scold me like a schoolboy?

I am a teacher.

I'm the same as you.

How dare you talk to me

in this impudent manner.

I'm the same as you.

You can't scold me.

How dare you, sir,

raise your voice to me.

In front of my whole class.

How can it look? What respect -

Your insolence shall be reported

to the principal of this college.

Mr. Khanna shall hear of this matter.

Mr. Khanna will know it is not right for one

teacher to scold another in front of his class.

He shall also hear of the lack

of discipline in your class.

I will tell him

that you're not fit to be a teacher!

Mr. Chaddha, you -you could have

told me afterwards...

here in private in the staff room.

I would have welcomed a word of advice

from an older colleague.

- I would have been grateful.

- I'll lay this whole matter before the principal.

I will have justice.

What is the need

of disturbing the principal?

Mr. Khanna shall hear

of this whole matter.

Justice shall be done to the full.

Mr. Chaddha, if you think

that I've offended you, I'm ready to beg pardon.

I insist on an immediate apology.

Sir, I am apologizing.

Otherwise, I'll go straight down

to the principal this very minute.

There is a misunderstanding.

Mr. Chaddha has misunderstood me.

Mr. Sohanlal, please explain to Mr. Chaddha

that I meant nothing...

that I have the very highest regard for him,

that I respect him like a father.

I insist on an immediate

and abject apology.

Yes, sir. I apologize.

I'm - I'm sorry

for what has been said.

I beg your pardon.

I'm entirely at fault.

{ Bell Ringing ]

{ Ernest ]

Kitty, I've brought a visitor.

Oh, isn't he nice?

Isn't he a nice boy?

What lovely eyes.

- What's your name, dear?

- Prem Sagar, madam.

Isn't that a nice name?

Prem. Lovely name.

It means ''love,'' doesn't it?

Love. That's what we all need.

Divine love, spiritual love...

every kind of love.

Don't make him shy, Kitty.

He's a sweet guy.

Make him shy? Me?

Ernest. You're not shy

with me, are you, dear?

Never be shy. Always remember

we're all part of one another...

all part of the eternal essence.

Isn't it a lovely thought?

- Do you want a room, dear?

- Come and live with us, Prem.

''Come live with me and be my love,

and we will all the -''

A quotation, dear,

from English literature.

Won't you come in?

English literature is so rich.

I wish you would stay here with us, Prem.

This holy man said just three words

to me - just three.

He said, ''Ernest Krampf, come.''

Just that. ''Ernest Krampf, come.''

It was fantastic.

I have some funny dreams sometimes.

I must tell you about them.

Perhaps they mean something.

It's better not to know, Bobo.

You might get a few surprises.

What sort of yoga do you do, dear?

Uh, please, madam?

What sort of yoga do you go in for?

Hatha yoga, bhakti yoga, sati yoga?

This yoga, that yoga,

one of the many yogas.

- I don't think I -

- Oh, but you should, my dear.

We all should.

Listen, Prem.

When I had that dream, I didn't think twice.

I knew. I packed my bags.

Good-bye, America. India, here I come.

I don't know why

anyone should want to come to India.

We are so backward.

- Let's get some life in here.

- Who is she?

Is she really Indian?

{ Ernest ]

She lives next door.

I wanted to teach her discipline,

but I don't think she's ready.

She's just a little mixed up.

That's all.

But why is she wearing trousers?

Look. She's smoking.

She's smoking a cigarette.

You know something, Prem...

I've been thinking

I'd take a vow of silence.

I know someone who did it once,

and he didn't speak a word for six months.

It's a good way, that,

if you can do it.

It seals everything in.

Excuse me.

A visitor.

Splendid. Splendid.

A very interesting head formation.

Ajanta, I would say.

Or perhaps even Gupta.

Sixth century A.D.

Are you sure you wouldn't like

a cup of tea, dear?

Very interesting.

Pure Gupta. Extraordinary.

- { Kitty ] Don't mind him, dear.

- Not at all.

{ Kitty ]

We're such a cozy group here.

We're all united in our quest.

We find the same heads,

the same features...

the same formations

over and over and over again.

Men die and sink back into the ocean...

and then are born again.

Continuity.

The drone of continuity.

Like the drone of the tanpura.

Look, everybody.

Look at me.

I can do the twist.

I can do the twist.

I can.

- Where is Ma?

- She's gone to the temple.

- Where is Ma?

- She's gone to the temple.

Indu, I met some funny people.

An American and a man

who said I was like a statue.

I think you've drunk something

out of a bottle.

There was a girl and a memsahib, too.

If you'd only seen them.

And this girl,

she was like in a funny film.

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