Tubelight Page #3

so easily?

Think of something.

Want a cold drink? Here.

It's for you.

The Chinese boy smashed

the bottle into little bits.

Lost my 4 annas deposit.

My son!

You have no choice. Make friends.

Namaste.

I am Laxman.

Lax-man.

I am an Indian

and you are Chinese.

Indians-Chinese are brothers.

How to tell this fool?

Who are you calling a fool?

He speaks Hindi!

Now who's the fool?

No, not that. Please!

Put it away.

You hurt me the other day.

I still ache.

Why do you come here

every day?

You speak Hindi too?

Does everyone in China

speak Hindi?

I don't know. I've never been

to China.

We're Indians.

What do you want?

Nothing. I came to make friends.

Watermelon...

...it cools the mind.

I don't want a watermelon.

I want ice-cream.

Ice-cream?

My name is Laxman Singh Bisht.

What's yours?

Han Jian Guo.

Gu?

Gu is not a name.

Gu is potty. Means poo in Hindi!

Not Gu! It's Guo.

Again.

See that shop?

You can buy ice-cream there.

- Not coming with me?

- Don't want ice-cream.

Give me some money.

Go!

Narayan...

One softy, please.

- What does he want?

- A softy.

We don't serve the Chinese.

Get out!

Go, you rascal. Or I'll melt

you with your softy.

Laxman!

He'll get me killed.

Why is the Chinese boy

calling you?

Don't know him, he doesn't

know me. Swear on Banne uncle.

Watch where you're going!

Get down!

Laxman, did you make friends?

I bought him a softy.

We're friends now.

Where's uncle?

He's gone home.

He's off to Delhi tomorrow.

Listen...

He left this list for you.

List? What list?

A list of Gandhiji's teachings.

You must do everything

on the list.

OK!

Your belief will grow

even greater.

Myself Laxman.

Myself Liling.

Sorry.

Maya, look after Laxman.

Stay well.

Are we friends now?

Indians-Chinese, brothers!

How many times must I tell you?

I'm Indian, not Chinese.

Then say:
"Long live Mother India!"

What?

If you're an Indian say:

"Long live Mother India!"

Why?

If you're an Indian, say it.

Or else you're Chinese.

You go first.

Long live Mother India!

Long live Mother India!

I said it louder than you.

So I'm more Indian than you.

Long live Mother India!

Why are we here?

To report to the Major.

Report? Why?

Tell him you're Indian,

not Chinese.

Why?

If an enemy sneaks into Jagatpur,

reporting is my responsibility.

What?

Not even a mouse

would be scared of you.

Wipe your nose.

You have softy all over.

Fix your hair.

Talk politely to the officer.

- And your zipper.

- What?

Pull up your zipper!

- I said four.

- Yes, sir. Four.

- Move, please.

- I asked for four so why only three?

Long live India!

Who is he?

This is Gu.

He's Gu? I see!

Yes, sir. Gu and his mother

are living here.

He's not Chinese, he's an Indian.

He speaks Hindi well, but

trips up on some words.

Want to hear him?

Speak Hindi for him.

Go on.

Say something in Hindi.

Wiping your nose now?

You made a mockery of me.

Why didn't you speak Hindi?

Am I a parrot? You ask, I talk.

I will not speak Hindi.

Have you no shame, Laxman?

You were always a tubelight...

...but are you that dumb?

What's wrong?

The Chinese are killing our

brothers, your brother...

...and you're making friends

with them.

Guo is an Indian.

He can speak Hindi and Chinese.

He's not our enemy.

Shut up! You dumb traitor.

Teaching me who is an enemy

and who is a friend.

Why hit me?

If Bharat was here, he'd give you

a slap too.

No, he'd beat you up.

Drop that rock!

Guo, run!

Watch out! If I see you again

with him...

Now get lost!

Long live Lord Hanuman!

We'll destroy the bunker

with a hand grenade.

How will we throw it?

The bunker is too far away, sir.

Sir, let me.

I will.

Cover his back.

Let's move.

Liling-ji, where is Guo?

Come, I'll explain.

When Guo's papa passed away...

...we lived with my father.

My father, brother and uncle were

thrown in jail in Rajasthan.

My great-grandfather, Lee Tsu,

settled in India.

My parents, my husband and

I were born in India.

But conflict changes everything.

Now people look on us

as enemies.

It makes no difference

that India is our home.

Makes no difference that we

love India as much as you...

...and your brother do.

I brought Guo here from Calcutta

till my father is released.

Guo is safe here.

I heard what happened yesterday.

I don't want Guo mixed up

in all this.

I think it's best for us all

that you stop meeting Guo.

We're not friends?

We're friends, Laxman.

Are we?

Yes.

Guo and I are your friends.

Then my work is done!

My work is done, Liling-ji!

My work is done, Liling-ji!

Thank you!

The boots!

23 rupees, right?

Here's 15.

And the rest in change.

Total 23.

Bharat likes these boots.

They're for him.

- Is Bharat coming home?

- Yes! Very soon.

Really?

We're friends with the Chinese now.

Friends with the Chinese?

When did that happen?

This morning.

I heard nothing on the radio.

Switch the radio on!

The boy seems to know,

yet we know nothing.

Quiet!

The Major has called you.

News about Bharat.

- News about my brother?

- Yes.

News about my brother!

How wonderful, Bharat.

You're going home.

I wish I had been shot.

I'd be heading home too.

Laxman? You?

Where is Banne uncle?

Why are you crying?

Where is Banne uncle?

I told you he was

going to Delhi.

Why today of all days?

Don't cry. You can talk to him.

How?

We have a telephone.

You can call anyone.

How does it work?

With this cable.

It carries your voice there,

and brings his voice here.

- Can we talk to anyone?

- Yes.

- No matter where they are?

- Yes.

I want to call.

Not today. It'll work tomorrow.

Tomorrow?

Telephone?

Yes, telephone.

Please call, sir.

- Call where?

- China.

Who do you want to call

in China?

An officer like you, sir.

Let's call him.

Why?

To get news of Bharat.

We'll talk to my brother.

Be quiet!

Look, Laxman...

This is our phone,

the number here is 3867.

Assume his number is 5678,

so you dial...

You dial like this.

5...6...7...8

The bell rings there.

Someone picks up the phone,

we talk.

But we do not have a number

there to call.

Who will have it, sir?

Maybe... The Chinese may have it.

I'll be right back.

Liling-ji, do you have a number

for China?

- What?

- A number for China?

Your great-grandpa's number

in China. Leechi...

Lee Tsu.

Yes!

- How many brothers did he have?

- Three.

- Did they all come to India?

- No.

Why?

You must have some family

back in China?

Laxman, we don't have any family

there.

You must have someone.

Grandpa? Grandma? Uncle?

Laxman, what's all this nonsense?

Liling-ji, I must get a number

in China.

What's happened, Laxman?

They took him away.

The Chinese have taken him.

They've got Bharat.

Have faith, Laxman.

Your brother will come home.

How can he?

The Chinese have taken him away.

When the fighting is over, all the

prisoners will be freed.

And if they kill him?

They won't.

How do you know?

People can kill each other.

Laxman, don't give up.

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