Viceroy's House Page #3

Yard.

- Z for...?

- Zebra!

I wish I could communicate with them.

Why don't you try this?

Mera naam Pamela hai.

Er... Mera naam Pamela hai.

No Viceroy or members of his family

have ever visited the staff

compound before.

The houses look small

for an entire family.

Where do you live here, Aalia?

I live right there with my father.

Did you go to the school?

No, I grew up in Amritsar.

I went to a ladies' college.

And then events turned unfortunate.

My father lost his eyesight and...

and now I work.

That must be very hard.

Not at all. My work gives me

independence.

That's what my mother says.

She says she didn't know who she was

until she started working

and really she's tireless.

I hardly saw her during the war.

She was so busy.

Welcome, Jeet, to my son's

engagement party.

You know of course my son, Sanjit.

Of course. Welcome here.

Have you met this wonderful girl

who is going to be his wife, Sunita?

No, we have not formally met yet,

but I am delighted.

- Congratulations to you both.

- Thank you.

Hello, sir.

I hope you will remember me.

I am Jeet Kumar.

Ah, Jeet Kumar.

The little policeman.

Barely old enough to tie his shoes.

- Ha, ha! Yes, sir.

- Sit, sit.

It's good to meet you again,

Jeet Kumar.

Remember, you used to read me

Dickens?

Yes, sir. David Copperfield,

Bleak House.

What brings you to Delhi?

I have great expectations.

I am working for Mountbatten sahib.

Aalia, I thought you'd never get here.

I was with Lady Pamela.

- What's she like?

- Full of questions.

She's actually interested in us.

She wants to be involved

and improve the school.

Aren't you married yet?

That girl you used to talk to me about,

did she change her mind?

No, sir...

but I live in hope.

Ah.

- Ubba.

- Ah, Aalia.

Do you remember Jeet Kumar?

Yes, Ubba.

My daughter too is still unmarried

but her young man, Asif,

will soon be back.

He has been in Europe all this time,

fighting in the British army.

As soon as he returns

we will have the wedding.

This is Aalia's poor mother's

dying wish.

She chose you a good man.

- Don't you think, Aalia?

- Yes, Ubba.

We must go now. It's late. Come.

Come, my friend. I'll walk you home.

You stay, celebrate with your friend.

- Good night, sir.

- Good night, Jeet Kumar.

Jeet?

That prison took away my sight.

It could have taken away my dignity too.

You made sure it did not.

I'm grateful.

I'll always be grateful

for your care for my father.

There you are! Come on.

Let's show them how we do things

in Punjab.

What harm is in a dance?

Oi, sala. She doesn't want to dance.

Watch what you're doing.

He wasn't doing anything. It's fine.

You dance with your own kind.

- My own kind?

- Calm down.

Have some respect.

Since when does a Mussalman

tell us what to do?

Come, come, come.

Shake now.

Musicians, please...

It's three o'clock in the morning.

Come to bed.

Your family tree can wait.

Edwina, I wasn't...

I'm reading the governors' reports.

Very unpleasant.

I fear a migraine looms.

- Did you take one of your pills?

- They are not working.

Nothing works. It's just...

Jenkins' report on Punjab is the worst.

The more I discover here, the more...

depressing it is.

The real lesson of the day is that

our time frame for exiting won't work.

We have to act more quickly

than I thought.

Dickie...

this needs time.

The longer we stay, the more we risk

further violence.

We haven't the means or the manpower

to keep the peace.

Don't rush.

Seriously.

This is why you're terrible at chess.

Pug believes that Pakistan is inevitable.

He thinks I should meet Jinnah first

to understand why.

Nehru has offered you

a very precious thing.

Friendship.

Why don't you talk with him first?

Now, we want to find

the best possible solution.

Congress will not contemplate

dividing our Mother India.

It would make a mockery of everything

that we have striven for

and it would break Gandhiji's heart.

Then how are we to keep the peace?

You want us to quit India,

but how can we leave

when you can't agree on what

your future should be?

Are you blaming us

for the situation here?

I'm not blaming anyone, but at all costs

we must avoid a civil war.

Forgive me, but this is the result of

British policy.

You have done everything

to foster hatred between

our different communities.

Separate schools, textbooks, elections.

That was always your policy,

divide and rule.

So now you have divided us,

you ask me for a solution.

"Without peace,

"all other dreams vanish

"and are reduced to ashes."

You went on to say

that the only alternative to co-existence

is co-destruction.

But I'm really only here to ask you

to pass on a message.

Your sister very kindly offered

to show me round Congress.

Please, would you tell her

I'd be honoured to accept?

Gladly.

Your wife is very well read.

Yes.

The irony is, of course, that she's far

more of a political animal than I am.

She's an idealist,

tends to the left. I'm...

more of a military man.

What are your orders here?

To bring independence to India

as smoothly as is possible.

But what is that India?

What will it be?

India is her people,

individual men and women

held together by indivisible threads.

Our spirit can never be beaten.

Through all the years of your empire,

it has only grown stronger.

We belong together, in a secular...

This is what our fathers fought for.

I'm so happy that we're here

to witness it.

What is the first thing

you'll do when India becomes free?

I'm going to climb to the top of

the dome of Viceroy's House

and scream for joy.

And you?

I'm going to marry you.

How can that ever happen?

You are so courageous.

You are the bravest woman I know.

Don't run from what is true.

What do you personally think?

To divide India would be a tragedy.

Then please, talk to Jinnah.

This is quite a new sensation.

What is?

Trusting the Viceroy.

I've spent nine years of my life

in British jails,

but I believe in your sincerity, Dickie,

and I believe that you love my country.

Don't let Jinnah persuade you

to tear it in two.

Ubba?

I have brought someone to see you.

Aalia, where have you been?

Ubba, here is Jeet Kumar.

- Hello, sir.

- Hello.

We have something important

to speak...

Later, later.

You will never guess who is here.

Aalia.

- Asif?

- As-Salaam-Alaikum.

Wa-Alaikum-Salaam.

I was so worried that you wouldn't

recognise me.

It's been too long.

I thought the British Army

would never let us leave.

We were the last regiment

to be demobbed.

Finally I feel the war is over.

Asif, this is Jeet Kumar,

my old friend from Lahore.

Aalia, can you believe, Asif's working

with Jinnah sahib?

Mohammad Ali Jinnah?

Only as his driver and aide.

I'm aiming to serve him however I can.

Asif, tell Mr Jinnah,

many Muslims also fought for India.

We don't want a separate country.

- Jinnah sahib is a visionary, sir.

- He is a troublemaker.

He's the only one

speaking for us.

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