Water

My Child.

Child.

Do you remember getting married?

No.

Your husband is dead.

You're a widow now.

For how long, father?

Chuyia!

Chuyia!

Let's go home, father.

This is your home now.

Then where is Ma?

Where is Ma?

Where is Ma?

Come on.

Don't leave me here.

Let me go.

I'm not staying here.

Quiet.

Shut her mouth.

Hey you whore,

you haven't fed my parrot Mitthu.

Didi, there are no lentils.

What! No lentils?

Then go buy some.

No lentils!

Kunti, let her go.

You. Come here.

Go.

You poor thing.

How I feel for you.

I was also young...

when my bastard husband died.

Come sit here.

In grief, we are all sisters here...

and this house is our refuge.

I want my mother.

Our Holy Books say,

a wife is part of her husband,

while he's alive.

Right?

And when husbands die,

God help us,

wives also half die.

So how can a half-dead woman feel pain?

Because she's half alive?

Don't try and be too clever...

or I'll throw you into the river!

I don't want to be a stupid widow.|Fatty!

What did you say?

She bites like a little b*tch!

What are you staring at? Catch her.

Ass lickers!

Are your arms and legs broken?

Catch her!

Let her go.

But, Madhu Didi...

Leave.

Come here.

Come here.

Turn around and sit.

It's Turmeric.

It cools the head.

You saved me like the Goddess Durga.

Sharp teeth and a sharper imagination.

Go, sit in the sun.

Are you deaf?

They'll throw me in the river.

Only if you bite someone else.

Come here little one.

What's your name?

Chuyia.

Chuyia the mouse...

the mouse with sharp teeth.

What's your name?

My husband embraced eternity,

and left behind Patiraji.

You can call me Auntie

You really made that fat cow dance.

Do you have a sweet?

Awake or asleep,

even in dreams, all I see are sweets.

You're back?

Water?

Up here!

An angel!

Close your eyes.

Close them.

His name is Kaalu.

You can play with him anytime.

You feed him.

He has fleas. I should bathe him.

Downstairs?

No silly.

Dogs aren't allowed here.

They're a bad omen.

Don't tell anyone about Kaalu.

But I'm not staying here.

My mother's coming to get me.

If not today, tomorrow for sure.

Krishna, this is my friend.

What's your name?

Chuyia.

Can he hear you?

Of course. He hears everything.

What did he say?

He says you won't be here long.

I told you so.

In a day, chant jai shree krishna,

a hundred and eight times, and soon...

you'll fly away!

But I can only count to ten.

This has one hundred and eight beads.

Why don't you start the prayer?

Mat...

While the priest was reciting the vows

I started to laugh.

Ma slapped me hard,

and then until the end...

not a squeak from me.

Afterwards...

I know what happened.

What?

The wedding feast.

You should have seen the sweets...

Plump white rasgullas,

piping hot gulab jamuns

The saliva was drooling|out of my mouth.

Yellow ladoos,

made with pure butter.

Cashew-nut sweets,

covered with gold leaf.

Life is so disappointing.

Good, fleas and sins washed away.

Chuyia. Stop laughing.

Why?

Why what?

Give me the towel.

Let me.

He'll come back!

What are you doing?

Widows shouldn't run around|like unmarried girls.

You've polluted me!|I have to bathe again.

Catch him.

Is he yours?

Yes.

He doesn't like to bathe.

What's wrong?

I'm... I mean... Kalyani's lost.

We should find her then.

Yes. Poor thing.

Do you know I'm a widow?

Yes.

What's your name?

What's your name?

Narayan? Like Lord Vishnu's Narayan?

Yes.

Kalyani, I found him.

Always running around...

like your namesake the mouse!

Narayan found Kaalu.

Let's go.

Where do you live?

I mean...|I'm not asking where you live, but...

asking if you are lost...

...then I could take you|where you live.

She lives in a house of widows,

I'm just visiting her.

Chuyia, tell him not to follow us,|it'll be a sin.

it'll be a sin!

But where is this house of widows?

I don't know.

Ask her if she knows.

Ask her if she knows!

Dharma Ghat.

Next to the river.

God bless you.

I've been waiting the whole day.

How did your exams go?

Pass orfail?

Double fail!

Rascal!

Live long... be happy.

Master, should I unpack for you?

No.

Sadhuramji.

Don't get drunk with this.

My hands haven't touched|the bottle for years.

Make sure your lips don't either!

My husband the old bastard|was so horny...

the minute he climbed on me...

instead of coming...

he went, straight to Heaven.

Bastard!

Pleasing himself in Heaven.

And left me stuck in Hell.

Poor man.

Poorwho?

Poor you I mean.

Didi, have you heard?

What?

That Mohandas...

Mohandas who? Is he a new client?

No Mohandas Gandhi.

He's come from the jungles of Africa.

He doesn't drink, he doesn't sleep.

Why? Doesn't he feel sleepy?

No. He doesn't sleep with women.

For discipline he says.

Why are you still here?

Take her to Seth Dwarkanath.

Standing there and gossiping.

Hand it over.

Long live Lord Shiva!

There she goes.

There goes who?

Awhore.

To meet a client.

Perhaps my father.

Does she look like a whore?

She's a widow, you fool.

I know.

The gentry here,

have an 'unatural concern' forwidows.

Gulabi...

Does Lord Krishna take on human form?

Of course he does.

Haven't you seen us re-enact|his life story?

He plays himself,

while I play his adoring milkmaid!

My father doesn't even bother|with their names.

There's the old one,

the fat one,

the new one,

the young one.

Rabindra,

you should get your father|to join Gandhi.

Seth Bhupindernath and Gandhi...

hand in hand...

liberate the widows of India.

You can laugh,

you don't have an oaf for a father.

No, definitely not.

Have you thought of joining|the Congress?

Are you crazy?

I happen to like English ways.

Their cricket, theirwhiskey...

and what poets they have!

If Gandhi can free India, then think

how Byron would sound,

recited by a free man.

You haven't become|a Nationalist have you?

Passive resistance.

An intriguing concept.

Forget it.

Romantics make terrible Nationalists.

O Sacred River...

Radiant like the moon...

Home of the Eminent...

Home...

When do we stop praying?

Don't you have a dry sari?

It's in "your" house.

Bring it tomorrow.

Tomorrow I'll be in my "own" house.

Anew widow.

Sit up straight!

Don't scold her.

She's just a child.

Child indeed!

She's turned the house upside down.

Where is the house for men widows?

Good God!

What a horrible thing to say.

God protect our men from such a fate.

May your tongue burn.

Pull out her tongue|and throw it in the river.

Kunti, where's my food?

Coming Didi.

Where is Kalyani?

You and your questions.

Witch.

Shut up.

Black tongue.

Eat slowly.

Chew each grain.

Your next meal is tomorrow.

With her uncut hair and clients...

eating with Kalyani|would pollute our food...

Right?

I don't even remember being seven.

What did you say?

She says,|she doesn't remember being seven.

Ask me,

I remember.

I got married when I was seven.

Plump juicy rasgullas,

piping hot gulab jamuns,

cashew-nut sweets,

covered with gold leaf,

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