«IN THE CIRCLE OF KUNDUZ» Page #18

Mongol rubs the plucked ear in his palms, begins to chew the grain.

MONGOL:

And I support Rust's generous thought! Why don't we do good?!

SIDOR:

(getting excited)

Mongol! You're always with your shamanic virtue!

Did you hear that the company commander was on the phone?!

On the BMP-2 of a separate brigade that arrived for this operation from a remote region, the rebels slaughtered every single one, the crew and the landing group. Apropo, it happened here nearby.

Here are the bitter consequences of avoiding the foundations.

STRELA:

Their sentry fell asleep!

SIDOR:

(with conviction)

That's right! But if he had been shooting constantly,

he would hardly have fallen asleep!

MONGOL:

(serenely)

Sidor, and you divided the question into two parts! To sleep on duty and night shooting.

You don't have to shoot.

At least, if there is no urgent need for it.

Instead of the 1 sentry, you can set 2, take 2 times more time on duty: not an hour, but two.

RUST:

Guys, I suggest we still remove all tracer cartridges from the magazines, replace them with ordinary ones!

We will open fire in case of acute urgency.

STRELA:

(invitingly)

Who is in favor of not opening fire?! Raise your hand! Rust, Mongol, I see Kostyan. Sidor and Koster are against.

I'm on the side of the former.

There are four of us against two! Decided! We do not open fire unless necessary!

74. EXT. THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE VILLAGE - TWILIGHT

There are a lot of stars in the sky, a shining crescent moon. Rust is awake, is half asleep, constantly calls out to the guards – checks if they have fallen asleep. Time passes slowly, retreating from the BMP-2, the incessant polyphony of the prolonged cries of a pack of jackals is heard.

75. EXT. OUTSKIRTS OF THE VILLAGE — DAY

In the morning, a deep trench is being dug around the BMP-2, the terrain is being monitored. The song "Lavender" is heard from the transistor standing on the armor tower.

On the field, the Afghan family is vigorously reaping, hurrying to meet the specified two days. Sidor and Mongol, in front of the BMP-2, have lit a hearth, and Rust is using an axe to disassemble a wooden box from zinc with cartridges for firewood. The song "Komarovo" is coming from the transistor.

RUST:

(calling out to the Afghan head of the family, who was tying the compressed ears into a sheaf, waving an axe at him)

Eh, Bacha! Injo bie!

A MAN! COME HERE!

Sheragi raises his head anxiously, looks against the sun from under the palm of his hand towards the BMP-2, understands that they are calling him. Sheragi throws a phrase to the old woman, goes to Rust.

RUST:

(courteously and kindly)

AsSalamu Alaikum!

(to Mongol)

Mongol! Please pour our guest some tea!

Mongol puts more wood on the hearth, fulfills Rust's request - fills a small porcelain bowl with hot jasmine tea from a captured Chinese tea set with cobalt blue-white painting in the Chinoiserie style, and deftly pours tea back into the teapot. Mongol fills half, holds out the Sheragi. Sheragi takes a cup of tea with one hand, barely bows his head and, traditionally putting the other palm to his chest, takes a sip.

RUST:

(in dari respectfully)

What's your name, Ako?!

SHERAGI:

Sheragi! My name is Sheragi!

RUST:

(in the oriental manner)

I am Rustam, son of Farhad!

RUST reads Sheragi a one-faith prayer

RUST:

"La ilaha illaLlah, Mohammadun—rasuluLlah."

(pause)

Far to the north, in the very center of Russia, where there is a lot of snow in winter, is my Homeland — Tatarstan.

Tatars live there. They, like the Afghans, are Muslims.

Our language is very close to Uzbek, Turkmen languages spoken in Kunduz, Takhar, and other northern provinces.

(nodding at Azim Akhmedov)

My friend from Samarkand and I speak Uzbek and Tajik.

Sheragi listens attentively to Rust.

RUST:

There are many Muslims among the Shuravi!

(pause)

We are waiting for you at 21.00 with your sons for pilaf!

Sheragi nods humbly, heads into the field.

STRELA:

(with pessimism)

He won't come!

KOSTYAN:

(with conviction)

He wouldn't dare!

Our goodwill is at stake — don't shoot at night.

76. EXT. THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE VILLAGE — TWILIGHT

In the crimson glow of sunset, the Afghan family has completed their working day, and is going to the village. Sheragi arrived at the appointed hour, but alone.

RUST:

(affectionately to Sheragi, smiling)

We are waiting for you!

Rust covered the cauldron with pilaf with a lid, rice absorbs the remaining moisture from the zirvak. Rust noticed that Sheragi was alone.

RUST:

(surprised)

And where are your sons, Sheragi?!

Sheragi hesitated, out of the corner of his eye he looks under the canopy tightly stretched between the hundred-year-old plane trees, spliced from several raincoat tents. There Sheragi sees a long table lit by a kerosene lamp made of wooden boxes from artillery shells, set with dishes, cutlery.

RUST:

(strongly)

Follow your sons,

we will be waiting for you!

Sheragi understands the hopelessness, is removed.

Sheragi arrives with three sons.

A party at Shuravi's, there is a mechanic-driver Pavel Grishin, a gunner-operator Semyon Negoda, tarjimon Azim Akhmedov, friends - Mongol, Rust, Strela, Kostyan, Koster, Sidor. The dish of the evening is a soldier's pilaf cooked in a large cast-iron cauldron over a fire.

Rust lifts the lid of the cauldron, lets off steam, begins to put pilaf on two large flat plates. On top of the rice is toasted beef stew. Koster passes large aluminum spoons to Sheragi and his sons. The scouts are looking at the Afghans, waiting, as the senior guest, Sheragi should take off the first spoon. Afghans are experiencing discomfort. Rust catches the fear of Sheraga "is there pork meat in the pilaf?!"

Rust dispels doubts, shows an image of a beef head on an opened tin can of stew. Everyone is smiling. Sheragi, having played up the spirit, takes a sample, the scouts and his sons begin to eat after him. The pilaf turned out to be excellent. Everyone is happy. After the pilaf, everyone is poured hot tea.

The scouts pull out a large bag of captured rice from the BMP-2 bins, put it on the back of the Sheragi. Sheragi does not believe his luck, takes the goodies to the village.

77. EXT. THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE VILLAGE — MORNING

Sheragi brings hot tortillas to the scouts from tandoor, 2 full cans of cool curdled milk. Friends eat everything with an appetite.

78. EXT. OUTSKIRTS OF THE VILLAGE - DAY

An excited Sheragi appears at the BMP-2, runs under the canopy, warns Rust.

SHERAGI:

I'll be right back!

Sheragi returns with 3 bearded Afghans of strong physique, parliamentarians.

SHERAGI:

Rustam! I trust you and I want you to talk to these people.

Rust and the scouts standing nearby understand that these are rebels.

THE VILLAGE OF MULLAH-GHULAM IS IN THE ZONE OF INFLUENCE OF THE FIELD COMMANDER OF THE ISLAMIC PARTY OF AFGHANISTAN (IPA), DR. SHAMS (SHAMSUTDIN).

SHAMS FORMATIONS ARE CONSTANTLY MINING ROADS, ATTACKING SOVIET AND AFGHAN TRANSPORT CONVOYS, TERRORIZING THE POPULATION.

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