«ZUGZWANG OF OBER LIEUTENANT BRUNO THEVS» Page #18

108. INT. YAKUB KHAN'S TEAHOUSE — DAY.

Yakub Khan accompanies Otto, Bruno, Yahya Mukhadi to Otto's usual cot, invites Zalmai to take the order.

OTTO:

(addressing Yakub Khan, who is standing next to him)

Yakub Khan! You probably know that a Bundeswehr armored personnel carrier was attacked in Kunduz the other day?

(pause)

Two soldiers were killed, Commander Jung's son from TF-47, a young man of 20 years old, was also abducted?!

Yahya Mukhadi translates Otto's words, Yakub Khan nodded sympathetically.

OTTO:

I have a request for you: contact Shamsutdin's people, they probably know who did it.

We will transmit their terms to TF-47

(Otto nodes at Bruno, a stranger to Yakub Khan)

I believe the parties will be able to agree.

YAKUB KHAN:

(cheerless)

I can't promise anything, dear.

(pause)

I suggest we meet tomorrow, at the same time. Maybe I can clarify something.

The conversation is interrupted by the efficient Zalmai, who brought the ordered dishes to the guests — a large plate of pilaf, mutton kebab, hot tortillas. The guests postpone the discussion and, under the sincere "Dast az talab nadara" of the Afghan singer Ahmad Zahir, which sounded from the speakers, proceed to the meal. The meal is over, Bruno has paid for lunch and, together with Otto, Yahya Mukhadi leaves the teahouse.

109. EXT. YAKUB KHAN'S TEAHOUSE — DAY.

Bruno hailed a taxi parked on the opposite side of the road.

BRUNO:

(to Otto Greenberg, Yahya Mukhadi)

You go, and I'll visit the store.

I need to buy a gift.

Bruno hurriedly heads to the jewelry store located 30 steps from the Yakub Khan teahouse with large panoramic windows and bright showcases.

110. INT. JEWELRY STORE — DAY.

At the entrance Bruno is met by the owner — an elderly Sikh Hindu in a black dastar (an Indian turban tied in a characteristic manner), a snow–white kurta (an Indian long wide shirt below the knees), churidars (narrow long trousers) made of expensive fabric.

BRUNO:

(positive)

AsSalamu Alaikum!

THE HINDU:

(with a smile)

Guten morgen!

Bruno goes inside the store, looks around and goes to the window with a lot of jewelry - with emeralds, rubies, sapphires, lapis lazuli. The Hindu walks along the inside of the showcases and becomes a vis-a-vis.

THE HINDU:

(helpfully in German)

Do you want to choose something for yourself?

BRUNO:

Not to yourself! To the bride!

THE HINDU:

(with pathos)

Wonderful! We have everything to win the heart of a beautiful young lady! Is she German?!

(Pause)

How old is she?!

BRUNO:

She is an Afghan woman of 25 years old!

THE HINDU:

(astonished)

An Afghan woman?!

BRUNO:

(hesitated)

It doesn't matter! I need a gift. The ring!

The Hindu looked at the products, pulls on a tray under a glass case, pompously.

THE HINDU:

Gold – white, yellow, pink?! You can choose from the best precious stones in Afghanistan- Pamir rubies, Panjshir emeralds, no worse than Colombian ones, I will note to you!

(looks intently at the confused Bruno)

How much money do you expect?

Bruno is puzzled.

THE HINDU:

(he calls out to the assistant)

Raj! Bring us some coffee!

(without letting Bruno come to his senses)

Here, the Afghan-Badakhshan lapis lazuli from Jarm!

The Hindu takes out a silver set of elegant earrings and rings with blue lapis lazuli ovals on a stand.

THE HINDU:

Excellent quality of the stone. For your information, Afghan lapis lazuli is the best in the world.

During excavations, it was found even in the tombs of the pharaohs!

Bruno became interested.

BRUNO:

(with confidence)

I'll buy it, maybe something else, if you give in to the price.

THE HINDU:

(with cunning)

If you buy this and anything else, there will certainly be a discount.

BRUNO:

(delighted, runs a glance)

OK! Show me this yellow ring with a green stone.

THE HINDU:

(pointed his finger at the product under the glass)

Oh! This is a great choice for the future spouse – the mother of your children!

Mister, a gold ring with an emerald! Panjshir emeralds are famous on world stock exchanges, they are not inferior in quality to Zambian and Brazilian ones.

BRUNO:

(having studied the price tags on the string tie – strictly)

What will be the discount?!

THE HINDU:

(expertly tapping his fingers on the calculator – with importance)

25% is the maximum!

BRUNO:

(categorically)

Not serious – 35%!

THE HINDU:

(compromise)

30%!

BRUNO:

(conciliatory)

Persuaded!

The Indian lit up with a smile and, taking a VIZA credit card from Bruno, rolls it in the terminal. Then, he puts the jewelry in a small advertising bag with an inscription in Arabic script and passes it to Bruno. Bruno immediately takes them out again and puts them in his uniform backpack. The Hindu smiles. Bruno nodes gratefully to the Indian and is about to leave.

THE HINDU:

(after)

Young man!

(benevolently)

At the first opportunity – take your passion and leave Afghanistan! There will be nothing good for you here!

BRUNO:

(turning, intrigued)

Why is this all of a sudden?!

Bruno returns, stands up vis-a-vis to the Hindu.

THE HINDU:

(putting his hand to his heart)

My name is Iqbal Singh!

BRUNO:

(with a smile)

You don't have to know my name!

Call, for example, Konstantin!

THE HINDU:

(with cordiality)

Mr. Konstantin! My ancestors came from Punjab to Afghanistan more than two centuries ago. I was born and grew up in Kunduz, where most of them lived in my memory – Pashtuns, Uzbeks, followed by Tajiks, Turkmens, ethnic Arabs and, to a negligible extent, we are Punjabi Sikhs! I graduated from a school in Kunduz, then from a university in Kabul. Afghans and Hindus have always coexisted peacefully in Kunduz, as well as in Fayzabad, Jalalabad, Kabul, Gardez, Kandahar. In the Afghan society there was an absolute tolerance for religious traditions, the same- Hazaras-Shiites, Pamiris-Ismailis, Hindus-Sikhs. It should be noted that the Sikhs living in Afghanistan have been engaged in high-budget trade since ancient times and were not poor people.

Their possessions included large shops and bazaars. The Sikh children studied at the universities of Kabul, Islamabad, Delhi, London and were highly educated! However, with the coming to power in Afghanistan of the radical Taliban movement and in the future, an evil intolerance began to manifest itself towards the Hindus and their traditions. Out of the 150 thousand Sikh community of Afghanistan in the 1970s, there are currently not even 4 thousand!

Afghan children are forbidden to play together with our children, to study in the same school, in other educational institutions. Our children, the Afghan ones, are insulted, called names and humiliated, as well as adults.

Sikhs respect their freedom, as well as the freedom of other people! On the day when my unforgettable wife Amrit Singh died, "May she have a better place in paradise", my grown-up children and representatives of the Sikh community and I saw her off on her last journey in compliance with our religious tradition.

111. EXT. EASTERN QUARTER — DAY.

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