Susanna's Seven Husbands Read online

SUSANNA.

  She offers her hand to shake.

  SUSANNA. Susanna …

  Keemat’s eyes pop out. He takes her hand and blushes.

  He keeps blushing and shaking her hand, making no sense at all.

  Cut to:

  Int. Shower. Day.

  A light rain falls outside the bathroom window.

  Half-hidden in billowing clouds of steam, Jimmy’s in the shower, wrapping plastic tubing around his forearm and readying his hypodermic needle.

  Int. Bedroom. Same.

  Meanwhile, Susanna goes through the pockets of Jimmy’s jeans. She finds a bag of heroin.

  Emptying out the closet, she discovers a couple more bags of white powder in his cowboy boots.

  She heaves off the mattress and spots a plastic bag of dope resting on the box spring.

  Then she’s pulling out and turning over desk drawers. Sure enough, more drugs.

  Inside the bathroom, the sound of the shower suddenly stops.

  Int. Bathroom. Same.

  Jimmy, glassy-eyed and high, puts on a terrycloth robe and tucks his hypodermic needle behind a loosened tile on the wall.

  He looks in the mirror, combs his hair, and frowns, hearing a noise outside the door.

  Int. Bedroom. Continuous.

  Jimmy emerges from the bathroom and looks around the bedroom. Everything is neat as a pin. And no one is there.

  The camera moves in on Jimmy’s face.

  Pre-lap: the tolling bell—in the rain.

  Cut to:

  Int. Kitchen. Night.

  Maggie stands in the kitchen in her bathrobe. She’s listening to the sound of the bell.

  Wearing pyjamas, Ghalib enters, reacting to the ominous sound. He and Maggie exchange a look.

  Ext. Stables. Same.

  Goonga comes outside wearing oversized gum-boots and carrying an umbrella in his hand. He looks over towards the chapel, where the bell is ringing.

  He can see the silhouetted steeple in the moonlight—but no lights are on.

  Int. Bell tower. Night.

  Susanna, dressed in black, is pulling on the bell rope for all she’s worth. CLANG! CLANG!

  Dissolve to:

  Ext. Garden. Day.

  The rain has stopped but puddles of water are all over the place. Arun comes racing past the stables.

  He runs on—up the drive, and past the cemetery. He exits the frame, while the camera lingers on a figure in the background leaning against a headstone.

  Arun walks back into the frame, recognizing Jimmy.

  Arun walks closer with mounting dread.

  From his POV, we come closer to Jimmy, whose head hangs low, dripping rainwater. Jimmy’s dog is there, too, shivering and whimpering.

  On the ground, a hypodermic needle and bent spoon. Arun touches Jimmy’s shoulder—and Jimmy topples over, cold and dead.

  Cut to:

  Ext. Cemetery. Later.

  In the driveway, cops load a stretcher bearing Jimmy’s corpse into a waiting hearse.

  Standing at the tombstone is Keemat Lal. A flunky is holding an umbrella over his head.

  Arun is watching from a respectful distance.

  A trail of bent grass and crushed flowers lead to the tombstone.

  The inspector wanders through the tombstones, checking the ground.

  KEEMAT (to the flunky). !

  Ext. Naag Temple well. Day.

  Now Keemat is at the edge of the well, staring down into its shadowy depths.

  ARUN.

  KEEMAT. ?

  Keemat starts to walk towards the tree.

  KEEMAT.

  KEEMAT.

  ARUN.

  KEEMAT.

  ARUN.

  Keemat is amused.

  KEEMAT.

  Suddenly a snake crosses over Keemat Lal’s foot on the grass.

  ARUN. Sir

  Keemat freaks out and falters back. He takes stumbles a few steps behind and falls to the ground. Arun runs up to him.

  ARUN. Sir

  Keemat is regaining his breath. He nods. All of a sudden something catches his eye, he looks down to see footprints in the moist earth. His expression changes, as he points at one footprint in particular.

  KEEMAT.

  Arun looks down.

  ARUN. Sir …

  Keemat starts to follow the footprints.

  KEEMAT. …

  Arun trails Keemat to the back door of the house.

  ARUN.

  Keemat suddenly grabs a bewildered Arun from under his arms and drags him across the ground as if he were a dead body, retracing the ‘killer’s’ steps.

  KEEMAT (theorizing).

  He inspects the footprints more closely.

  KEEMAT.

  Arun shrugs his shoulders.

  ARUN.

  KEEMAT.

  ARUN.

  Keemat shrieks.

  KEEMAT. !

  Arun hurriedly opens his shoes, and Keemat looks at his feet.

  Cut to:

  Ext. Stables. Day.

  Close shot of many bare feet.

  The servants and workers stand in line as Keemat Lal inspects the toes of each and everyone. Arun and Ghalib follow, their feet bare.

  KEEMAT.

  GHALIB.

  Arun wants to say something but Ghalib covers his mouth.

  ARUN.

  Keemat sharply turns to Arun.

  KEEMAT.

  A voice comes from behind.

  SUSANNA.

  Susanna is standing there in a floppy sun hat, sheer blouse and mini-skirt. Keemat’s eyes go down from her breasts all the way to her bare feet. Maggie strolls up with an umbrella, wearing sneakers. Keemat is too dazzled by Susanna to notice.

  Keemat retrieves Susanna’s sandals and sits next to her feet.

  KEEMAT.

  Susanna cuts him short.

  SUSANNA. Susanna …

  Keemat blushes as usual. He helps her put on the sandals, mumbling in utter pleasure and disbelief.

  He blathers on. Susanna smiles.

  Fade to black.

  Super—

  Int. House. Night.

  Angry shouts and cries of hundreds of men roaring out loud in anger, calling out ‘, ’ resonate on the soundtrack.

  On a television set we see the disturbing images of the Babri Masjid demolition.

  In silhouette we see the face of a man watching the broadcast—angry, hurt, enraged.

  Ext. Shalimar Garden. Dusk.

  In the twilight, the snow-capped Kashmiri mountain peaks are glowing pink. It is a stunning sight.

  A soulful, melodious voice recites a poem decrying the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid.

  WASIULLAH.

  Ext./Int. Lawn or Building. Continuous.

  On stage the poet Wasiullah Khan, 40, reaches the final verse of his poem. He is refined and dreamily dressed in a black achkan and white kurta, with a typical woollen Kashmiri cap on his head. As the audience stands and applauds, the camera moves in to the centre of the front row, where a woman—clad from head to toe in a flowing black burqa—looks at the poet.

  It’s Susanna. In the audience Ghalib, Goonga and Maggie are also present.

  Int. Kashmir house. Day.

  Susanna offers her prayers.

  ARUN (voice-over).

  Int. Painting exhibition. Day.

  SONG:

  Susanna strolls past paintings at an exhibition in Delhi. She hears a beautiful voice resonating the following words:

  WASIULLAH.

  She follows it to an adjoining book shop. We now see the source of the soothing words—Wasiullah, standing atop a stage, reciting his poem. Wearing spectacles, he is reading from his book.

  WASIULLAH.

  Int. Book shop. Continuous.

  It’s a public reading of new poems by the poet Wasiullah Khan, from his book Musafir.

  Ext. Susanna’s Panchgani house. Day.

  Susanna sits motionless on a swing in her garden as the wind blows the dry leaves across the
lawn.

  ARUN (voice-over). Jimmy

  Int. Puraana Qila. Day.

  Wasiullah recites another poem in some other Mushaira. Susanna sits in the crowd as a sudden rain shower sweeps in.

  Int. Backstage. Same.

  A completely drenched Susanna approaches Wasiullah Khan for an autograph. Wasiullah stops signing and looks at her walking through the crowd. He walks to her; she offers her palm.

  Wasiullah drops his pen away and writes his name in Urdu over her palm. The heavenly shower of rain comes again and starts to drench both of them The romantic poem continues on the soundtrack.

  Ext. Kashmir roads. Day.

  Susanna and Waisullah Khan walk in silence among the beautiful, serene landscape of Kashmir. Wasiullah holds his pet, a small white kitten in his arm and caresses her softly.

  Saans—montage.

  Very much in love, Susanna and Wasiullah sit together as they watch a senior poet recite a couplet at a Mushaira in Triveni, Delhi.

  The smitten couple attend another Mushaira at the Habitat Centre in Delhi. Wasiuallah dedicates one of his couplets to her.

  Wasiullah conducts a lecture in a classroom at Kashmir University. Susanna stands outside the classroom, teasing him, trying to distract him, to grab his attention. She has brought him his lunch.

  After the lecture they hurriedly get into his car which is parked in front of the University building. The chivalrous Wasiullah opens the passenger door for Susanna and shuts it after she is seated. They drive away.

  The two of them on a shikara, paddling their way through the chilly waters of Dal Lake, taking in the crisp evening air.

  As the couple pass an army bunker, a tense Susanna looks over at the grim soldiers. Wasiullah lovingly holds her hand as they walk passed the barbed wire fencing of the bunker.

  Susanna and Wasiullah in separate sections of the Jamia Mosque in Srinagar, offering namaz.

  In their house, Susanna stands alone on a pedestal, dressed like Wasiullah, doing her best to seriously recite a couplet as her husband sits on the floor in front of her and laughs his heart out at her attempt.

  Ext. Puraana Qila. Day.

  A poster advertising another poetry recital by the poet is plastered on a billboard.

  SONG:

  WASIULLAH.

  The poet now suddenly seems a little older than before. We notice grey hair on his stubble and tousled mane. He looks tired and unhappy. Susanna, who now has awkwardly timid body language, is wearing large sunglasses at this point.

  The couple step in front of the poster as several students cluster around them, taking photos. The poet modestly signs someone’s autograph book. As Susanna quietly watches this, we notice she has a small scratch on her face and a cut on her lower lip.

  A new voice-over poem begins, in which the poet describes his lonely quest for transcendence.

  Ext. Puraana Qila. Day.

  Susanna is standing amidst the magnificent structure alone, as the setting sun shimmers in the background. A sudden gust of wind blows dust and dry leaves on to her.

  She covers herself in a shawl as she continues to stand in solitude, watching the setting sun, confronting the dust-storm head on!

  The storm gets worse as even larger clouds of dust and hundreds of dry leaves almost assault her. She still stands there, majestic and statuesque against the twilight.

  Ext. Taj Mahal. Day.

  Visiting the Taj Mahal, Susanna and the poet pose for a photograph. Susanna playfully refuses to take off her sunglasses, so the amused poet dons a pair of his own.

  Ext. School in Kashmir. Day.

  Paying a visit to a primary school, the poet and Susanna admire some student art. When one of the kids gives Susanna a hug, she winces.

  Int. Wasiullah’s Kashmir house—bedroom. Day.

  Susanna is at her make-up table, daubing cosmetics on to her cheek with great care. Finally, satisfied, she puts on her big sunglasses, ready to face the world.

  Int/Ext. Road to Gulmarg. Day.

  Travelling shots—Susanna and Wasiullah travel in silence along the scenic roads of Kashmir. She is wearing her large sunglasses as she quietly stares out of the window.

  Int. Wasiullah’s house—top floor. Day.

  The poet is reciting his poem for a hundred invited guests.

  Maggie, Ghalib and Goonga are attending to the guests. But visibly there is something else on their minds. Their Miss Saheb is not a part of the gathering.

  The poet reaches his last poetic stanza:

  WASIULLAH.

  Int. Wasiullah’s house—bedroom. Continuous.

  As we hear the poetic stanza in the soundtrack, we see a sorrowful Susanna, sitting alone in her bedroom, staring out of the window.

  Fade to black.

  Ext. Arun’s college canteen. Day.

  In the bustling food court, a few college students read the headline of a local newspaper carrying a glamorous photograph of Susanna:

  THE MERRY WIDOW OF PANCHGANI

  Third Husband Vanishes from Kashmir!

  Literary World Fears Worst!

  Laughter from the other students. Arun, now 25, enters the canteen and sits down. One of the other boys nudges Student 1.

  The students have a hearty laugh as one turns to Arun and asks:

  Arun smiles, gets up and walks over.

  STUDENT 3. 50:50 … Fair deal … What say …?

  He winks at Arun amid mischievous snickering.

  ARUN Yeah … very fair …

  He bends down, close to the student’s ear.

  ARUN. Clue

  The student nods. Arun starts to whisper something, then suddenly bites down! The student screams in pain, but Arun has his bleeding ear clenched in his teeth! Student 2 kicks Arun in the stomach, forcing Arun to release his victim. It’s a violent fight with chairs and rods. Arun lashes out in a blind rage.

  Jump cut to:

  Int. Jail cell. Day.

  Arun, in torn clothes and bruised all over, squats behind bars in a police station. Keemat Lal is sitting outside the cell with his leg over a table. He reads a poem from Wasiullah Khan’s latest book.

  KEEMAT.

  He looks at the book cover, an arty, gauzy photo of Susanna.

  A constable comes running.

  CONSTABLE. Sir! Sir!

  KEEMAT.

  CONSTABLE.

  KEEMAT.

  CONSTABLE.

  Keemat takes a moment to absorb the information. He starts smiling and stammering, riveted anew by Susanna’s photograph.

  KEEMAT.

  He looks at the photograph.

  Cut to:

  Ext. Road outside the police station. Day.

  A stony-faced Susanna sits in her car, wearing her big black sunglasses. Goonga is at the wheel while Maggie and Ghalib stand nearby.

  Keemat still holds Wasiullah’s book.

  The constable brings the official register from inside followed by the disheveled Arun. Keemat shifts the poetry book under his arm and passes the register to Susanna through the car window.

  KEEMAT.

  He takes back the register and hands it to the constable.

  He steps close to her.

  KEEMAT.

  Susanna won’t look at him. He fumbles and the poetry book drops from his armpit, landing at Maggie’s feet. Arun bends down to retrieve it, but freezes: Maggie’s got six toes! Arun instinctively looks at Keemat, who hasn’t noticed.

  Kneeling, Keemat lovingly looks at Susanna’s photograph on the book. He brushes off the dirt, picks it up and stands alongside Arun.

  Susanna softly whispers.

  Arun looks down. The camera closes in on Maggie’s six toes.

  Cut to:

  Ext. Campfire. Night.

  The drinking session. Goonga and Maggie are roasting fresh corn over the fire. Ghalib offers a beer to Arun, who doesn’t take the can but keeps looking into the flames, lost in deep thought.

  Ghalib opens a can and Arun takes a sip from it.

 
ARUN.

  MAGGIE (gulping down her drink).

  All three burst into a laughter. Arun is curious.

  ARUN.

  Goonga grunts something, while lying on the ground, and they burst into more vigorous laughter this time.

  ARUN.

  ARUN.

  GHALIB. Ping Pong.

  MAGGIE. Ding Dong.

  GHALIB. Pom Pom.

  MAGGIE. Tring tring.

  They roll down on the ground laughing. Arun also smiles.

  Cut to:

  Int. Wasiullah’s house—bedroom. Night.

  Flashback. Wasiullah trying his best to be tender to Susanna in bed. But he finally fails to arouse himself and slaps Susanna hard.

  Susanna is shocked as he slaps her again and again. Susanna cries, Wasiullah looks down at himself—a sadistic smile appears on his lips.

  Cut to:

  Int. Wasiullah’s house—bedroom. Night.

  Later, he calmly strokes Susanna, who is black and blue. She cries silently, looking at the cat sleeping on the carpet.

  Int. Wasiullah’s house—bedroom. Day.

  Susanna in front of the mirror, looking at her bruised face. She picks up a make-up brush and starts to apply a base.

  Cut to:

  Int. Wasiullah’s house—bedroom. Night.

  The poet stands at Susanna’s bedroom door. He holds a bouquet of roses in one hand and his cat in the other. He’s about to knock when he stops, his face full of guilt and indecision.

  Inside, Susanna is reading Anna Karenina. Wasiullah decides not to knock, but as he turns away, his cat meows.

  Susanna’s eyes shift from her book to the door. Outside, Wasiullah shuts his eyes in irritation. Susanna opens the door to find him there, trying to smile. He hands her the flowers, then walks away. After a few steps, he returns and takes a white folded paper from his pocket. He offers it to her while looking down.

  WASIULLAH.

  Susanna doesn’t take it. He looks up at her. She smiles, he smiles back.

  Cut to:

  Int. Wasiullah’s house—bedroom Later.

  SONG:

  WASIULLAH.

  Wasiullah sits at Susanna’s feet on the bed, reciting a poem through which he seeks to ask her forgiveness for his deeds. He takes a vow to be like a lamb in her embrace or a butterfly in her palms. He finishes the recitation. Looking at him with admiring and forgiving eyes, she comes up to him and hugs him tenderly. He embraces her and closes his eyes.