The Sunday Plan…

“This is what you all will do on a Sunday?”

One of those five stormed out of nowhere. He stood up. Surrounded by other four, who looked at him checking their watches to confirm, is that the hangover from yesterday? No, it was not. Looking at the eight eyeballs gathering a gaze on him, his eyeballs and the words from his mouth responded,

“Come on guys. We woke up at 11. Had breakfast for lunch. Planned everything and did nothing. This Sunday is turning out to be the same as those routine Sundays.” “And why do you have a problem with that suddenly? You ate too much of, in saanson ko aahon ko… last night I guess.”

One of them said swiping the reel.

“hi hi hi. Yeah. I expected you to talk. Have one of yours in that collection. A REAL ONE.”

Interrupting him in between one besides him sat with his feet hanging from the bed hands on either side of the body. in a posture, I don’t know wtf are you? just tell me why do we care.

“Sir, have a seat and just tell one place that we didn’t visit, ways of transport without a single aan umm usko puchta hoon isko puchtaa hoon. Keeping in mind you leave at 5.30 in the morning for the job tomorrow. And I will take you there. Why only you? I will make them all run for it.”

The one-sided discussion took the back seat and debate hopped in.

“Even if I say it you won’t come I know.”

“Don’t buy time with useless arguments, just tell me. You have my word for it.”

Mapping out the places in mind, struggling with the same scenery, and trying to remember place names from reels. And the ones he remembers he does not know the in detail info. To take some name and defend himself, he said,

“TORANA? Less than two hours from here and we have bikes.”

“I think your memory isn’t even saving 8-month data. next?”

“We can discuss and find some places to go right. No one is interested in doing so!”

“This should have been done in the night yesterday. Our discussions for lunch and dinner take at least an hour to reach the destination. This is too hard for me.”

The third one entered the conversation and left in a go.

“Sir, done? shall we pose back on our backs for the day now?”

“We can go out, watch a movie. Roam somewhere for an hour or so and that will take us to…”

taking some time to press lock button and confirm time the fifth of the Paandavas being the only one to at least support, lent some support and said

“…7 or maybe 8 and we will have dinner and back to the room.”

All eyes on him now. But this one seemed doable to all. The first wounded warrior in the battle had something to smile. He has been saved from dying.

“I don’t think there is any good movie playing at theatres now.”

The lunch guy was back in the game.

“I said we will pass some time.”

“By spending 200 bucks on something isn’t even worth of watching. On the cost of losing the best thing we can do for the rest of the day, SLEEP”.

And the lunch was done.

“There is a SOUTH movie playing in theatres. Heard many good things about it. We can have a hit at it.”

Saviour said.

“You know what was the last time we all went in for the movie with you. You had heard many good things about it. That movie with some flowers on the poster. Are woh VD waala kya naam thaa yaar. Haan ‘October’ sahi hai wahi thaa. I Don’t know about you or the others but, I slept who knows how many times in theatre.” dinner was done.

Looking at the reel waala guy he said,

”Kuch achcha ho to batao nahi to I am not leaving. Direct tea in the evening that’s all.”

One who asked for the place and route had already watched some of his suggestions and loved them. To try to ease the heat in the room said,

“What genre is it and language.”

“I think it is pure action entertainer, but as you know they do have a heroine in it so can’t tell. Not every movie is Kaithi, right!.”

“Yaar! I just want a day out. Let’s go, please.”

The wounds were still hurting I guess. 200 buck guy, seeing the first attacker changing sides started once again

“janaab aap kabse movie dekhane lage. you finish three-hour movie in three minutes. Let me explain how, You download it==> check the start ==> see thumbnails while fast forwarding. Go near the climax and see if there is a fight. If not, delete it and move on.”

“You know all about all you say? You have been away for months and just joined us. The group is different from what you think you know.”

A sudden turn drifted better than the fast and furious vehicle went on to take a wrong turn and an unexpected twist close to that of Nolan’s Inception ending.

“What is there about knowing and all? What is so personal man! We are going out or not is all we are discussing here. This is about the movie not us, not life.”

A quick response from the bucks hit the floor. The guy watching reels earlier was pulling him from back, pulled once, twice and at last hastily jerked to stop him from speaking any further and whispered,

“Hold on man. hold on. I’ll tell you.”

It all went quiet for some time and then it was two groups with two different stories in the plate. bucks and reels joined hands for a backstory and others went on discussing movies …

They went just outside the room on a road where only one two-wheeler and two people could walk side by side. It was Saturday afternoon. Not many people were seen outside. Rather than discussing it out, they may have chosen the option of just fleeing from the house.

“Just tell me why all that T-Shirt pulling. I was not done there. What do you people know about others? Is this the way to talk? And the topic is not even close to be nothing. And of course one good sleep away from canceling out for forever.”

The reel guy again pulled his shirt and smiled and then started thinking about something

“Now you are filling more anger in me.”

“Chill brother. ice cream? I was just thinking ki how should I put it to you? You negated the whole discussion of going to the movies.”

“Yes I did that but that does not mean I do not watch movies. I do watch them but I am that kind of guy, if it is between Barbecue and movie at the same price I will always choose Barbecue.”

“Okay Okay. Let me start by saying this. Have you heard something called ‘forget me’ somewhere or from someone.”

He said while smiling

“Yaar why you are playing around. Just see the hole hit the golf bol.” “aah…rhyming. Okay. There is a phrase, as I said, forget me. And there are people who do not (rather don’t want to) hear ‘for’. And chase the person for life assuming they said ‘get me’.”

“You are putting it that interestingly makes me hear more. Or maybe I want to know what he has so painful that he almost…. forget it. Carry on.”

“So listen, have you watched 96 ? I too have watched it because he made us watch it. That was the only recommendation from him in forever. The story he thinks is his from start to finish.” “96 ? Is it Hollywood? Honestly, there are only a couple of movies I have watched that were titled as number , i.e. 24 An Anil Kapoor Show. 1917 was a war epic. You can continue with your story or whatever.”

“It is the story of a boy who likes a girl from school. Slowly they start liking each other but got separated in the college. She goes abroad and marries some guys. During the reunion of their 96 batch she got to know that RAM tried reaching out to her in college but the letter never reached her and a man of almost 40 who she thinks would have moved on didn’t.”

“It seems nice to hear this explained by you though”

“The main part is our guy thinks he is Ram and to remind himself again and again he watches the same movie, and the scene where the female lead played by Trisha touches Ram’s heart to make him faint the next moment, by that touch.”

“Is that it? Is that his story? Do you wanna hear mine now? The real one. He asked me where I was for the past few months. Did anyone know or tried to know where I was? I have been trying to keep it all in place. I have been giving my all to you friends. Let’s keep him out of conversation for some time. Do you know where I was?”

Looking at his face and sudden change in voice, it felt like he too would narrate some heartbreak. But the intensity told it differently, This was out of the league for I reels he chose to listen …

“Where did they go?”

Saviour dropped a concern.

“Let them wonder na. Why waste our moment.”

96 exclaimed

“Hey, as you said you like movies right. What do you like to tell me? Hitchcock, Ridley Scott, Denis something(mispronounces), Scorsese, Woody Allen, Kubrick or Kashyap’s favourite Seven Samurai director Kurosava.”

It felt as if all the Oscars were served on a plate. saviour and 96 guy looked at each other. saviour did know them and looked at failure laughed so that he could understand 96 understood nothing.

“e hollywood! English seekhne ke like dekh raha thaa bolata to hai nahi bs naam jhaad raha hai.”

96 made his point clear that he did not understand anything. Clearly, he only new Kashyap and no one else. And who didn’t watch Sardar Khan and his gang slay Wasseypur. You didn’t? “Beta…Tumse na ho payega!”

“ bataa de nahi pataa! ab kabootar ek par se bachake kyaa hi kar lega?”

The room filled with laughter. The reference made them do it even more. Still 96 was unhinged and held a poker face. And I was just curious why it was called, ‘poker face’. Yes, it is counted as a skill of poker players to hide emotions. And why does the definition matter in a story…let’s continue :) “Ha ha ha. Sometimes you should appreciate our culture ar movies to be specific. This main bahut cool hoon Hollywood dekhta hoon is a hoax.”

“As if you knew Satyajit Ray and his work. Are you familiar with Pather Panchal? And you are giving some lessons on culture (I assume). By watching Hero thrash 10 goons in one punch and cheer the same for 3 hrs until hero gets heroine and comes home saying, Kyaa movie thi yaar! Keep your Masala culture to you. I am least interested.”

“Do you know what people like you do? Go to Google.com and search, top ten directors in Hollywoood. Select a few of them check movies, read reviews, and awards and watch them to make yourself feel like being a member of the so-called group of ‘we watch cult movies’. Saying the same GodFather dialogue that even I know, ‘I'll Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse’ You do not see life pan out in movies. Your characters mean nothing after you come out. This is just a void experience that you have. The things should stay for some time at least. That lingering is a feeling. And yes I did watch Hollywood but, where characters made feel me home. pursuit and Shawshank are unforgettable for me.”

The samaa was being heated again. Saviour was out of the debate and kept watching the two. Just to make it little cooler and to avoid one more to leave the room he said, “Shall we try and settle this by something? I have a point to make here. Let’s see and try if I will be able to prove it to both of you or not.”

The room was silent and taking that silence as a YES savior continued,

“Do you know Imtiaz Ali? This was just an unwanted question and I should rather continue. You both watched, ‘Tamasha’ that I definitely know. Just tell me what is that to you in some words and I know we will definitely settle the debate.”

Pointing at 96 he said, “You start then me and then him. Okay?”

After giving a thumbs up to each other the pitching started,

“‘Tamasha’, I have watched it a couple of times and for me it is story of two people. Random but close. Unrelated still closely related and Unloving but, full of love. It seems contradictory and that contradiction is the beauty. This is about Ved and Tara finding each other through the journey of their own hardships. Do you love the person because he is like that? Do you love the person because he will change if you say so? Or you do not know the reason but, you just do. The Physical or emotional details are just blurry and insignificant.” 96 finished his point.

Saviour pushed to stop the other one when he said

“Love love..ha ha we are back to 96 I guess.”

Then he started his point by saying, “These three depictions will say everything for themselves.”

He made some space for himself. Took a moment just to think and then started,

“You said and remember Ved and Tara. But, for me even if I do not remember the names. I connect with them less to Tara but, more to Ved. His inner struggle with himself. him trying to do what he wanted to do. Listen and act out stories. Those narrated beautifully by Piyush Mishra. His…”

“That Aarambh guy? He is in the movie? I didn’t notice.”

failure interrupted him in between.

“Wait man! Let him finish what he is saying.”

96 too jumped in.

“Chill both of you. You are diluting the fun. Yes he is that Aarambh guy an impeccable magician of words and voice overs. That is another full hour of discussion. I am continuing on ‘Tamasha’ for now.”

Taking that imaginary mic again in hand. Which travelled around the room for quite some time he said,

“Where was I? Stories haan yes. So, that little boy who lived in stories chose to be some other guy just because his father forced him to. And now at the beautiful age of enjoying and living life to the fullest. having enough or close to a luxurious life providing money. He is stuck. He is stuck in that little boy and corporate employee. Making a full zund out of his life and Tara being just a part of life or illusion that is talking to both of them.”

96 guy listening to this thought,

“He is even deep into characters. Maybe I just saw a ‘love story’ and not this.”

Taking a pause after finishing his depiction. He snapped his fingers twice just to get the attention of other two. Pointed towards failure and said,

“Continue your point of view. Now you have an even better idea of what has to be done.” He started,

“For me Tamasha is an exploration of wants and needs with a flavor of love story. Father keeps making the blur between expectations and reality clearer for the child. Forcing him to check for needs/status than wants/passion. And I slept for first half an hour of the film.”

Observing a pause Saviour asked.

“Are you done?”

“Yes. I am.” Fighter said.

“I do not seem to understand what should we deduct from all this?” 96 said.

“I was just trying to say that. The movie belongs to the eyes of audience. Those three hours have a lot to explore. Every seat in cinema hall experiences it differently. The many who like something may not be liking it for the same reason you see.”

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — -

“Are you listening? Bucks wanted to continue.

After stammering a little, “Yeah…go on my friend ”

the one who pulled his shirt, took him outside to talk, explained how HE was wrong and told a story tying it to real life…like he cared(ha ha). Was talking in a lean tone of friend and all. As bucks anyways committed to tell him something, and was not so much focusing on these things continued,

“The story you told, of a boy a girl and something predictable that always happens. In my case it was not a girl. It was someone who was there, like always. Standing with me, for me and also who made me stand in front of this world. I am her one and only or rather I’d say she was mine one and only too. Even before I could see the world she made me her dream. Roaming around, making plans, watch movies, hop around like anything. Yeah! I too enjoy that…”

now reels was trying to predict what bucks was talking about and still don’t want the story to reach there. He crossed his fingers for the worst and kept on listening.

“But, you see, when the life overturns it’s climax on you to make you helpless and numb you cannot think of doing that. So, I am not a bad one opposing you all that conversation would have ended cleanly. And, I would have kept this story to myself that noone was knowing or ever interested in. Still it has to go out and I am revealing things not to get an edge in the useless conversations. But, just because someone should know or think before speaking.”

reels nodded and let bucks continue.

“Fate is not same with all you see. Short term contacts , which you gain then lose and then gain again. And, the first contact of your life are…. ”

Continued…