Nirmala and Other Stories: Screenplays by Gulzar

By Gulzar

Gulzar is one of the best known and acknowledged poet lyricist and director, honoured for his sensitivity, best reflected through his writings and treatment of films.
Saba Basheer is a poet, author and a translator. Her first book was a collection of poems, Memory Past (2006) brought out by Writers’ Workshop. I Swallowed the Moon: The Poetry of Gulzar (2013), is the analysis of the poetry of Gulzar, which culminated from her PhD thesis, and is now being translated in Hindi and Urdu.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Roli Books
• Release date: Apr 19, 2017
• ISBN: 9789351941170

Book preview

MUNSHI PREMCHAND’S

NIRMALA

and other stories

OTHER LOTUS TITLES

MUNSHI PREMCHAND’S

NIRMALA

and other stories

screenplay by

GULZAR

translated by

SABA MAHMOOD BASHIR

ROLI BOOKS

This digital edition published in 2016

First published in 2016 by

The Lotus Collection

An Imprint of Roli Books Pvt. Ltd

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Copyright © Manzarnama, Gulzar

© This translation, Saba Mahmood Bashir

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eISBN: 978-93-5194-117-0

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Hamari

Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb

Aur

Hindustani Zabaan

Ke Naam

Contents

Nirmala

Boodhi Kaki

Eid Gah

Hajj-e-Akbar

Jyoti

Kafan

Namak ka Daroga

Panch Parmeshwar

Poos Ki Raat

Sawa Ser Gehoon

Swamini

Thakur ka Kuan

Glossary

About the Translator

Nirmala

1

UDAYBHAN WAS A WELL-KNOWN LAWYER OF THE city. Although his house wasn’t that big, people still called it a bungalow. Standing near the gate of the bungalow, a labourer with a hand carriage full of tents and canopies, was peeping here and there. He was unable to read the name plate as it was written in English. A little girl was playing in the veranda inside. Seeing her, he called out.

‘Muniya!’

Hearing a voice, the little girl came running to the gate. The labourer asked her.

‘Is this Vakeel Manji’s bungalow?’

‘It is written on the gate! Can’t you read it?’

The labourer smiled.

‘I wouldn’t have been pulling this cart, Muniya, had I been capable of reading.’

‘My name isn’t Muniya. It is Krishna.’

‘Are you Vakeel saheb’s daughter?’, he asked her, wiping off his sweat with his gamcha.

‘Yes. I am the younger one. The elder one is my didi.’

‘Please get this load taken off the cart. Tell me, where do I offload it? Seth Bhagwandas has sent these tents. Preparations are going on for your didi’s wedding.’

‘That is still a month away. Why has it been sent so early?’

He pulled the hand cart inside.

‘How would I know that, Muniya? …I was ordered, so I…’

Krishna’s mother called out from the veranda.

‘What is it, bhaiyya? …What have you brought?’

‘Sethji has sent the tents, didi.’

Krishna objected.

‘Arre, she is not didi. She is my maa.’

Maa got a little irritated and then instructed,

‘He is anxious for everything… take it there… offload it at the back of the house.’

As instructed, he took the cart towards the back of the house. Mother asked Krishna,

‘Where is Nirmala?’

‘How do I know? She is sitting and hiding at the rooftop.’

‘Go and ask – if she has had anything.’

Saying this, she turned towards the backyard. And Krishna went inside. All of a sudden, maa’s gaze fell on the gate and she noticed that someone was standing, and peeping inside. She called out and asked,

‘Who are you? And why are you standing there?’

‘I am standing in the lane. This isn’t anyone’s property.’

She was surprised hearing this answer, and came a few steps forward.

‘What do you want? Why are you peeping inside?’

He looked like a wrestler, with a lathi in hand. He asked,

‘Where is Vakeel saheb?’

His manner was asking was very disrespectful. Maa replied sternly,

‘He is not in the house.’

‘Where has he gone?’

‘He is not in town… has gone to Lucknow.’

‘When will he return?’

She got irritated.

‘I don’t know. You move on… else I will call the police.’

Unperturbed, the man replied,

‘I am going… tell him when he returns, that Matai had come. Have spent three years in jail because of him.’

Saying this, he turned and went away with brisk steps. The mother went towards the backyard.

2

NIRMALA WAS SITTING ON THE ROOF. SILENT AND sad. Krishna called out as soon as she entered.

‘Didi.’

Quickly, Nirmala wiped her tears.

‘Arre. You are crying again? You are getting married, didi. No one is sending you off to jail.’

Nirmala smiled.

‘You talk a lot, Kishni.’

‘Babuji has got the tents delivered.’

‘Has babuji come?’

‘He will come tomorrow. But he must have ordered before leaving for Lucknow…’

‘Hmmm.’

Nirmala again sat thinking.

‘You are again sitting with a long face! C’mon, let’s go down and play satapo.’

‘I don’t feel like playing.’

‘How come you don’t feel like? You play everyday!’

‘Today, I don’t feel like playing, Krishna.’

‘Achcha. Let satapo be. Come, let’s sit outside and play with gitte.’

Maa walked in with something to eat in a plate. Hearing what Krishna was saying, she added:

‘Now the days to play gitte and satapo are over. Such things are not accepted at the in-laws. Such pleasures can only be enjoyed at the parents’ house.’

‘Why? …Marriage doesn’t mean that one stops enjoying life.’

Maa kept the plate in front of Nirmala.

‘Eat something. I have made ghuginee for you.’

She fed a spoon to Krishna and then to Nirmala. Krishna spoke up,

‘If such is the case, I will never go to my susral.’

‘Everyone says the same thing. But then, everyone has to go.’

Maa addressed Nirmala,

‘You are already looking so pale. What will happen to you in a month’s time?’

‘When will babuji come, maa?’

‘Why are you so worried? He will return by tomorrow. He had gone for some of his work. He stayed on for a day at the samdhis insistence. Mohan too had to return from the hostel. Would meet him and return.’

‘Who is Mohan, maa?’

‘Your jija… Bhuvan Mohan.’

As Nirmala smiled, Krishna pulled her leg,

‘Didi, will you address him as Bhuvan or Mohan?’

Nirmala smiled and replied,

‘Bhuvan Mohan.’

Maa laughed out,

‘Don’t call out his name in the susral. They are very traditional in their outlook.’

3

UDAYBHAN WAS SITTING IN THE LAWNS OF HIS samdhi, Bhalchander’s house and having tea with him. Bhalchander objected to something,

‘Vakil saheb, don’t embarrass me talking about dowry. Getting related to you is itself worth a lakh! I detest people who give or take dowry.’

‘You are a noble person. I made a mistake even in mentioning it to you.’

‘All I want is that the baraatis should be taken care of in such a way that they would always remember this baraat.’

‘You be rest assured on that account. We will leave no stones unturned.’

Just then, Udaybhan’s future son-in-law, Bhuvan Mohan walked in. Bhalchander called out to him.

‘Come… come here. Vakil saheb is here.’

Bhuvan came and touched the feet of Udaybhan and sat down.

‘Why do you stay in the hostel? You have such a fancy bungalow. Why don’t you stay in the house?’

‘I can’t concentrate on my studies in the house, babuji. On top of that, maa is perpetually trying to feed me. She thinks I am indulging in major exercise.’

Everyone enjoyed this joke.

‘What are your subjects?’

‘I have taken science, babuji.’

‘So, what do you want to become, a doctor?’

‘Let us see… I still have a year to decide.’

Udaybhan paused for a while and then said,

‘Even Nirmala would say that she would decide after the twelfth. Whether she would opt for arts or science. But she was very scared of English. She is saved now.’

‘How come?’

‘She didn’t get the opportunity for that. God has given her the opportunity to get married.’

Bhuvan got embarrassed. Bhalchander said,

‘Go! Meet your mother also. She has been waiting for you.’

‘Yes.’

And he went inside.

4

NIRMALA HAD TAKEN OUT ALL HER BOOKS AND had kept them in front of her. She also had tiny precious things, which girls of her age generally have. One by one, she was handing everything over to Krishna.

‘This is a book on hygiene. I have already marked out all the expected answers for the examination. It will be helpful for you.’

‘But it will only be helpful once I reach that class.’

‘Do you plan to go on failing?’

‘Why will I fail?’

‘Then?’

‘All of my studies would go waste, if I also get married.’

Nirmala got upset.

‘True… I really wanted to study more… all in vain now.’

Heaving a sigh, she picked up other books.

‘Let it be… take these. These are notes for history and geography. They will be helpful for you. And this is English. Baba re… the grammar book of Wren and Martin… babuji says that even he had studied this in school. I did not understand anything.’

Suddenly, Nirmala pushed all the books towards her.

‘Here… take everything. What will I do with these!’

An ivory bookmark came out of the bundle. Looking at it indulgently, she said, ‘Keep this too… an ivory bookmark.’

‘At least take this – it is very beautiful.’

‘What use will it be? And this itardaan…’

It was a small beautiful vial of itar

‘Keep this.’

Suddenly, Krishna picked up a pearl string.

‘Don’t leave this necklace behind, didi. Maa had bought this for you in Lucknow… Do I help you wear it?’

Krishna was putting it on Nirmala, when Maa entered with a bowl of uptan for Nirmala’s face.

‘Now you don’t need these imitation jewellery. Your father is getting gold jewellery for you.’

‘Ivory isn’t artificial.’

‘But what value does it have in comparison to gold? There will be a necklace, a guloband, and stone-studded jewellery.’

‘Will it be studded with diamonds too, maa?’

‘We aren’t rich enough to buy diamonds. But there will be precious stones, for sure.’

‘And what jewellery will be there for ears?’

‘There will be everything. Why are you getting so restless?’

‘Then what all will be there for my wedding?’

Nirmala pulled her leg,

‘Why don’t you get married first? I don’t have an issue with that.’

‘Why do I marry an elderly person?’

‘He is not elderly.’

‘But he is elder to me, na.’

Maa also pulled her leg,

‘That doesn’t make any difference. They are rich people. They will get a whole lot of jewellery made for you.’

All of a sudden, Nirmala asked,

‘Why has babuji gone to Lucknow, maa?’

‘This is why he had gone. We had given some jewellery to be made in Lucknow. And a ring for the groom had also to be made.’

Krishna wanted more information-

‘For Bhuvan Mohan?’

‘Yes… and he had to withdraw some money from the bank too.’

There was a brief silence. Then Nirmala asked,

‘When will babuji come?’

‘He will return by tomorrow evening’s train.’

‘Can I go to the station to fetch him?’

‘How will you step out of the house now? Our panditji will go and fetch him.’

Maa got up to go back.

‘Now, both of you go to sleep.’

Both the sisters started clearing up the bed.

5

UDAYBHAN WAS RETURNING IN THE NIGHT TRAIN. It was a second-class compartment. There were hardly any passengers in the compartment. He took out his watch from the pocket to look at the time. The dozing passenger, sitting in front of him said,

‘The train is running late by two hours, saheb.’

Saying this, he went back to sleep. Udaybhan, carefully looked at his luggage kept under the seat, and then went towards the toilet. The passenger sleeping on the top berth, removed the sheet from his face, and saw Udaybhan going. He was the same pehelwan, who had come to his house with the lathi.

Stealthily, he got down and went and stood in front of the toilet. The moment the door opened he too got in, pushing Udaybhan inside. There was a scuffle inside but Udaybhan’s screams were drowned in the whistles of the train. His head was bleeding. And he fell down there itself. Matai took out the watch from his pocket. Bolting the door from outside, he ran away. The train blew another long whistle. It was reaching some station.

6

NIRMALA WOKE UP. SHE HEARD A TRAIN WHISTLE from a distance. Krishna was sleeping peacefully. Restless, Nirmala went and stood by the window.

7

UDAYB HAN’S WIDOW, KALYANI. DRESSED AS A widow. All the furniture from the room was removed. There was floor arrangement for people who were coming to pay their condolences. It was four-five days after the last rites had been performed. They were waiting for the teherween. Purohitji came just after a woman left, paying her condolence. He remained silent for a while, then went up to her and said,

‘What is to be done now? Do we post letters to everyone postponing the wedding for a year?’

Kalyani shook her head.

‘No, purohitji. Postponing the wedding after all the preparations would ruin everything. Everything would have to done again next year.’

‘But… behen… we would only have finished the teherween. Shradh, and on top of that wedding… how will Nirmala cope up with it?’

‘I know, purohitji. But one will have to bear what destiny has in store… whether I bear it today or later. Right now, samdhiji is ready for the wedding without any dowry, what will happen if they change their mind later.’

The way purohitji nodded, it seemed that he too was in agreement. Kalyani continued,

‘Just postpone it for eight days. And one shouldn’t send a letter for this. You personally take my letter – and