"It's raining today." "Don't play in the yard." "It's too muddy." "If you slip, you'll get dirty." " Play inside." " Okay." "And don't walk under the trees." "A tree fell yesterday, a bridge collapsed, It was on the news." "But it's stopped raining." "It might start again." "It's here!" "Wait!" "One minute!" "Did you put in all the spices?" "No Auntie, I forgot one." "I heard it whistling!" "Take it." "Thank you, Auntie." "Just a pinch." "Okay." "This new recipe will work." "Are you sure?" "You doubt me, but you'll see." "Yum ... perfect!" "A mouthful, and he will build you a Taj Mahal." "The Taj Mahal is a tomb." "I know!" "Retrieve them." "Fernandes." "Fernandes this is Shaikh." "Shaikh, Mr Fernandes." "Shaikh used to work in Saudi Arabia the chief accountant for a small firm." "He will take over your responsibilities when you leave us next month." "He comes with very good references." "Very pleased to meet you sir." "Mr. Shroff praises you." "I had him join us early so that you can train him all that you do in claims." "Good luck." "Mr. Shroff said that you've been here for 35 years." "Your colleagues will miss you." "What does that do?" "This is the beginning of your golden age, how do you feel?" "Wonderful." "Awesome!" "Can we start training?" "Certainly." "But it's lunchtime." "Return at 4:45." "Okay, See you then." "Thank you very much sir!" "Nice to meet you." "Today the recipe for one of my all time favorite dishes:" ""Paneer do Pyaza."" "Auntie!" " Were you asleep?" " What happened?" "Auntie, the lunchbox is back." "And?" "It is empty." "Really?" "Completely!" "Even all the sauce!" "What did I tell you?" "And this is just the beginning!" "Auntie, stop the tape, Rajeev is back." "Okay." "You're back early, that's good." "Did you like your lunch?" "It was good." "Well ... no more?" "Like always." "The lunchbox was empty, and I thought ..." "The cauliflower was very good." "It was very good." "I just reached home." "I was waiting for your call." "Was it so boring?" "I left early too." "A problem, sir?" "I'm retiring." "I want to stop delivery." "Okay sir, I'll take note." "I will pay you at the end of the month." "Okay sir, no problem." "And. .. who cooked today?" "We did, why?" "It was good!" " Really?" " It was very good." "Continue on this path." "What did he want?" "He liked the cauliflower." "Make it again tomorrow." "Then, serve it." "What are you doing?" "Mr. Fernandes, our ball fell into your place." "Can we get it?" "Please sir!" " Do I look like a servant?" " No." "Please Mr. Fernandes, we will not play here." "We'll go to the other side." "If you play in front of this door again, I'll chase you down the street." "Please!" "We'll play somewhere else!" "I'm here, Auntie." "Did you just call me?" "Yes." "I changed Tonton's diapers." "What did Rajeev say?" "Nothing." "What?" "Auntie, the lunchbox was delivered to someone else." "I don't think Rajeev got it." "Someone else ate the meal." "But that's impossible, they are never wrong." "What is it?" "Good morning sir, how are you?" "Good morning." "When I returned, you were not there." " You were late." " I came exactly at 4:45." "I was there, you were late." "No problem." "Are these the claims?" "This is the claims department." "When do we start my training?" "Let's go." "Now?" "After lunch." " Then I'll come back after?" " Yes, then." " Are you sure?" " Yes." "You will be right there?" "Sir, thank you." "Thank you for eating everything yesterday." "I cooked this meal for my husband." "Seeing the empty container," "I thought it greeted me coming back." "I thought, after a few hours that to satisfy the stomach, was to seduce the heart." "To thank you here's some paneer." "My husband's favorite." "Auntie, this letter is strange." "Ila, you should thank him." "And what if it is Rajeev who receives it?" "All the better." "He's eating someone else's meals." "He's noticing today!" "I shouldn't write anything else?" "No, it should remain short!" "Auntie, are you sleep?" "What?" "The lunchbox is back." "Empty again." "With a reply." " A reply?" " Yes." "Read it to me." "This is not Rajeev's writing." "And what does it say, then?" ""Dear Ila." "The food was very salty today."" "And what else?" ""Dear Ila." "The food was very salty today."" "What?" "No "thank you", nothing?" ""Dear Ila." "The food was very salty today."" "What does he want?" "He swallows everything and he complains?" "One minute." "Here- put these in." "No, it bothers me." "I'm going to tell the driver there was an error." "He should thank you!" "No, I really don't like it." "Why?" "You don't know him." "Good afternoon sir." "How are you?" "Good." "You were not at your desk, I came here." "You were reading in the canteen, I didn't want to bother you." "Your meal had a delicious aroma." "I tasted the food just by smelling it!" "Your wife ... has magic in her hands." "My wife is dead." "Dear Ila, The salt, was fine today." "Chili was a bit on the higher side ... but I had two bananas after lunch, they helped to extinguish the fire in my mouth." "And I think will also be good for the motions." "There are so many people in the city who eat only a banana or two for lunch." "It's cheap and it fills them." "Hello." "My husband came home late last night." "He did not say a word." "This morning, he left for work, and my daughter went to school." "And I cooked with Auntie Deshpande." "Who is our upstairs neighbor." "Her husband has been in a coma for 15 years." "One day he woke up and began to fix the fan." "He fixes it all day and falls asleep at night." "When he wakes up, he goes back to fixing it." "He hasn't said anything." "For 15 years." "Even the doctors have lost all hope." "This is an old model of fan." "It is never turned off." "Auntie thinks it keeps him alive." "One day, there was a power outage." "He stopped and his pulse slowed." "Fortunately, the electricity came back on." "Since then, Auntie has installed a generator." "Her husband continues to fix the fan." "Mine fixes his phone." "As if nothing else existed." "This may be the case." "Why do we live?" "Dear Ila, Your husband sounds like a busy man." "Life is very busy these days." "There are too many people, and everyone wants what the other has." "Years ago, you could find a place to sit on the train every now and then, but these days, it's difficult." "If Mr. Deshpande wakes up now," "He would see the difference and probably go back to his fan." "When my wife died, she got a horizontal burial plot." "I tried to buy a burial plot for myself the other day, but what they offered me was a vertical one." "I have spent my whole life standing in trains and buses." "Now I'll have to stand even when I'm dead." "Why don't you have another child?" "Sometimes having a child can help a marriage." "Rajeev?" "What do you say?" "It's pretty." "You forgot?" "Rajeev, I got it on our honeymoon." "I wanted to see if it needed alterations." "But it suits me very well," " Right?" " Yes." "It is a little wide." "Yes ..." "On our return, we did not know Yashvi had arrived." "We learned it much later." "Two months later!" "We did not have much at the time." "When she was born, luck smiled on us." "Everything is so expensive today, luck is not enough." "Why do you prepare me cauliflower every day?" "Do you have a stock to sell?" "Rajeev." "And if Yashvi had a little brother or sister?" "You had a brother yourself." "And he..." "I beg you, enough cauliflower, it gives me gas." "Cars, buses, airplanes:" "we are all trapped in Mumbai." "This road is blocked since this morning." "You see that tower?" "A woman jumped this morning with her little girl." "She jumped?" "What was it?" "I don't know anything." "I didn't know her." "Surely domestic problems." "You know someone who lives there?" "She did not survive?" "Hello." "this morning my husband went to the office ..." "Good afternoon, sir." "How are you?" "I'm busy." "And my training?" "This is the lunchtime." "Check back later." "I was told to expect nothing on your part." "I'm Aslam Shaikh." "I'm an orphan." "I gave myself that name." "All I know I taught myself." "And I also learned this work." "I'm finished." "Thank you very much." "Listen." "Come here." "Go to my desk." "There are files from Ahmedabad region." "Calculate the amounts and prepare payment orders for accounting." "Go." "Thank you very much." "Thank you so much." "I'll be right back." "No, don't come back, go, go." "Yes sir, thank you very much." "This morning my husband went to the office and Yashvi to school." "I listened to the news on the radio." "About the death of my brother, everyone said:" "He should be brave." "He missed his exams, so what?" "He should be brave." "What was this woman thinking?" "Maybe she removed her jewelry ..." "Bracelets, earrings, wedding necklace ..." "What did her daughter ask her?" "What game are we playing, Mom?" "It must have been difficult getting up to the roof." "Doesn't it take courage to jump as well?" "Dear Ila, Please don't think like that." "Things are never as bad as they seem." "One day I was on the train on my way to work," "And then suddenly I felt something." "Someone touching me ... down there..." "Are you laughing?" "Yes, Auntie." "A joke." "Tell me!" "I forget." " You forgot?" " Yes." "Soak 5 almonds every night." "And eat them in the morning." "It strengthens memory." "I'll remember." "How are you?" " Are you going to the station?" " Yes." "I get off at Mumbai Central Station" "I live in Dongri." "And you?" "At Bandra." "Can I ask you a question?" "Yes." "At the office, they say that while walking ... you gave a kick to a cat." "A bus crashed and you continued on your way, nonchalantly." "Is that true?" "It wasn't a cat." "It was a blind man." "He asked his way, so I pushed him and a bus ran into him." "You better be careful." "Thank you." "Give me a cigarette." "I'll pay later." "This is a joke, right?" "Have you always lived in Bandra?" "Yes, always." "I move constantly." "First, I was on Muhammad Ali Street." "Then I went to Dubai, then to Saudi Arabia." "I was commuting between there and here." "But after meeting Meherunissa, I stayed." "I cut vegetables here and I cook when I get home." "Where did you learn to do that?" "Before, I worked in a hotel." "A hotel?" "Kitchen, room service, accounting ..." "All in one." "It's dry in Saudi Arabia." "No entertainment:" "work-prayer, prayer-work ..." "Here I have free time." "I cook for Meherunissa, we eat when she gets home." " And then we walk." " Very good." "I love her more than anything." "What do you do in the evenings?" "I watch TV sometimes." "Come to my home." " Where?" " My house." "I will make you a "Pasanda"." " A what?" " "Pasanda"." " What is it?" " A dish made with mutton." "You cut it up like that." " From the lamb?" " Yes." "My specialty." "I will come." " Now." " Right now?" "Yes, please!" "No, I have to work, another time." "Next time promise?" "I can wait ..." "Next time." " See you, bye." " Bye bye." "Hello." "My husband came home late yesterday." "He returned to work after a call." "Yashvi was asleep." "I arranged my marriage without telling my mother." "I found an old book." "It contained the recipes of my grandmother." "In it, I found one using apples." "They are in the season now." "I think you'll like it." "Excellent!" "How are you?" "I can sit?" "Please." "Thank you." "Want a taste?" "Are you sure?" "Yes." "What is he doing?" "Where does this meal come from?" "A restaurant near me." "Why?" "It is delicious." "Order a meal for me." "They'll soon be closed." "With food this tasty?" "There's no value for talent in this country." "You are right, sir." "There must be magic in his hands." "Anyone can cook, but this one has magic." "Dear Ila, your grandmother's recipe was very good." "Even better than my favorite, eggplant." "Yesterday even I found something from many years ago." "I found old TV shows that my wife used to record." "You must have been a child when they played on TV or not even born yet" "My wife used to love them." "I don't know why I wanted to see them." "I watched them for hours." "I went through them show by show episode by episode." "And then finally after staying up all night" "I realised what it was that I was looking for." "Every Sunday when she watched the shows," "I was outside repairing my bicycle, or just smoking, and I would glance through the window every now and then just for a second." "and I would see her reflection on the TV screen, laughing, laughing at the same jokes over and over... each time as if she was hearing it for the very first time." "I wish I had kept on looking back then ..." "I forwarded all the payment orders." "An apple and a banana for you." "Go ahead." "No, sir." "I insist." "Okay." "What is this?" "Paper." "Could I have some water, please?" "How is it?" "I love it." "Thank you." "Today, we no longer send letters." "Instead emails." "More than letters?" "This is the era of emails." "Hello." "My mother loves  old TV shows." "When I was small, I watched them for hours." "I want to tell you something." "Each cigarette smoked, it is 5 min less of life." "My father has lung cancer." "When he suffers too much, he says he will have to smoke more to avoid having to deal with this pain." "Do not blame me." "Yes, Auntie?" "Do you have my carrots?" "They are there." "Here!" "They only cost 10 rupees." "What else did you get?" "The usual." "What other food can be cooked based on eggplant?" "You can fry them, stuff them, bake ..." "He is having a new treatment." "It helps, but he sleeps all day." "Mom?" "Where's the TV?" "There are no good shows these days." "Do you need money?" "It's running out." "This treatment is very expensive." "It's OK, I've got it." "But how?" "Where do you find the money?" "If my son was there, I would not have to beg." "I'll talk to Rajeev." "Don't do that." "I will ask for 5000." "It is the family of the bride." "How do you have the nerve to ask for all this money?" "You can pay back little by little." "No." "I have money." "I get it." "Well, okay." "But do not tell your father." "The 5000 should be sufficient for this month." "Next month we'll find another way." "You want to see him?" "Shall I wake him up?" "It's late, we need to go back." "Okay." "Dear Ila," "You won't believe what happened to me yesterday." "In the evening, as I was walking to the station with Shaikh," "Shaikh and I we walk together," "I felt like stopping to look at a painter's works." "All of his paintings are exactly the same." "But when you look close, real close, you can see that they're different each slightly different from the other." "A different car here, a different man daydreaming on the bus there, a stray dog cutting across the street." "Whatever catches the painter's fancy on that day." "And in one of them," "I saw myself." "At least I think it's me." "And then I treated myself to an "auto rickshaw."" "The old houses of boys I used to play with when I was a child are gone now." "My old school too." "But some things are still the same." "The old post office is still there, and the hospital where I was born and where my parents died, and my wife." "I think we forget things if we have no one to tell them to." "Pardon, sir?" " What?" " You told me?" "No." "What are you playing?" "Blind Man's Bluff." " You know what I was playing at your age?" " What?" "Let's take that off first." "Should I do it?" "I did it." "We played at home." "That was the baby." "I was the father." "And your uncle was the mother, my wife." "Hello." "I want to tell you something." "I think my husband is having an affair." "At first I thought of confronting him." "But I have not had the courage." "Where would I go?" "There is one place ..." "My daughter has learned that n Bhutan, everyone is happy." "They do not have GNP but Gross National Happiness." "Wouldn't it be wonderful to have that here?" "Madame." "What if I came to Bhutan with you?" "You seem distracted." " Have I made a mistake?" " No." "Tell me, Shaikh ..." "Yes?" " Have you ever been to Bhutan?" " Bhutan?" "I thought ... rather than Nasik, I could move there." "I have only been in Saudi Arabia." "Bhutan, that's fine too." "It has advantages:" "1 rupee is like 5 there." "It's worth going there." "My mother said ... she always says:" ""The wrong train can take you to the right station. "" "Your mother?" "You told me that you were an orphan." "That's true, but when I say:" ""My mother always says ..."" "people take me seriously." "That feels good." "That makes sense." "You're listening to Radio Bhutan ..." "How could we go together to Bhutan?" "I don't even know your name." "How are you?" "A banana and an apple." "Try this." "You are radiant today." "Where does that come from?" "You look 10 years younger." "Your mother said that the wrong train can take you to the right station ..." " My mother is always right." " So?" "I love this meal." "Variety." "Variety, sir." "Auntie!" "What are you doing?" "Would you have the cassette of this film, "Saajan"?" "Yes, why?" "The songs were good, right?" "Not bad." "Can we hear it?" "Now?" "Yes." "Can you play it?" "I'll put it on." "Hello," "Yesterday Auntie played the cassette of the film "Saajan"." "Funny coincidence." "She has tapes of all the Indian movies, but no CD or MP3." "She keeps the industry alive by herself!" "I crossed out some lines of this letter ..." "It's weird to continue to write, right?" "One can write anything in a letter, it's easy." "But what I erased, I must tell you to your face." "It is time that we should meet." "Do you know the caf Kooler in Matunga?" "It seems they make a very good "kheema pao", my favorite dish." "What do you say to an appointment tomorrow at 1 pm?" "Mr. Saajan ..." "What?" "The boss wants to see you." " Yes, I will go after lunch." " It is urgent." "I'm coming." "May I come in sir?" "I just had a meeting with the accounts department." "And it was the most embarrassing meeting of my life." "Do you know what they said?" "They said, it's as if our claims department did not exist." "All the pay orders are wrong!" "Shaikh's initials are all over the place." "And to think that I was going to have this man replace you!" "I need you to review this." "Stay up all night if necessary, but fix it!" "And as for you, Shaikh, just get out of my sight." "Please." "It's my mistake, sir." "I made the pay orders, sir." "I asked for his initials because we work together." "It's my mistake." "Fernandes, you don't have to defend it." "I'm not defending anyone, sir." "35 years of service, and you have not made one single mistake." "You know I would not defend anyone, sir." "Anyway," "I'll handle the accounts department." "It's okay, sir." "No problem." "And one more thing." "Why do these files all smell of vegetables?" "Onions, potatoes, even garlic!" "Really?" "Smell it!" "Smell it!" "I don't know." "Pardon, sir." "Thank you." "You saved me." "Don't you ever cut those bloody vegetables on the office files." "Sorry sir." "I'll put down a plastic bag, next time." "I'm sorry sir." "No vegetables, nothing." "I'm sorry sir." "This is not the accounts of a shabby little restaurant!" "These are government records." "Do you understand!" "If you don't understand that, go!" "Go?" "No." "You have taught me everything." "I'm sorry sir, but you taught me everything." "It's your mother who told you to make fake degrees to get a job?" "She must have been mistaken ..." "What kind of a person you are Mister Shaikh?" "And if you come to my home to eat?" "I prepared a "Pasanda"." "Unbelievable!" "Mr. Shaikh." "Unbelievable ..." "A "Pasanda" he said." "But you will come, no?" " Take-in." " No." "This is very good." "This is my recipe, sir." "My father warned me:" ""Don't marry this guy, he will chain you to the stove. "" "Her father is a very dangerous man." "He has not smiled since the World Cup in 1984." "Or maybe only a little." "Still grinning." "What does your wife do?" "Shh." "I'm sorry, she didn't know." "Okay." "My wife is dead." "But I have a girlfriend." "You do?" "Yes." "What is her name?" "Ila." "I knew it!" "Meals, notes ..." "When were you married?" "Marriage ... it sometimes seems as if it's been 35 years." "Or 25 or 10, but sometimes I feel like it was yesterday." "Have some more!" "This is my recipe." "You didn't eat anything at all." "Sir, I wanted to ask you something." "Okay, go ahead." "About our marriage ..." "Actually, her father refused." "He said: "He is an orphan, small;" "he has dark skin."" "Meherunissa then fled." "But she wants the blessing of her father." "I will not tell anyone." "No, that's not it." "He agreed." "We're getting married." "There will be a whole army on his side:" "brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts ... everyone will be there." "But there will be no one on my side." "I am alone." "I wanted to know if you would ... act as my witness." "Me?" "Yes." "And if Ms. Ila could come too." "Of course." "We'll come." "His father wants to offer me a scooter." "As a gift for my promotion." "But I'm not leaving." "I thought I would refuse early retirement." "I will ask the boss to make you my assistant." "So your promotion ..." "This is very good news, Sir!" "But not a word to my father-in-law, otherwise no scooter." "I'll go tell Meherunissa." "Sir, would you like to sit?" "Me?" "Yes, take my place." "No." "Please, sir." "I get off at the next stop." " Fernandes." " Yes, sir?" "You wanted to talk to me?" "No sir." "My secretary said you wanted to talk to me ..." "It was about pay orders." "What about the pay orders?" "It's resolved." " You sure?" " Yes." "Okay." "I'll see you soon." "Do you want to order?" "Dear Ila," "I got the lunchbox today there was nothing in it." "And, I deserved that." "Yesterday you waited in the restaurant for me for a long time ..." "But before that, that same morning," "I forgot something in the bathroom." "I went back in to get it ... and the bath room smelled the same  exactly the same as it used to be after my grandfather had taken a shower." "It was like my grandfather had been there." "But he had not." "It was just me." "Just me and the smell of an old man." "I don't know when I became old." "Maybe it was that morning, maybe it was many many mornings ago." "And maybe if I'd forgotten something in the bathroom before" "I would have found out sooner." "Sir, do you want to sit?" "No." "Life kept on going and lulled me with its motions." "I kept rocking back and forth as it threw me left and it threw me right ..." "And then, before I knew it ..." "No one buys yesterdays lottery ticket, Ila." "I came to the restaurant while you were waiting." "There you were, fidgeting with your purse, drinking all that water ..." "I wanted to come up to you and tell you all this in person, but I just watched you wait." "You look beautiful." "You're young." "You have dreams." "And for some time you have let me into your dreams." "And I want to thank you for that." "The two ladies behind come forward, please." "Smile, please." "One, two, three." "Now a photo with everyone!" "The family of the bride on the right." "Those of the husband on the left." "Those of the husband on the left." "Are you leaving, sir?" " Is this the new scooter?" " Can I drop you somewhere?" "If you stay, I will repay my father-in-law." "Taxi!" "It's weird, it is very dry ..." "Goodbye, Shaikh." "You know, when I took the train for the first time with you, in 1st class." "That day, I had no ticket." "I was anxious throughout the journey." "I prayed that the conductor wouldn't come." "What would you think of me?" "The next day, I got a 1st class pass." "You'll be a good husband, Shaikh." "Thank you very much, sir." "A moment." "Come see me at Nasik, sometimes." "I'm coming, Mom." "80 rupees." "Rajeev is coming." "He is in a meeting." "He will go directly to the crematorium." "I have one of these hungers." "A desire for "parathas"." "I haven't eaten anything this morning." "I prepared his breakfast." "Mom ..." "I've always wondered what would happen to me after his death." " Don't worry." " But now ..." "I'm hungry, that's all." "I was very loved at first when you were born." "But for years, he disgusted me." "Every morning, I prepared him something to eat." "Medicines." "Bath." "Breakfast." "Medicines." "Bath." "When your brother died, this old ambulance came." "Do you remember?" "Those old Matador models." "Which came today?" "What color?" "White, with a blue light." "Yes." "Sir." "The lunchbox goes to the wrong address." "That's impossible." " We never make mistakes." " Yes, I understand." "But my meals are delivered incorrectly." " It is delivered to the right address." " I'm telling you that it isn't." "People came from Harvard." "Listen to what I'm telling you." "Try to understand." "This lunchbox is not being delivered to my husband." "It comes also it is someone else who receives it." "People from Harvard came to study our system." "They say that there are no errors." "But it's not going to the right place." "Do you think that I am a liar?" "The King of England in person came to observe our system." "But this meal goes somewhere someone eats it." "It goes to the right place." "I want the address!" "Desk of Saajan Fernandes?" "Two rows further." "Is this the desk of Saajan Fernandes?" "I'll call back." "Saajan Fernandes?" "He is gone." "He left the company." "Where can I find him?" "He went to Nasik." "So, you are headed to Nasik?" "Yes." "You are moving there?" "Yes." "This is final?" "Yes." "I've been retired there for years." "I go back to Mumbai from time to time to see my son." "I'm sorry, Mrs. Ila." "Good evening, Mr. Fernandes." "We thought you are gone." "I was gone, but I came back." "Why?" "Okay you can play, here." "But don't break anybody's glass, okay?" "Take it." "Thank you, Mr. Fernandes." "I've been calling you all the time." "Where were you?" "I had to settle something." "I got worried." "I have no more diapers for Tonton." "I asked the guard to find some." "I washed the fan today." "While it was running!" "You're probably at Nasik." "You had to get up this morning make a tea." "And maybe a walk afterward." "This morning I woke up, and I sold all my jewelry." "My bracelets, my earrings, my wedding necklace." "It is not much." "But they told me:" "1 rupee is worth 5 in Bhutan." "So we should be okay for some time." "And afterward ... we'll see." "When Yashvi returns, the luggage will be ready." "We will take the train this afternoon." "I might send you this letter and your new postman will bring it to you." "Or maybe I will keep it, and read in a few years ..." "I read somewhere that sometimes, the wrong train can lead you to the right station." "We'll see ..."