"'This is All India Radio." "The news read by Pamela Singh.'" " Where has the rascal gone?" "Where is he?" "'Elections have been discontinued pending the... '" "Where is the rascal?" "'Mr." "Swaran Singh said he is willing to sort out party differences on the Sikh bye-election issue.'" " Hey, hey!" "'The Sri Lanka president Mr. Jayawarda... '" " Come here!" "'Has arrived in Madras on a 2 day visit.'" "You can't hear me, right?" "Come here!" " 'India and Sweden have identified areas of... '" "You can't walk indeed!" "The Garabos have won the National Women's Hockey title.'" "Where's my wallet?" " What?" "Wallet!" "Money bag!" "My bag of cash!" "'The government... '" " Where have you kept it, tell me?" "!" "Tell me where is it?" "You steal and try to act innocent?" "!" "No." " No?" "!" "'Renewal of the gold sale policy.'" "No!" " No?" "'The government said because of the gold market... ' ...didn't steal." "You didn't steal, you didn't steal?" "Thief!" "Robber!" "Get out!" "Out!" "Get out, you scum!" "Brother, why are you shouting?" "Here's your wallet." "It was right on your table." "'It will be recalled here that... '" "Hey what are you doing, what are you doing?" "You're my servant." "Servant indeed." "Hey, hey!" "I'll beat you up in such a way..." "Come one, come all." "Take a look!" "See how the magic man shows his tricks!" "Son!" " Yes." "Will you show us some new tricks?" " I will." "What tricks?" "Ways of the world!" "Yes, ways of the world!" "Gentlemen, ladies and children, you just saw a strange man." "A checked shirt, a loin cloth and a pickaxe on his shoulder." "You can all recognize this man." "Son, can you recognize this man?" " Yes." "Who is this man?" "A simple villager." "Yes, a simple villager." "He has come to the city to earn a living." "It's been 4 months now." "Am I right?" "He did get a humble job at the gentleman's bungalow." "To swab, wash the car, clean the dishes." "Do this, that and the other." "Son." " Yes." "Why did he leave his job?" "He was beaten up often." " Yes." "Kind people, compassionate folk." "The sky is above and the earth underneath." "Listen children, ladies and gentlemen." "He is a simple villager." "A hungry, impoverished fellow." "He has nothing in the world." "He has no one!" "No land to call his own." "No home." "This is the way of the world!" "His father had everything." "He had a home and land." "The land was written for in the accounts' book." "At 10% interest, 10 years back." "Do you understand?" "He had to repay Rs. 25 at an interest of 10%." "In order to repay this he had to mortgage his land." "The moneylender said, 'Khetu, how long will you carry the burden of this loan?" "Its better if you give me your land."" ""You'll be rid of loans and all."" "Then he became a marginal farmer." "He began tilling this very land, only half came to his share." "Every year that field yielded about 16 short hundredweights of grains." "This was shared equally between the landlord and the farmer. 8 short hundredweights each." "Absolutely equal." "Son!" " Yes." "The landlord took 8 short hundredweights per year." "How many would he take in 10 years?" "80 short hundredweights." "How much rice will that give?" "40 short hundredweights." " How much will 40 short hundredweights cost?" "At least Rs. 2000." "This is the way of the world!" "Son!" " Yes." "Where is that man?" " He ran away?" " Ran away?" "Now get up high and look around for him, find him." "Did you see him?" " Yes." "Where is he?" " In the madness around." "Is he alone?" " No." "There are crowds of hungry, impoverished people." "They come from far and wide, their numbers swelling each day." "The city is filling up fast." "Hoards of hungry, impoverished people." "Hoards of hungry, impoverished people!" "Hoards of hungry, impoverished people!" "Hoards of hungry, impoverished people!" "Hoards of hungry, impoverished people!" "Hoards of hungry, impoverished people!" "'A creation of Mrinal Sen and Mohit Chattopadhyaya.'" "'The Man with the Axe'" "'Direction:" "Mrinal Sen.'" "Hey Parashuram!" "Yes, I'm calling you." "Parashuram is out with his entire gear!" "Are you in the city to chop the forest?" "Parashuram will chop the forest." "Come here, look at him." "Why are you going that way?" "Is there a forest that way?" "Hey sonny!" "What are you doing there?" "You can't take that spot." "Oh no!" "Hey Nayan, look at this guy." "He is quite senseless." "The spot's been given." "It's been what?" "Distributed." "It's been given out already." "Go to your left." "Beyond the rail over-bridge, a few tenements have come up." "Go try over there." "Police, the police are here!" "Hey, they've come!" "Hey leave that!" "They broke our house!" "They took the bed!" "They've taken the bed!" "It's been distributed!" "How did you find this place?" "Do you want to say something?" "I mean to say, how did you find out?" "About this place." "The way you did." "I went all over." "At least I got this place." "I hope no one just barges in." "What do you think?" "They won't come, right?" "They may just come." "This is a quiet place." "Don't try to empathize at that time!" "Just tell them straight away." "It's been given." "Distributed!" "I understand." " What did you understand?" "I understand that this place is off limits for others." "There are people milling around ever*here just for a little space." "What aren't they fighting for, tell me?" "Till this morning, I was in a gentleman's house." "In the space of half a day so much happened." "What do you do?" "I told you, I was working at a gentleman's house." "You lost the job?" " I'll get another one." "Let's see." "My word!" "You've quite a collection here!" "A glass, a tumbler." "A plate." "A lamp!" "What do you do?" " I beg." "Whose pickaxe is it?" "Yours?" " No." "It's yours." "When I carry that pickaxe I don't fear anyone in this universe." "Get it?" "I get it." " No!" "I'm not showing off." "Everyone in the village knows." "That time." "That time when the gentlefolk came to the village." "They summoned everybody and said, come on boys." "Go to the forest and chop wood." "So, I got into a train and I landed up in a jungle." "A very deep jungle." "I started chopping wood, suddenly I smelt something." "It's a rat." "What did you see in the jungle tell me?" "A tiger." " What?" "Yes." "A tiger." "Staring straight at me." "I froze in terror." "I just kept staring unblinkingly at the tiger." "What else could I do?" "The one who is out to eat me, won't relent if I beg at his feet." "He won't understand if you tell him." "Either he'll eat me." "Or you'll eat him!" "Suddenly, something seemed to happen!" "I picked up the pickaxe and..." "Killed him?" " Yes." "When I think of him even now shivers run down my spine." "Go have a look!" "See who's met his doom!" "Brother Toak, brother Toak!" "Brother Toak!" "Brother, seems like your Parashuram." "Hope he hasn't been run over!" "No, he escaped!" "Check whether he is injured or not." "Hey you, you there, you!" "Brother Parashuram, brother Parashuram!" "Are you new in Kolkata?" "Can't you look before crossing?" "What can I do?" "He just came on to me." "He just came on to me indeed!" "Just the other day a truck ran over 3 men." "Hey!" "What's this?" "Boy, what happened?" "Good morning!" "Good morning!" "Sit dear." "Sit, sit." "They just broke it and it's ready again?" "It's like a toadstool." "You crush one underfoot, the next one rises!" "Yes, it seems like that." "Now you're looking around, if you were run over out there the entire game would be over." "My boy is very fortunate, or how would he have survived?" "!" "The one who is protected by the Almighty, who can kill him?" "You were looking around so much, did you find a place to live?" "If you really look around is there a dearth of space?" "I'm living on the street like you." "If you hadn't found space on the street, you would've to live in the trees." "Go have a look." "I've an entire house to myself." "Entire house!" "My word!" "Come here!" "Listen to what he is saying!" "The entire house, eh?" "His lordship there gave you space it seems." "Why would he give it to me?" "It's there for the asking." "Beyond the rail over-bridge, the half built house, that one." "What are you saying?" "That's a graveyard!" "People go there after dying, you are staying there while still alive?" "Not bad!" "You're breathing down death's neck!" "It's okay for you, you know." "All three worlds tremble at your feet!" "After all you're Parashuram!" "What nonsense you talk!" "Don't I've any respect?" "You certainly do." "It's not a bad name, Parashuram." "Parashuram!" "Don't you get it?" "Haven't you heard the name before?" " No." "Useless!" "You talk of Parashuram without having cleansed yourself?" "Go on, tell us, Parashuram." "When they heard Parashuram's name the king used to tremble." "Do you know why?" "The reason is the main thing." "Tell us." "Tell us clearly." "The king was the head of the country." "Which was just like it is today." "There was robbery, looting and atrocities." "There was no limit to injustice." "Parashuram's father was a famous sage." "The king revered him a lot." "Parashuram was overcome with emotion one day." "He leapt up with a pickaxe in his hand and announced with conviction, "I'll see how great a king you are!"" "'Lf I don't finish your family line, my life will be a lie."" "That was his vow you could say." "Not once or twice but 21 times!" "21 times Parashuram attacked and finished each member of the king's family." "He finished the king's entire family." "This is Parashuram's story." "What say?" "I've killed a tiger with this pickaxe." "If I was living in the village, I too would've finished the tiger's family!" "So be it, Parashuram!" "Where am I?" "I think I've guessed my way right." "Hey, are you asleep?" "Since long." "I was wondering if you would be able to find your house in this dark night." "My own house you say?" "Have you eaten?" "Have you?" "Have you eaten?" "I get it." "Come." "Come here." "Get a plate or something." "Come." "Let me wash my hands, right." "As if you're sitting to a king's dinner!" "Come on get a plate!" "A plate." "Is this a plate?" "Here, divide it." "I had to walk around all day." "I can't beg around all day at my age." "You see my spot and start sitting there to beg." "I can't do all that." "Begging?" "Who will give you aims, dear?" "I'm old, yet they hesitate to give me." "You're young, walk with your eyes open." "You're sure to find something or the other." "You do one thing." "Go to the banks of river Ganga." "All kinds of people come there." "Wealthy folk in their fancy cars." "They come to do good deeds." "They pour money into mother Ganga!" "In mother Ganga!" "You?" "Aren't you Mangal's son?" "Uncle Radhu!" "You are?" "Parashuram." "Let me prepare it." "Does it take so long?" "No patience?" "Here." "That's it?" "Compassion?" "We live together." "Should they starve?" "Well, well." "You're not what I thought you are." "You'll do." "I can see that." "If you go on like this, you'll build a fine house in the city." "You know, grandpa." "May I call you grandpa?" "You can call me what you want." "There is no dearth of work in the city." "Remember you said to keep my eyes open and walk." "You should walk like that." "Right?" "Well..." "Here, try this." "Brown sugar." "Next time bring soft brown sugar." "Right." "Wait for a few days, I won't allow you to beg." "Begging is not right." "You hold out your hand to strangers." "Oh." "And you don't hold out your hand?" "No, never!" "I've never done it and never will." "What is that?" "That." " What?" "By the river Ganga." "That, you call that begging?" "What should I call it?" "It's the gentlefolk's game." "Game?" " Yes." "And what is it for you?" " Fight." "Fight?" " Yes, a fight." "A terrible battle." "A battle on dry land, a battle in the marshes." "A battle fought in mother Ganga's stomach!" "Water, here grandpa, water." "Have it." "Who's there?" "Who goes there?" "Who's there?" "Radha, right?" "What are you doing?" "Go inside." "Go!" "Gurupada, Gurupada!" "Hey Gurupada!" "What happened?" "Whom are you calling out to?" "I was calling Gurupada." "Gurupada and his wife, they are both the same!" "Once they fall asleep, they are like the dead." "What's wrong with that?" "Nothing wrong or right about that." "They've set up home." "They've a young daughter." "They need to be careful." "It's all the same." "When there is need this is bound to happen." "I'm coming!" "I'm done." "They can't even wash the spoons." "I'm here for everything!" "I've to do everything." "From morning till night I work non-stop, no rest whatsoever." "They've no compassion or feelings." "Who cares an*ay!" "Up and down, up and down all day." "Who can do it?" "No one." "Long live Narayan!" " Hail!" "Long live Narayan!" " Hail!" "Come on, quick!" "Hey you come!" "Let's eat the meal of our lives!" "As long as you sit there, Narayan will give you food!" "So many beggars!" "I and a beggar?" " I'm shameless!" "Listen." "Are you listening?" "Are you there or you can't hear?" "Why?" " Why?" "Can't you answer?" "Is our daughter back?" "Is she back or not?" "Is she back?" "You'll see her when she is back." "I may be poor sighted, what about the rest?" "They see everything." "We're feasting on our daughter's earning." "Haran told me everything." "What?" "Did you hear or not?" "Hm." " Does that 'hm' justify everything?" "What can I do?" "Should I get her work at home?" "Don't I have to provide food?" "Just sitting there and complaining!" "She is old enough, if she doesn't know what's good for her..." "You've to make her understand." "Have you ever done that?" "Who's there?" "Who is it?" "Who came in?" "Don't you know?" "Where had you been, you witch?" "What's happening?" "Radha, come with me." "Where are you?" "Have you left?" "Anybody listening?" "Are you listening?" "Have you left?" "Where had you been?" "Tell me, where had you been?" "To the cinema." " Alone?" "With whom?" "With whom did you go?" "You know it." "Does he work?" "Where?" "At the cycle-shop." "Does he have a home?" "There are tenements near the marketplace." "He brought a place there." "What is he saying?" "Tell me, what did he say?" "Does he talk of taking you away?" "Does he talk of making you happy?" " Yes." "Various people say various things." "They tempt you." "And then they dump you." "Do any decent folk come here?" "Mum, it's not what you think." "He is not like others." "I know." "I know better than you." "You believe everything he says." "Radha, one can err once." "Can you tell me why you're getting into this wilfully?" "Mum, you..." "I have done no wrong." "You'll bring ruin upon yourself and dishonour on us." "Radha, think about it." "Your father is blind." "I'm here today, gone tomorrow." "Will you abandon us for your own happiness?" "The poor dog was sitting quietly and you kicked him so hard?" "What happened?" "You all, here?" "Look at the weather outside." "Now tell me, isn't this graveyard a safe place?" "My dear, in the end all of us have to come here." "That's a fact you need to understand very well." "I've left everything open in this storm." "Who knows what's happening out there?" "Where is my pickaxe?" "My pickaxe!" "Come, come!" "My pickaxe, my pickaxe!" "Come all of you!" "Cross the waters and come!" "Come in a group!" "Come, come." "Come." "Die, all of you die!" "Want to see this?" "Come, come, come." "Come." "Come." "Come." "Come." "About uncle Haran." "These things happen." "When he is all by himself, he gets these spells sometimes." "He starts raving." "Like it used to happen to the sages of yore." "A sixth sense." "Haran sees things." "I know all secrets, get it?" ".." "...Just like the gods know, I too know" "Old man, hey old man!" "Hey old man!" "What is it?" "Where is my food?" " Food?" "Yes food, have you eaten it?" "Me?" " Oh no, the walls ate it up!" "What rubbish you talk!" "Me and eat your stale food?" "My stomach is not too good." "Hey." "What happened?" "Who ate your food?" "Tell me the truth." "Did you eat it?" "I told you I've an upset tummy!" "You'll lose everything one by one." "You can't hold on to anything." "You have to give in, it will all go away." "You're crying now." "Didn't you have sense earlier?" "I told you so many times take care of your daughter." "She will be ruined." "What are you trying to say?" "I'm the cause of this ruin?" "No, I did it!" "It's our fate." "I'll go and get that boy to..." "There's nothing you can do." "Just sit quietly here." "What's the use of crying?" "The girl only grew up to think about herself." "She is not concerned about anything else." "Stop it!" " Who's it?" "Who's crying?" "I feel strange." " Radha!" "Radha!" " Stop, stop it now." " Radha!" "Since a few days I feel funny." "My daughter got ready and left in the morning." "I saw the boy following her." "I got apprehensive." "I didn't go to work." "My girl didn't return in the afternoon." "Afternoon turned to evening, evening to night." "Yet she didn't return." "She'll never return." "Haran, the girl was very little then." "Floods hit our village very badly." "Everything was underwater." "This girl, I saved this girl somehow by hugging her to my breast." "I still remember that day." "Gurupada, can I ever forget that fateful day?" "What shall I do?" "How can I stand here in this water?" "Why didn't I die?" "Why didn't I die?" "Who?" "Who's there?" "Uncle Haran?" "Anybody there?" "Motiya, come here!" "Come give me a hand!" "No one saw you?" "You're lying here like this?" "The tree has fallen!" "Wait, wait!" "Wait a minute!" "Hold on to this." "My waist's gone!" "Oh God!" "What have I done?" "Let me go." "Won't you eat?" " No." "You came for the food, won't you eat?" "Come." "Come on!" "Let me go!" "Come here!" "Sit!" "Girl, where do you stay?" "In a palatial mansion!" "There is an open ground by the bridge, I live there." "You come so far to steal?" "When hungry, if I were hungry, I'd steal too." "You land up getting beaten." "Have you ever been beaten?" "I'm a woman!" "She is lively, alright!" "Woman!" "Water." "I guess you've no family." "Do like this." "Where will you go in the middle of the night?" "Stay back here." "Hey, ask her to stay." "She hasn't come to eat, she has come to stay!" "Yes." "Right." "Grandpa, grandpa!" " Yes?" "She is asleep." " Why won't she?" "When she wakes up, don't let her go." "I'll be back." "She won't leave, you go." "Go to work." "She didn't come to eat." "Listen!" "She came for good." "Brother Parashuram!" "Hey!" "Uncle Haran, uncle Haran!" " Who's there?" "What is it?" "Good morning!" " Wow!" "You're sure early." "I can see you've news!" "I came to see you." "What's up?" "What?" "Hey!" "See." "Hey you!" "Tell me." "Tell me what happened?" "Your daughter-in-law has come home." "A woman!" "Let's have some music!" "What did he say?" "He won't let you beg anymore?" " No." "Oh, so he'll feed you for free." "My boy will hit the lottery." " Lottery?" "I too bought a lottery ticket once." " Did you win?" "No." "The dealer kept saying, keep buying and buying one day you'll win." "Did you buy?" "Grandpa, do I have so much money?" "Whatever you say, it won't happen if it is not fated." "Oh." "So your grandson has good fate, is it?" "Certainly." "My grandson is very lucky." "So many people came along with him to Kolkata and perished you know." "Then tell your grandson to buy a ticket." "What's the point?" "Will he get money?" "Yes." "Then I'll sit back, make merry and enjoy life!" "Live life to the hilt!" "Suppose, suppose your grandson wins the lottery!" "Then, then..." "You'll live like a queen!" "No." "You'll kick me out then." "I know." "I've seen the world." "I don't trust anyone." "I saw my husband too." "He had money and land." "He wasn't happy with one marriage, he took another wife." "You know, even then I tolerated it." "I bore my husband's second wife's atrocities." "But everything has its limits." "I couldn't take it anymore." "I left the village and came to the city." "In a few days I got me a man." "He married me." "He did a lot for me, said he'd keep me happy." "Then one day, he ran away leaving me with a baby." "I know everyone." "This tea is just sweet water." "I don't know what goes wrong with me sometimes." "Oh, you?" "You're back!" "Tea, want some?" "It's cold though." "What happened?" "Didn't I hear?" "Get out!" "Get out!" "What are you saying?" "Are you crazy?" "She was honest." "Keep your honesty!" "First she says she has no one and now she pours her heart out." "Get out!" "Sham that you are!" "Bad woman!" "Go!" "Go away!" "Get out!" "You lied." "Grandpa, she lied to you." "She lie..." "You're crying?" "Hey, you're crying?" "Halladi!" "Where is she?" "Halladi!" "Not here too." "Where is she?" "Wonder did she ran away?" "Grandpa, grandpa!" "Grandpa!" " Yes?" "She's gone." " Who?" "The girl." " Halladi?" "I get up and see she is nowhere." "Where can she go?" "She must be by the water tap..." "I checked ever*here." "She's nowhere." "What?" "Where did you keep the money?" "In my shirt pocket." "Check it out." "Go, check!" " Why?" "Go, see." "Found it?" " No." "Check carefully." "I'm checking." "Not there?" " No." "You didn't keep it somewhere else, did you?" "Hey, did you keep it?" "What?" "Where else can I keep it?" "Look carefully." "You did have the money, right?" "Yes, of course!" "I had a coin, that's gone too." "What?" "Yours too?" "Here she is." "Girl, where were you?" "She is laden with stuff." "One of you, give me a hand!" "Go." " Yes." "Hey, help me." "There was so much more, I couldn't bring everything." "I kept it with the old lady I used to live with." "What did you have to begin with?" "I had to go and get these things." "You need to select good stuff, you know." "See this, this one." "How do you like it?" "Lovely, isn't it?" "It will come in handy, you know." "This actually belongs to that old lady, she didn't want to part with it." "Still you managed?" "Yes." "Hey, why are you gaping open-mouthed?" "Help me out!" "Gaping like a gold fish!" "What?" "Where did you learn the art of flicking things?" "My mother taught me." "When I was in the village, I used to visit my aunt and go with her." "When no one was looking, mother would say, go get some vegetables from the field." "I've picked up so many things." "Green gourd, chilli, more gourd, potato and others." "Why are you laughing?" "What did you do with my coin?" "I used his and your money to get this." "What a spendthrift you are!" "Talk of spending!" "Wait for a while, there will be one more person, then you'II see what spending is all about." "Oh dear, I can't bear it." "You have to dear, you must." "Bear up dear, bear up." "Stop talking, save your breath." "Close your mouth, your pain will ease." "Come, close your mouth, you'll be relieved soon." "Don't worry you'll get a bonny boy." "Then you will see..." " What's all the ruckus for?" " What?" "What's all that noise outside?" "Who is making that noise?" "Wait." "What are you peeping at?" "Go, scram!" "Get away from here." "Go," "Hey Bastamma." "You can beat them, what about the gentry?" "It's happening in the open street by day, can you stop them?" "The gentlefolk?" "Hey, hey gentlemen!" "I'm talking to you." "Where are you going?" "Don't go." "There's nothing to see." "One of our women is going through labour pains." "Under the wide open sky, thousands of pavement dwellers lead a sorry life." "Such negligence of the country's citizens especially of pregnant and feeding mothers is an extreme shame." "We see cities shaping up fast under the influence of economic progress and they are thriving." "Can we just remain smug in this sort of progress?" "The plight of these disinherited poor people the problems in agriculture, the increase in the number of landless labourers, poor productivity compared to input, the drop in farming produce." "Regular displacement of people due to floods and the fury of the weather brings large number of people from the villages to the cities." "They come in droves and are visible on the streets and corners of every major metro." "They come and perish due to hunger and want." "What is the value of our modern technology and the progress that comes with it in comparison to all this?" "A city does not live in buildings of brick and mortar." "A city does not reach supremacy by mere speeches, speeches and more speeches." "We've to take an oath, we've to awaken anew." "We've to follow the ideals of great thinkers like Rammohan Roy, Vivekananda and Rabindranath Tagore." "On the horizon of renewed thinking will then rise the ideal metropolitan city of the new century!" "Jai Hind!" "Come, come." "Hey, hey." "Hey!" " What?" "It's not a simple matter." "Did it happen for the first time last night?" "May have happened earlier?" "But yesterday it was in front of my eyes." "Who knows?" "May be they are kinsfolk from our villages." "They become smart once they come to the city and the gentlefolk use them." "Robbery, stealing, kidnapping and God knows what else." "Parashuram, do this." "The two of you join us here." "Who knows what those people might do to you." "Naren, what do you think?" "Should they come here?" "What's the hurry?" "Let's wait for a couple of days or so." "Hey aunt, look, look!" "What do you want to call aunt for?" "You've the cheek!" "How dare you?" "How dare you?" "I'll show you, I'll teach you a thing or two!" "Keep it, leave it!" "I'll try it." "You will take it?" "I'll take it, what will you do?" "You'll take it?" "Hey, watch it!" " How dare you?" "You steal from us?" "Leave it, leave it!" "Take it, go on." "Leave it, let go." "Leave it, I say." "Hit him, hit him!" "Old woman, I won't let you go!" "Stop!" "What's going on here?" "Hey, what is it?" "What happened?" "You're chewing betel leaf?" "Where did you get it?" "I bought it." "I felt like one so I bought one." "Are you upset?" "Had they come again?" "Those men?" "No." "Hey, say something." "Don't you have eyes?" "Doesn't it look good on me?" "When you went to work, went to work, I opened the sari." "I had a look at it." "A very good look at it." "I looked it all over." "It felt magical." "I couldn't keep my eyes off it." "Finally, I went out there." "I wore the sari." "I felt a shiver down my entire body." "Tell me, shouldn't I dress well and look decent?" "I want to live well, eat well and decorate the house." "Take care of the house and when we get some time we go out for a bit." "Take in a movie." "Go round and round and round in a cycle rickshaw." "On and on and on." "A human being needs everything." "Whatever I need." "Will you provide for me?" "You can't, even you can't." "God hasn't given you that ability." "You fell asleep?" "Right." "She is not the stay-at-home types, Parashuram." "Gurupada, held his daughter to his chest all night." "Even the raging waters of the flood couldn't take her away." "But the magnetism of the city is something you know" "." "It swept her far away." "You had killed a tiger?" "Right." "You know very well, once they taste blood, there is no stopping them." "If you..." "Where are you going, Parashuram?" "Son!" " Yes." "Where did that girl go?" "She ran away." " Where did she run away?" "I don't know." " Surprising!" "You don't know?" " No!" "What about the man?" " He's pulling on." "What about his work?" "Sometimes he gets work, sometimes not." "Where is he?" " He's coming." "Where?" " In the sky." "In the sky?" " Yes." "What does he see from the sky?" "Hungry crowds?" " No." "Unclothed crowds?" " No." "Piles of corpses?" " No." "Then what does he see?" "Come." "Tell me what happened?" "He is not here." "He has been sent to the morgue." "To the morgue?" "!" "Where is the morgue?" "The morgue?" " Ask the gentleman there." "Ask him where the morgue is." "Excuse me, sir, excuse me." "Which way is the morgue?" "Sir!" "The gentlemen say he has no blood relations we won't release him." "It's against the law." "Why?" "Aren't we anything to him?" "We've looked after him for so many days." "Now these people call the shots?" "That's a thought you know." "When living you lie uncared on the streets." "You die and go to a nice house." "They're saying, get a relative and we'll release the body." "And who are we?" "Not his relations?" "There they come." "Can't they see us?" "Excuse me sirs, whom do you call relatives?" "There are so many present here." "He has lost everything." "We're the only ones he had." "We're from the land of the dead." "What can we take from the dead?" "It happened right before my eyes." "I told him, look, be careful when you climb." "It's a tall building, you never know." "He said I like heights." "I can climb up to the sky." "No use sitting around like this." "Get up." "We've to make arrangements for the funeral pyre." "Call some more people if necessary." "We've to take him to the cremation grounds." "Let people see a human being go." "Get up." "I'll sit by the body." "Gurupada, you too go with them." "Come on everybody." "Who's there?" "Who are you?" "Come here." "Get up!" "Come." "Who are you?" "You've come after all." "Come." "Come close." "Come." "Sit here." "Will crying bring him back?" "You got to see him right." "Have a look." "Remove the cloth from his face and take a look." "Go." "Go!" "He fell on his face on the street." "Hail Parashuram!"