"Fiona?" " Fiona?" "Carlisle." " Can you hear me?" " Yeah." "Okay, have you got everything?" "I have all the documents with me." "I hope you know what you're doing." "Absolutely." "I'm fine taking on both cases." "You have to cap this at three weeks, not a day longer." "Okay." "Well, call me tomorrow." "No, you call me." " Right, I'll call you." "Okay." " Bye." "What's the problem, Madam?" "Well, my suitcase isn't here." "There's - there's one box on the luggage thing, and it's not mine." "First of all, you'll have to complain to the airlines." "We can't complain to the airlines 'cause nothing is open." "It's 12:00 at night, and these are the only clothes I'm wearing, and you're telling me that's all you can do?" "What?" "I am just so glad I have her documents in my " " Turn that off." " Welcome to India." "Seriously, can you turn it off?" "So, what are you saying?" "We're at the main entrance." "Yeah, well, if there's anything you can do to locate the driver, that would be great." "Okay, well, we've been waiting half an hour." "Thanks." "You want some?" "Where'd you get that?" "I needed a snack." "Oh, hello." "Rupee, Madam." "It's 12:00 at night." "Shouldn't you be sleeping?" "Are you hungry?" "Have you got any coin, Fee?" "I don't think it's a good idea to give them money, Ben." "Good idea, good idea." "Ah, see?" "He thinks it's a good idea." "You know what?" "I'll tell you what." "If you can find my car, I'll give you 50 rupees." " Okay, no problem." " Okay?" "Find my car." "Good luck." "Don't forget us." "Go on." "Mr. Bens and wife?" "Yeah." "Uh, so glad you made it." "My name's Fiona." "Hello..." "Uh, from the Calcutta Grand, right?" "Yes, sir." "My name is Krishna." "Please be accepting my apology." "I lost my time track traveling from my village." "Only one bag, sir?" "Uh, yeah, yeah, yeah." " Yeah, they lost mine." " Okay, I'll just..." "Okay, good work." "Very good." "Okay, no, no, no." "Can we go?" "Nice tunes." "Enjoying, Mr. Bens and wife?" "I have a name, actually." "My name's Fiona." "Calcutta - my favorite city in the world." "It's very nice." "Look, five people just sleeping on the side of the road." "Baa!" "Krishna!" "Fee, we're here." "This guy in there is giving Krishna a really hard time." "Shit." "Did you bring the...?" "What, the passports?" "I gave them to you, remember?" "He's really tearing shreds off him." "Look." "You all right, Krishna?" "Yes." "Uh..." "My uncle." "That was your uncle?" "Is he always like that?" "My wife - she just had a baby, but my uncle is also needing me here for work at the hotel, so..." "Baby?" "Congratulations." "I can be assisting you with anything you'll be needing - uh, tours, temples, nightclubs " "Anything." "I am trading in all of the jacks." "So you're a jack-of-all-trades." "That, too." "Okay, well, uh, we'll call you." "He needs a tip, Fee." "Is that enough?" "Uh, thank you." "Nice to meet you." "No, I can't open the Debron file." "Well, can you just get him to resend it?" "Well, and make sure that he does so before the board meeting." "Okay - no, it's all right." "I've got so much to go through." "Okay, thanks, Pete." "Bye." "You want a pakora?" "What?" "You're so... restless." " I'm excited." " Me too." "Can you put the phone back?" "Night." "Shine and rise!" "Oh, great." "Thanks, Krishna." "Um, what brings you to my country, Mrs. Bens?" "Um, my husband's sleeping." "Oh, so- Sorry." "Sorry, Mrs. Bens." "It's okay." "You can call me Fiona." "My husband and I have adopted a little girl, and we're just waiting to take her back home to Australia." "You have adopted a little girl?" "Yeah." "Morning!" "I've already gone for a jog," "I've eaten a full breakfast down at the buffet," "I've contacted everybody at the office." "You are a machine." "Come on, they're expecting us." "Mnh-mnh!" "You all right?" "You okay?" "I think there's something really nasty in that pool." "Come on, you ate about five tons of rich, greasy food last night." "It's not the food." "It's the pool." "Don't interrogate me." "Drink - drink water, okay?" "I'm wou" " I'm wounded." "Oh, what's all this shit doing here?" "I'm not cleaning up after you." "Sorry, Jock." "Please don't turn the hotel into an office." "I think we should have turned left back here." "It's supposed to be - it's supposed to be walking distance." "Well, you didn't say anything back there, did you?" "Well, I didn't think of it back then, did I, Ben?" "All right." "Uh..." "Yeah, sorry, mate." "Give me the map, Fee." "Give me the map." " No money." " Come here." "Give it here." "Right, somewhere, I think, that we " "Do you know how to read a map?" "Oh, man, I need a toilet bad." " Now?" "Like right now?" " Yeah, I can't hold it." "Excuse me." "Sorry." "Sorry." "Excuse me." "Uh, do - do you have anything for dysentery?" "Chronic shitting?" "Diarrhea?" "Pbht!" "Oh, running stool." "Ben!" "Ben?" "Ben?" "Fee." " Shit." " Block your nose." "Oh, my God." "That's disgusting." "Yeah, well, what do you reckon?" "I'm just gonna" " I'm - can you catch?" "Yes." " Oh, shit." " Oh, great." "Okay, okay, I'm sorry." "Run away!" "Run away!" "Have you got the papers?" "You're kidding, right?" "Oh, I'm so sweaty." "Yes, do you have an appointment?" "Excuse me?" "Do you have an appointment?" "I'm Fiona." "This is Ben Simmons." "And we're supposed to be here this morning." "We're here to make arrangements to pick up our daughter, Lakshmi." "Here's the visa and the paperwork." "Yes, yes." "You need an appointment with Didi Chatterjee." "Ask if we could see her now." "Um..." "Is it possible for us to - to see Didi now?" "You will need to telephone Didi Chatterjee directly to make an appointment." "She's your case manager." "It's just that we've come all the way from Australia." "Fee." "Fee." "It's just " "Mr. and Mrs. Simmons." "Do you have us in there somewhere?" "It's just a phone call, Fee." "This is a circus." "Dhanyabad." "Thank you." "I just wanted to check the pronunciation of your name." "It's Didi Chatterjee?" "DIDl:" "Yes." "I'm looking forward to meeting you." "We're looking forward to meeting you as well." "Sorry, I didn't catch that." "Hello?" "Didi?" "I'm not quite sure what happened there." "Do we have an appointment?" "Fiona." "Garth, Debron have finally agreed to negotiate." "So we need to get you on a plane this afternoon." "We've got to set up a conference with the elders." "This deal has got to be completely transparent." "Can you -?" "Ben, I've got it." "Can you - can you call me back?" "Hello?" "Didi?" "Excuse me?" "Two weeks?" "No, I don't think that's gonna be possible." "That - that's just my other phone." "Can you - can you hang on one sec?" "Garth." "Can you hang on one moment?" "Garth, I need you to, uh, talk to Ben for a second." "Hello?" "Yeah, hi, Garth." "Hello?" "Didi?" "Hello?" "I think that Didi woman just hung up on me." "Ben?" "So, I finally got through to Didi Chatterjee." "Yeah, and...?" "We have an appointment in two days." "Okay, that's good." "You feel better?" "Yeah." "I was thinking of going for a swim." "I wouldn't risk it if I were you." "I don't know." "Looks clean to me." "Go on, jump in, then." "Hey." "I didn't mean to snap at you before." "I think it's just easier if one of us handles the agency." "And who picked you?" "Hey, hey, hey." "Sorry." "Fee." "This way!" "Ben!" "Ben?" "No need to be alarmed, my dear." "I didn't see it." "Come, I'll give you something." "I'll give you something." "This is for welcoming you to Calcutta." "For you and... for her." "She is standing by you?" "It's just me here." "Is this your mother standing by you?" "Thanks." "I got dragged off by this guy." "I thought you'd come with me." "I want to get my camera." "I want to film that." "What?" "Nothing, I just" " I thought I'd lost you for a minute." " You all right?" " Yeah." "Is that, um, clean?" "Yeah, very clean." "Is it from bottled water?" "Yeah, bottled water." "So, what, you boiled it?" "Yep, yep." " Sure - are you sure?" " Yeah, I'm sure." "You want to play?" "Take that." "This is a song a lot of the kids sing." "You want me to play this for you?" "Here, give me this." "You're a rock star." "Are you a rock star?" "Are you?" "Oh, no!" "Oh!" "Oh, gross!" "A dog just peed on me." "It's not funny!" "Even amongst all the cars, you know, like, there was a couple of kids' voices there, and they were pretty good." "I think it'd be pretty awesome to just get them in a studio, just see what happens, you know?" "Incorporate it into something somehow." "Like do something..." "Yeah, I think it would be great if you did something with your music." "Would you?" "Well, it's easy to talk about these things, huh?" "What's that supposed to mean?" "Nothing." "I'm just tired, and a dog pissed on me, Ben." "My name's Fiona, but, um... you can call me "Mum" or "Fee. "" "I, um, feel like I'm getting to know a little bit more about you, coming to your country." "It's, uh... definitely, uh, different." "Shit." "I'm terrible on this thing." "This was all your dad's idea." "Okay." "What do I want to say?" "I" " I don't know how this is all gonna work out between the three of us, but I'm really looking forward to it, and..." "I just want to be..." "I just want to be whatever you want me to be... whatever that is." "Fee, no." "Sorry." "Are you tired?" "A bit." "Is it the pills?" "It's not always the pills, Fee." "These are my favorite shoes." "Fee." " Okay?" " Okay." " Very expensive." "Understand?" " Yes." "Thank you." "Don't be such a bully." "Come on." "I'm coming." "Okay, teach me." "That's Ganesha, lord of obstacles." "And that's Saraswati." "Saras- what?" "Saraswati, patroness of the arts." "There's a god for everything." "Mm." "Oh, wow." "Who's this?" "This is Durga..." "The queen mother goddess." " She's a mother?" " Yes." "She's the fighting spirit of mother, an incarnation of the war goddess, Kali." "What's that woman doing here?" "She's praying to Durga... probably for a child." "Durga gives us protection, fertility, and many children." "She must really want a baby." "Ben Simmons." "It is you!" " Yeah." " Scarlett." "Do you remember - Ollie's studio?" "Yeah." "Wow!" "A long time." "Yeah." "Hey." "Hey." "Um, are you travelling?" "Yeah, I'm touring with a band." "Oh, that's so cool." "Oh, good for you." "Uh, Fee?" "Fee!" " This is my wife, Fiona." " Hey." "This is Scarlett." " Hi." " Hi." "Well, look, why don't you come by and have a drink?" "We're at the Calcutta Grand." " Yes, that'd be good." " Okay." "Okay, have fun." " Bye." " Yeah." "Fee." "We should do it, too." "Only woman can do this." "Fee." "I don't think so." "Excuse me, Mrs. Bens, there's been word from the airline." "They're still tracking your bags." "Okay." "Thank you, Krishna." "I'm not gonna hold my breath." "Who was that girl today at the temple?" "Scarlett." "She's a muso." "I met her at some studio." "I can't exactly remember when." "Were you guys ever involved or anything?" "Of course not." " Mr. And Mrs. Simmons." " Mm." "Namaskar." "I am Didi Chatterjee." "Hi." "It's wonderful to finally have the pleasure of meeting you both." " Please come." " Ah." "And so the court orders have been approved, and we have Lakshmi's visa." "And you have an appointment on Wednesday morning at 9:20 a. m." "I" " I just don't understand why we still have to wait." "The paperwork is not completely verified." "We've been waiting for two years, so we're very excited." "This waiting " "I understand you should be okay with it, financially?" "Yes, of course." "You're staying at the Calcutta Grand?" "Does that meet with the agency's approval?" "So that we can inform you if there is any development." "Well, is it possible that we could meet Lakshmi?" "Absolutely." "In a few days, you can take her home." "But not now while we're waiting?" "Not possible yet." "Not until finalizing." "Well, these are everyday people, Carla." "We should be offering them maximum compensation." "Can you hang on a minute?" "Look, Maddie, can I call you back?" "Yeah." "No problem." "Of course they're gonna see it as backing down, but it's vital if they want to maintain any kind of corporate image." "I'm 100% certain on this." "Yeah, of course they're not gonna be happy." "Good luck making that call." "I was thinking that we pick up Lakshmi and we go straight to Goa." "Mm-hmm." " Two-day family holiday, relax, max." " Nice." "Then, on our - make our way to Varanasi." "Yep." "And we finish the loop in Bolpur, which will be less opulent but, obviously, the most important because she gets to see where she comes from and gets to see her village." "Sounds great." "I just hope that we have enough time to fit it all in." "We will." "Only if we get to pick up Lakshmi in the next few days." "She did say that it would be soon." "I don't know what "soon" means around here." "We can only afford to stay another two, maybe three weeks." "Then we move into a cheaper hotel." "We could move into a cheaper hotel, but what would the agency think about that?" "They might think that we're running out of money." "Are we?" "It's not really the point." "I'm trying to run a case, if you haven't noticed." "I can't just keep changing hotels, and besides, you know I've only got another three weeks - that's it." "You've been working all the time we've been here." "Maybe we need to start making a few sacrifices." "Interesting to hear you say that, because I would be curious to know what kind of sacrifices you've ever made, Ben?" "Coming." "Hey, mate." "I'm sorry for the disturb." "There's a visitor downstairs." "Yeah." "All right." " Hey, did he say there's a visitor?" " Yeah." "Shit." "I'm just gonna get changed." "It's probably the agency." "All right, well, I'm going down." "No, hey, wait, wait, wait, wait, Ben!" "Don't say anything about the baby till I get there, okay?" "I try and get this book, and I order it on the net, and it takes like, literally, a year." "And I think that's a long time to wait." "And then you go and adopt a child, and talk about patience." "Fee?" "Look who dropped in the neighborhood." "Hey." "How are you?" " I'm good." "How are you?" " Good." "You're breathless." "Are you okay?" "Yeah, um..." "I just... you know." "Thanks, mate." "Here are your drinks, sir." "Can I have a scotch, no ice?" "This place is so nice." "Yeah." "Ben was just telling me you're a lawyer." "Yeah." "She's working really, really hard at the moment." "Must be really interesting." "Do you love it?" "Yeah, I love it." "It's hard work, but it's very rewarding." "It's great." "And you're good at it." "Here is your drink, Ma'am." " Thank you." " You're welcome." " Thanks." "Um, well..." "I'm gonna go back up." "I'll see you - see you later." "Hey, um, do you mind if I take a shower here?" "Here?" "Yeah, um..." "Our tour manager kind of enjoys us washing out of a bucket." "Sure." "Can you hang on a minute?" "Hello?" "Your afternoon tea, Madam." "I'll just clear that for you." "So you cannot make children of your own, Mrs. Bens?" "You're, uh, quite direct, aren't you?" "Yes, Madam." "Um, it's complicated." "That's why we're adopting." "Um, Ben was just telling me about the baby." "I just think it's such a wonderful thing." "I'm really happy for you guys." "Oh, thanks." "Uh, I should probably take this one." "Thank you so much for letting me use the shower." "No problem." "Any time." "Excuse me." "Towel." "Hello?" "Didi Chatterjee." "Yes, it is." "Right." "So we're coming in on Friday, right?" "DIDl:" "I'm sorry, there is a delay with the passport paper." "We have to reschedule again." "# They say it's all about looking hot in the video #" "# But I say it's all about feeling music in your soul #" "# I've had some hard times #" "# I've learned some hard lessons #" "# And now I'm just having fun with you guys #" "# Having this session #" "# And that's the beauty #" "# Oh, that's the beauty of life #" "# That's the beauty #" "# Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah #" "Sweet." "We should record something while you're here." "Okay, yeah." "Hey." "There you are, my little Rapunzel." "Reception." "And they've invited us to a party on the rooftop of the backpackers'." "So I'll give you something to wear, if you like, or - or maybe, um..." "You know, Scarlett " "If you ask Scarlett, she could give you something to wear." "She's rescheduled again." "Who?" "Didi Chatterjee." "She apparently doesn't want to see us now till next week." "Why?" "I don't know." "I just don't think it's good." "You know what?" "I've made a pact with myself that I'm not gonna wallow in a rut or wherever it is I go when I'm at home." "While I'm here, I'm just gonna chill and enjoy it." "We're really blessed to be here, Fee." "Hey, guys..." "You know what?" "Why don't you just go?" "Have a good night." "I mean, there's no point in us both moping around." "If you've got work to do " "No, it's - it's not just work." "Yeah, hold on." "It's probably not the best time to talk about it, so just go and have a good night." "An out-of-court settlement, and all the way from Calcutta." "Well done, Fiona." "Well, it helps having a great team, so have a drink on me, guys." "Have you got everything for the Richardson mining case?" "Yeah, I have the whole thing in duplicate right here." "This is your shot at partner." "You know you're my pick." "Don't let me down." "Cheers." "Hello, gorgeous." "You want to dance?" "I wouldn't smoke any more of that if I were you." "Whoo!" "# Hey, you, let's shape up... #" "# Work it, turn it #" "# Yeah, this is make-believe #" "# Let's make-believe #" "# Let's make-believe #" "# B-E-L-I-E-V-E #" "Come on, let's go." "Oh, no, no, no, let's stay." "Fee, no, you're scaring all the boys." "Dance with me." "Bye." "Straight run!" "Whoo-hoo!" "You like this?" "You want her to come work for you?" "Hi." "Oh, hey." "Good morning!" "Fee." "Keep walking." "What?" "Hold on." "You all right?" "Ah, there you go." "Take this off." "Hands in the air... like a good monkey." "Can I have some water?" "You stink, Fee." "Hey." "Maybe you should get together with Scarlett, and you guys could, uh, make music and babies and travel the world together." "Maybe you could hook up with one of those guys that you were gyrating with tonight." "Would that make you happy?" "At least I'd get laid." "Fee " "Can we just keep out of each other's hair?" "Yep, why not?" "That'll work for me, too." "When the baby comes, we're suddenly gonna transform into this normal, functional family." "Yep." "Sounds like a plan." "Can you please not touch that?" "It's in order." "I'm not kidding, Ben." "What are you doing?" "We need change, Fee." "Jesus Christ!" "Everything is on there!" "That is the problem." "Everything is here, with us, together." " We're not together." " Great." "Because I'm carrying you." "I'm fucking carrying you!" "Would you stop acting like a child and start acting like a man!" "Aah!" "I mean, what do you even feel?" "I don't know most of the time." "Don't walk away, Fee." "Listen, stay here." "Talk with me." "Can you just let me get through the door, please." "You used to be so cool to me." "You know?" "You used to be passionate, alive." "I remember you used to smile all the time." "Now you're picking up a child in between phone calls, Fee, like it's inconvenient." "I thought getting her was gonna make you, like, you know, make us more loving people." "I am a loving person, Ben." "You just don't see." "You just don't know." "Hello, Mr. Bens." "If you don't mind, I must feed my lungs." "Do you want one?" "I gave it up..." "along with everything else." "So, your wife was telling me that you're waiting for a baby." "This is all we know, apart from the photograph." "Complexion - wheatish brown." "Relinquished by birth mother in Bolpur." "Transferred to Calcutta on October 17 for adoption finalization." "Bolpur is very close." "It's very - very nice, actually." "My home - it's no more than eight hours max to max." "I can take." "No problem." "Fee." "Fee?" "Fee, listen." "We have to get out of here." "This is driving us both crazy." "We have to go to Bolpur." "We have to see where she's from." "I'm leaving tomorrow with or without you." "8:00 a. m." "On the dot." "Mr. Bens?" "Mm-hmm?" "Mr. Bens..." " You are ready?" " Mmm." "Hi." "Hi." "See you in a few days." "Come, come, come." "Fee." "You all right?" "This compartment." ""Baby. " Shonu." "Babu." "Baba." ""Don't cry. "" "Kaydohna." "Kaydohna." "I'll be back." "Nominated for an ARIA Award and rocked it out with the boys at the MTV awards in L.A. in '92." "And what did I know?" "I mean, the lead guitarist started losing his hair, and I was coked up to my eyeballs most of the time." "Booze and meltdowns." "I mean, you're gonna have to convince me very convincingly if you want to do something creative with your life, little girl, 'cause I'm lucky to still be alive and still be married." "Anyway, I've got a feeling in my stomach - and it's not just the dysentery - that I-I think everything is the right way around, even if it doesn't feel like that sometimes." "I can't wait to hold you in my arms." "I just, more than anything, I just really hope that you like me and your mum." "Mr. And Mrs. Bens?" "They need to be checking the tickets." "Hmm?" " Tickets." "The conductor is asking." "Thanks." " Blanket?" " Thank you." "Comfortable?" "Do you want to sit down, Krishna?" "Yeah, sit down." "What?" "No, um..." "Well, I'm just wondering about this motherhood." "What?" "Mother - you being... the motherhood, you know?" "What?" "No, because it is a gift from God." "So, what are you saying?" "That because I can't have a baby the normal way," "I shouldn't be a mother?" "You're a barren woman." "And this is child of my mother India." "I see." " Krishna." " I " "Krishna, there's actually no medical reason why we can't have children." "It's nobody's fault." "No, I don't know if I'm gonna be a better mother than your mother India, Krishna." "I just - I'm willing to take the risk." "Come, come." "Mind your step there." "Mind your step." "Hey, his heart's in the right place." "We'll see." "This is the closest that we've ever been to you." "Hello?" "Hello!" "Is that a yes?" "Don't know." "He says not today." "It's a Muslim holiday." "Aren't the sisters Catholic?" "Yes, but we all celebrate, no matter what religion." ""Delite luxery resort. "" "Our very best hotel in Bolpur, Mrs. Bens." "Managed by my brother's wife's family." "Let's just see the room first, all right?" "It's very Indian." "What?" "You don't suppose there's another hotel?" "Krishna would be a bit upset." "I think he's trying to make money off us." "What's wrong with him making money?" "He's helping us out." "Besides, I thought we were doing this trip so we could understand Lakshmi a bit better." "Ben, there's a chicken on the bed." " There's not." " There's a chicken on the bed." " Really?" " Yes." "Hey." "Hello." "Come here." "I think you're in another room, man." "It's chanting, babe." "Lakshmi, this is the sound of people praying." "Don't." "Don't look." "This is your mum, and she's cranky." "You going okay in there?" "Yep." "Very sanitary." "Mr. Bens?" "Yeah?" " Please come." " Sure." "Where are you going?" "I hope this isn't the part where the gullible foreigners are lynched by their trusty guide." "Hey, careful, huh?" "Ooh, snake." " What?" " Yeah, a snake, see?" "Quickly." "Come, come, come, come." "Ooh!" "Whoo!" "Oh, I thought you forgot." "Thank you." "Happy birthday." "Thank you." "All right." "Ma?" " My mother." "Hello." "My wife, Sharmilla, and my baby, Neelu." "And my son." "My son." "Hello." "Hey, little man." "Hello." "Nice to meet you." "She wants to know into what age you are turning." "Um... tell her a woman never reveals her age." "She is saying she likes your hair." "Mr. Bens, not too spicy, no?" " Very good, Mrs. Bens." " Very good." "Oh, no!" "Out!" "I want a divorce." "Mrs. Bens, out, out, out, out, out." "Out." "No, one more." "Come on." "Come on, bring it on." "I have no idea what that meat was." "Yeah, I don't know." "It was pretty tasty, though." "It says here that "adoptive parents must prepare initially for punishing behavior, insults, cruelty, and abuse. "" "Sounds like a marriage." "Happy birthday." "It's an antique wedding sari." "It's real silk, with gold-beading detail." "Put it on." "Now?" "Yeah." "Arm out." "There." "Okay." "Let me have a look." "I like this place." "Lakshmi's mother must have sat right here." "Sit, sir." "Please sit." "Welcome." "What can I do for you?" "Sister..." "Sister, we've adopted a little girl, Lakshmi, and she was here two years ago." "We were wondering if it's all right for us to look around, just to help us understand her a little better." "This is where the babies first sleep when they come into here." "They're so sweet." "Yes, very so." "How do you get them?" "Do they just give them to you?" "Leave them in a basket on the doorstep?" "The stork brings them to us, my child." "What do you think?" "So, this is where you used to play." "Ben." "She remembers Lakshmi?" "Yes." "Beautiful, they say." "Please." "We would love to give Lakshmi any information about where she comes from and who she is." "Do you know anything about Lakshmi's mother?" "It's time to pray the Angelus." "You're welcome to join us." "Yeah, sure." "Okay." "Please excuse me." "You know I'm not Catholic, Ben." "Do it for your mother." "# As I kneel before you #" "# As I bow my head in prayer #" "# Take this day #" "# Make it yours #" "# And fill me with your love #" "# Ave Maria #" "# Gratia plena #" "# Dominus tecum... #" "Lakshmi." "Remember Lakshmi?" "Um..." "Lakshmi ma?" "Lakshmi's mother?" "Lakshmi ma?" "Lakshmi's mother?" "Did you know Lakshmi's mum?" "She is a good woman?" "Bhalo ma?" "Lakshmi ma, bhalo?" "Did somebody - somebody - did somebody hurt her?" "Was it - was it because she was - was a girl baby?" "Okay." "Okay." "You okay?" "Now, come." "Please hurry." "Please hurry, before the sun is settling into the water." "Come." "Most beautiful place." "The river is here." "Mrs. Bens, here!" "Here!" "Come!" "Here is the most important part, especially for you." "This is the ghat for the barren women." "You must be sending a prayer into the holy river before the sun settles." "Special for barren women, you understand, no?" "I think this is pointless, Krishna, because I don't believe in God." "Oh, don't make a deal of it." "I'm not making a big deal out of it." "I'm just saying that I don't need hepatitis." "No God?" "I'm sorry, I-I just" " I don't." "I don't believe in miraculous virgin births," "I don't believe in elephants with six heads." "I" " I'm sorry." "Just, no God." "But if you don't believe in God, what matter does it then to touch the waters, Mrs. Bens?" "Hmm." "Just need to be touching with the waters, Mrs. Bens, huh?" "Mm-hmm." "Very good, Mrs. Bens!" "She'd better not get sick, Krishna." " It is holy water, Mr. Bens." " Mm-hmm." "Very good, Mrs. Bens!" "Very good!" "Fee!" "Fee, what are you doing?" "You are so beautiful." "Well, I saw a pig, and it had a little piglet." "And then I saw a goat, and that had a little - what do you call it?" "Kid." "Kid." "And then it's like every animal I saw, every person, even, seemed to have a little one." "You're smiling." "You know, today, I thought that one of those strange" "Ganges dolphins was gonna swallow you or you'd been caught in a rip or something." "That was a transcendental experience for you." "What were you thinking when you were under the water?" "I was thinking that nobody told me it would be this hard to have another baby." "What?" "What do you mean?" "I was thinking about Lakshmi's mum and how she had to give her baby away." "And how we were gonna have a baby of our own and I gave it away." "I'd just put the deposit on the house." "I was this far away from senior associate." " You'd just..." " Wait." "...got the studio together, jobs were starting to come in for you." "Wait, wait." "You were pregnant?" "Ben..." "You'd just come out of hospital with that depression." "I just thought that when the time was right... we'd have another chance." "So you got rid of it?" "Look..." "I have to tell the truth." "We have to see things for how they are." "You can tell me anything." "There's nothing to tell." "Fuck." "The other day, I was teaching my son English." ""A" is for apple," ""B" is for Mr. and Mrs. Bens." "My family would love to see you both again." "In fact, they are coming with me to my cousin's wedding." "Perhaps my two Australians would be liking to join me as well?" "Special guest?" "No matter." "I am only a small man, and Calcutta is such a big city." "It's full of, you know, famous artists and musicians, poets." "Have you heard of Tagore, Mr. Bens?" "My most favorite poet." "Calcutta Grand, please." "But, Mr. Bens?" "Hey, stop." "Ben!" " Ben?" " What?" "What are you doing?" "Why didn't you come to me, Fee?" "That's what really fucking kills me." "Why did you lie?" "Do you remember that time?" "Don't keep smashing the past in my face." "I think it was you that wasn't ready." "You doubted me because you doubted yourself." "Are you gonna tell the agency or am I?" "We have an appointment in four days' time." "We can pick up our baby, and we can take her home, and we can still do that." "Fee, Fee, you're not listening to me." "She deserves a real family." "So we can be a real family." "A real family - they share stuff with each other." "They share their pain." "They tell the truth." "A real family believe in each other, so no." "Well, should I -?" "Thank you, Krishna." "Mr. Bens!" "My wife and I quarrel." "But we always make peace very quickly." "I can never be angry at her for too many hours." "She's far too sweet, and because there is no defeating the wife, you know?" "Krishna, I'm not really in the mood to talk for a while." "Okay, no problem, Mr. Bens." "Hello, Calcutta Grand." "How may I help you?" "Just a second..." "Welcome!" "Welcome back, Ma'am." "Hope you and your husband enjoyed your trip." "Are there any messages for me?" "Yes, there were many phone calls from your place of work." "Your big boss called." "Are there any messages from India?" "No, I'm sorry." "No messages from India." "Your cheese toast, Mrs. Bens." "And I brought this." "When my wife is sad, she eats kulfi." "That is why she's so fat and beautiful." "Um..." "I can take this back, I'm sorry." "No, it's okay." "Wow." "Is that ice cream?" "Something like." "It looks really - really nice." "Mmm, thank you." "Thank you." "That is quite nice." "What is it?" "Oh." "My mum gave it to me." "I think you guys would have really liked each other, actually." "She, um..." "She also believed in God." "She used to say that every prayer is answered." "God always listens." "Um..." "I'm so sorry." "The kitchen will be wondering after me, and my uncle will beat me if he knows that I'm soft on my duties, so I-I should " "This is a very sad story, no?" "You know... it's funny, because when my mum died, I" " I just felt empty." "I felt like she was just gone." "But since I've been here," "I have this feeling like she's with me." "It's like she's been there the whole time." "Yes." "My mother - you met her - such an old woman, but even from eight hours away from my village," "I can hear her telling me what to do, every moment." "I know." "How much do I owe you " "No." "No, no, no." "Not this." "Not this." "You are a-a friend." "Bondu." "Bondu." "Okay." "Thank you." "Uh, no money." "No money." "Hey." "Stop!" "Whoo!" "DIDl:" "So, when will your husband arrive, Mrs. Simmons?" "Um..." "To tell you the truth, Didi, my husband " "Oh." "Welcome." "Please sit down." "Yes, um, the court orders were delayed." "The system will always favor an Indian family over an inter-country adoption." "It's just, we were getting very anxious waiting for so long." "There are far more waiting children than there are waiting parents, Mrs. Simmons." "So, uh, do we get to see her?" "Yes, of course." "Um, this is the address." "Ask for Sister Tessila." "Thank you." "Thank you so much." "Well, I can see you both will make very fine parents." "Hello." " I'm sister Tessila." " Hi." "Welcome." "Please come in." "I'm really sorry." "It's just we are very busy today, and the children have been rehearsing for weeks, you know, for this play." "Come this way, please." "My office is here." "I mean, it's my duty to tell you that she is a sickly child, but she's really gentle and really intelligent." "I suggest the best thing would be to visit her a few times." "She's, you know, very small, but she'll understand." "So, this is our queen, Rumi, and that's the rabbit that saves the world." "Come." "This is Lakshmi." "Hello." "Hello, sweetheart." "Hello." "Hello, darling." "Hello." "You want to go down?" "Hey, look." "Look." "Do you remember?" "Do you remember?" "Do you remember?" "This is where you used to play." " She's looking." " Do you remember?" "She's hot." "And now we're trying to get rid of the water." "Okay, how's this?" "It's okay." "It's okay." " Prrsh!" " Yeah." "Look at that." "Through here." "There you go." "Ready?" "Lakshmi." "Hey." " Look at him." " Ready?" " Where'd it go?" " Where is it?" "Where'd it go?" "Oh, he was just tricking you." "No, I shouldn't teach you that, should I?" "This way, please." "Okay, it's okay, come on." "She's just been feeling a little unwell." "Okay, I got her." "Shh!" "Did she like us?" "I think so." "Feels like five minutes." "We were up there for five hours, you realize?" "Okay." "I'll see you tomorrow." "# You and I, harmony, you and I #" "# Please tell me how you feel #" "# Please show me what is real #" "Fiona:" "I want to tell you about your dad." "Um, I can't wait to see him be a father with you." "I think he's gonna be fantastic, and I promise you that I'm gonna do the best job that I can possibly do, and we're gonna have a fantastic life." "I love you." "I don't know you, but I love you." "Please come tomorrow." "Sister, we're here to see Lakshmi." "Sister T essila..." "Come, come." "How're you doing?" "Hey, Lakshmi." "She was feverish yesterday." "Yeah, she was coughing a bit." "She's been very unwell." "You see, it's impossible to be fully across the genealogy of each and every child." "She has chronically weak lungs and has been in and out of hospital over the last few months." "Lakshmi is sickly, and her immune system is unpredictable." "She will need specialized care for the rest of her life." "All right, well, if air travel is possible, can you figure out the legal precedents if the person is sick?" ""The king and all of his subjects... "" "Well, get her to call me and tell me about the international law perspective." "Ba ha ha ha ha ha!" ""And they all went home as happy as they possibly could be." "The end. "" "You are reading her Shakespeare." "I'm working up to it." "Can she hear us?" "She's sleeping deeply now." "Maybe she hears." " Namaste, Lakshmi." " Lakshmi, hey." "I've been through all the paperwork, and it makes perfect sense according to our legal rights and any foreign-adoption precedents." "That's quite correct." "But what can I do for you?" "There's nothing stopping us from taking her home." "My recommendation is she should not be moved." "But then, you are the parents now." "You two need to decide what is best for your child." "We're right here." "We're right here." "I hope you'll be comfortable." "Thank you." "Good night." "I'm okay." "Good night." "Night." "Fee." "Oh, thanks." "And there's a big bedroom just next to ours." "Lots of toys, and outside in the garden, there's a tree with a swing." "And I went and got all this timber, and I built you a tree house." "I'm not a very good builder." "Ben." "Are you okay?" "Mm." "Your cousin Lolly - she's six." "She will not shut up about wanting to meet you." " Hey." " I'm sorry." "In my head, I'd put all this pressure on her, that she can fix everything in my life... and with us." "And I just wish I could fix her." "That's all." "Here." "Here." "You all right?" "Mm." "Do you want some water?" "We're on e-mail, but a fax is going to be much better." "Well, if you could do that soon, that'd be great." "Thank you." "Okay, bye." "Sister?" "Sister." "She's not better today, no?" "No." "I think that we should put her on a plane and take her back to Australia." "And move her?" "Well, I don't know what else to do." "Lakshmi is - is our baby... and we have waited for her for years, and I-I can't even begin to tell you how hard this is for us." "I've nursed her since she was a tiny baby." "She's my child, too." "So you understand." "I do." "You must act out of love, not desperation or need." "Look, enough is enough, all right?" "I just want to get her home." "I just want to take her home." "I know." "We have to be so sure." " I know." " Hmm?" "I know." "Please, God..." "Durga, Kali..." "Please save our baby." "Please help us." "Please help us." "Please save our baby." "Ben?" "Mm?" "Oh." "Your, uh, bag, finally." "So, you will be attending my cousin's wedding tonight?" "Um, I'm not really in the mood for celebrating, Krishna." "Mrs. Bens, it is very important not to indulge in excessive lamentations." "It may affect the full transitions of your daughter into the heaven's worlds." "Please come tonight." "Come on, let's go." "You look beautiful." "Thanks." "Listen." "I know it's been really hard for us to say certain things to one another, and..." "I want to be your husband." "And I'd really like you to be my wife." "If it's all right with you, I'd really like to hold on to you." "Mr. Bens?" "Mr. Bens." "Mr. Bens, please come!" "Come, Mr. Bens!" "Namaskar." "Namaskar." "I" " I want to dedicate this song to the new couple and to my wife... and our little girl, Lakshmi." "# Please tell me how you feel #" "# Please show me what is real #" "# Please dance me through this night #" "# Please show me with your light that #" "# Only love is real #" "# Only love is real #" "# Only love is real #" "# Only love is real #" "# Please be gentle, please be sweet #" "# Keep me steady on these two feet #" "# Please be patient when I don't get it #" "# Please remind me when I forget that #" "# Only love is real #" "# Only love is real #" "# You and I, harmony #" "# You and I, harmony #" "# You and I... #" "The baby always belongs to her mother, even in death." "T o every cow belongs her calf." "You are mother, Mrs. Bens." "Can I have this dance?" "Why, of course." "Thank you." "# I can feel your heartbeat #" "# When I'm all alone #" "# I can feel your heartbeat like it's my own #" "# I can hear your music #" "# From a million miles away #" "# The angels got it right #" "# When they made you the way they made you #" "# Sometimes I wonder #" "# If you're made from bones and skin #" "# Or are you something for me to begin again, again?" "#" "# This love #" "# This love #" "# This love #" "# This love #" "# I will build you a mountain #" "# So you can see #" "# All the way across the universe #" "# To me #" "# I will build you shelter #" "# For when the days are cold #" "# I will be your shelter for when we're old #" "# And kind #" "# This love #" "# This love #" "# This love #" "# This love #" "# This love #" "# This love #" "# This love #" "# This love #"