A Scandall

'She loved colors.'

'Lakes.'

'Boats.'

'Mountains.'

'The day Kuhu drowned in a lake in Nainital..'

'..the cloud lost one of its part.'

'Where do the dead go?'

Father, stop! Stop, father!

- Moon! - Moon!

- 'The dead are alive in our memories.' - Moon! Moon! It's so far away.

Let's cook sweet bread with sugar.

'Memories. Sometimes they are a mirage.'

At that time I was coming up.

I heard her voice.

Father! Father, I am here.

Father, wait. I am here. Father, I am here.

'When my uncle and aunt's daughter Kuhu drowned..'

'..in a lake in Nainital, she remained alive not only in memories.'

'But she actually came back.'

I thought I heard something. As if someone is roller-skating.

'Me, Vidhu, Prabal, Asmi.'

'Like four strings of a puppet.'

'After graduating from the film school..'

'..all three of them were looking for a story.'

'That day when I told them about my family tragedy..'

Happy birthday to you!

'They thought we can make a film on it.'

Happy birthday to you!

'I was against it.'

'Because making a film on real people's real life..'

'..was like peeping into their house.'

'Initially I faced a lot of problems.'

'But when they insisted repeatedly..'

'..I also joined them in their quest without giving it a thought.'

'They only had an idea. And I had my memories.'

'Far away in the mountains there is a village named Chappan Taalon.'

'Where someone was alive even after dying.'

"Butterscotch is dripping from above."

"Below there is Chappan Taalon village."

"Cool breeze is blowing."

"Above there is shade of the sky."

"Listen, girl." "Listen, girl."

"All seasons arrive noiselessly."

- Room number 103. - Yeah!

What are you smiling at?

Well.. Nothing.

I was looking at your photos which I had clicked on the way.

Show me. Which photos are you looking at?

No. Not now. Not now.

First let me correct the color. Then I will show you.

Okay?

- Go to hell! - Hey!

Listen. Listen. Listen.

See this.

It was an absolutely pathetic kiss. Absolutely pathetic.

I love you.

'After two years I was back to the same town.'

'Same house.'

'Perhaps I didn't want to come back.'

There.

The outhouse that has a green roof.

That's where I found Manav talking to Kuhu.

Manav.

Manav.

- Manav. - Here.

Here is my move.

Come on.

I wondered why he was talking to himself.

It was strange.

Got in a fix. You always win.

I have lost.

I can't forget that moment.

His face.

His eyes.

His voice.

Kuhu is here.

Kuhu, mama.

Isn't it?

I..

Really. I don't believe in all this. But..

You pour fresh lime juice on clothes.

I miss it very much.

I miss that smell, mama.

It's just that Manav couldn't have known all this.

He never cares for honey pancakes or smelling clothes.

It was Kuhu.

I don't know what the hell, but..

It was.

Yes. Take.

Roll.

Say anything that you would tell Kuhu, aunt.

Now?

- Recite it. - Please.

Well..

Moon! Moon! Moon!

Moon! Moon! Moon! It's so far away!

Let's cook sweet bread with sugar. Eating himself from a plate.

Kuhu gets only a bowl. The bowl breaks.

Kuhu can't take sweets.

Moon! Moon! Moon!

Moon! Moon! Moon!

Moon! Moon! Moon! It's so far away!

It's.. it's just that Kuhu is not there.

And wonder what is happening to Manav.

Who do I have besides Manav now that Kuhu is dead?

Aunt.

Aunt, please don't cry.

Aunt, look here.

Aunt, I am so sorry.

- We are very comfortable.. - Bhatt's lentil.

- Yes. - What lentil?

- Bhatt's lentil. - Bhatt's lentil.

- What is that? - It's a local specialty.

It's more like black soya.

- Please pass this to Manav. - Yes.

- Vidhu. - Here.

- It's uncle's. - Please. I am starving.

No.

Here.

- Thanks. - Manav, did you take your medicine?

Okay, listen. Go quickly.

It's on the table in the outer room.

Bring that. Okay?

And yes, also bring salt and pepper jars.

What you guys are making.. Documentary, right?

It will have only interviews, right?

No. It's not exactly a documentary, uncle.

Well..

After your accident you started seeing Kuhu again.

We thought it could be quite interesting.

- In fact, I.. - Vidhu..

Shall we first eat? We can talk later.

What did you find interesting?

- Uncle, actually.. - Uncle.

In such films small things, you know..

- We saw the pictures of the mountain. - Vidhu.

Shall I please complete what I am saying?

He is the director.

You speak.

The main story of our film is based on a family's tragedy.

A child drowns.

And how her family deals with this tragedy.

Why are you smoking? First eat your lunch.

When do we have to go to the mountain?

Shall we go after lunch?

Okay. So he is Vidhu.

I am glad you came back.

Oh my God!

Uncle, please.

Boss, I am not going to go up.

I am afraid. I have vertigo, man.

- Okay, Vidhu. Listen. - Yes.

Shall I also follow him or shall I stay here?

No. Stay here.

- Okay. - Yeah.

Come on.

So Manav, how did you fall from here?

Today the weather is so pleasant, isn't it?

Isn't it?

Uncle.. your depression problem.

- Look, depression.. - Okay. Rolling.

Do I have to talk about this in front of them?

Chill. Don't worry.

We are not going to show the film to anyone..

..before showing it to both of you. Promise.

I am really much better these days.

She likes that.

What is that called?

Pendant.

Kuhu is saying that sister is looking very beautiful.

What happened?

Kuhu is here.

With me.

'Can uncle really see Kuhu?'

'Or is it a figment of his imagination?'

'To find the answer I took them to uncle's psychiatrist.'

Come, baby. Come. Come. Come.

Manav is quite impressive.

I have been treating him from the time he was 16 years old.

Yeah! The queen is mine!

If a tragedy happens with such people, they can hallucinate.

You got the queen, didn't you? Now take the cover.

Come on. Play.

They start imagining things.

Seeing his dead daughter is one of those things.

This is cheating.

What is this? You always win.

Father!

Manav had gone there to commit suicide. This is my opinion.

Have you seen that cliff?

Why will anyone climb it?

A person who wants to commit suicide..

..will never tell you that he wants to commit suicide.

It is just a moment. A moment.

Open your fist and it's gone.

- Sir, another question. - Yes.

Was there any major change in uncle's behavior after his accident?

Anything?

- In what sense? - In any sense, sir.

Anything that was unusual about him.