Beyond The Fences

LOGLINE- A SOLDIER FINDS AN UNCANNY RELATION WITH ENEMY

SOLDIER IN THE MIDDLE OF WAR. 

 

EXT. PESHAWAR. DAY

An old, rickety three-tire auto rickshaw is running in the congested lanes of Peshawar. The rickshaw is adorned, with Urdu names and local fashion items. We hear some local music in its speakers. THE DRIVER is humming along.

Inside the auto is sitting a well-built MAN in his 30s with a backpack and a big polythene bag that reads "Pooran Singh Sweets, Since 1930". He is lost in his thoughts. The autodriver looks into the rear-view mirror, smiling.

DRIVER Kidher say hai aap? Lahore say?

The man thinks for a moment and keeps his face straight without entertaining the driver. The driver looks at him with skepticism.

The auto stops at a corner of a narrow street. The man retrieves his wallet to pay the driver. Here, we see a couple of Indian notes mixed with the local currency. He takes out a 500 rs. Pakistani currency note and give it to the driver.

DRIVER (cont'd) Janaab mere pass tutte-

MAN Rakh lijiye.

A smile beams on Driver's face. He does a hand gesturing goodbye salaam and leaves.

The man looks at the alienating yet very much similar environment. His eyes land on a newly installed board on the road- HUSSAIN PARVEZ ROAD, Written in Urdu and English. He takes out a paper slip from his pocket, We see an address mentioned on it in English.

The man approaches A BYSTANDER on the road, offering him the paper.

MAN (cont'd) Yeh pata bata denge?

The Bystander looks at the paper and tries to decode what's written on it for a moment. The Man awaits. Finally, he gives up. 

2.

BYSTANDER

Angrezi nhi aati mujye.

MAN

Jahangir Gali, Puraani Masjid ke piche.

BYSTANDER

Seedha Chale jaao, fir khabbe haath mud jaana.

The man asks the same address to a few more people on his way.

EXT. JAHANGIR GALI- MOMENTS LATER

He ends up in an empty closed street. In the background, we hear azaan prayer on a mosque’s loudspeakers. At the far end of the street, he reaches an old house with an ancient wooden gate.

The nameplate says "Mir Parvez Amritsari. "Freedom Fighter". The man takes a deep breath and knocks on the door. No one answers. He makes a quick decision and turns to go back.

The door opens. We see an old man in his 90s.

OLD MAN Salam u laikum.

The man hears his voice and stands still but doesn’t turn back to answer.

OLD MAN (cont'd) Darwaza kyoon khat khataya baghair wajha?

The man doesn’t say anything.

OLD MAN (cont'd) Kis

say milna hai? '47 kay zamanay say yahaan reh raha hoon! Sabko jaanta hu. Aapki taarif?

CUT TO:

EXT. LOC. DAY (FLASHBACK)

Army tanks rolling on the battlefield. The deafening sounds of grenades interspersed with the unbreakable firing of guns. Utter chaos. Bodies, guns, and bullet shells are

3.

everywhere. The ice has got big red patches made from blood.

In the middle of the bodies, we see a name tag on an army uniform, MAJOR KARAN RAINA, who is drenched in his blood. We have met him already.

Karan’s seemingly lifeless body moves to his fallen comrade. The soldier is lying with his eyes open. Karan closes his eyes and salutes him.

INT./EXT. LOC- STONE CAVE - CONTINUOUS

Karan drags himself to a big stone cave and lies under it.

Just as he is breathing with relief, he sees another soldier weaker than himself, taking his last breaths, pointing his AK- 56 towards him. Both look at each other- terrified-eyes locked.

The exhausted Karan left with a mighty roar and throws himself at the enemy. The soldier fires but misses.

Karan snatches his gun and throws it away- Throw punches at his face- The soldier takes out a knife from his side pocket- stabs Karan giving him a deep wound- Takes it outTries to stab again- Karan holds his hands. Karan’s abdomen bleeds heavily. Finally, both give up. Karan lies on his side.

Both are in no condition to harm each other, breathing heavily, lying with a gap of four feet from each other.

SILENCE. The Enemy soldier starts muttering a prayer. We see the name tag on his uniform. The tag reads HUSSAIN PARVEZ.

INT./EXT. LOC- STONE CAVE- MOMENTS LATER

Both soldiers' breathing has come to ease. The war is still on its full scale.

HUSSAIN

Bachoge nahi tum. Pakistani sipaahi aate hi honge.

KARAN

Hindustaani fauzi bachne ke liye nahi ladta. Maarne ke liye ladta hai.

Karan holds his abdomen and sighs in the agony of pain. Hussain looks at him.

4.

HUSSAIN Tum log baate

bahut baddi karte ho.

KARAN

Or tum log sapne bahut badde dekhte ho. Kashmir ke.

HUSSAIN

Bhaut jalad wo sapna bhi hakikat me tabdeel ho hi jaayega.

KARAN

Lo ab tum khuli aankho se bhi sapne dekhne lage!

Both share a small laugh at each other's misery.

Both are SILENT. We can still hear the bombs and gunfire in the background. Bodies of martyred soldiers, bloodied and broken helmets, burning tires, and smog is in the scenery.

HUSSAIN

Acha, Ek baat batao, tum logo ko itni nafrat kyo hai Paakistan se?

KARAN Pakistan se nahi,

aantakwaad se hai.

Hussain nods and smiles in sarcasm as if Terrorism doesn’t exist in Pakistan.

HUSSAIN

(Laughs) Aantakwaad.

KARAN

Or tum log kyo karte ho nafrat Hindustan se?

HUSSAIN

Mai nahi karta. Mere dada hindustani they. Amritsar kay rehnay walay!

Karan's eyes shine and a little smirk takes place on his face.

KARAN Amritsar...! Amritsar me kahaan se?

KARAN (cont'd) Mai bhi Amritsari hu.

Hussain looks at Karan, with a quizzical face.

5.

HUSSAIN

Hall Bazar ki Masjid ke pass haveli thi unki. Bahut kahanaiyaa suni hai tumhaare Amritsar ke baare me.

KARAN Kya Kahaaniya ?

HUSSAIN Mere Dada Freedom fighter they.

Khalsa Collage se pass hue. Amritsar kay Pooran Singh halwaai ki barfi aaj bhi yaad kartey hain!

Karan beams.

HUSSAIN (cont'd) Abhi bhi hai kya wo dukaan?

KARAN

Hamaari hi dukaan hai wo. Abhi mere badde bhai dekhte hai.

Hussain is amazed at this revelation.

HUSSAIN

Agar yahaan se jinda bach gaya tau bataoonga unhe, kay aap kay Amritsari rishtedaaron say larr kay aya hoon.

KARAN

Mai bhi bataunga. Agar mai jinda bach gaya to.

KARAN (cont'd) Lekin

hum dono me se koi ek hi jaa paayega ghar.

Hussain nods in agreement, and they both share smiles that betray guilt. Both are SILENT. The only sounds that can be heard are of tanks and guns in the distance.

HUSSAIN

Mere dada nahi chaahte they ki mai yeh jung ladu. Ammi - Abbu ke jaane ke baad unhone hi paala-bada kiya mujhe.

HUSSAIN (cont'd) Mere

ilawa koi nahi hai unka. Phir bhi mulk ki khatir aik bhi nahi sunni unki.

6.

KARAN

Tumhari galti nahi hai isme. Mitti se pyaar hone ke baad baaki sab rishte feeke lagne lagte hai.

They both share a silence. They look at the surroundings, the war has caused. Hundreds of bodies, guns, and ice with red patches, is all they see. It is a disastrous picture.

HUSSAIN

Kabhi Mumbai gaye hai?

KARAN

Bahut baar, Kyon ?

HUSSAIN

Bollywood ki filmon ka bohat shaukhain mujye. Agar Hindustani hota, to zarur hero kay liye aadison deta.

Karan laughs.

KARAN Favorite actor

kon hai tumhara ?

HUSSAIN

Bohat saare hai... Amitaabh  

Bachhain, Sharukh Khan, Amir khan, Deepka Padukon...

HUSSAIN (cont'd) Aur tumahara?

KARAN

Mai filme nahi dekhta... par gaane or shaayari bahut sunta hu. Abeeda Parveen or Faiz Sahab ka bahut badda fan hu.

Karan sings “HUM DEKHENGE” by Faiz Ahmad Faiz with prowess that might be better than a few professional singers. As Karan brings the song to an end, Hussain taps his bloody thigh in praise.

HUSSAIN

Maah Shaah Allah, Surr to ekdum pakke hai aapke!

KARAN Shukriya.

In the distance, they see an Indian Soldier. They look at each other. Both stay silent. The soldier moves.

7.

KARAN (cont'd)

Achaa hamaare yhaa ki koi cheez batao jo tumhe bahut pasand ho?

HUSSAIN Kashmir.

KARAN Wo to

nahi milne wala .

Both share a small laugh.

HUSSAIN Mai Dhoni sahab

ka bahut bada fan hu.

Unke jaisa captaan agar Pakistan me hota, to baat kuch aur hoti.

HUSSAIN (cont'd) Or aap

bataiye. Aapko kya pasand hai Pakistan ka?

KARAN

Pakistani Music. Jab bhi waqt milta hai, jarur sunta hu.

Karan grimaces in pain, his abdomen is bleeding heavily. He moves his hands to find something, but the wounds have rendered his body largely motionless. Hussain holds out his first aid box towards Karan.

Karan looks at it and refuses. Hussain doesn’t take it back. Karan hesitantly takes it and applies first aid.

HUSSAIN

Shaadishuda hai aap?

Karan nods and takes out his wallet from the bag, taking out a photo of his family of four. The photo gets bloodied too. Hussain takes the photo and looks at Karan’s family.

KARAN

Yeh Kriti hai, or yeh chote wala

Kabir. Or yeh meri Wife Shahnaaz.

 Hussain looks at Karan’s uniform name tag.

HUSSAIN Musalmaan hai?

KARAN Pyaar me kya Hindu - kya Muslim? 8.

HUSSAIN

Kaash yeh pyaar saintaalees mein bhi tota tau aaj meray dada apki dukan par baithe barfi kha rahay hotay.

Both smiles.

KARAN

Tumhari hui shaadi ?

HUSSAIN Nahi.

KARAN Girlfriend?

Hussain looks at Karan with a shy smile.

KARAN (cont'd) Kya naam hai ?

HUSSAIN Nadia.

KARAN To? Kab

kar rahe ho shaadi ?

Karan realizes the situation. Both fell silent.

HUSSAIN

Aapko kya lagta hai? Agar kashmir hi naa hota, to bhi hum ek-dusre ke jaani dushman hote kya?

KARAN Jaani dushaman to

aaj bhi nahi hai.

Bass dono desh ki sarkaare...

HUSSAIN Aman aur

sakoon nahi chahti.

Hussain coughs blood. Karan gives him his water bottle. Hussain takes it without any second thought.

KARAN

Agar tum yahan shaheed nahi hue to, to tumhare dada ji ko meri taraf se salaam bolna. Kahna ke Pooran Singh Halwaai ki barfi bhi unhe bahut yaad karti hai. Or kabhi aao Hindustan to Amritsar jarur jaana. Hamari dukaan pe. Or Nadia ko bhi lekar aana .

9.

BEAT.

HUSSAIN

Aree... Tum to Nadia ka naam lete hi chup ho gaye. Abhi se itna chup rahoge to shaadi ke baad to tumhara koi chance-

Karan looks toward Hussain. Hussain is motionless. His subtle shining eyes are looking straight at him. Karan fell silent.

Karan drags his body towards Hussain, shakes his body, shakes him harder. Reality hits him. Hussain is gone. Tears well up in Karan’s eyes; he closes Hussain’s eyes and salutes him. CUT TO: PRESENT

EXT. HUSSAIN'S HOME- OPEN COURTYARD- NIGHT

The old man and Karan are sitting near a bone fire. Their tear-holding eyes are sparkling from fire. The old man tries to hold his pain.

OLD MAN To ab yahaan kis

say milnay aaye ho?

KARAN

Nahi pata. Maine usse nahi maara

Parvej Sahab. Par fir bhi dil kachot raha tha. jaisa koi apna gaya ho. Socha agar aapse mil lunga to...

OLD MAN

Pachees ka bhi nahi tha. Zidd kar kay fauj mein bharti huwa. Meray laakh manaa karnay kay bawajood.

The Old Man Finally breaks down into tears. He cries in utter pain. Karan looks at him with affinity.

KARAN Bahut bahaduri se

lada aapka Hussain.

Ek sacche deshbhakat ki tarah.

Old Man tries to keep himself together, and his eyes shine with pride.

OLD MAN

Mera pota tha. MIR PARVEZ AMRITSARI ka. Bahaduri se hi lada hoga .

10.

KARAN

Ek fauzi ke liye, shaheedi se bada koi auhda nahi hota. Hussain jaanta tha yeh baat. Ek chamak thi, uski aankho me.

Old man looks at his lone big old house. Silence. No other soul is nearby. 

KARAN (cont'd)

Parvez sahab... agar aapko mera yaha aana, munasib naa laga ho, to mai chala jaata hu .

MUSIC PACES UP:

OLD MAN

Badde dino baad koi us paar se is paar aaya hai. Wo bhi mithaaiya lekar.

OLD MAN (cont'd)

Aag lagaane se aag nahi bhujti putar. Paani daalne se bhujti hai. Waise hi jung karne se jung khatam nahi hoti. Pyaar karne se hoti hai .

They both hug each other. The old man sobs like a child. Karan’s eyes are wet. We see them from far, embracing in each others arms, The bonfire, shining the big house.

ON BLACK SCREEN:

Dedicated to all those soldiers, who sacrificed their lives protecting their motherland.