Tall, Dark and N.R.I (non-resident Indian) - unproduced Bollywood screenplay

part 2

13.

INT. TRAVEL AGENT’S OFFICE - DAY

Reema and Mr Arora sit in the waiting area of a BUSY travel

agent’s office. Through the GLASS PARTITION we see the

DODGEY LOOKING AGENT on the phone making promises to people

about visas.

Five or six unemployed youth surround his table, hope in

their eyes for that ticket to Dubai/Canada/UK.

Agent SPOTS Reema from his cabin. SIGNALS them to come in.

Father-daughter duo walk in. Agent signals others to move

away and give them privacy. They continue to linger in the

background, LEANING against the walls and listening...no

sense of privacy.

DODGEY AGENT

(shakes Mr Arora’s hand)

Sir ji, your daughter?

MR ARORA

Yes. We hope you can help us. We

have a bit of a situation. You see,

my son-in-law is in Australia--

DODGEY AGENT

Accha!

Bhai, that’s very good.

Simple case, not hard. NRI

son-in-law...very good, very good.

MR ARORA

Actually, it’s not as simple as

that. The thing is he has

disappeared and we need to find

him. But my daughter needs a visa

to go there first.

DODGEY AGENT

Accha!

Okay. No problem, no

problem. Show me her passport.

Reema demurely hands passport to agent. He studies the blank

pages with wrinkled-forehead concern.

DODGEY AGENT

Not so simple. In fact, bit

difficult. You see, if your

son-in-law has disappeared, then it

will be hard to give the Embassy

people proof of genuine marriage.

Correct?

Mr Arora and Reema nod with concern.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 14.

DODGEY AGENT

So...

Long pause.

MR ARORA

So?

DODGEY AGENT

So...Sir ji, normally I would say I

am sorry I cannot help you. But

because your daughter is like my

daughter I will try and help you.