Bombay Romance ♡ COMPLETED

[ 58 ] Yaadon Ki Baarat ■

Tent cinemas are the major entertainment hubs in villages. With a large old white screen set up in a vast open ground, organisers manually project cinemas that have already hit the theatres months, or even years ago. Huge carpets are spread out on the ground for seating. Families bring large dabbas and baskets filled with homemade snacks and watch the movie late into the night.

It is one such eventful night in Amarnath's village. And the movie to be screened is the twelve-year-old blockbuster Yaadon Ki Baarat. Regarded as Bollywood's premier masala movie and featuring an ensemble cast, the movie is everyone's favourite. Not that the crowd would be light otherwise. Televisions seldom exist in villages and people are tired of listening to radio songs.

Amarnath's family is there too, and the kids are particularly excited. Pitaji has stayed back, retiring to bed early. People nudge and whisper as they spot them with the weird new girl from Bombay.

Gauri shakes her head as Amarnath passes her a samosa. 'Too much oil for my skin. I already ate one,'

'This is better than that bread you like,' he can't help saying though.

Gauri looks surprised. 'Why do you hate bread so much?'

'It is bread. Who will like it? God has given us so many other nice things to eat.'

'Hey, sandwiches are good, okay? And have you ever tried toast with scrambled egg?'

Amarnath shakes his head and turns to his nephew. 'Oiee, do you like bread?'

Kiran looks horrified. 'I don't have fever, Chachu. See, touch my forehead. I don't want to eat bread, please!'

Amarnath smiles victoriously at Gauri. She frowns and looks at Kiran. 'You should taste chocolate and banana french toast. It's heavenly. You'll surely like it.'

Kiran considers it. 'Okay. But I'll take chocolate and banana only. I don't want bread toast.'

Amarnath bursts out laughing. As Gauri glares at him. He stops laughing, trying to look serious.

'Chachu, are you scared of Chachiji?' Kiran asks in wonder. 'You said you're not scared of anything in the world?'

Amarnath looks at Gauri, smiling. She smiles back.

'Chachu, why are you scared? You have a gun, no?' Kiran sits up on his knees, intrigued now.

'You want me to scare her with a gun? Why, you don't want your Chachu to be alive?'

'Very funny,' Gauri says wryly. 'The movie has started. Silence.'

They fall silent dutifully as the movie begins after the title card and the opening credits with bright yellow lettering. The opening scene is with three siblings celebrating their father's birthday along with their mother. The familiar sweet songs kicks in.

'Yaadon ki baarat nikli hain aaj dil ke dwaare ... sapoom ki-' ...

'Did you notice? They're three brothers. Just like you guys,' Gauri tells Amarnath.

The three brothers look at each other, blink and stare back at the screen.

Then, in the movie, the boys' parents are shot dead by the villains. As the mother drops dead onto the ground with tragic background music, Amarnath swallows a difficult lump.