GAZELLES THAT LIVE IN A BIRD'S NEST
Hello?
There's no Rohini here.
What do you think you're doing?
I answered my phone.
That's my phone.
Sorry.
It's the same model, and the same ringtone.
See, I told you!
Hello.
I am on my way.
-Okay-- -Yeah, it's me.
There was a small confusion here.
I am in the metro.
I guess I must have done what he said.
My sweet, radiant moon
The one that holds my dreams
My thoughts fill me with new joy
In every moment, of every day
My sweet, radiant moon
The one that holds my dreams
Have you heard of the bullet train?
It doesn't run on a track.
There is a magnet on the train as well as the track.
-Didn't we see this film on TV? -Correct.
Aishu… the phone's ringing. Give it to Dad.
Dad, here's your phone.
Come here.
Mom, do you think you can open these doors?
Not at all. Only the engine driver can open them.
-Why? -It's safer.
What if we open it while the train is running?
-Someone might fall down. -Turn it, we'll get everyone in the frame.
-Oh! -We'll get everyone in the frame.
Okay Mom, say cheese!
The gentle drizzle of the rain
The cool caress of the wind
Play together as one
My heart has a myriad desires
Yet my heart pines only for you
Wispy white clouds in the blue sky
Drift and float and wander along
With a thirst that is unexplainable
Just like my desires, my love
My sweet, radiant moon
The one that holds my dreams
My thoughts fill me with new joy
In every moment, of every day
My sweet, radiant moon
The one that holds my dreams
As twilight engulfs us
My sweet melodies
Turn into gentle blossoms
The sensual southern winds
The honey-filled roses
There's so much magic in the air
Teardrops dance in my eyes
As my heart yearns for our union
These are my heartfelt desires, my love
My sweet, radiant moon
The one that holds my dreams
My thoughts fill me with new joy
In every moment, of every day
My sweet, radiant moon
The one that holds my dreams
Why don't you quit smoking?
Thanks.
I don't have a matchbox.
I'm planning to tell Revathi.
I think you'll do whatever is right.
I'll tell you if you go wrong.
No matter what happens, I'll be with you.
You don't have to face anything alone.
Isn't this a waterproof band-aid?
It's not sticking properly when wet.
I did ask for waterproof.
I don't know what they gave.
What time did you say?
The time that you asked me to tell.
Seven o'clock.
Please come.
Please sit.
Who is that?
I don't know.
Come here.
This is Bala and that's Aishu.
I'm Rohini.
-Hi. -Hi.
Go ahead.
-Thanks! -Okay.
We should open the gifts only after she leaves.
-Why? -That's the rule.
Okay then.
You look very familiar.
I'm not making small talk.
I really feel like I've seen you before.
He said your school and college years were in north India.
Dad was in the army, so we mostly lived up north.
But we lived here in Avadi for two years
when I was in grade eighth and ninth.
Then it's unlikely that I've seen you before.
My father was in the railway police.
My hometown is Thiruvarur.
That's where I went to school.
I went to Trichy for college.
Every weekend I'd go back home.
After I got married, I moved to Chennai.
I'll bring coffee.
How much sugar would you like?
One spoonful of it.
Dad.
Why are you home so early?
Dad, I asked you to call from downstairs.
You needn't have troubled yourself to come up.
There's no trouble in coming up in the lift.
I just woke up from a nap and came straight here.
I thought I'd have a cup of tea here.
Sure, Dad.
Hey, your drawing is really good.
-Hi, Grandpa. -Hi, Grandpa.
Hi.
Get ready quickly, children.
There will be too many mosquitoes.
Apply repellent cream on yourselves.
-Bring some for me too. -Okay, Grandpa!
What happened?
Are you unwell?
You look a little off.
Did you take the day off?
No, Dad.
Please add ginger to the tea.
Okay!
Jinju, there's no place here.
I'm scared.
Show me the trick quickly.
Abracadabra…
Naughty boy!
Jinju is here to fool the fools!
I'm Sundaresan.
-Brother, shall I wear this frock? -Yes, looks good.
You came for their wedding, right?
Are you Revathi's friend?
So…
you're Ravi's friend? Okay.
-Are you-- -Dad!
-She's Rohini. -Oh!
She's the one Ravi's going to marry.
We are getting divorced.
That's what we are here to discuss.
What?
Hey!
What is this?
Are you all pranking me?
Who is she?
-Dad! -Shut up!
Dad, I'll explain everything later.
The kids are here.
Exactly! You have kids!
Nonsense!
Who are you?
What are these two saying?
-Dad. -Shut up!
Answer me!
You are just coolly sitting in the middle of our house.
Who are you?
Answer me!
Rohini.
Wait a minute.
Please.
Let's not do this in front of the children.
Please take them with you for now.
That's why I asked you to come.
We'll discuss everything later.
Come let's go, Grandpa.
Bye.
Let it happen.
Whatever happens, let it happen.
Grandpa, shall we leave?
Go on.
Grandpa, here's the repellent cream.
I thought we could speak freely if the kids weren't around.
That's why I asked him to take them out.
I didn't expect him to come up.
I told him quite abruptly. Please don't get me wrong, Rohini.
It seems wrong to make up a story now and change it later.
I understand that this is really uncomfortable.
But that's inevitable.
Don't take it to heart.
Please stay. We'll talk.
THAENTHULI
The kids' drawing got published…
in the Thaenthuli magazine.
Nice.
It's lovely.
You can say whatever you wish to. Please don't hesitate.
No, nothing like that.
I've learned a lot about you from Ravi.
But we cannot really understand someone until we meet them.
That's why I wanted to meet you.
Just a casual meeting, nothing major.
Shall we have dinner?
I thought I'd give you some time since you just arrived.
Dinner is ready.
-I'll go get it. -No!
No hurry! We can eat later.
He told me you eat an early dinner.
I'll get it.
I had marinated the fish to fry just before we eat.
Two minutes.
Shall I take whatever is ready?
No, I'll take care of it.
Two minutes.
No hurry, take your time.
The kitchen is a bit messy.
Why don't you wait outside? I'll come.
No problem. I'll help.
Why stand in the greasy kitchen? You go, Rohini.
-No I-- -It's a tiny kitchen.
It gets too cramped in here with two people.
That's why I want you to wait outside. Don't get me wrong.
She makes a face even if I or the kids enter her kitchen.
She didn't make a face.
You must be special.
Dinner's ready!
Aren't you eating?
You both eat.
It's easier for me to serve.
We don't have power cuts usually.
They must have cut it because of the rain.
The food is tasty.
I'm not just being polite.
It is actually delicious.
Thanks.
Ever since Ravi told me about you I've only been thinking of the children.
I think the children should remain with him.
But a sudden change shouldn't cause them any distress.
Who will tell the kids? How should we do it?
Will they even understand?
Instead of breaking my head over it
I thought we could figure it out together.
That's why I asked to meet you.
Please eat. We'll talk later.
Is it okay for you to leave around 8:30 p.m.?
I'm in no hurry. I can go late.
Time is not an issue.
DAD
Tell me, Dad.
-Give the phone to Revathi. -One minute.
It's Dad.
-Tell me, Dad. -The kids are insisting on returning home.
Are they fussing a lot?
Yes.
We're in the middle of discussing this.
-Can you manage them for an hour? -Okay.
Why don't you go to the Welcome Hotel and eat there?
-Do you have your wallet? -Yes, I do.
Put the phone on speaker.
Mom?
-I've told Grandpa to bring you home. -Okay, Mom.
Could you get me chole and puri from the hotel on the way back?
-Okay! -You can also eat there.
Rocket dosa!
Sure, eat a rocket dosa.
-But make sure you don't waste food. -Okay.
Buy one and share it. Then buy another one.
-It will stay crisp then. -Correct!
If you finish your water, then ask for hot water.
-Okay, Mom! -Okay?
Okay!
But kids, don't pester Grandpa to buy you soft drinks.
Okay, Mom.
Now give it to your grandpa.
Tell me, dear.
Dad, it will buy us some time if you take them to the hotel.
Okay, I'll handle it.
Okay, Dad.
Any problems at your end?
Nothing like that.
You come.
-I'll hang up now. -Okay.
-Dad… -Tell me.
I told the kids they couldn't have soft drinks.
But if they beg you, you can buy them one.
-They are your favorites. -Okay, dear.
-I'll hang up now. -Okay.
Just a little.
The kids are bringing chole and puri for me.
Ours was a love marriage. Did he tell you?
Yes, he told me.
It was a love-cum-arranged marriage.
We didn't face any major issues at home like we expected.
The family agreed readily.
His mother was not too keen at first.
But she soon accepted us.
She was actually eager to marry him off to her brother's daughter.
Was yours a love match or an arranged marriage?
Why did you get divorced?
I don't really want to talk about it.
Please don't get me wrong.
Sorry!
Wait.
The children will be home soon.
Let's finish talking.
I'd prefer this to end as soon as possible.
Look, I don't even see a point in cleaning up the house.
Everything is a mess.
How long do these court cases take usually?
I was asking generally.
I know.
When it comes to divorces, we can't really predict a time.
Each case is different.
How do I explain it to the children
when I don't understand it myself?
But they'll get it if we explain it properly.
They're smart kids.
Okay, go ahead.
We tried to keep his smoking habit hidden from the kids for a long time.
But one day they caught him smoking.
That's it!
From the next day, they strutted around with a chalk piece in the mouth.
I was horrified.
So I made up something to deal with them.
I told them that Dad had been caught cheating on his college exam.
His teacher gave him the punishment of smoking 1000 cigarettes.
Even though his mouth or eyes burn, he continues to serve his punishment.
When they realized this was not a cool style but a punishment
they gave up the chalk pieces.
But look, they have hung a blackboard over there.
It is a record of the number of cigarettes he smokes.
He has promised to quit when it reaches 1000.
Why don't we explain this the same way?
In the cigarette story, the moral was that smoking is a punishment.
We can explain that my leaving, and your
entering their lives, is not bad, but joyous.
while I am leaving to make their life joyous.
We should say it is natural for families to go through such a phase.
When they're older we'll explain
that marriage is just an arrangement between a man and woman.
It can be changed.
Peace of mind and happiness are more basic needs.
Are we making this decision
without taking the children's wishes into account?
I don't know.
Will they accept me?
Or will they think I separated them from their mother?
No they won't think like that.
They will definitely like you.
We'll make them understand.
Don't worry about it.
To be honest…
I never thought about all this.
Whenever Ravi entered the metro compartment…
and the automatic doors closed behind him
I saw only him and not the world
he left outside the doors.
But only after coming here I realize…
that there's a whole world behind those closed doors.
I see you and the kids.
And that cigarette counter board too.
But despite knowing this,
I am unable to step back.
I feel like coming closer.
I feel like I want a place in your world.
I don't know if what I'm saying is right.
But this is how I feel.
All I have to do is shut the doors.
This tiny house makes me feel safe. This is my world.
It is a beautiful world.
You yourself said you were tempted by it.
But…
Ravi doesn't feel this way.
I can't put my finger on it.
but something is missing.
So, instead of you joining this world
let us create a new world together.
For our children.
We'll ensure that each of us has a place in it.
Let's think about how to do that.
I'll be back in a minute.
Don't you have to leave?
You won't get cabs to your place if it gets too late.
Ravi, do you want me to leave?
Are you feeling uneasy?
Don't be silly, Rohini.
If I felt uneasy, would I have asked you to come?
Then don't be restless.
Why would I be restless?
If I were in your place…
I don't think I could be as gracious…
or as strong as you.
Do you both fight?
Often. Why do you ask?
We never fight, you know.
It's true.
The first and last fight we had was when he told me about this.
I don't know if we could even call it a fight.
I yelled, broke the mirror, cried…
and then went silent.
Sorry, Revathi.
For a new tree to grow, we break off its branch and plant it.
While we do this for the new tree to grow…
the pain of being cut off will always remain.
That's no one's fault, Rohini.
Dad's calling. Will you speak with him?
Hello?
Okay, Dad.
They're downstairs.
The kids have fallen asleep.
Will you carry them up?
Did they trouble you too much, Dad?
Dad, please sit down. I'll bring tea.
I'll leave and come back with his mother tomorrow.
Ravi.
Come down with me.
I want to talk to you.
We'll talk tomorrow when you come with Mom.
Just come!
I don't want to hear your excuses.
Are you too busy now?
What are you staring for?
What the hell is going on here?
What's the problem with you and Revathi?
I feel like I've been struck by thunder!
If there was a problem, we elders would have sorted it out.
Who is that girl?
She…
-Ravi sir, come in. -Hello, doctor.
Oh, your father is here too.
This is like wearing blinders.
-I don't have a peripheral vision. -Okay.
Ravi sir, I'm planning to move out of my house next month.
Keep an eye out for a good tenant.
My wife and I have had issues since we moved in.
But she didn't give me this injury. It was an accident.
So I thought we'd try a change in location.
Rent is not an issue, sir.
They should take care of the house as their own.
Ravi sir, I need a good family like yours.
It will be perfect.
Don't you agree, sir?
Everything is so casual for you.
The children are also older.
Don't you have sense?
Is Revathi lacking in some way?
Revathi doesn't lack anything.
Then what?
Why are you doing all this then?
What do you call this?
What did you say then?
"If I marry, it will only be Revathi."
Now you bring this girl.
What if you change your mind tomorrow?
What if you reject her for yet another girl?
I don't know, Dad.
It is hard to discern when love will happen, or with whom. Or even why.
The one thing we have never understood for thousands of years is the heart.
When I told you I wanted to be with Revathi forever
it was the truth.
When I tell you that has changed, that is also the truth.
I don't know if this will change too.
But as on this day, to the best of my knowledge
I truly believe that this will not change.
Ravi.
Please listen to me.
You lost your mind and fooled around with that girl.
But now you've brought her home and are talking marriage!
It's just wrong.
It's like destroying a sparrow's nest.
Look, it's not too late.
Let's go back home, talk to that girl and explain everything.
We'll plead.
We'll just say something and fix the situation.
And wash our hands off.
Look.
Just think of it as a bad dream.
And live the rest of your life happily, Ravi.
If Revathi had done the same thing
would you have given her the same advice?
Or if Rohini had been your daughter
would you have urged me to dump her?
After everything that has happened
staying with Revathi is what feels wrong.
Okay.
I'll leave.
The fault is mine.
Dad.
-I'll call an auto. -No.
It might rain.
Get lost!
Dad!
I'll bring an umbrella. Wait!
Get lost!
Looks like it will rain.
It's getting late too.
Why don't you stay over?
Tomorrow's a holiday.
Kids will be at home too.
We figured out how to tell the kids.
-Dad, I need to go to the bathroom. -I'll take her.
Come.
There's a new nightgown in the bottom shelf of the cupboard.
Could you take it out and give it to her?
I woke up early.
I couldn't sleep in a new place.
I had a headache, so I made coffee.
Would you like some?
Shall we go to the terrace?
It will be pleasant there.
One day he said I shouldn't go to work.
Then he told me I was with him against my will.
Then in court, he claimed that I refused to bear his children.
Then there was a year of proceedings in court.
Then we had to change the name in the passport.
He asked me to sign and I signed it.
And we got divorced.
There's actually nothing else to say.
I like kids.
I like your kids.
I really do.
I'll take very good care of them.
Don't worry about that.
You have given me Ravi, your children.
This is your world.
But I have nothing to give you in return…
except emptiness.
I'll take that emptiness.
It has given you clarity to figure out what you want.
It will give me the same.
Rohini.
I had assumed a lot about you before I met you.
I had imagined all kinds of things.
But after seeing you
I really like you.
Bala's and my drawing won a prize in the Thaenthuli magazine.
Rohini-ma saw the drawing and liked it very much.
She wanted to meet us.
She tracked us down, and came with gifts.
The moment she saw us, she became our fan.
Then she asked for Mom's permission
and came every weekend to learn drawing from us.
We'd draw a lot together.
We were always happy to see her.
She makes us delicious carrot halwa.
These days, Mom comes only once in two weeks.
She works in Coimbatore.
So Rohini-ma takes care of us.
But whenever Mom comes, she tells us at least 200 stories.
She seems to know loads of stories. It's great fun.
She's coming tomorrow!
I think we're going to the beach.
Hey, kids. Come here.
One day the kids went for a walk with their grandpa.
They each bought two cute puppies home!
Their names are A, B, C, D.
They like walking them, bathing them.
They're so busy with them after school.
It's so lovely to watch.
So I let them be.
One minute.
Hello.
Yes. I have sent--
Rohini-ma, hold out your hand!
-Did you find a shell? -Give me your phone.
Taking a selfie?
-Okay… cheese! -Cheese.
Hey.
Excuse me?
If you're done reading, could you give it to me?
The last five pages were missing from my copy.
I'm going crazy not knowing the end!
Thanks, I'll return it when you get off.
No problem.