Part XXIX
Present
Prachi asked Milind to go down to have his breakfast with the rest while she stayed back with her daughter. She assured him that she will have her breakfast in the room. Milind, being the perfect host, nodded his head and joined the rest. He informed the rest of the group that since Sahana was not feeling well, they'll leave for Alapuzha, which was their next stop, only after lunch. Ishan suggested that they watch a video of an old English Movie to pass the time. He had got the DVD only a couple of days ago from his friend, but did not have the time to see it because they had set out on this trip. He said that he had brought it along to watch it if they get the time to do so. When asked what the name of the movie was, he shook his head and said he could not recollect the name, but his friend said that it was a movie about romance and adventure. Milind thought it was not a bad idea and suggested they all assemble in Sahana's room to watch the movie so that she too can be distracted from her pain and they could keep her company. They all agreed and soon assembled in her room. Prachi was trying to feed her some Puttu, one of the south Indian breakfast items, but her daughter kept pushing it away, saying she did not feel hungry. When Ishan said that they were planning to watch a movie with her, her face brightened up. Movies were something that she can never tire of, irrespective of what language they were in. Milind had ordered for a DVD player in Sahana's room. Extra chairs were brought into the spacious room and they all sat down to watch the movie on the large Plasma T.V. screen.
When Ishan handed him the DVD to be inserted, Milind looked at the title and whistled. "So the old movie you were talking about is Romancing the Stone? Now that is not that old a movie. When you said it was an old movie about romance and adventure, I thought you were talking about Roman Holiday or something."
"Well, it is as old as our marriage, Milind. That is pretty old by Ishan's standards. He wasn't even born at the time," Prachi defended her son.
"Yes, it is as old as our marriage. How can I forget watching that movie with you? It was the first film we watched together in a movie theatre, remember?"
"The first movie you two watched together?" asked Ishan and Sahana excitedly.
"That's interesting!" said Ayesha. "So Milind, you got my sister to watch an English movie with you in the theatre? Now that is quite an achievement. She never used to watch any English films with us unless they were subtitled, which they were not in those days. She always complained that she could not follow half the dialogues. She'd rather watch those foreign films they used to screen in International Film Festivals since they were subtitled."
Ishan laughed. "Badi ma, Mama has started watching English films on HBO and Star Movies because they are now subtitled."
"Wish that the movie we had watched back then was also subtitled because your Mama had her own parallel commentary going on for more than half the film!" said Milind teasingly and winked at his wife, inviting a slap on his arm from Prachi.
The movie started playing and everyone was soon absorbed in it.
A brief summary of the movie
Joan Wilder (played by Kathleen Turner) is a passionate romance, novelist who receives a mysterious package in the mail from her recently murdered brother-in-law. This package turns out to be a treasure map which she finds out later. Meanwhile, her sister Elaine is kidnapped in Colombia by two criminals who demand that she travel to Colombia to exchange the map for her sister.
So Joan flies to South America to hand the map over and rescue her sister but she gets into the wrong bus and winds up hopelessly stranded in the jungle where she is waylaid by Zolo, a vicious and corrupt Colombian cop who will stop at nothing to obtain the map. She is almost killed by Zolo, but is saved by an opportunist Jack T. Colton (played by Michael Douglas) who looked like a man who could have stepped straight out of one of her novels.
Though his good looks and intrepid moves dazzle her, Joan quickly sees Jack for the cheap opportunist that he is. But he's all she's got, so together they journey out of the jungle, battling mudslides, drug lords, crazed treasure-hunters--and each other. Along the way, Joan discovers she's tougher than she ever thought, tough enough to rescue her sister, and tough enough to fall in love with the troublesome Jack.
Milind lapsed into thoughts of the first time he watched this movie with his adorable wife.
Past (Milind's flashback)
Milind came in early from work that day with two tickets for the English movie Romancing the Stone, starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner.
"Prachi!" he called out to her as he entered in and she came running from her room. "Get ready soon. We are going to watch a movie."
"Movie?" she asked excitedly. "What movie?"
"Romancing the Stone," he informed.
"An English movie?" she said in a subdued voice.
"Why..don't you like English movies?" he asked sceptically, wondering whether he should have first asked her preference before buying the ticket.
"It is not that, Milind. It's just that the dialogues are sometimes spoken so rapidly that I do not understand half of what they say."
"I'll explain to you, if you do not follow," he said smiling at her candidness.
Prachi seemed satisfied. She hurriedly changed into a deep purple salwar kameez which enhanced her fairness. Her hair was left lose and she wore no make-up, except for an eye-liner that highlighted the beauty of her doe eyes.
"I am ready. Shall we go?" she asked and flashed him one of her dimpled smiles.
Seeing her, Milind suddenly felt his breath constrict in his chest. He silently nodded his head and looked away.
They reached the Regal theatre in Colaba where the movie was playing. Milind parked his car and joined his wife at the entrance to the theatre and together they went in. They were just in time for the movie because as soon as they took their seats, the lights were dimmed. Prachi remained silent for the first few minutes of the film. When the hero of the film made a gallant entry, saving the heroine from a corrupt cop, she tugged at Milind's sleeve.
Prachi (whispering): Is this the hero?
Milind: Yes, he is.
Prachi: He is quite a handsome guy. What's his name?
Milind: Michael Douglas.
Prachi: Is he famous?
Milind: Not very. In fact his father, Kirk Douglas is more famous.
People in front of them at the theatre turned back to look at them. Milind put his finger to his lips to indicate that they need to keep quiet. They turned their attention back to the movie.
Scene in the movie:
Jack Colton (the hero): Who the hell are you?
Joan Wilder (the heroine): I'm a romance novelist.
Jack: You're what? What are you doing here?
Joan: I told you. My sister's life depends on me.
Jack: Don't give me that shit. I thought you were donating a kidney or something.
Prachi looked sufficiently mortified. She hurriedly tugged at Milind's sleeve again.
Prachi: Is she going to donate her kidney? I thought she was going to give a package to the kidnappers.
Milind (a little impatiently): She is not donating any organ. Now keep quiet and watch the film.
Scene in the movie:
Jack (to Joan): Lady, you are bad news. What did you do, wake up this morning and say, "Today, I'm going to ruin a man's life?"
Prachi (laughing out loud): Milind, that's funny.
Several heads turned back and stared at them in annoyance.
Milind (whispering): Prachi, keep it down.
Prachi quietened down and turned her attention back to the movie.
Scene in the movie:
Jack: Goddamn it, I knew I should've listened to my mother. I could've been a cosmetic surgeon, five hundred thousand a year, up to my neck in tits and ass.
Prachi: What does that mean? How can a man have tits? And ass refer to the backside of a person, isn't it? How can his neck be in his ass?
Milind looked around, embarrassed to see several heads turned towards them again.
Milind: Prachi, hush up. I'll clarify all your doubts when we reach home. Can we now watch the movie?
Scene from the movie:
Joan: Oh, marijuana.
Jack: Oh, you smoke it?
Joan [defensively] I went to college.
Prachi: I too went to college but I did not smoke marijuana. That's no excuse, lady! People go to college to study, not smoke. Smoking is a dirty habit.
She shook her head disapprovingly. Milind stared at her, wondering what to do with her.
Scene in the movie:
Joan (to Jack) : There you see, there you go, you have no finese, no style. A real man doesn't have to.. to.. draw attention to his actions, you're.. you're just...you're a mondo dismo.
Prachi (bending towards Milind and asking in a hushed voice): What is a mondo dismo?
Milind: Beats me. Must be some mindless gibberish. Let's hear what she has to say.
The scene continued
Jack:: I'm... what am I?
Joan: You're a man who takes money from stranded women!
Milind: There, you got your answer.
Prachi was still not too satisfied. She kept muttering to herself, 'mondo dismo', 'mondo dismo'.
Milind (whispering back): Are you trying to add it to your mental dictionary? Don't bother. I don't think anybody will know what it means even if you try using it on them.
Scene in the movie:
Jack: Man, I tell ya... one hell of a morning has turned into a bitch of a day.
Prachi went into a peel of laughter again.
Prachi: Please what?
Milind: Please control your giggling spree.
Prachi: OK.
She kept her finger on her lip and sat tight in her seat. Milind shook his head in exasperation.
Scene in the movie:
Gloria (Joan's pulisher): Joanie, you are now a WORLD-CLASS hopeless romantic.
Joan: No, hopeful. Hopeful romantic.
Prachi (😍): I like that. I am a hopeful romantic too.
Seeing the dreamy look on his wife's face, Milind smiled at her indulgently.
In the last scene of the movie, Jack shows off his new crocodile skin boots, made from the crocodile he had killed.
Joan: I like the boots.
Jack: Yeah, that poor old yellow-tailed guy... developed a fatal case of indigestion. He died right in my arms.
Joan: I can't blame him. If I were to die, there's nowhere on earth I'd rather be.
As they got up to leave, Prachi held on to Milind's arm.
Prachi (excitedly): Aaaww.... wasn't that romantic?
Milind (alarmed): You find a dying crocodile romantic?
Prachi: No, you silly. Dying in the arms of the one you love, now THAT is sooooo romantic. I'd like to die that way, in your arms.
Milind (hastily shut her mouth): Don't talk about dying.
Prachi: Well, all of us have to die one day, you know. Death is the only certainty in life.
Milind (angrily): Will you just shut up woman?
Prachi looked sufficiently chastised and she meekly followed him to the parking lot and got into the car. The rest of the journey was spent in silence as Milind continued to sulk. He did not like Prachi talking of her death.
After they reached home, they went up to their room to change. As Milind came out of the bathroom, Prachi couldn't bear the silence any longer.
"Milind I am sorry for making you mad at me. Please don't stop talking to me," she pleaded, her voice cracking up.
Seeing her mournful look, Milind immediately relented and walked up to her. He pinched her lower lip and shaking it he said, "You need to learn to zip up these pretty lips of yours when you are in the theatre." He bent his head down and was tempted to capture her lips in his, but inches away from her lips, he pulled back with a jerk.
"Come on, change fast and come down for dinner. It's getting late," he said and turned towards the door, not noticing Prachi's deep blush which spread across her face.
Source for quotes: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088011/quotes
Edited by Opti - 16 years ago
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
Vanshaj
