Aabha

Film Club IIT Kanpur

INT. (LOVE SPOT) RUINS - EVENING

A couple (in their youth, around 19-20 yrs) is sitting on a

bench. There is sexual tension between them, but no one has
initiated anything yet. Just as the couple is about to get
intimate, there are loud shouts and noises of whistles. A
group of police officials arrive. There were many other
couples too, and all of them try to flee away but are
eventually caught.

INT. POLICE STATION - EVENING

Among the police officers at one side of the station, is a

lady constable, Aabha (age 29). The caught-in-the-act girls
and boys are made to sit in separate corners. They are trying
to hide their faces. The police officials are looking at them
judgmentally.

POLICE OFFICER
Kya babu, ban liye Imran Hashmi...
(after a pause with laugh)
chalo ab ek ek karke ao, bail karwao
aur chalte bano.

All the couples come, pay the fine and leave together in
shame, face covered all the while. Out of the couple which
was initially seen mingling, the boy came and shamelessly
avoided the girl and got himself bailed out. The girl sits
shattered and hopeless. Aabha notices the girl as the guy
leaves and feels empathy for her.

POLICE OFFICER
Tu...
(pointing at the girl)
idhar aa.

The girl comes to the desk in shame.

POLICE OFFICER
Tera aashiq to gaya.
(after a pause)
Chal...ghar pe phone mila. MILA!

AABHA
Umm...Tumhara koi dost wagarah ho to
usko bhi call kr skte hain.

POLICE OFFICER
Koi jarurat nahi hai, Aabhaji. Baap ko
phone milao iske.

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 2.

INT. AABHA'S HOUSE - EVENING

Aabha returns to her house. A simple small one-story house.

Minimal old furniture. Her father, reading newspaper, lying
on a sofa. She cooks dinner, wearing her uniform only. And
serves dinner to her father. The father is indifferent to her
or the food.

INT. AABHA'S HOUSE VERANDA - NIGHT

Aabha is doing dishes. There is a sound of the door opening.

She is taken by surprise to see her college friend Aarti.

EXT. KULFI WALA - NIGHT

Aabha and Aarti are having two kulfis and chatting.

AARTI
Ye kulfi... yar aaj bhi utni hi swaad
hai. Main hamesha kesar wali leti thi
aur tu-

AABHA
Pista.
(both laugh.)

AARTI
Ek baar yaad hai, Rani aur meri kya
ladai hui thi. Jab maine kulfi uski
nayi dress pe gira di thi. Bilkul
ucchal padi thi.
(laughs again)

AABHA
Haan...kitne dino tak muh phula k
rakhi thi wo.

AARTI
Haan...wese Aabha, ek baat batau.
(leans in)
Wo kulfi galti se nahi giri thi!
(giggles)

AABHA
Iske baad bhi tum dono ekdum pakki
saheli ban gayin thi.

AARTI
(slurping in between)
Are tabki baat alag thi...meri usse
too abb baat bhi nhi hoti. Woh Shimla
gayi thi honeymoon pe uski dost se pta
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 3.

chala. Uska vala gentleman nikla.

Shadi mein merko laga tha ki aise hi
langu pangu hoga.

AABHA
Mahesh bhi too bilkul gentleman type
hi hai.

AARTI
Woh toh hai hi.
(giggles)
Honeymoon pe Kaathmandu le ke gaye
the, aur salgirah pe ye banarasi.
(sighs happiness)
Shyd agle saal Vaishno Devi jayein!

Aabha smiles slightly.

AARTI
Arre. Ye pichhle gali waali Neelu hai
na...maine sunna woh ghar chhodke
bhaag gayi?
(Aabha confirms)
Kabhi lagta hai sahi kiya...

Aur apni Shalu koi bade college mein

gayi hai kya...kitni honhaar thi pehle
se

AABHA
Haa woh kisi dusre sheher hi hai.

AARTI
Acha, Brijesh kidhar ko hai aajkal?

AABHA
Yaha toh nahi rehta...bahar hi gaya
hoga.

AARTI
Dekh, ye bhi chala gaya.

Triggers flashback

EXT. STREET - EARLY EVENING

Aabha and Brijesh are walking around the neighborhood.

BRIJESH
Sunn...Kulfi khaegi?

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 4.

AABHA
Abhi...Sardi mein??

BRIJESH
(thinks for a sec)
Toh hot chocolate piyegi? Mall ke
paas?

AABHA
(in surprise)
Hot chocolate?
(dramatic pause)
Tu pilaega?

BRIJESH
(flirtatiously)
Haan haan kyun nhi.

AABHA
Chal sakte hain.

They hang out and enjoy, drinking hot chocolate. Many days
following they go around and eat sometimes together like
dates. /Montage/

EXT. RUINS - EVENING

They are walking around holding hands. Aabha notices the

ruins.

AABHA
Kahi chalega?

Brijesh gets her hint. They both go to the ruins.

INT. RUINS - PARK BENCH - EVENING

Both of them are seated on a bench. Shy. Clueless about how

to initiate something. Brijesh slowly brings his leg close to
Aabha's, trying to start something. Aabha hits his leg away
farther than before innocently. At that moment the police
comes on a raid and catches them and other couples at the
ruins.

INT. POLICE STATION - EVENING

The couples are sitting, face covered, in shame. Men are

coming to get their bail, and leaving with their girls, face
covered. When it's Brijesh's turn, he looks once at Aabha,
and plainly ignores her, gets his bail, and leaves the police
station. Aabha is left there alone, shattered and hopeless.

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 5.

POLICEMAN
(pointing at Aabha)
Tu! Idhar aa.

Aabha comes to his desk.

POLICEMAN
Tera babu shona toh gaya tujhe chhor
ke. Chal ab yaha naam likh apna.

She writes her name, "Aabha Subhash Machhiyaar"

POLICEMAN
(looks up)
Machhiyaar? Accha Shalini ki beti hai
tu?

Aabha says nothing, and keeps her head down.

POLICEMAN
(angrily)
Chup kya hai, bol na! Shalini ki hi
beti hai na tu?

AABHA
(afraid)
Haan.

POLICEMAN
Lo! Ek saal huva nahi aur beti ke par
nikal aaye. Aur tere baap se toh kuchh
umeed rakh bhi nahi sakte.

Aabha has her head down, knowing her fate.

INT. AABHA'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Aabha's father is beating her with a belt. We cannot see

Aabha, but her father is clearly seen lashing his belt.

EXT. KULFI WALA - NIGHT

AARTI
Tune kuch socha Shaadi ka?
(nods no, pause)
Dekh Aabha tera baap toh ladka
dhoondega nhi. Tu hai toh ghar sambhal
raha hai. Uske liye toh accha hi hai,
seva mil rahi hai. Tujhe hi ladka
dekhna hoga.
(looks at Aabha)

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 6.

Sach keh rahi hu, first class rakhega

tera wala.
(her kulfi falls on Aabha)
Maine jaan buj ke nahi giraayi, mummy
kasam!

INT. AABHA'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Aabha returns home and sees her father sleeping on the bed.
She covers him with a blanket and picks up the paper in his
hand and finds a matrimonial agency's ad.

Later in the bathroom, Aabha looks at herself in the mirror,

opens her bun, and lets her hair loose. She caresses her neck
for a while and then removes a bindi stuck on the mirror
places it on her forehead.

INT. HOUSE- MORNING

Aabha wakes up still half asleep makes tea for her father.
She serves the tea and leaves. His father drinks the tea.

FATHER
(says to himself)
Acchi hai.

INT. MARRIAGE MATRIMONY OFFICE - AFTERNOON

The people at the agency are taken aback seeing Aabha in

police uniform. Aabha tells them that she is here to enroll
herself and is handed a form to fill.

The form is as:

Name: Aabha Suresh Maachhiyaar

Age: 25(strikethrough) 28

Caste:

She stops at caste as it reminds her the memory of her past

relationship.

INT. COLLEGE - MORNING

There is some buzz in the college because of Valentine's day

but Aabha is sitting on her desk. Her friend Aarti jumps over
her.

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 7.

AARTI
(gossiping)
Tujhe pata chala? Himanshu Riya ko
propose karne wala hai.

AABHA
Sacchi?

AARTI
Haan! Aur Surya Disha se chaanta khaa
gaya!

AABHA
Woh kyu?

AARTI
Arey, hafto se uske peeche
mandra//ghum raha tha. Saaf dikhta tha
bhaav ni deri fir bhi. To chaanta to
padhna hi tha aaj.

As she was speaking this, Aabha already was looking at

Aditya, who was also looking back at her. Aarti notices
Aditya, but hasn't noticed that the two had been stealing
glances all the while.

AARTI
Wese Aditya ka bhi kahi chlra hai
lagta hai...

Aabha isn't affected by that, she is only looking at him, and

so is he, stealing glances in between. Aarti is so lost in
gossiping she doesn't notice them

EXT. DESOLATE PLACE - NIGHT

Aabha is waiting for Aditya. He comes drunk. Aabha tries to

steady him and keep him from stumbling.

AABHA
Tune pee rakhi hai?

ADITYA
Hain...haan...dosto ke saath
tha...jaane kisne cold drink me bhaang
mila di...Aabha kasam se mene jaan ke
kuch nahi karaa...

Saying this Aditya starts to lose control on himself.

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 8.

AABHA
Accha theek hai theek hai, pehle khud

ko sambhaal.

Aditya is still not in his senses.

AABHA
(worried)
Aditya! tujhe ghar chor au?

ADITYA
Arey Aabha pareshan mat ho yar...mujhe
itni bhi ni chadhi.

AABHA
Koi nahi mai chhodh deti hu, teri
haalat theek nahi hai

ADITYA
Arey par... maa baap gussa karenge.

AABHA
Is haalat me unko muh dikhaoge tab
gussa to karenge hi.

ADITYA
Mujhe dekh ke nahi...tujhe dekh ke

INT. MARRIAGE MATRIMONY OFFICE - AFTERNOON

A new comer has made a bang on the desk. Her attention is

grabbed and she regains her senses. She hands over the form
after filling it.

INT. AABHA'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Aabha's father is lying on sofa as usual and reading

newspaper.

AABHA
Umm...maine shaadi ke liye form bhara
hai.

FATHER
(folds his paper weakly)
Koi ladka chunle toh batana.

INT. AABHA'S HOUSE - EVENING

A boy's family of four has come for rishta and is sitting on

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 9.

the sofa. Few dry snacks are on the table and are greeting
butterly.

FATHER-IN-LAW-TO-BE
Humare ghar toh khaane ko khaana nahi
prasad hi maante hai Annapurna Maa ka!
Mithai ki dukaan jo thehri humari,
rasoi mein ekdum pakke hai. Bitiya ko
bhi bada maja aayega khana banane
mein.

FATHER
Aabha bhi sab ghar ka kaam kar leti
hai.

MOTHER-IN-LAW-TO-BE
Umesh bhi humara ladies ki bohot
respect karta hai. Koi drinking,
smoking, bad habits nahi rakhta.

Her husband gestures her to not talk about it. Umesh also
tries to keep his face straight.

FATHER-IN-LAW-TO-BE
(to fill the awkward pause)
Beta, aapko kuch puchhna hai Umesh se?

MOTHER-IN-LAW-TO-BE
Haa haa, Aabha beta, puchho puchho.
(Aabha simply can't ask)

FATHER
Dono ko akele mein baat karni ho toh
chhat pe chale jao.

MOTHER-IN-LAW-TO-BE
Haa, sahi keh rahe hai aap. Nahi toh
bas sharmate rahenge, hehehe.

UMESH
(overly smiles whole time)
Ji uncle.
(looks at Aabha)

Aabha nods. They both head upstairs.

EXT. TERRACE - EVENING

UMESH
Aapki hobbies kya hai?

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 10.

AABHA
(after thinking little)
Aise kuchh khaas toh nahi hai.

UMESH
Arre Aabhaji kuchh toh raha hoga na
jaise kadai-bunayi ya kuch...

AABHA
Main gaane sunti thi....hoon.

UMESH
Sahi keh rahe hai aap. Timepass ke
liye theek hai.
(silence)

UMESH
Toh aap Constable hain?

AABHA
Ji.

UMESH
Very respectable...hamari family ki
bhi kafi respect hai. Abhi toh humari
chauthi dukaan bhi khulne wali hai.

AABHA
Badhaai ho.

UMESH
Earning hum karlete hai achhi khaasi.
Haan...par aapko in sab baato ki
chinta karne ki koi zarurat nahi hai.
Aap sirf ghar ka kaam dekhlo toh bhi
kaafi hai...

AABHA
(a little surprised at the
implication)
Acha...

After a few moments of awkward silence.

UMESH
Toh yahi aapka hometown hai?

AABHA
Ye Haan.

UMESH
Accha...to aapka pehle kabhi kisi ke

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 11.

sath kuchh raha hai jaise school,

college me?

Aabha is figuring what to say. She is about to say something.

UMESH
Ab shaadi ki baat kar rahe hai toh
jaan na tha ki aap kabhi pehle kisi ke
saath intimate huye hai?

AABHA
(a little disgusted)
Aap hue hain?

UMESH
Ladko ka toh chalta hai, bas ladkiyo
ka thora...na hi ho to...accha hai.
(laughs it out)

There is --silence. He tries to direct the question again but

cuts.

INT. HOUSE - EVENING

Aabha is making tea but is furious as shown by her actions

and deliberately makes awful tea and serves the same.
Everyone drinks the tea but their dislike is shown by their
expressions and reluctance.

FATHER-IN-LAW
Thik hai phir... Hum chalte
hain...jaisa hoga vaisa bataenge...
Namaste

FATHER
Namaste

After the guests leave, father drinks the tea.

FATHER
Kya tha yeh?!

Father leaves. Aabha is looking at the ground and smirking.

THE END

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