PAATAL LOK

EPISODE NINE (NEW)

Draft 4.0

Written by

Sudip Sharma

December 2018
 ON BLACK:

A joyous Bundelkhandi FOLK SONG being sung in chorus.

FADE IN:

9.1 EXT. CHITRAKOOT - TYAGI’S HOUSE - COURTYARD - DAY 9.1

A group of EUNUCHS singing and dancing.

Plates of sweets and glasses of tea being distributed to

RELATIVES and NEIGHBOURS assembled there.

A much younger version of TYAGI’S MOTHER (who we saw in

Episode 3) sits holding a cute little baby.

TWO LITTLE GIRLS - Tyagi’s sisters - fawn over him.

The courtyard - full of happy, smiling faces. Except for -

IN A CORNER:

A PANDIT. He sits with a younger version of TYAGI’S FATHER

(we saw him too in Episode 3).

The Pandit finishes up making a horoscope in his notebook. On *

which, a name is seen - ‘Vishal Tyagi’. And then as he *
studies it - creases begin to appear on his forehead.

Tyagi’s father looks at him.

TYAGI’S FATHER
Kaa bhayo Shastri ji?

The Pandit frowns - still unable to take his eyes off the
horoscope.

TYAGI’S FATHER (CONT’D)

Kachhu toh kaho maharaj. Badi
mannatan ke baad milo hai mooro.
Jaa pe hee aas hai, ki jameen
chhudwayego purkhan ki.
(beat; nervous)
Chhudwayego na?

The Pandit finally looks at him.

PANDIT
Jameen toh chhudwa dego... apne har
dusman ko narsanhar karego je
mooro...
 2.

Tyagi’s father’s face lights up. He SHOUTS OUT to one of his

daughters -

TYAGI’S FATHER
Ae Jhunki, mithaayi laa pandit ji
ke layi...

While he himself comes out with fifty one rupees and offers
them to the Pandit.

The Pandit takes the money tentatively. He looks a little

troubled.

Tyagi’s father senses it.

TYAGI’S FATHER (CONT’D)

Kachhu aur baat rahi, maharaj?

PANDIT
Sinh raashi mein surya balwaan hai.
Aur Shani bhi aathvein grah mein
baitho hai. Upar se -

TYAGI’S FATHER
(cuts him)
Hum bhaye anpadh kisaan maharaj! Je
Rahu Ketu kaa samjhenge! Seedhey
seedhey bataao... patri theek toh
hai na?

PANDIT
Patri toh laakhon mein ek hai.
Par...

TYAGI’S FATHER
Par kain Pandit ji?

The Pandit looks at him gravely.

PANDIT
Par insaan ki nahi, asuran ki patri
hai je. Daitya Hiranyakashyap ki
patri.

Tyagi’s father - taken aback.

PANDIT (CONT’D)
Asuran ko raja raho Hiranyakashyap.
Vaa ne vardaan hato Brahma ji ko –
‘Ki putra na tu din mein marego,
naa raat mein... na mitra dwara, na
shatru dwara... Na aksmaat marego
na koi saajis se...
(beat)
(MORE)
 3.

PANDIT (CONT’D)
Bhagwan Vishnu ke fir Narsinh
avatar leno pado vaa ke vadh ke
layi.
(folds hands with respect;
mutters)
Vishnu! Vishnu!

Tyagi’s father – confused. It’s all too much for him.

PANDIT (CONT’D)
Tor moora ke paas bhi wahi vardaan
haigo Brahma ji ko. Na din na raat,
na mitra na shatru... koi na maar
sakego jaa ne. Sivaay ek aadmi
ke...

Tyagi’s father looks at him.

The Pandit says something grave. But we don’t hear it as the

song of the eunuchs take a rousing turn.

Tyagi’s father sits stunned as behind -

The eunuchs dance in joy - Round and round they go.

ANGLE ON - The cute little infant, smiling with innocence. We

go CLOSER and CLOSER to him.

TITLE APPEARS - ‘SWARG KA DWAAR’

ROLL OPENING CREDITS

9.2 EXT. JAMUNA PAAR POLICE STATION - NIGHT 9.2

Ansari emerges out of the police station, dialling Hathi

Ram’s number.

ANSARI
(to himself)
Come on sir... phone uthaao...

The phone rings out.

Ansari - a little worried. He tries the number again.

9.3 EXT. CHITRAKOOT HIGHWAY - MOVING VEHICLE + VILLAGE FAIR - 9.3

NIGHT

A deserted highway. An SUV hurtles on it, with a bhajan

blaring from it.

INSIDE THE SUV -

 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 4.

Hathi Ram sits upfront with Om ji - Who drives the SUV.

Sitting in the back seat - Firangi. In his one hand - a gun.

In the other hand - Hathi Ram’s ringing phone which is *
irritating Firangi. *

FIRANGI
Imran Ansari caalling. Kaun hai je
bhosadi waalo? Baar baar phone kar
raho hai...

A tense Hathi Ram speaks up.

HATHI RAM
Usey pata hai main kahaan hoon.
Dekho, police waala hoon. Mujhe
kuchh hua -

OM JI
(ignoring him)
Re Firangi! Tain ne pato hai?
Police waalan ke ek ek goli ko
hisaab deno padey hai. Galti se
goli chalaayi toh vaa ki poori
rapat likhaani padey hai, rapat...

An annoyed Firangi puts the gun on Hathi Ram’s head. *

FIRANGI
Hamanne koi hisaab naa deno padto,
kaptaan! Toh shaant baith.
(irritated)
Aur bhajan sun, bhajan...

OM JI
Arey toh kaa dikkat hai bhajan
sunney mein? Dekh kitti badhiya *
baat kar rahe hain sant mahaaraj. *
Shakal hans mein ram biraje. Matbal *
hans, kauvva, gaay, bakri, kutta, *
bhagwan kahu ki sakal mein bhi aa *
sakat hain... samjho? *

FIRANGI *
Police waalan ki sakal mein bhi? *

As Om ji and Firangi burst out laughing, Hathi Ram notices a *

little away - LIGHTS. It looks like a VILLAGE FAIR.

Hathi Ram’s mind - racing. Just then - high beam headlights *

from an oncoming truck hit the car.
 5.

Om ji and Firangi squint and cover their eyes. Hathi Ram

senses an opportunity. He quickly but discreetly ties his
seat belt and then -

GRABS the steering and SWINGS it hard to a side.

The SUV hurtles off the highway as Om ji loses control.

Firangi SCREAMS. The truck BLARES its loud horn.

THUD THUD THUD. A series of bumps later - the SUV CRASHES

into a small pit, sending the three hurtling against the
dashboard and ceiling.

Darkness. Dust. And once it settles down - we see them trying

to regain their senses.

Hathi Ram - injured, though less than the other two because
of the seat belt. Blood oozes out of a deep cut in his
forehead. But he somehow manages to take off his seat belt,
open the door and fall out of the car.

While Firangi tries to revive his brother.

FIRANGI (CONT’D)
Dadda? Tain theek ho, Dadda?

He flips out his phone and dials a number.

OUTSIDE - Hathi Ram gets up and stumbles away.

Firangi realises and tries to go after him. Then remembers to

look for his gun in the crashed car.

FIRANGI (CONT’D)
Morichod bandook kitey hai?

Hathi Ram continues to limp towards the gates of the fair.

9.4 EXT. CHITRAKOOT - VILLAGE FAIR + WOOLEN’S STALL - NIGHT 9.4

People going in and out of various stalls and eateries.

Music. Noise. The place looks lively.

Hathi Ram tries to mingle in with the crowd.

His eyes go to -

A WOOLENS STALL: Shawls, sweaters and mufflers being sold.

Hathi Ram rushes towards it.

 6.

The Shawl Seller looks at his fucked up state with suspicion

as -

Hathi Ram picks up a shawl. Wraps it around himself, even

covering his face.

SHAWL SELLER
Saadhe chaar sau.

Hathi Ram hastily checks his pocket - Only 200 odd rupees.

HATHI RAM
Do sau.

SHAWL SELLER
Chaar sau ka toh hamein girta
hai... Laao, waapas karo...

The Shawl Seller tries to grab the shawl back from Hathi Ram.

A tense Hathi Ram glances back. Firangi is coming in his

direction, looking all around.

Shit. Hathi Ram can’t let go of the shawl at this point. He

holds on. A tussle ensues. It’s tense, but kind of funny.

Firangi - now just a little away. He’s on the phone, giving

instructions to someone -

FIRANGI
(into the phone;)
Oo jo melo lago hai bypass taraf,
haan wahi... seedhey bheetar aao...

Hathi Ram gives his fiercest glare to the Shawl Seller, and
whispers angrily -

HATHI RAM
Police waala hoon bhonsadi ke. Chup
chaap de de warna ye thela bandh
karwa doonga tera...

The colour goes off Shawl Seller’s face as he lets go of the

shawl.

Firangi runs away in a direction.

Hathi Ram throws the two hundred rupees at the Shawl Seller,
before running away in the opposite direction to Firangi, his
face covered with the shawl.

He has only gone a little distance when he sees – a bleeding

Om ji coming in his direction.
 7.

Damn. Hathi Ram turns and enters -

9.5 INT. CHITRAKOOT - VILLAGE FAIR - MAKESHIFT THEATRE - NIGHT9.5

A crowded tent. Hathi Ram tries to mix in with the crowd.

ON THE STAGE:

A play in progress. The ‘Bhakt Prahlad’ story being enacted

by AMATEUR ACTORS.

HIRANYAKASHYAP
Je aiso hai Prahlad, aur je tain
itto hee bado bhagat hai, toh bula
torey Vishnu ke...

PRAHLAD
(cries out)
Vishnu! Morey Vishnu!

Hathi Ram notices – Om ji entering the tent, looking in the

crowd.

And then - Their eyes meet. Shit.

Om ji rushes towards Hathi Ram through the crowd. Hathi Ram

looks around - no other exit. He’s trapped.

ON STAGE - Prahlad lets out one last wail -

PRAHLAD (CONT’D)
HAAY VISHNU!

And then - The backdrop of the stage gets torn apart from
outside. And the half-man, half-lion NARSINGH AVATAR emerges
from it.

Loud cheer and clapping from the crowd. People stand up to

have ‘darshan’ and take his blessings, and that blocks Om ji.

Hathi Ram senses an opportunity. He dashes towards the stage,

crosses it and jumps out of the torn backdrop -

Even as Narsingh Avatar, Hiranyakashyap and Prahlad look at

each other, confused.

9.6 EXT. CHITRAKOOT - VILLAGE FAIR - STAIRS + WELL OF DEATH - 9.6

NIGHT

Hathi Ram runs past the crowd.

Om ji too manages to emerge out of the tent and chases him.

 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 8.

And then Hathi Ram realises - Firangi is coming straight at

him from the front.

Shit. Hathi Ram notices some steps. A crowd on top of the

stairs. Hathi Ram rushes up the stairs.

Om ji and Firangi follow him from two directions.

Hathi Ram reaches the top platform where the crowd is and
realises it’s a ‘MAUT KA KUAN’. No way to go further.

9.7 EXT. CHITRAKOOT - VILLAGE FAIR - WELL OF DEATH - NIGHT 9.7

A BIKER performs serious daredevilry inside, swirling round

and round the steep cylindrical space.

Om ji and Firangi draw their guns as they rush towards Hathi

Ram from two different directions.

Damn. Hathi Ram takes a deep breath and makes a decision. And
then he climbs the railing. And jumps off -

Right into the well. He slides down the slope dangerously,

just about managing to avoid the swirling bike, and hits the
ground hard.

Some men in the crowd cheer, assuming it to be a part of the

act.

INSIDE THE WELL - Hathi Ram lies on the floor. The startled
biker - trying to slow down.

A COUPLE OF ORGANISERS in the well rush towards him.

Hathi Ram somehow manages to get up. He pushes the angry men
aside and heads straight towards -

A wooden door.

He opens it in a flash and jumps out.

Only to come across - FOUR GOONS.

One of them swings the rod in his hand and it gets Hathi Ram
on the head.

FADE TO BLACK: *

ON BLACK -

Silence.
 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 9.

And then – THUPP. THUPP. A sound at rhythmic intervals.

Accompanied by the barking of dogs.

FADE IN:

9.8 EXT. CHITRAKOOT JUNGLE - FARMHOUSE - NIGHT 9.8

It’s Om ji and Firangi digging a hole in the ground – large *

enough to be someone’s grave.

Two dogs sit nearby. *

We’ve been here before in Episode 8. It’s Tyagi’s Jungle

hideout. The Shivaling and the dogs confirm that to us. *

A LITTLE AWAY ON A COT:

Gwala Gujjar chews a juicy piece of mutton off his plate,

while Om ji and Firangi squat on the ground, smoking beedis.

The Old Sadhu comes up with a fresh roti for him.

Firangi gives a naughty glance to Om ji.

FIRANGI
(to the Sadhu)
Kaa maharaj! Chaar aadmi chaar
ghante mein ek gaddha khodat hain.
Toh ek aadmi aath ghante mein kitte
gaddhe khodego?

OLD SADHU
(irritated)
Aath khode, assi khode, apni maiyya
ki bur khodein bhonsadi waale hum
se kaa...

Om ji and Firangi crack up. Until - Gwala gives them a look.

They shut up. But only till – Gwala himself cracks up.

The Old Sadhu walks away, mumbling in annoyance.

Om ji and Firangi continue to laugh as Gwala washes his hands

with a jug of water.

Until – something stirs nearby.

Gwala turns to look. It’s Hathi Ram - lying on the ground,

trying to get up.

Dried up blood over his face. One eye barely open. Swollen
lips. He looks seriously fucked up.
 10.

Hathi Ram somehow manages to get up on his knees.

He looks around. At Gwala. At the grave being dug. His head

spins.

He just about manages to mutter -

HATHI RAM
Paani.

Gwala walks up to him with the jug. Hathi Ram grabs it with
shaking hands and gulps down some water thirstily, pouring
the rest over his head.

GWALA GUJJAR
Kuchh khaaoge? Mutton badhiya bana
hai...

Hathi Ram looks at him.

GWALA GUJJAR (CONT’D)

Inspector Hathi Ram Chaudhary.
Thana Outer Jamuna Paar. Duty se
suspended par tafteesh jaari.

Gwala squats down next to Hathi Ram.

GWALA GUJJAR (CONT’D)

Toh? Kya pata lagaaya?

Hathi Ram – barely able to keep himself straight.

But he leans in closer to Gwala. Whispers in his ear.

HATHI RAM
(whispers)
Yehi ki Donullia mar chuka hai.

Gwala looks at him sharply. Then grabs his throat hard. And
presses.

Hathi Ram chokes as Gwala’s thick, hard hands continue to

press.

But he manages to blurt out –

HATHI RAM (CONT’D)

Aur ye bhi ki ye baat jaanne waala
main akela nahi...

Gwala’s grip slowly loosens. Finally – he lets go of Hathi

Ram’s throat.

Hathi Ram gasps for breath in desperation.

 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 11.

Gwala stares at him. *

GWALA GUJJAR
Aur kaun jaanta hai?

HATHI RAM
Wahi jisne Tyagi ko fansaaya.

Gwala looks at him with surprise.

HATHI RAM (CONT’D)

Iss kaam pe Tyagi ko bhejne ke liye
aap se kisne kahaa tha?

Beat. A stunned Gwala murmurs -

GWALA GUJJAR
Bajpayee jee? Par...?

HATHI RAM
Donullia beemaar thha kya? Bajpayee
ko khabar lag gayi hogi...

Gwala just stares at the ground in silence. And we INSERT -

9.9 EXT. CHITRAKOOT JUNGLE - HIDEOUT - DAY 9.9

A scene we have seen earlier.

A tent. A pair of canvas shoes.

The scared doctor checks a pulse.

Then turns to Gwala Gujjar and shakes his head.

Gwala just stands there - stunned.

Everything around - Still. Silent.

And then, in a flash, Kana Commando points his gun at the

Doctor’s temple. And fires.

The Doctor goes down like a felled tree.

Gwala and Kana Commando stand there, fighting back the tears.

9.10 EXT. CHITRAKOOT JUNGLE - FARMHOUSE - NIGHT 9.10

Back with Hathi Ram and Gwala Gujjar.

 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 12.

HATHI RAM
Donullia ki maut ki khabar baahar
aaye, uske pehle aap raajneeti mein
aana chahte thhe. Par shaayad
Bajpayee ko ye manzoor nahi thha.
Uss ke liye aap log bahubali thhe,
businessman thhe, par politician
nahi.

Gwala looks at him.

HATHI RAM (CONT’D)

Mana karne par aap ke naaraz honey
ka khatra thha, par Donullia ke
jaane ke baad Bajpayee shaayad is
risk ke liye taiyyaar thha. Par ab
bhi usey aap ke ek aadmi se khatra
thha. Tyagi.

And then we see the following VISUALS (seen earlier in

Episode 1) over Hathi Ram’s voice.

MONTAGE - VARIOUS

9.11A INT. HOTEL UPTOWN - ROOM #1 - DAY 9.11A

Tyagi meets Chaaku, Kabir and Cheeni.

HATHI RAM (V.O.)

Usne aap se kahaa Tyagi ko Dilli
bhejne ke liye – ek assignment pe.
Chaar logon ki ek team khadi ki,
taaki assignment bilkul asli lagey.
Aap maan gaye, kyunki aap ko laga
iss assignment ke baad shaayad
Bajpayee aap ko Chitrakoot ka
ticket de de.

9.11B EXT. LANE OUTSIDE SANJEEV’S HOUSE - DAY 9.11B *

Tyagi and the three in a car.

Making a video of Sanjeev and Dolly. *

Far behind in the lane - two unmarked cars of Delhi Police. *

In one of them - ACP Bhagat.

Keeping a quiet eye on the proceedings. *

 13.

HATHI RAM (V.O.)

Wahaan Bajpayee ke liye kaam karne
waali Delhi Police ki ek team un
chaaron ka intezaar kar rahi thhi.
Teen din tak follow karti rahi.
Plan thha ki jaise hee Tyagi uss
journalist pe goli chalaaye, usey
aur uski team ko wahin encounter
mein shoot kar diya jaaye. Bajpayee
ke liye Tyagi ka safaaya aur
afsaron ke liye medal – matlab dono
ka faayda. Upar se ek journalist ke
murder se Dilli mein jo hungama
hota, wo bonus.

9.11C EXT. HOTEL UPTOWN - DAY 9.11C

Tyagi and his team leave with the bags. The hotel waiter
comes with the bill. Chaaku has an argument with the waiter.

They drive away.

HATHI RAM (V.O.)

Lekin – Tyagi ne goli nahi
chalaayi. Masterji se baat karne ki
zid karta raha. Aur jab uski baat
nahi hui, toh usne assignment
cancel kar diya.

9.11D EXT. HOTEL UPTOWN - DAY 9.11D

Delhi Police cars come to a screeching halt outside the

hotel. They rush in, only to come out a little later and
drive away.

HATHI RAM (V.O.)

Iski khabar milte hee ACP Bhagat
usey encounter karne hotel
pahuncha, par tab tak Tyagi Dilli
chhodne ke iraade se nikal pada
thha.

9.11E EXT. YAMUNA BRIDGE - DAY 9.11E

ACP Bhagat and his team chase Tyagi’s car on the bridge.

They nab him.

Tyagi is on Bhagat’s gunpoint when he spots - the OB Van

across the bridge.
 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 14.

HATHI RAM (V.O.)

Bhagat aur uski team ne Tyagi ka
peechha kiya aur usey Jamuna Bridge
pe ghera. Par naseeb ki baat ki usi
waqt media ki ek OB van usi bridge
pe thhi. ACP Bhagat goli nahi
chalaa paaya aur usey Tyagi ko
arrest karna pada.

9.12 EXT. CHITRAKOOT JUNGLE - FARMHOUSE - NIGHT 9.12

We’re back with Hathi Ram and Gwala. From a little away, Om
ji and Firangi watch them.

HATHI RAM
Bas tab se sach pata lagaane ke
chakkar mein iss case mein apna
chutiya kataa raha hoon...

Gwala fixes Hathi Ram with a cold, menacing gaze. Then draws
out a gun, cocks it and puts it on Hathi Ram’s head.

GWALA GUJJAR
Pata toh laga liya. Ab karne kya
waale ho iss sach ka?

Despite his fucked up state, Hathi Ram lets out a sarcastic

little laugh.

HATHI RAM
Aap ne ye duniya mujhse zyaada
dekhi hai, Gwala Bhai. Aap ko kya
lagta hai? Chaahun bhi toh kya kar
sakta hoon?

Gwala stares into Hathi Ram’s eyes for a long time.

Then turns around and fires.

BANG! The bullet gets Firangi. And he drops like a fallen

tree, right into the grave.

Hathi Ram - stunned.

He watches in silence as Gwala walks up to a shocked Om ji.

Gwala looks at Firangi’s body lying in the grave. And then at

Om ji.

GWALA GUJJAR
Siraf teen logan ke khabar hati
Masterji ki. Main, tain, aur toro *
bhai.
 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 15.

Om ji looks at him.

GWALA GUJJAR (CONT’D)

Aur itto jaanun hoon, ki tain toh
kabahu na kar sakey je dhokho morey
sangey.

Tears well up in Om ji’s eyes. His knees buckle. And he

slumps to the ground, and breaks down like a child.

A stoic Gwala puts a comforting hand over his head, as Om ji

clings to Gwala’s legs.

9.13 EXT. CHITRAKOOT JUNGLE - OUTSIDE THE FARMHOUSE - NIGHT 9.13

An SUV. Om ji waits outside it.

A little away - Hathi Ram and Gwala.

GWALA GUJJAR *
Tumhaari gun aur phone Om ji de *
denge. *

Gwala takes out something from his pocket. *

He touches it to his eyes reverentially, then offers it to

Hathi Ram.

GWALA GUJJAR (CONT’D)

Ye Masterji ka rudraksh hai. Tyagi
ko de dena.
(beat)
Usey haq hai jaanne ka ki main
Masterji se uski baat kyun nahi
karwa paaya...

Hathi Ram takes it.

The dogs come towards Gwala, wagging their tails.

Om ji gets into the car. Starts the engine.

But Hathi Ram lingers - his eyes on Gwala.

HATHI RAM
Ek sawaal mera bhi tha aapse. Tyagi
ne Sanjeev Mehra ko maara kyun
nahi?

Gwala looks at him.

 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 16.

HATHI RAM (CONT’D)

Kya baat karna chahta thha wo
Masterji se?

Gwala pats the dogs - his cold eyes on Hathi Ram.

9.14A OMIT 9.14A *

9.14B EXT. CHITRAKOOT BUS STAND - INSIDE THE BUS - NIGHT 9.14B

A PASSENGER sits looking suspiciously at - *

Hathi Ram - who sits at the back of the bus, looking fucked *
as hell. *

The Passenger gets up and goes away. *

Hathi Ram continues to sit there. We notice something between *

his fingers - a rudraksh. *

We STAY ON Hathi Ram’s face as the bus begins to move. *

FADE OUT / IN:

9.15 INT. NEWS NOW OFFICE - RECEPTION - DAY 9.15

A television plays at the reception. The ticker - ‘Trial

begins tomorrow in Sanjeev Mehra assassination attempt case’.

Sara walks in. The Receptionist cups the phone she was
talking into -

RECEPTIONIST
Hurry up, you’re late.
(beat)
And save some champagne for me.

Sara looks at her weirdly, as the Receptionist goes back to

her phone call.

9.16 INT. NEWS NOW OFFICE - FLOOR - DAY 9.16

POP! A champagne bottle pops open.

It’s an impromptu office party happening. Music plays on a

desktop somewhere.

Champagne getting poured in Styrofoam cups.

Everyone mingling around, laughing.

 17.

Sara walks in to see - A few employees hoisting a laughing

Sanjeev up a desk, while everyone around chants -

NEWS CHANNEL EMPLOYEES

Speech! Speech! Speech!

SANJEEV
Alright, alright! You asked for it.

Polite laughter.

SANJEEV (CONT’D)
I know the last couple of years
have been tough for all of us. And
the future has looked uncertain for
a while. But this is to tell you
that things are now looking bright,
and we have a new management
stepping in, which believes in us
and is ready to back us. They’ve
promised us a free hand in what we
do.

Mild cheer from employees.

SANJEEV (CONT’D)
And a pay raise.

This time, everyone cheers.

SANJEEV (CONT’D)
That one always works. Enjoy the
day. And go easy on the champagne.
We still have a day’s work to do.

A few groans.

And then the music picks up.

Someone hands Sara a glass of champagne. She stands holding

it - unsure, out of place with all the excitement around her.

As a chuffed Sanjeev gets down from the desk -

Jai walks up to him.

JAI
Good on you, bro. Good on us.

He gives Sanjeev a hug - who looks just a bit awkward.

 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 18.

SANJEEV
I guess there’s no easy way to say
this, so I’ll just go for it
straight.
(beat)
Kapoor doesn’t want you around.

It knocks the wind out of Jai.

SANJEEV (CONT’D)
Sorry, man. I tried talking to him.
But he wants to bring in his
nephew.
(beat)
I’ve made sure there’s a good
severance package for you in there.

Jai stares at him – with anger and heartbreak.

SANJEEV (CONT’D)
Excuse me, I got a meeting...

Sanjeev walks away from there, a little twinkle of

satisfaction in his eyes.

A LITTLE LATER:

Someone cracks a joke. A bunch of employees crack up. A

little away from them -

A bored Sara stands alone, sipping champagne.

Her eyes go to -

THE CONFERENCE ROOM:

It’s Sanjeev, hobnobbing with Vikram Kapoor and a PR LADY.

The laughter, the bonhomie, the backslapping.

Disappointment rises on Sara’s face as she stares at Sanjeev.

She walks up to the dustbin, and empties her glass down. And
then walks up to her desk.

And starts typing something on her computer.

9.17 INT. NEWS NOW OFFICE - SANJEEV’S CABIN - DAY 9.17 *

All eyes on Sanjeev. He frowns.

 19.

SANJEEV
Isn’t it too early for an
autobiography? I mean, doesn’t it
sound a bit... pretentious?

VIKRAM KAPOOR
Toh autobiography mat bolo, kuchh
aur bol lo... What’s that French
word, Nikki?

PR WOMAN
Memoir.

VIKRAM KAPOOR
(chewing it)
Mem-wah. See, nothing sounds
pretentious if you say it like the
French.

SANJEEV
But Vikram...

Kapoor Saab gets up, announcing an end to the meeting.

VIKRAM KAPOOR
Brand banta hai, yaar. Tumhaara
bhi, channel ka bhi. And all you
know, there might be a movie deal
on its way somewhere.

The PR LADY chimes in.

PR LADY
Oh, yes. Bollywood loves biopics.
That’s all they seem to be making
these days.

VIKRAM KAPOOR
Of course! You need inspirational
stories to survive this chutiya
country.
(beat; winks)
Pardon my French, Nikki.

A round of laughter and shaking of hands later, Kapoor and

the PR Lady walk out.

As Sanjeev picks up his papers - Sara enters the conference

room.

She puts down a paper in front of Sanjeev.

Sanjeev looks at it. It’s a resignation letter.

 20.

Sanjeev sighs; signals her to sit down. She does, albeit

reluctantly.

SANJEEV
Have you thought this through?

Sara lets out a smile.

SARA
Not really.

SANJEEV
You think you’re making a statement
by doing this. But trust me, it
makes no difference to anybody. No
one will know. No one will care.

SARA
It makes a difference to me.

Sanjeev stares at her for a while. And then signs on the

resignation letter - ‘Approved’.

And just then - someone BARGES in.

His face fucked up, his clothes disheveled. It’s Hathi Ram.
Behind - The RECEPTIONIST and a SECURITY GUARD are trying to
stop him.

The Guard manages to grab Hathi Ram’s shoulder.

Hathi Ram turns around. Looks at his shoulder. And then at

the security guy.

Dead cold.

HATHI RAM
Dilli Police hoon bhenchod.

Beat. The Guard takes his hand off and backs away in fear.

SANJEEV
What nonsense is this?

HATHI RAM
Baat karni hai aapse. Aapke case ko
le ke...

SANJEEV
Toh appointment le ke aao.

Hathi Ram gives him a glare.

 21.

HATHI RAM
Dekho sir, aisa hai. Abhi miloge
toh aap hee ke liye achcha hoga.

Beat. An awkward silence in the room.

Sanjeev finally signals the guards to leave.

SANJEEV
Bolo kya bolna thha.

HATHI RAM
Ek kahaani sunaani thhi.

He gives Sanjeev a smile. Sits down.

HATHI RAM (CONT’D)

Pandav jab apna raaj paat khatam
karne ke baad dharti chhod kar
swarg jaa rahe thhe, toh ek kutta
unke saath saath ho liya.

Sanjeev looks at him - ‘what the fuck are you talking about?’
Hathi Ram signals to him for some patience.

HATHI RAM (CONT’D)

Raasta kathin thha. Chalte chalte
raaste mein ek ek kar ke saare
pandav khatam ho gaye. Jab tak
Yudhishthir swarg ke dwaar tak
pahunche, unke saath sirf wo kutta
bacha.

Sanjeev gets up with impatience -

SANJEEV
I really don’t have time for this.

HATHI RAM
Aap ki kahaaniyan do maheene se roz
TV pe sun rahe hain, Mehra saab. Ek
din hamaari bhi sun lijiye. Please.

Sanjeev stares at him. Then sits down, reluctantly. And

listens to the rest of it with a scowl.

HATHI RAM (CONT’D)

Toh swarg ke dwaar par Indra ne
Yudhishthir ko andar invite kiya.
Yudhishthir ne kutte ko saath laane
ki maang ki. Indra ne kahaa - ‘Ek
tuchh kutta swarg mein? Asambhav’.
(MORE)
 22.

HATHI RAM (CONT’D)

Yudhishthir boley – ‘Poore raaste
mere bhai bhi mera saath nahi de
sakey, sirf is kutte ne mera saath
diya hai. Agar ye nahi jaayega, toh
main bhi nahi jaaunga.’ Ye keh kar
Yudhisthir waapas lautne lage.
Tabhi Indra ne unka haath thaama
aur kahaa ki ‘Maharaj, aap pariksha
mein safal hue. Ye kutta swayam
Bhagwan Dharma hain. Swarg mein aap
ka swagat hai’.

Hathi Ram smiles.

HATHI RAM (CONT’D)

Waise toh ye sab shaastron mein bhi
likha hai, par maine Whatsapp pe
padha.

Sanjeev - on the edge of his patience here. Even Sara seems

to be wondering where this is going.

SANJEEV
Iss bakwaas ka mere case se kya
matlab hai bataoge?

Hathi Ram fixes him with a gaze.

HATHI RAM
Aap ki life mein bhi ek kutta
bhagwan ban ke aaya. Fark sirf yehi
hai ki is kutte ne aap ko swarg
pahunchaaya nahi, balki pahunchne
se bacha liya.

Sanjeev looks at him. And we CUT TO -

9.18 EXT. SANJEEV’S HOUSE - PORCH + DRIVEWAY + KABIR’S CAR - DAY

9.18

A POV VIDEO, shot from a mobile, that we’ve seen before in

Episode 4.

IN THE POV VIDEO: Sanjeev, dressed for work, walks out of his
house, smoking a cigarette, while the car reverses out of the
house.

VOICES can be heard in the video.

CHAAKU’S VOICE (O.S.)

Yehi hai?

TYAGI’S VOICE (O.S.)

Haan.
 23.

CHAAKU’S VOICE (O.S.)

Abhi karna hai? Koi nahi hai...

But just then - Dolly walks out of the house, with a dog
bowl.

She calls out the stray dog ‘Savitri’. And it quickly makes
its way to Dolly, wagging its tail.

The dog goes to Sanjeev - who’s about to get into the car.
Sanjeev looks a bit uncomfortable.

Dolly takes Sanjeev’s hand and makes him pat the dog. The dog
licks Sanjeev’s hand all over.

Dolly laughs, as finally Sanjeev gets into the car. And

drives away.

HATHI RAM (V.O.)

Aapke us assassin Tyagi ko kutton
se bahot pyaar tha. Apne guru ki ek
baat usne gaanth baandh rakhi thhi
– ki kutton se pyaar karne waale
achche log hotey hain.

The Video stays on Dolly for a little while, as she plays

with the dog. And as it ENDS, we SWITCH TO -

Tyagi looking at Dolly. She now sits on the pavement, with

the dog in her lap. And Dolly, the broken Dolly, looks happy
in this moment.

Tyagi continues to look at her for a while. And a little

smile comes up on his face.

HATHI RAM (V.O.)

Aap ki beewi ko us kuttey ka dhyaan
rakhte dekh kar pehli baar usey
Guru ke diye hue aadesh pe doubt
hua. Guru se baat karna chahta thha
ek baar, unke munh se khud sunna
chahta thha ki ye kaam karey ya
nahi.

9.19 INT. NEWS NOW OFFICE - CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY 9.19

ON Hathi Ram. He’s clearly enjoying this moment.

HATHI RAM
Par jab kisi bhi tarah guru se baat
ho nahi saki, toh Tyagi ko kuchh
galat laga, aur usne kaam cancel
kar diya.
 24.

He looks at Sanjeev - square.

HATHI RAM (CONT’D)

Tyagi jitna bhi khoonkhar criminal
raha ho, thodi bahot insaaniyat
uske andar bhi thhi.

Sanjeev – shocked. Even Sara’s trying to process it.

HATHI RAM (CONT’D)

Hai na mazeydaar kahaani? Ab ek aur
kahaani. Ghabraiye mat, ye waali
chhoti hai.
(beat)
Is case ka aap se koi lena dena
nahi.

Sanjeev looks at him in confusion.

SANJEEV
Matlab?

HATHI RAM
Matlab aap ki jagah target koi bhi
ho sakta thha. Kisi ko koi farak
nahi padta. In fact, target aap
thhe hee nahi. Target Tyagi thha.
Aap toh bas ek bahaana thhe, Tyagi
ko baahar nikaal ke usey encounter
karne ka.

Sanjeev – now truly stunned. He murmurs in protest -

SANJEEV
Ye... ye tum... I mean... CBI ne
poori investigation ki hai. ISI
involved thha... sab jaante hain...

Hathi Ram just sits there smiling at him.

HATHI RAM
Ajeeb baat hai, Mehra Saab. Aap ko
toh yeh sun ke khush hona chahiye,
ki aap ki jaan pe koi khatra nahi.
Par aap toh...

Sanjeev – confused. Shaken.

HATHI RAM (CONT’D)

Shaayad is ki wajah ye toh nahi ki
jis case mein Tyagi aur wo teenon
narak pahunch gaye, us case mein
aap ko apne swarg ka dwaar mil
gaya...
(MORE)
 25.

HATHI RAM (CONT’D)

(smirks)
Voice of India!

A smirk comes up on Sara’s face while Sanjeev snaps in a mix

of anger and hurt.

SANJEEV
Tum... tum bakwaas kar rahe ho.
Kuchh nahi jaante tum. Naukri se
bhi suspended ho apne fuck ups ki
wajah se...

Hathi Ram gets up.

HATHI RAM
Aap se pehli baar mila thha toh
laga ki aap kitne badey aadmi hain.
Aur main kitna chhota. Is case mein
maine jitni bhi marwaayi ho, kam se
kam meri ye galatfehmi toh door ho
gayi.

Hathi Ram walks out, leaving behind a shaken Sanjeev.

Sanjeev looks at Sara.

SANJEEV
This... this can’t leave the room.

A naughty smile comes up on Sara’s face.

SANJEEV (CONT’D)
It’s not right. You don’t know if
this is really the truth.

Sara gets up - ready to go.

SARA
You’re right, I don’t. But I want
you to live with the knowledge that
if I want, I can do to you what you
did to those four guys.

SANJEEV
(more like to himself)
No one’s going to believe you. An
affair gone wrong... that’s what
they’re going to say.

Sara just quietly walks away from there, a smile dancing on

her lips.

Sanjeev’s eyes go to the whiteboard. Still written there,

from the meeting scene in Episode 8 – ‘FAKE NEWS’.
 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 26.

He stares at it with unease.

9.20 INT. HATHI RAM’S HOUSE - NIGHT 9.20

Renu - pacing up and down the house.

The doorbell rings. She rushes to open the door.

And there he is - Hathi Ram. All bandaged up by now.

Renu gasps as she looks at his state.

Then crashes into his arms.

Hathi Ram winces at the pain that causes.

RENU
Oh sorry, sorry.

She pulls herself back.

Hathi Ram laughs. And so does Renu - despite herself.

He pulls Renu closer. This time, she hugs him gently.

And they kiss, kinda clumsily. Renu – trying hard to control

her tears. But laughing. But crying.

Hathi Ram’s eyes go to - the empty space where the soda

machine stood all this while.

HATHI RAM
Arey... wo soda machine?

RENU
Waapas kar di. Saare cartoons *
bhi...

HATHI RAM
Badle mein Jitu koi nayi scheme toh
nahi pakda gaya na? Andar waale
kamre mein dekhoon?

Renu hits him lovingly. Hathi Ram winces again.

RENU
Oh sorry sorry.

They laugh again.

Just then, the landline phone in the house rings.

 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 27.

RENU (CONT’D)
Uss Virk ka hee hoga. Shaam se
chaar baar kar chuka hai...

Hathi Ram frowns. Walks up to the phone and answers it.

HATHI RAM
(into the phone)
Hello?

SHO VIRK (O.S.)

(filtered; off the phone)
Toh waapas aa gaye, Chaudhari?

HATHI RAM
Sir. Sorry wo phone ki battery -

SHO VIRK (O.S.)

(cuts him; filtered)
Subah thaane aa jaao.

And then the phone gets cut abruptly.

Hathi Ram puts it down, and stares at it - a bit tense.

9.21 OMITTED 9.21 *

9.22 INT. TIHAR JAIL - STAIRCASE - DAY 9.22 *

Tyagi, Chaaku and Cheeni look grim as Jail Guards march them
down the long corridor.

9.23 INT. TIHAR JAIL - OFFICE - DAY 9.23

CBI official Sunil Gautam and his team complete the paperwork
formalities with the jail staff.

Tyagi, Chaaku and Cheeni wait, along with all the other
UNDERTRIALS due for their court turns on this day.

Chaaku’s eyes go to - an UNDERTRIAL who looks mentally

disturbed.

With a glazed look in his eyes, he continues to mutter -

MENTALLY DISTURBED UNDERTRIAL

Jo kahunga sach kahunga, sach ke
siva kuchh nahi kahunga. Jo kahunga
sach kahunga, sach ke siva kuchh
nahi kahunga...
 28.

No one’s paying any attention to him.

9.24 INT. JAMUNA PAAR POLICE STATION - SHO’S CABIN - DAY 9.24

ANGLE ON Virk. He sits staring at Hathi Ram. And his

bandages.

Hathi Ram - conscious.

HATHI RAM
Sir wo... ek chhota sa accident -

SHO VIRK
(cuts him; shouts out)
Tokas!

Constable Tokas comes in.

SHO VIRK (CONT’D)

Moharrar ko bolo sir ko inki gun
aur gaadi ki chaabi dega.

Tokas - surprised. Then runs out.

Hathi Ram too looks at Virk with surprise.

SHO VIRK (CONT’D)

Kal raat Headquarter se phone aaya
thha. Suspension cancel ho gaya hai
tumhaara.

Hathi Ram - intrigued.

SHO VIRK (CONT’D)

Sab pata hai tumhe Chaudhari. Ye
bhole panchhi banne ka jo drama kar
rahe ho, tumhaari shakal pe suit
nahi karta.

Hathi Ram looks at Virk’s pissed face. And a little smile

comes up on his lips.

HATHI RAM
Aap toh naaraz lag rahe ho sir, ki
mujhe naukri waapas mil gayi. Boss
na sahi, dost ke naate hee khush ho
jaate...

Virk stares at him. Hathi Ram maintains a straight face.

Finally, Virk’s had enough.

 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 29.

SHO VIRK
Jaaiye. Duty kijiye.

Hathi Ram gets up. And salutes crisply. A little too crisply
in fact.

9.25 INT. JAMUNA PAAR POLICE STATION - MOHARRAR DESK - DAY 9.25

Hathi Ram signs the register.

And is handed over his gun. And the car keys.

He picks them up - pleased, but still intrigued.

Just then, someone comes and taps on his shoulder.

Hathi Ram looks at him. It’s Officer Dahiya, in civil *

uniform.

9.26 INT. RESTAURANT - DAY 9.26 *

Note: Location changed. *

The restaurant is yet to open. Chairs still placed upturned *

on most tables. *

Hathi Ram follows Dahiya in to see - *

Bhagat sitting at a table, sipping tea. *

ACP BHAGAT
Welcome back, Chaudhari.

Hathi Ram’s mind - buzzing. He doesn’t know what to say.

Bhagat smiles. Signals to Dahiya. *

Dahiya brings out his mobile. Plays a youtube video for Hathi *
Ram.

VIDEO:

9.26INS INT. CHITRAKOOT - CIRCUIT HOUSE - CONFERENCE HALL - DAY

9.26INS

It’s a latest video of Bajpayee and Gwala Gujjar at a press

conference in Chitrakoot.
 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 30.

AMITOSH (V.O.)
(filtered; off the mobile)
Aaj ek press conference mein
Bajpayee ji ne ye ghoshna ki ki
aagaami chunaavon mein unki party
ka Chitrakoot ka ticket Shri Gwala
Gujjar ko diya jaayega...

Hathi Ram looks shocked as he sees Gwala Gujjar and Bajpayee

hugging on the stage in the video.

ACP BHAGAT
In do hastiyon ko waapas saath
milaane mein tumne jo madad ki hai,
usi ka inaam hai ye naukri.

Hathi Ram looks at Bhagat. It all makes sense now.

HATHI RAM
Aur shaayad munh bandh rakhne ka?

Bhagat glares at him. And then lets out a smile.

ACP BHAGAT
Ye system jo hai na Chaudhari...
door se dekhne mein sada gala
kachre ka dher lagta hai. Par andar
ghus ke samjhoge na, ek well-oiled
machinery hai. Har purze ko pata *
hai usko kya karna hai. Aur jisko
nahi pata, uss purze ko badal diya *
jaata hai. Par ye system kabhi nahi
badalta.

Bhagat finishes up his tea and gets up to leave when - *

HATHI RAM
Ek sawaal thha sir...

Bhagat looks at him.

HATHI RAM (CONT’D)

Aapne ye case isliye diya thha na
kyunki aap ko laga main chutiya
hoon, kabhi solve nahi kar paaunga?

ACP BHAGAT
Aur chutiye tum nikale, Chaudhari.
Par itne badey nikaloge uska
andaaza nahi thha.

In Bhagat’s eyes - anger, but also a grudging respect.

 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 31.

9.27 EXT. SANJEEV’S HOUSE - GAZEBO - DAY 9.27 *

Dolly sits playing with a little puppy when - *

Sanjeev walks up, dressed for work. *

He looks at Dolly. And just stands there looking at her. *

Dolly feels it. Turns to look at him.

SANJEEV
Thank you.

Dolly looks at him - confused.

DOLLY
For what?

SANJEEV
Don’t know... just felt like saying
it.

The two look at each other for a long, sad moment.

And then Dolly goes back to playing with the puppy.

9.27A EXT. SANJEEV’S HOUSE - DRIVEWAY - DAY 9.27A *

Sanjeev walks away to his waiting car.

The waiting cops jump into the escort vehicle. The entourage
leaves.

9.28 EXT. ANSARI'S HOUSE - LANE OUTSIDE - DAY 9.28

A smartly dressed Ansari - in a suit - waiting. He looks *

impatiently at his watch. Then flips out his phone and dials *
a number.

ANSARI
(into the phone)
Sir marwaaoge aap. Final interview
mein late karwaoge...

And just then, Ansari’s eyes go to - a police vehicle that

comes to a stop near him.

He looks. And it’s Hathi Ram driving it.

A surprised Ansari cuts the phone. And looks at Hathi Ram in

confusion.
 32.

HATHI RAM
Ghabra mat. Chura ke nahi laaya
hoon. Chal baith jaldi.

Hathi Ram starts the siren on the car.

HATHI RAM (CONT’D)

Police ki naukri kabhi toh kaam
aaye police waalon ke...

Ansari jumps in.

And they drive away – blazing through the traffic that makes
way for the siren-wielding car.

9.29 EXT. DELHI STREETS - MOVING CAR - DAY 9.29

Hathi Ram drives fast. In control.

HATHI RAM
CBI ko case humse le ke ghoomane ko
kahaa gaya thha. Unhone socha ab
ghooma hee rahe hain toh terrorist
conspiracy kyun naa bana dein. Uske
toh extra number milenge.

Ansari looks at him.

ANSARI
Par CBI ko -

HATHI RAM
Abhi ke liye itna bahot hai. Abhi
tu interview pe dhyaan de.

He looks at Ansari.

HATHI RAM (CONT’D)

Main nahi banaa na sahi. Kam se kam
dost toh bane bade afsar.

Ansari smiles. A moment.

9.30 EXT. DELHI - IAS INTERVIEW CENTER - DAY 9.30

One of those old regal buildings in Lutyens’ Delhi.

Candidates rushing in.

The car comes to a stop outside it.

Ansari turns to Hathi Ram -

 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 33.

ANSARI
Aaj pehli peshi hai case ki. CBI *
court mein... *

Hathi Ram glares at him.

HATHI RAM
Tu jaa yaar interview de apna...

Ansari smiles. Then takes a deep breath, like bracing

himself.

He jumps out and hurries into the building.

Hathi Ram watches him go, a smile on his lips.

On the car windshield - rain drops start to fall. *

9.31 EXT. CBI COURT - DAY 9.31

It’s pouring.

A HINDI REPORTER holding an umbrella gives her byte to the

camera, with the court entrance in the background.

HINDI REPORTER
CBI ne apni charge sheet mein in
chaaron par aatankvaad ka aur desh
droh ka aarop lagaaya tha. Dekhna
hai ki aaj CBI kaun se saboot pesh
karne waala hai jisse ki... *

9.32 INT. CBI COURT - CORRIDOR + OUTSIDE COURTROOM - DAY 9.32

The typically crowded corridors of an Indian court.

Lawyers. Criminals. Policemen.

Courtroom after courtroom.

OUTSIDE A COURTROOM:

The bored CBI official Sunil Gautam waits, along with his
team.

Sitting nearby on a bench – Tyagi, Chaaku and Cheeni. Tied

around their wrists are ropes, which are held by three
different POLICE MEN. *

The CBI LAWYER walks out of the courtroom and approaches

Sunil Gautam.
 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 34.

CBI LAWYER
Next lot mein hai apna case.

Sunil Gautam nods. Then steps aside for a SWEEPER who’s

cleaning the corridors with a broom.

ANGLE ON the bench. The three undertrials.

The Sweeper approaches the bench, sweeping the floor. One of

the policemen gives him a look, yawns and then looks away.

Cheeni’s eyes go to the Sweeper. He looks up.

Cheeni gasps - for it’s Kaaliya.

A nervous Kaaliya signals her to be quiet.

Cheeni controls herself. Tears well up in her eyes.

Kaaliya too gets emotional as he looks at fucked up state of *

Cheeni, with her dark circles and her badly cut short hair. *

KAALIYA
Kaisi hai tu?

Cheeni shrugs. Her fingers stealthily meet Kaaliya’s.

CHEENI
Aur tu?

Kaaliya looks at her - quiet. Cheeni throws a glance around,

and then -

CHEENI (CONT’D)
(whispers)
Sun. Apne dhaayi lakh pade hain
Kuku ke parlour pe, is kaam ka
advance mila ke. Usse le liyo.

Pain and anger rises in Kaaliya’s eyes.

KAALIYA
(whispers)
Tere ko manaa kiya thha na bhonsadi
waali? Ab bhar gaya pet tera? Paisa
paisa...

A sad smile comes up on Cheeni’s lips.

CHEENI
Surprise thha tere liye. Operation
karaane waali thhi kaam ke baad. Ki
tere se shaadi kar sakoon.
 35.

Kaaliya – taken aback to hear that.

And just then, one of the cop moves towards him.

COP AT COURT
Aage badh re bhai, ho gayi
safaayi...

The cop pushes Kaaliya away.

KAALIYA
Haan saab...

Kaaliya moves away – but his eyes are still on Cheeni.

Cheeni just stares at him with love.

The cop moves towards Kaaliya again. Kaaliya turns around and
walks away, struggling to hold back his tears.

As he’s trying to get away from there, he bumps into someone.

It’s Hathi Ram.

Their eyes meet for a moment. And then Kaaliya disappears

from there.

Hathi Ram looks at – the three undertrials on the bench.

As he starts to approach them, a CONSTABLE ON COURT DUTY

walks out of the courtroom and announces -

CONSTABLE ON COURT DUTY

Case number Pachees do sau
pachhattar, Baees saat sau nabbe,
Pachees chaar sau do...

The CBI lawyer signals to Sunil Gautam and the cops – ‘let’s
go’.

The cops tug at the ropes of the undertrials. Tyagi, Chaaku

and Cheeni stand up.

Hathi Ram quickly makes his way past the people in the
corridor. He comes right next to Tyagi, and slips something
in his fingers, whispering -

HATHI RAM
Gwala Bhai ne di hai. Kaha tum
samajh jaaoge.

A surprised Tyagi turns to look at Hathi Ram. And then at his

hand. It’s the ‘rudraksh’.
 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 36.

Tyagi stops in his steps.

The cop realises. He tugs at Tyagi’s rope -

But Tyagi isn’t moving. He just stands there staring at the

rudraksh. Stunned.

The cop comes to pull Tyagi away by his arm.

Hathi Ram watches Tyagi being taken away. Then turns around
and walks away.

And everything goes SLO.

ANGLE ON Tyagi. He turns to look at the cop who’s pulling him

along.

And then around. Faces all around him. Cops. Criminals.

Lawyers.

Tyagi looks lost. We STAY ON him as slowly, tears start to

flow from his anguished eyes. At this point, he looks like a
boy who lost his father. Not the dreaded killer we have come
to know.

And then something comes upon him. His face hardens into a
resolve.

And in a FLASH, Tyagi lunges and grabs the gun tucked to the
side band of a SUB INSPECTOR.

The cop pulling Tyagi realises. But before he can react,

Tyagi pushes him away hard. The cop falls to the side and the
rope drops from his hand.

PANDIT (V.O.)
Tor moora ke paas bhi wahi vardaan
haigo Brahma ji ko. Na din na raat,
na mitra na shatru... koi na maar
sakego jaa ne. Sivaay ek aadmi
ke...

The other cops around react. And draw their guns.

But Tyagi is already running down the corridor, with the gun *
in his hand. *

People in the corridor shriek. Run about. Sunil Gautam

shouts. Chaos.

Hathi Ram hears the commotion. Turns to look. And is shocked

to see -

Tyagi coming straight towards him, a gun in his hand.

 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 37.

Hathi Ram pulls out his gun on an instinct. Points it at

Tyagi.

Tyagi freezes. But his gun points straight at Hathi Ram.

Behind - The cops try to push the running crowd away, and
move towards Tyagi.

Tyagi and Hathi Ram. Their guns pointed at each other.

Staring into each other’s eyes.

Tyagi’s finger moves towards the trigger.

Hathi Ram shakes his head. Don’t.

A little smile comes up on Tyagi’s face.

PANDIT (V.O.) *
Je khud. Kalyug ke Hiranyakashyap *
ke vadh ko ek hee tareeko haigo... *

And then, it all comes back to NORMAL speed as in an instant,

Tyagi puts the gun in his mouth.

PANDIT (V.O.)
Ichcha mrityu. *

And BANG!

Tyagi’s head explodes. And his body hits the ground.

We see the shock of it on Hathi Ram’s face.

From behind, the cops and the CBI officials come rushing and
crowd around the dead Tyagi.

Hathi Ram just stands there - staring at nothing in

particular. For a very long time. *

Chaaku squats down in the corridor - with one of the cops

officers holding on to his rope.

He just sits there - staring at the nothingness in front of

him.

9.33 INT. NEWS NOW OFFICE - MAKE UP ROOM - NIGHT 9.33

The quiet of the make up room.

Sanjeev sits there - staring at himself in the mirror.

Lost in his thoughts. Conflicted.

 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 38.

A knock on the door. A PRETTY ASSISSTANT enters -

PRETTY ASSISSTANT
Sir... it’s time.

Sanjeev looks at himself in the mirror. Takes a deep breath.

And then his eyes notice in the mirror – the girl. She seems
to be looking at him all gooey eyed.

PRETTY ASSISSTANT (CONT’D)

Just wanted to tell you sir... I
love what you do. You are a real
inspiration.

ON Sanjeev. Slowly, a smile comes up on his face. He seems to

have made his decision.

He gets up. Straightens his tie.

9.34 OMITTED 9.34 *

9.35 INT. NEWS NOW OFFICE - STUDIO - NIGHT 9.35

The green screen.

ANGLE ON Sanjeev as he sits in front of it.

Waiting for the cue.

And there it comes. 3-2-1. Thumbs up.

Moments pass. But Sanjeev doesn’t speak. *

The CREW exchange a look. *

Finally - Sanjeev looks into the camera and speaks with what *
is now becoming his trademark righteousness -

SANJEEV
For long, our courts have been
blamed for delaying the course of
justice. For long, our police force
has been blamed for not being up to
the task. But today, the action was
swift. And the justice was instant.
(MORE)
 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 39.

SANJEEV (CONT'D)
An on-trial terrorist Vishal Tyagi
a.k.a Hathoda Tyagi tried to flee
today from the Patiala House Court,
and when his attempt was thwarted
by alert police officials, Tyagi
was left with no other option but
to shoot himself dead. This
happened when Tyagi was due to make
his court appearance in the Sanjeev
Mehra assassination attempt case.

He smiles and turns on the charm.

9.36 INT. NEWS NOW OFFICE - PCR ROOM - NIGHT 9.36 *

And we see Sanjeev on all of the million screens in the news

office.

9.36INS INT. NEWS NOW OFFICE - STUDIO - NIGHT 9.36INS

SANJEEV (T.V.)
It feels a little odd to use third
person for one’s own name, but
please bear with me as I bring to
you tonight’s big story – The Story
of My Assassins.

9.37 EXT. HATHI RAM’S HOUSE - LANE OUTSIDE - NIGHT 9.37

Late night. The lane’s quiet.

Hathi Ram, Renu and Sid on a night stroll in the lane.

Renu looks at Hathi Ram’s face. He seems quiet, a bit lost.

Renu whispers to him -

RENU
Kabhi baat karne ka mann karey na *
toh bataana.

Hathi Ram smiles at her.

Sid runs off to an ICE CREAM VENDOR. Renu joins him.

RENU (CONT’D)
Arey wah, ice cream toh mujhe bhi
khaani hai... *

As they buy ice cream sticks from the vendor -

 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 40.

Hathi Ram’s eyes go to - a stray dog.

Renu comes back and hands Hathi Ram an ice cream stick.

He looks at her. Smiles. Renu intertwines her fingers with

Hathi Ram as they walk again.

Hathi Ram glances back. The dog’s looking at them with hungry
eyes.

Discreetly – Hathi Ram takes his hand behind and throws the
ice cream stick on the ground.

They walk in silence.

Hathi Ram checks again – the dog’s licking the ice cream
clean. A smile comes up on his lips.

We slowly TRACK IN on the dog - licking it hungrily. We go *

CLOSER and CLOSER and CLOSER. And then, we - *

SLAM FADE TO *
BLACK *

ROLL END CREDITS *