Original subtitles

[Title Montage]

I visited Khajuraho during college.

On a trip.

I had seen those...

[Raining]

[Gasps] ...statues there.

I have even read Lihaaf by Ismat Chughtai.

Many times.

But I had never thought...

What?

That two people can be attracted to each other?

No.

That I can be with a woman.

Ignore the gender from the attraction.

How can I?

Do you know?

I have spent a lot of time with my friends on the same bed.

Many evenings under the same blanket.

Have even changed clothes in front of each other but...

...I have never felt like this.

What I feel with you,

I have never felt with anyone else.

[Astha] It is so different.

It's...

- It's like... - Like a virgin.

Touch for the very first time.

[Giggling]

Stop it.

I am serious.

About me.

Yes. That too.

But when I am with you,

I feel that...

...you can...

...understand what is in my heart and mind.

It is like you know what I want.

You recognize me. It's...

[Sighs]

- It's not like... - [Peeplika] Like Hemant?

He knows me for a long time.

But I don't feel this with him.

Like doggy fun in the honeymoon.

- [Peeplika laughing] - Stop it.

I am not talking about sex.

I am talking about connection.

Which is between us.

[Screams]

[Drawer opens]

I felt like...

...I lost my virginity with her.

For the first time, someone had...

...felt me and not only touched my body.

Like my soul made love.

Not my body.

What I am doing is wrong, right?

But it felt right.

With Peepli, I understood instantly...

...that there is no connection between love and sex.

Love is beyond everything.

Love is beyond sexuality.

It is beyond conditioning. It is beyond gender.

I have never...

...felt such an intense connection with anyone else.

- She accepted me. - [Drawer closes]

With...

With all my imperfections.

I am not the same.

I will never be the same.

[Footsteps approaching]

[Hemant] Hello.

- Hey, what happened? - Nothing.

Nothing to worry.

Timsi is married.

Khan has seen the toilet seat.

Our entire family has gone to Mudassar's place.

A promise is a promise.

Husband wife special time.

[Kisses]

Should we do it?

[Giggling]

[Peeplika] The husbands always want to f**k...

...the moment their wives have had sex with someone else.

It is like an innate sensory perception.

Just like after smelling the musk, the animal is ready for its prey.

My dear friend.

Your husband's mind may not know it yet,

but his dick certainly does.

Your affair will be exposed now.

F**k.

F**k, Piyu. Just divorce him.

[Ridhima] I can't listen to her story again.

I need a new story.

Where is your Goddess who has accepted...

...your pansexual nature?

Miss Astha.

She is running late.

But why hasn't your husband come with you?

He was going to come.

But at the last minute, there was some urgent work...

...at our Brazil factory.

So, he had to leave.

[Laughing]

We'll meet him someday.

[Laughing]

You know, right?

That's the problem.

[Woman 1] I know they are always busy.

Astha, serve the fritters.

Yes, I Will get them.

[Babbo] The fritters and the sauce are yummy.

[Woman 2] Right?

[Woman 3] Babbo comes twice a year.

[Babbo] And you come once in 15 years.

[Woman 1] Send me the tickets. I'll come.

[Laughing]

He doesn't even take me to Manali.

- Thank you. - Thank you.

[Astha] Babbo, I need to go to the tailor. Should I leave?

Astha, my friends are here today. You may go tomorrow.

[Sighs] Actually, tomorrow...

The tailor will not be available tomorrow.

So, I will have to go today.

Okay. First, serve us the sandwiches.

[Woman 2] The fritters are yummy.

[Woman 3] That's why I am asking you to come twice a year.

- [Babbo] I will come for you. - [Woman 4] How stingy?

[Babbo] She will only treat us twice a year.

[Laughing]

[Astha] Sandwich.

[Woman 5] Wow, sandwiches.

[Astha] Okay. May I leave?

[Babbo] I have eaten food cooked by you.

- [Woman 4] Wasn't it nice? - [Babbo] It was okay.

[Babbo] Then let us go to her house.

[Woman 5] Twice a year.

Mom, I am not feeling well.

What happened?

There are rashes on his belly.

No, I did check. He has a fever too.

Aru, sleep with granny today. Or you too will fall sick.

Go.

[Door opens]

How are you, dear?

Mom will manage everything. Okay?

- [Draws curtain] - [Door opens]

[Door closes]

[Footsteps]

[Clears throat]

[Tearing papers]

[Drawer opens]

[Drawer closes]

[Thundering]

[Phone ringing]

[Peeplika] Hello.

It's good that it was only a rash, not chickenpox.

Hmm.

[Astha] But I was unable to meet your friends.

I am really very sorry.

It is okay. They are cool.

[Astha] No, it is not cool.

Aki's fever will come down by tomorrow.

I can spare time to meet you tomorrow.

[Astha] When do I meet you?

Astha, it is all right.

First, take care of the kid.

[Raining]

Actually, he got wet in the rains.

I didn't notice.

When I reached him, he was already wet.

[Peeplika] There is no need to feel guilty.

I understand that the kids come first.

As they should.

I am here for you.

[Sighs]

How are you like this?

[Astha] You know.

You are not at all demanding.

Just like water.

Fluid.

No stress.

[Giggling]

That's not true.

Aijaz would have told you.

When I am in love, I am quite the monster.

So, you are not in love?

I don't want to be.

But I am.

- What? - [Peeplika] In love.

And you?

[Light turns on]

I was talking to my mom.

- Glass, ice. - Yes.

- Thanks. - [Astha] Ice.

Just a minute. Sorry.

[Fridge door opens]

[Pouring ice]

- Anything else? - [Fridge door closes]

Okay. Good night, Babbo.

Good night.

[Phone ringing]

[Peeplika] Hello, Astha.

[Babbo] Good morning.

Cereal, juice and super yummy scrambled eggs.

This is called Anda Bhurji in India.

Pass me the sauce.

Sauce.

Hemant.

I wanted to tell you something.

But I am feeling a bit awkward.

Speak it out.

Is everything okay between Astha and you?

Yes. Why?

Not to worry.

But when I came down last night,

she was talking to Peeplika over the phone.

And I felt that they were whispering about you.

[Babbo] You know,

I have such a good sixth sense about these things.

- Sixth sense for gossiping? - No.

- She had the same guilt on her face as me. - [Hemant] Why?

Were you drinking whiskey at night?

I was stressed about Timsi. Anyway, this is not about me.

This is about Astha and Peeplika becoming friends.

I feel that Peeplika is extremely modern.

Not for me, but for our parents.

Astha is the daughter-in-law of the family.

She must have some boundaries.

I meet girls like Peeplika in the States every day.

Babbo, Astha is not Timsi.

I don't have to hide and drink liquor at night.

They are friends, they talk.

They talk secretly at night.

Leave it.

I had asked Astha to be friends with Peeplika for Khan.

And now, they have become thick friends.

Is there a problem in that?

Eggs.

I will order for scrambled eggs at the office.

[Footsteps]

[Traffic sound]

Do you know...

[Peeplika] ...this nerve directly goes to the heart?

[Astha] You have many nerves reaching your heart.

How many of them live in your heart?

I have many lovers.

What do I say, my love?

But none like you.

Did you like it?

I knew you would.

[Peeplika] You know.

Before you. Before everyone. It was grapes.

My first love.

[Song playing]

[Indistinct conversation]

When in eighth grade, the rest of the girls discovered lipstick,

eyeliners and blush.

I was looking for sculptures in the sand.

[Song playing]

My first love too was bizarre.

All the girls were dying to meet Vaibhav Vishal.

The hunk of 10 B.

[Peeplika] But my eyes were on someone else.

Gosh. She was so beautiful.

Her hair, her hands.

Her skin was extremely soft.

[Song playing]

[Raining]

[Slaps]

She was the first one.

[Peeplika] Then there were many.

Many more after that.

I grew up.

I fell in love.

That too with a Muslim.

Aijaz.

He accepted me without any question.

Do you know that feeling, freedom?

Feeling to be what you are. Absolutely.

But would my family accept him? Impossible.

[Peeplika] But who cared?

[Song playing]

For me, the path was more important than the destination.

And I have always chosen it myself.

Something different has always appealed to me.

You are different.

Can I ask you something?

Men or women?

How can you fall in love with both?

I am a pansexual.

I am in love with the soul.

Not with the gender.

Pansexual.

Your parents?

Your mom and dad?

[Astha] Do they know? Are they aware?

I lost my father.

- I am so sorry. - [Peeplika] My mother remarried.

Nice guy.

[Drawer opens]

But now, in my life, my mother is here. That's it.

She never accepted Aijaz.

[Drawer closes]

Yet, she is your mother.

She is important for you.

That's why you have preserved her letters. Right?

Yes. I have preserved them.

They remind me to never see her face again.

[Peeplika] Coffee?

[Footsteps]

[Man 1] Look at this, ma'am.

- [Man 1] How is it? - [Babbo] No, show me another one.

- [Man 1] Okay ma'am. - I can't believe...

...you finally got the time to shop with me.

Or else you are obsessed with Peepli.

[Babbo] How can you shop in the blazing heat of Delhi?

At least there are malls in America.

Show me the dark pink.

Dark pink. Yes, show me that one.

- Show. - [Man 1] Look at this.

This is nice. How do you like it?

- Nice. - [Babbo] Fine.

[Babbo] Keep this aside.

And show me a few more.

Okay, listen. I have to go to the parlour...

...to get my eyebrows done. Should I go?

Wait. We can go together.

[Babbo] Doing something special for Hemant.

Okay, fine. You may go. I will meet you here.

Or two shops away.

- Okay. I will be back soon. - [Babbo] Okay.

These are such weird colours.

[Auto halting]

Sorry, madam.

There are barricades, rickshaw can't go further.

Okay, fine. Please wait for half an hour.

- 30 rupees for every half hour. - Okay, fine.

Madam, please make it fast.

- I too have to reach home on time. - Okay.

[Auto driver] Okay, sir.

[Footsteps]

I would never write to her.

[Zip opens]

...[Astha] But your...

...letters.

My mother must have written to her.

She still loves her.

She was very unhappy when I...

When Peeplika Khan left the house.

Aunt.

Ma'am.

She lives in Delhi.

Peepli lives on Barakhamba road.

I am sure you know after Aijaz's death...

I do not think you understand.

I had three kids but now I have two.

Peeplika is dead to me.

I am really sorry to hear that.

But...

Peeplika is alive.

[Astha] And well.

She is an extremely amazing girl.

She is very inspirational.

- [Giggling] - Inspirational.

[Giggling]

What exactly is your relationship with her?

She is my friend.

Mrs. Kapoor.

And is your husband aware of your friendship?

[Indra] If she has sent you here,

then please inform her.

That she is not welcome in my house.

And please be kind to tell her.

That her name has been taken off our will.

She is bad news.

Always was.

I tried to fix her.

She has ruined the lives of many girls.

Even of some men.

Aijaz's death should be proof enough.

You should watch your steps, Mrs. Kapoor.

I am sorry. I...

[Footsteps]

[Auto passing by]

Auto.

Auto.

[Astha] Stop.

Take me to Dilli haat. Hurry up.

I had come here in the evening with a lady. Where is she?

[Shopkeeper] Hundreds of customers come here in one day.

How do I know whom you are talking about?

She had bought something.

[Sighs]

[Police announcement]

[Siren wailing]

[Police announcement]

[Jagdish] I don't understand how two grown-up women...

...go to one saree shop.

[Babbo] Please don't blame me, papa.

[Jagdish] Talking in English.

- [Jagdish] Here she is. - [Astha] I am so sorry, Babbo.

Astha, you had gone to get your eyebrows done?

What took you so long?

Where did you go from there?

- Peeplika. - [Babbo] Oh my God.

[Babbo] We are back to Peeplika.

Here we go again. Did you hear that Hemant?

[Babbo] She left me alone in that area.

She lied and went to meet that widow.

- I... - Astha, family is more important than friends.

You can't leave your family alone for friends.

- You are right. - [Kalpana] Don't you have any responsibility?

[Babbo] I can't even take an auto in Delhi anymore.

It is really difficult for me.

The auto will charge her three times the fare for her accent.

And it is even dangerous.

[Kalpana] You are worried about the money.

- Just a minute. Let me explain. - [Phone ringing]

[Jagdish] The taxi halts at just one whistle in New York.

- She is not habituated here. - [Phone ringing]

[Babbo] Mom, you.

It is ridiculous. You have pampered her a lot.

- [Kalpana] I have pampered her? - [Hemant] Peeplika.

- He has called Peeplika. - [Hemant] How are you?

We all are fine.

I wanted to tell you...

...that you have to stop meeting Astha...

- ...in such tense conditions. - Hemant. Just a minute.

Your lane is very dangerous and it is not right for Astha.

[Peeplika] It is alright, Hemant.

Please pass my message to Astha.

That I never want to see her face again after what happened today.

Buying sarees and everything has stopped.

[Theme music playing]