Awtar Kaul Last Scene -1

April 19, 1974, 5pm, ground floor of Arab Bungalow, Khetwadi main road, Girgaon, Bombay. 400004

The day did not seem to be any different from earlier ones. Landlords of
the large place, Patel family was going through its usual lazy chores.
Jayant Bhai, Bhabhi and Ba (grandmother) were sitting on the floor, as
usual. Kids were back from school. Their servant Tukaram brought tea
from the kitchen for all of them.  Arun, one of their paying guests, also hand over a cup. Between four people there were three different kinds of cups. Nobody in family think about it.
Arun also did not seem to care. He was happy to be relaxing for a day
from his grueling shooting schedules. Arun’s room partner Awtar Krishna
Kaul, producer-director of an under-production film titled, 27DN, had
left before lunch to meet friends. His regular time-pass adda
used to be Samovar at Kala Ghoda. It was the meeting place and savior
for so many people of this city, who were either jobless, between jobs,
strugglers, starry-eyed, writers, painters… People would order a cup of
tea or a beer and stretch its contents to hours, unless suddenly a
waiter slides the bill in front. With experience most of them knew when
to renew the order well before a waiter got restless…

At 7pm Jayant Bhai proudly switched on his Hitachi B&W TV, a star
attraction for many. It made a regular gathering of about 15 guests
feel very special, watching Chhaya Geet and other weekly movies. Those
days it was a huge privilege to be in front of a TV. At 7.30pm Hindi
news was scheduled. Jayant Bhai and Arun would be anxious to watch it,
because of the newsreader. She was a very pretty, young, dusky belle
Smita Patil…

Among other political headlines Smita announced that national awards for
films have been announced. Arun being a film person got interested.
Later giving details of various awards, she said Awtar Krishna Kaul’s
film ‘27DN’ had won national award in the best Hindi film category!
Suddenly a spell of utter disbelief fell over everyone. Jaws dropped
down. How could something so special happen to someone living right
here inside their home? Their own paying guest? Might be a mistake. But
when a clipping of the film was shown, the emotions tuned into a
high-pitched excitement! Arun especially was so ecstatic. After all he
was an assistant recordist in that film! Patel family boasted to all
the TV watching neighbors that the news of the award was about their
paying guests. Arun became an instant hero among them. Jayant Bhai
boasted, ‘Awtar has gone out right now… he and Arun live in that room
there…’

As the national award news sunk in, something had to be done to celebrate
it. They decided to organize a grand party to announce the news to
Awtar and then celebrate with him. Arun and Jayant Bhai went out and got
a bottle of whiskey and a rum from a wine shop near Dreamland cinema.
On their way back they picked up lot of snacks, like assorted bhajia, gathia, batata wada etc go with the drinks…

Awtar was still not back. Therefore, everyone used the time to organize
glasses, put extra bottles of water in fridge and took out nice plates
for snacks. It was past 8pm. He had to be back soon. Arun decided that
they all go and watch TV again to watch the English news bulletin too
(mainly to reconfirm). Normally, Arun and Jayant Bhai would pour a drink
around 8pm. So, 9pm was quite late. Unanimously they decided to clink
the glasses at 9.30 and keep waiting for Awtar. With noisy cheers in
the name of Awtar, Arun, 27DN and National award, this small group of
friends took their most exciting first sip…

At 10.30, Ba (grandmother) peeped in asking has he not come yet. Arun
said, ‘no.’ She said, ‘he also must be drinking somewhere like you all.
Do you think he doesn’t know about the news?’ That put a different
perspective in everyone’s head. ‘Yes’ all felt, he could be knowing and
may be celebrating with people of his own status. Everyone felt that
whey should stop making noise and go out for dinner, as the family had
to sleep…

Arun took the main door key from Tukaram before going to sleep. In case
Awtar arrived too late and too drunk, he would open the gate quietly…

3am, Arun thought he heard a tap on his room door that in fact was ajar. He
thought Awtar is here finally. But it was Jayant Bhai, who was shaking
him. Arun thought he wanted the door key, but he said there was call
for him. Call? At this time? Many quick ‘dark’ flashes crossed his
mind. His father, mother, accidents god knows what. Arun was just about
23 years old and he was shit scared of getting any bad news from his
family. In his drunken sleep Arun asked who has called? Jayant Bhai said
‘call is from the police station, and they are talking all crap. I don’t
understand what they are saying.’ In the darkness Arun got up in his
underwear and walked to the phone in outer verandah. ‘Hello’ he said.
Caller voice identified itself as a police inspector. Arun said, ‘yes,
I am Arun Sharma’ and in few seconds he sat down on the floor while
listening to the cop. The receiver slipped from his hand and he passed
out…

Jayant Bhai was shaking him up. Arun had gone to sleep again sitting on the floor with the receiver hanging near his face. Jayant Bhai put the phone to
his ear and kept it down. Slowly both realized what had happened.
Around 4am a police jeep noisily stopped near the gate of Arab Bungalow
and two cops shook the collapsible gate. Arun was awake now and was
dressed in pant shirt. Entire Patel family was awake too. Arun stepped
out. He said, ‘I am Arun Sharma’. He was made to sit at the back of the
jeep. They drove to Nair hospital near Bombay central station. Arun
followed two cops to a room where a police inspector was sitting. ‘Come
in’, inspector duty said and pointed him to a chair to sit. A green
curtain was drawn at his side. Inspector held a small telephone diary
in his hand and was going through it. Arun knew it belonged to Awtar.
In a moment inspector got up smartly and said, ‘come’, drawing the
green curtain aside. They both entered. There he was. On the stretcher
was Awtar in his familiar red kurta. Inspector asked, ‘is he Awtar Krishna Kaul’? ‘Yes’ Arun mumbled moving closer to him. He noticed many bruises and cuts on his forehead and face. Arun went closer to him and lifted his hair from his forehead to see if there was any other major hurt. Perhaps he wanted to touch his face and hair. He also became very angry with Awtar. ‘Why’, he thought, what was the need to be so rash in life?’ They both moved out and sat in chairs.
Arun had never felt an emotional tide of that magnitude in his life. He
was just 23 then. Deeply shaken from inside he had managed to stand
steady through it.

Inspector narrated his version. “Awtar’s body was seen floating in the sea at
Girgaon Chowpati at around midnight. Fire brigade was called and with
great difficulty they fished him out. You see it is a no moon night and
high tide was at its peak. He was rushed to Bhatia hospital, closest
from there. He was alive then. For some reason they refused admission.
Then he was rushed here; but was declared dead on arrival.”

For the police, identification of the body was complete. Arun was free to
leave. He came out and same jeep dropped him back home.

Everyone was awake. Arun sat with them. Bhabhi made some tea. Arun narrated what he saw and reproduced inspector’s version of the incident. Nobody knew how to react to this sudden reversal in fortune.

Arun could not sleep in that room, next to Awtar’s empty bed, for many months.