our farm has died, so we are moving to calcutta to become rich! hasari and aloka look at each other: if only it were the pursuit of wealth and not survival. the woman under- stands. and now the bus grinds forward and the pals look back. hasari coughs, suppresses it.  as silence falls. the elder pals stand huddled together in the dust and we see, nestled behind a boulder at the roadside, a tiny, blue flower -- beautiful and fragile, but like all things alive, determined to live.  and we hear the sound of a dozen voices chanting a quiet mantra in unison as we -- dissolve to:
daddy, i'm scared.
with his eyes open, watching the dead man being removed.
the police came!
are you the american doctor? are you coming here to help us.
do you go to the cinema in america, el max?
doctor big brother, aren't you going to smoke your evening cigar? max points at his trumpet, continues playing.
please. max indicates his pocket. manooj takes out a cigar and a clip. clips the cigar, holds it out to max, who indi- cates manooj should light it, and keeps playing. manooj looks at hasari, who nods. shambu holds a match to it. everyone watches as if this were a major event. manooj takes a puff, chokes, offers the cigar to mehboub, who takes it, puffs, passes it. everyone relaxes, enjoys the peacefulness of the smoking and the aroma wafting upward. ram taps at max's elbow.
why do you have to go home, doctor babu?
i can't decide if i want to be kumar kapur or a doctor.
you're so much fun, el max. i wish my daddy were as much fun as you.
i know! dry.
yes, she does. his name is subash ghosh. his father owns the workshop.