TOM KHA GAI

Written by

Senecca Rato

Spaceturtlefilms
Over BLACK we hear, YATHARTH (20s) in voiceover.

YATHARTH (V.O.)
I’ve written a diary since I was 10
years old.
(beat)
Not because I like to sit back and
relive my memories or anything. I
write a diary so that I can keep an
account.

1. INT. YATHARTH’S CHILDHOOD HOME - AFTERNOON

YOUNG YATHARTH (10) is seen standing with his report card in

front of his DAD (30s), who is reading his newspaper in an
armchair, not paying Yatharth any heed.

YOUNG YATHARTH
But papa, you promised! You said
that if I was first in class, you
would buy me a PlayStation!

DAD
Why would I promise you that? Being
first is a reward in itself! You’ll
thank me when you’re older!

Close on Young Yatharth’s angry face.

YATHARTH (V.O.)
“You’ll thank me when you’re
older”. I wrote that in my diary,
too. And every year, as I’d get
older and older, I’d read that
diary entry and ask myself…

Emphasis on the line that follows — the background score can

abruptly stop before Yatharth delivers it:

YATHARTH
Now that I’m older… am I thankful
to my dad?

CUT TO:

2. EXT. MUMBAI/DELHI METRO — NIGHT

Get a few shots of the city life, over which we hear the
voice over of YATHARTH (20s).
 2.

YATHARTH (V.O.)
I have been thankful to him,
actually. I was always first at
everything. He never bought me a
PlayStation, but toeing the line
has gotten me pretty far in life. I
have a great job, a nice home in an
expensive part of the city, and a
girlfriend who’s way out of my
league.

3. INT. MUMBAI / DELHI METRO — INSIDE TRAIN — NIGHT

The train is mostly empty. Yatharth and UTKARSHA (20s) are

sitting next to each other. Yatharth is smiling, Utkarsha is
frowning. He tries to reach for her hand. She pulls it away
and says:

UTKARSHA
I’m breaking up with you.

Stay on Yatharth’s confused expression.

YATHARTH (V.O.)
Well, I had a girlfriend who’s way
out of my league.

YATHARTH
What? You can’t do that. We’re
getting married this year!

UTKARSHA
Yatharth — you know as well as I do
that this isn’t working out. We’re
both unhappy. I have to force you
to do things with me…

YATHARTH
… But I do them, don’t I? I do
everything you tell me to —

UTKARSHA
I shouldn’t be telling you what to
do! I’m your girlfriend, for fuck’s
sake. Not your mom.

YATHARTH
(breaking down)
Everything I’ve done, I’ve done to
keep you happy.
 3.

UTKARSHA
It shouldn’t be so much work just
to love someone, Yatharth.

The stop arrives, and Utkarsha gets up.

UTKARSHA
Bye…

She awkwardly puts out a hand for a handshake, but Yatharth

just gawks at her in shock. Utkarsha pats his shoulder
instead, and leaves the train. She turns around to look at
Yatharth as the metro doors close between them.

4. EXT. CHAI TAPRI WALA - NIGHT

Yatharth has already downed one cutting chai like it’s a

tequila shot. He grimaces and slams the empty glass on the
CHAIWALA’s tapri.

YATHARTH
Iss walle mein bilkul mazza nahi
aaya. Recipe mein kuch gadbad hua
kya?

CHAIWALA
Kya pata sa’ab. Kabhi kabhi bhalle
hi aap hamesha ki tarah sab kuch
karte hai, lekin phir bhi gadbad ho
jaata hai.

YATHARTH
Bullshit!

CHAIWALA
Kya sa’ab?

YATHARTH
(more to himself than to
the chaiwala)
If you follow the recipe exactly,
how can you go wrong?! It’s
unscientific! Why call it a recipe
at all, then?

ANIRUDH (20s) appears.

CHAIWALA
Kya bol rahe hai sa’ab?

ANIRUDH
Arrey kuch nahi. Aap ek aur cutting
bana do pls — actually, do aur.
 4.

YATHARTH (V.O.)
This is Anirudh. He’s trying to be
an influencer, but he gives really
shitty advice. So I’m not sure who
he’ll be able to influence. I, for
one, never listen to him.

ANIRUDH
(to Yatharth)
Stop arguing with the fucking
chaiwalla. Come, let’s sit and
talk. Come on!

Yatharth sullenly follows Anirudh off-screen.

FADE TO:

5. EXT. CHAI TAPRI WALA - NIGHT

Yatharth is sitting with 5 empty glasses next to him. He is

holding his head in his hands or looking otherwise morose.

YATHARTH (V.O.)
This is Anirudh.

Anirudh hiccups.

ANIRUDH
Bro, I know you’re going through
shit and all, but if I have to hear
you rant any more, I’ll need
something stronger than chai.

YATHARTH
(ignoring Anirudh’s quip)
We were going to get married yaar.
I saved up so many leaves. I was
going to give her her dream
honeymoon…

Anirudh jerks up to live at the mention of a honeymoon.

ANIRUDH
Bro, why don’t you pull a Queen?

YATHARTH
What? Like… the card?

ANIRUDH
No, man. Like Kangana Ranaut.
London Thumakda.
(he does the hook step.)
Take those leaves and go on a solo
honeymoon.
 5.

YATHARTH
(shaking his head)
Hell no. Solo travel is not for me.
I’d get bored as hell with my own
company.

Anirudh smiles widely and puts his arm around Yatharth.

ANIRUDH
OK, since you insist, I’ll come
too. How does Thailand sound? I’ve
never been abroad. Should I pack —

YATHARTH
What? Anirudh, no. We’re not going
anywhere.

ANIRUDH
Oh, accha? Then what are you going
to do with all those leaves you’ve
accumulated? Your office doesn’t
let you encash them.

Yatharth considers it for a second and then sighs in

resignation. Anirudh exults and thumps his back.

ANIRUDH
I knew you wouldn’t be able to
resist an opportunity to get your
pound of flesh.

6. INT./EXT. VARIOUS — ENROUTE TO AIRPORT

Quick montage of Anirudh and Yatharth packing and leaving for

their trip. We get to see their personalities — Anirudh is
super flashy, and seeks attention. He carries an iPhone with
a fancy gorilla tripod. He’s shooting every little thing. We
hear snippets of his commentary (“What’s up, AniDUDES? This
is Day 1 of my Thailand Vlog…”) Yatharth is subdued and a
reluctant participant in Anirudh’s vlogs. The montage plays
over Yatharth’s V.O.:

YATHARTH (V.O.)
OK, OK — I’ll admit. Anirudh may be
a piece of shit, but… he knows me
quite well. I wasn’t going to let
anyone deny me my PlayStation
anymore — even if the PlayStation
is a metaphor for a vacation that…
I don’t really want to go on… But I
earned those leaves, so by god I’m
going to take them.
 6.

CUT TO:

7. INT. PLANE - DAY

Yatharth and Anirudh are sitting by each other, and Anirudh

is already knocking back drinks.

ANIRUDH
I can’t believe they’re free! And
UNLIMITED! Listen na — can you
order one for yourself? Whiskey,
rocks.

YATHARTH
I don’t drink.

ANIRUDH
I don’t need you to drink it, just
order it. I don’t want the cabin
crew to think I’m a lush.

YATHARTH
What does it matter what they
think? I’m the one who’ll have to
clean your vomit. You order as many
whiskey rocks as you want. Get your
money’s worth.

(NOTE: Trying to use this scene to juxtapose their

philosophies a little — While Yatharth looks at life in a
very transactional manner, Anirudh is super concerned with
appearances.)

8. EXT. BANGKOK SKIES / PLANE / AIRPORT

Whatever establishing shot you’d like to do of the landing.

9. EXT. BANGKOK AIRPORT - DAY

Anirudh and Yatharth wait for their Uber to pull up. It does.
As they lift their bags inside, their driver, PING (30s)
rushes out of the car to help them.

YATHARTH (CONT'D)
Oh — you don’t have to, I —

PING
It’s okay, I got it. Please take a
seat!

YATHARTH
Oh, thanks.
 7.

Ping pulls the bags away from the boys and they clamber into
the car — Yatharth at the back, and Anirudh in the front with
the driver.

10. INT. PING’S TAXI - DAY

Anirudh turns on his vlogging camera and starts talking to

his audience.

ANIRUDH
Goood morning, Anidudes! We’ve just
landed in Bangkok and we’re on our
way to our hostel.

He points the camera at Yatharth.

ANIRUDH (O.S.)
What’s the name again? Best Stay
Hostel?

YATHARTH
Bed Station Hostel. Put that away,
you’re drunk.

Anirudh points the camera at Ping.

ANIRUDH (O.S.)
I’m not drunk. Do you think I’m
drunk, Sir?

PING
Not drunk. But high. Happy.

ANIRUDH
This guy knows what’s up! I like
you.

Ping looks pleased with himself, blushes slightly at

Anirudh’s comment.

ANIRUDH (CONT'D)
So, Mister Uber driver, do you want
to introduce yourself to my
viewers?

PING
Hello everyone! I’m Ping!

ANIRUDH
So Mr Ping here is going to take us
to our hostel — Best Stay Hostel.
We’ll see you there!

Anirudh waves good-bye to his phone and turns off the camera.
 8.

PING
Your first time here?

ANIRUDH
Yes!

Ping turns around to look at Yatharth, addressing the

question to both him and Anirudh:

PING
Where are you guys coming from?

ANIRUDH
India. Mumbai, actually.

Yatharth just smiles at Ping through the rearview mirror, and

then leans his head against the window pane, looking out —
not wanting to engage. We intersperse shots of Yatharth’s
view from the car as Anirudh and Ping speak.

As their car passes by, Yatharth makes note of a sign

advertising a HOME RESTAURANT. He smiles and makes a mental
note to visit there.

PING
Ahhhh. Good. I hear Mumbai is just
like Bangkok…

ANIRUDH
(shrugs)
I suppose so. Have you ever been?

PING
No, no. I have never left Thailand
in my life! There is so much to see
here, you can never be bored.

ANIRUDH
Really? Give us some
recommendations… some local insider
information that I can put in my
vlogs.

PING
Ahh. No, my hidden gems will remain
hidden.

ANIRUDH
Arrey please, Ping… don’t worry,
your spots wont go viral. I have
only 14 followers.
 9.

PING
(laughing)
Well I’ll tell you one thing —
definitely eat at XYZ’s stall on
Khao San road. She lives in my
neighbourhood, and uses her
mother’s recipe to make Khanom
Buang — you know Khanom Buang?

ANIRUDH
No. Yats! You know Canon Bong?

YATHARTH
No. Is it an insect? I’m
vegetarian.

PING
(laughs)
You’ll find those on Khao San Road,
too. But I’m more of a dessert guy.
(patting his tummy)
Clearly.

ANIRUDH
So what’s Cannon Bomb?

PING
Khanom Buang is a sweet food —
coconut, peanuts and whipped cream
folded into a pancake. All
vegetarian!

We should have Ping tell them more things — perhaps you can
get the actor to ad lib tidbits of information about Thai
history and culture. As the pull up to Bed Station, Ping
comes out and helps them unload their baggage.

ANIRUDH
Thanks so much, man.

PING
It’s no problem. If you want help
with anything, just give me a call.
I’d be happy to drive you around.
You know, if you’re too busy
getting ‘happy’.

ANIRUDH
That would be awesome. Give me your
number!

As Anirudh and Ping exchange numbers. Yatharth takes out a

couple of notes from his wallet.
 10.

YATHARTH
Thanks you so much. Here.

PING
It’s all online. You don’t have to
pay me.

YATHARTH
(confused)
It’s a tip.

ANIRUDH
Yes! In return for all the ‘tips’
you gave us! Even though you didn’t
tell us about your hidden gems,
you’ve been quite invaluable.

PING
Tell you what — I won’t tell you
how to find my favourite spots… Or
what they are called. But I’ll take
you there.

ANIRUDH
Dude! Really?! That would be super
awesome.

PING
And tell me the name of your
vlogging page. I’d be happy to be
your 15th follower.

ANIRUDH
Thanks! It’s just my name for now —
@anirudhvohra. I’m trying to think
of something cool… I’ll change it
when I do.

PING
Maybe you’ll find some inspiration
for it in Thailand. I hope you both
have a lovely time. Bye Anirudh!
Yatharth.

Ping watches them as they walk towards the receptionist.

ANIRUDH
What a nice guy… He offered to take
us to the cool local places in
Thailand!
 11.

YATHARTH
Don’t get too excited. He was just
trying to get us to hire him to
drive us around. For all you know,
he’ll take us to the same old
places that all Indians go to, and
jump into the water fully dressed.

ANIRUDH
Who hurt you, man?

YATHARTH
Apart from the fiance who just left
me? Well, there was my class
teacher in 3rd standard, Miss
Tellis. She whacked me with a ruler
for having long nails…

The conversation fades out as they walk into the hotel.

10. INT. BED STATION HOSTEL - RECEPTION - HALLWAY - DAY

At the reception, they meet SARAI (F, 20s), who greets them
warmly.

SARAI
Hi, how can I help you?

YATHARTH
Hi! Here’s our booking.

He hands her his phone without looking at her.

SARAI
Yatharth and Anirudh? Right. May I
see your passports?

As Sarai processes their documents, Anirudh nudges Yatharth

and whispers to him, possibly in Hindi.

ANIRUDH
She’s pretty, no? Maybe she can be
your new Utkarsha.

YATHARTH
Yaar, do minute ke liye chupp
baith—

SARAI
(interrupting)
Your first time here?

Both together, acting innocent:

 12.

YATHARTH, ANIRUDH
Yes.

ANIRUDH
Do you… er… have any local
recommendations? Yatharth here is
uh… quite the explorer!

YATHARTH (V.O.)
Fucking Anirudh. Why am I friends
with him, again?

SARAI
(good-naturedly)
I’d be happy to give you
recommendations. But you’ll also
learn a lot from talking to the
other guys. Everyone’s really
friendly, so. Should I take you
around?

ANIRUDH
Yeah, that sounds great!

SARAI
Let’s go.

As Sarai leads the way, she taps Yatharth’s shoulder and

smiles at him.

YATHARTH (V.O.)
Oh yeah… That. That’s why i’m
friends with him.

They walk around the hostel and get the tour. The pool is
their last stop and Anirudh is gobsmacked.

SARAI
Here’s your key. Enjoy!

Sarai walks away.

YATHARTH
Let’s… let’s get showered? Then we
can come back down and ask Sarai
for recommendations before we head…

ANIRUDH
Oh? Ping’s recommendations you
didn’t care for, but hers you think
are legit?

YATHARTH
Shut up and come —
 13.

ANIRUDH
You go ahead.

YATHARTH
What?

Anirudh wordlessly pulls out a towel, his trunks, a change of

clothes, and his toiletry kit from his backpack and hands it
to Yatharth.

ANIRUDH
Take my stuff and keep it the room,
no? I’ll use the pool shower. Might
as well get some footage before it
gets dark.

Anirudh rushes off. Yatharth looks dubious.

YATHARTH
(calls out behind Anirudh)
Pace yourself, OK? Make good
choices!

He walks off the screen.

11. INT. DORM ROOM — DAY

We show Yatharth putting his stuff in the room. The other

bunks are empty for now, but clearly they are claimed by
hostelers who aren’t in the room at the moment.

If they have a pool-facing room, Yatharth looks out the

window and sees Anirudh interacting with people at the pool.
He smiles and walks into the shower.

12. EXT. HOSTEL - POOL - DAY

Anirudh has already struck up a conversation with some people

at the pool. They’re just generally recommending stuff to
him, and he’s vlogging it all.

Suddenly, EMILY (20s) surfaces from the pool with a big

SPLASH which makes Anirudh almost drop his camera. She’s
wearing a snorkle which she takes off excitedly as she climbs
out of the pool.

FOREIGNER 1
Jeez, you scared me!

FOREIGNER 2
How long were you under there for?!

EMILY
45 minutes!!! A new record!!!
 14.

She bounds away into the hostel building.

ANIRUDH
Who’s that?

The foreigners smirk at each other.

FOREIGNER 1
Emily. American.

FOREIGNER 2
I’d stay away from her if I were
you.

FOREIGNER 1
Definitely. She’s a little… weird.

Anirudh shrugs and looks into his vlogging camera and he goes
into the locker room to change.

ANIRUDH
You heard that, Anidudes? There’s a
weird girl in Best Beds Hostel. But
why is she so weird? And why did
she spend 45 minutes submerged in
the hostel pool? Maybe we’ll find
out in the vlogs to come. See you
then!

CUT TO

13. INT. BATHROOM - DAY

Yatharth steps out of the shower cubicle, a towel wrapped

around his waist. He is finger-combing his hair from the
front. He pushes it back on his head, uncovering his eyes,
and from his POV we see Emily standing in front of the
mirror, her mouth frothed up with toothpaste. She catches
Yatharth’s eye and her eyes light up.

EMILY
(muffled)
HMPHIII!

Yatharth screams. Emily screams and runs towards him in a

panic. Yatharth panics more.

EMILY (CONT'D)
WHAT?! Did you see a lizard?! Is it
on me! Please, get it off!
 15.

YATHARTH
(mortified)
N— no… there’s no lizard! Get off
me, lady!

Emily looks around the bathroom cautiously and then back at

Yatharth, breathing heavily. She puts her hand over her
heart.

EMILY
What did you yell for?!

YATHARTH
What the hell are you doing in the
men’s bathroom?!

EMILY
There’s no such thing as a men’s
bathroom, this is a mixed dorm,
genius!

YATHARTH
Is… is that what they mean by
‘mixed’?!

EMILY
Yeah. What did you think it meant?

YATHARTH
I don’t know, I thought like — a
‘mixed’ dorm meant you ‘mix’ with
strangers — MALE strangers —

EMILY
Why are you so worked up?! I didn’t
even get to see any fun bits —

Yatharth tightens the towel around his waist.

YATHARTH
Stay back!

Emily puts her hands up and backs away.

EMILY
Sorry, dude. I’m not trying to be
creepy or anything. I was just
brushing my teeth.

YATHARTH
It’s almost noon.
 16.

EMILY
Yeah, well. I brushed my teeth and
then drank OJ, and it tasted
horrible, so I needed to get the OJ
taste out of my mouth and I figured
brushing again would —
(beat)
Let me start over. Hey! I’m Emily.
Top bunk on the left.

YATHARTH
(collecting his bearings)
I’m Yatharth. Top bunk on the
right.

EMILY
Huh. Turns out we have something in
common after all!

Yatharth smiles at Emily. She reaches forward to shake his

hand. Yatharth takes one hand off the towel to shake her
hand.

That’s when Anirudh appears out of nowhere.

ANIRUDH
What’s going on here?

Yatharth startles, and his other hand jerks away from the
towel. Emily’s eyes grow wide with terror as we get a POV
shot of her from between Yatharth’s legs.

CUT TO

14. EXT. BANGKOK STREETS - CHINA TOWN - MISC.

Anirudh and Yatharth are out on the street, Anirudh is

watching the footage over.

ANIRUDH (CONT'D)
I can’t BELIVE I caught it on
camera! Being a vlogger is awesome!

YATHARTH
Anirudh, if you don’t delete that
footage, I swear to GOD —

ANIRUDH
Delete?! Hell no. It’s going in the
vlog. I’ll blur everything out,
don’t worry… don’t want to get
demonetised…

Yatharth lunges for the camera. Anirudh runs into the street.
 17.

Montage of them doing things. Over music. You can capture

audio of generally entertaining conversations, if any.
Towards lunch time, Yatharth and Anirudh walk past the same
sign that Yatharth had spotted on the way to their hostel.
“HOME RESTAURANT” something something. He pulls Anirudh
towards the place.

15. INT. HOUSE RESTAURANT

Anirudh and Yatharth enter the restaurant, and we close on

Yatharth as he makes a note of the derelict state of the
house. He absent-mindedly puts his hand on a random surface
and immediately pulls away, looking at the dust on his
fingers. He sanitises his hands immediately.

They spot an older woman CHAMPA (50s) sitting with some

prayer beads. When she spots them, a wide smile fills up her
face.

Anirudh does the wai gesture at her, and nudges Yatharth to

do the same.

ANIRUDH (CONT'D)
The guys at the pool taught me
this. Follow my lead.
(to the lady)
Sawadee khun!

YATHARTH
(mumbling)
Sawadee khun.

CHAMPA
Come, sit!

Anirudh and Yatharth sit at the table. Champa warmly puts her
hands on each of the boys’ shoulders and asks —

CHAMPA (CONT'D)
You vegetarian?

YATHARTH
(nodding)
I am. He is not.

Champa nods and calls out loudly, in Thai:

CHAMPA
DAO!!! COME HERE!

DAO (F, early 20s) appears from an inner room, and she too
beams widely at the boys when she sees them.
 18.

DAO
Welcome! Are you veg—

CHAMPA
I already asked them all that. I
just need you to keep them company
while I prepare their food.

DAO
Okay then!

Champa scuttles off, ruffling Yatharth’s hair before she

leaves.

DAO (CONT'D)
I’m Dao. That’s my mother, Champa.
You can call her Khun Champa.

YATHARTH
I’m Yatharth, this is Anirudh.
We’re from India.

ANIRUDH
Nice to meet you, Dao. Is it ok if
I record?

DAO
One moment, let me fix my hair and
lipstick.

They all laugh.

Quick montage of the trio chatting as Anirudh records the

home restaurant for his vlog. Champa comes out with two bowls
of soup. Champa explains in Thai, and asks Dao to translate.

DAO (CONT'D)
This is Tom Kha Gai for you, and
just plain Tom Kha for you — no
chicken.

CHAMPA
With chicken, I put more galangal.
With no chicken, less galangal.

YATHARTH
Thank you, Khun Champa. You
adjusted your recipe for me.
 19.

CHAMPA
There’s no recipe! You have to
understand the essence of a good
Tom Kha Gai — the tang of the
galangal needs to be balanced out
by the creamy coconut milk. As long
as you understand that, you don’t
need a recipe book.

Champa continues to feed them warmly, treating them like her

own sons. She instructs Dao to translate.

DAO
(to Yatharth)
She says you remind her of her son;
my older brother Ritthirong. He’s 9
months into his mandatory military
service.

Champa ruffles Anirudh’s hair and says something, which Dao

translates.

DAO (CONT'D)
She says Anirudh has a naughty
glint in his eye…

Champa cups Yatharth’s face with her hand.

DAO (CONT'D)
… But you, Yatharth — you look
sweet and honest. Just like her
Ritthirong.
(laughs)
She’s forgetting how he used to
bully me when we were kids!

Everyone laughs. Yatharth pulls money out of his pocket and

hands it to Champa.

CHAMPA
Don’t be silly. Why would I take
money from my own children?

DAO
Please. We’re simple people, this
is what we eat every day. You don’t
have to pay us.

Anirudh keeps insisting that they take their money, but

Yatharth is having an emotional moment… he looks at the spot
he had touched when they entered the house. The mark his
fingers left in the dust are still visible. Yatharth
swallows.
 20.

YATHARTH (V.O.)
I wanted to speak up. I wanted to
join Anirudh in coaxing them to
take my money. But I was so fucking
overwhelmed with guilt. Me and my
stupid sanitiser, thinking I was
above everyone else.

FADE OUT

16. 7/11 STORE — EVENING

They are strolling in the 7/11, picking up Thai snacks.

ANIRUDH
We should go back. It felt like I
was eating my naani’s food. Except,
she was Thai.

YATHARTH
We should definitely go back. Maybe
we can tell the folks at the hostel
about it too.

ANIRUDH
Who, like that girl who saw you in
the nude?

YATHARTH
Shut up.
(beat)
I can’t believe she wasn’t going to
take our money. Thank god her apron
had a pocket in it.

ANIRUDH
That’s what I’m saying, man. People
around here are just… nice. In the
smallest ways.

They stand in front of the CASHIER, who greets them with a

wai. They wai back.

CASHIER
Are you having a good time in
Bangkok?

ANIRUDH
The best time of my life!

CASHIER
I’m glad. Here’s your bag. That’ll
be 200 baht.
(beat)
(MORE)
 21.

CASHIER (CONT'D)
Oh — and here’s a little something
for you.

The cashier hands Yatharth a Doraemon sticker sheet.

YATHARTH
Wh… what’s this?

CASHIER
Just a little something for you to
remember Thailand by.

Anirudh and Yatharth walk out of the store, but all the while
Yatharth is staring intently at the Doraemon sticker sheet in
his hand.

FADE TO

17. ANY DESERTED LOCATION AROUND THE HOSTEL

At the hostel, we show a master shot of Anirudh and Yatharth

parting ways — Anirudh goes to the hostel room and Yatharth
finds a secluded location to introspect. He sits down,
continuing to fiddle with the Doraemon sticker sheet.

He picks up his phone and video calls Utkarsha. She picks up

after a few rings.

UTKARSHA
Hi.

YATHARTH
Hi.

UTKARSHA
How’s Bangkok? I’ve been keeping up
with Anirudh’s stories.

YATHARTH
Bangkok… Utkarsha, I’m having a
spiritual experience here.

UTKARSHA
Damn. How come? Is it the hookers?

YATHARTH
What…? No. The city is great and
all. The hustle-bustle, everyone is
on, 24x7. But nobody warns you
about how fucking nice people are
here.
(beat)
Like today, the cab guy, the
receptionist… everyone was so nice.
(MORE)
 22.

YATHARTH (CONT'D)
I went to this aunty’s house and
she and her daughter treated me and
Anirudh like we were family. They
didn’t even want to take our money.

UTKARSHA
That’s nice.

YATHARTH
Look at this!!!

UTKARSHA
Isn’t that — Why are you getting
all choked up about Nobita?! Is
everything OK, Yatharth?

YATHARTH
This guy at 7/11 gave it to me. Can
you imagine this happening in
Mumbai? Nobody ever stops to ask
you how your day’s going.

UTKARSHA
It’s just a bunch of stickers.

YATHARTH
That’s what I’d have said a couple
of days ago. But there’s something
about how these people love — they
expect nothing back. They’re just…
warm.

A poignant pause. Utkarsha considers.

UTKARSHA
That’s how it’s supposed to be, you
know.

YATHARTH
Yeah. But I think India has too
much hustle-bustle for it to ever
be a reality…

UTKARSHA
No.
(beat)
That’s how love should be.
Effortless. Without expectation.

Yatharth gets emotional.

YATHARTH
I did love you, Utkarsha.
Genuinely.
 23.

UTKARSHA
I loved you too, Yatharth. But I
think our love ran its course a
long time ago. And that’s OK! We
have our whole entire lives ahead
of us.

YATHARTH
So now what? I’m supposed to forget
all about you and pretend we’re
strangers? I miss you!

UTKARSHA
You’re not supposed to forget
anything. I’ll always remember you
fondly.
(beat)
But you know what they say. You’ve
to let the old stuff go to make
space for what’s new.

YATHARTH
I don’t want anything new. I can’t
imagine my life without you.

UTKARSHA
You don’t have to imagine
everything, Yatharth. Sometimes you
can just allow yourself to be
surprised.

YATHARTH
I’ll… I’ll try.

UTKARSHA
Thank you. I’m trying, too.

YATHARTH
Good bye, Utkarsha.

UTKARSHA
Good night, Yatharth.

Yatharth is about to say something, but Utkarsha hangs up.

For a moment, Yatharth is like a fish out of water — he can’t
breathe. He scrambles to call Utkarsha back, but the phone
falls out of his hands. He holds his knees, feeling extremely
alone and disoriented.

A shadow of a person looms above him. It’s Emily with a

cigarette in between her lips.
 24.

EMILY
Darn it. This is my secret smoking
hideout. Get your own, towel boy!

YATHARTH
(slightly curt)
I don’t smoke.

EMILY
Just contemplating, then?

She forces Yatharth to scootch as she sits next to him.

EMILY (CONT'D)
So? How was your first day?

YATHARTH
Pretty great, actually.

EMILY
Then why do you look like your pet
dog just died?

Yatharth is silent.

EMILY (CONT'D)
Wait, did —-

YATHARTH
(snappy)
Of course not.

Emily widens her eyes and does a ‘OK then I’ll back off’
gesture.

EMILY
Jeez. Just trynna be friendly.

YATHARTH
Don’t you think you’ve been
friendly enough for one day?
(beat)
OK, OK. I’m sorry.

EMILY
We’re cool, man. If you need to
vent… you have my ear. At least
until the end of my cigarette.

A moment of silence. Then —

YATHARTH
Have you ever felt like… you’ve
lived one way for all your life.
(MORE)
 25.

YATHARTH (CONT'D)
And now, you have to throw
everything out the window and start
anew?

Emily’s expression goes slightly serious for a second.

Yatharth doesn’t notice. He continues his monologue —

YATHARTH (CONT'D)
Because that’s what’s happened to
me. It’s like… everything’s been
taken away from me.

EMILY
So your dog really did die, huh?

YATHARTH
No… My girlfriend of 5 years broke
up with me days before I got here.
I’d planned my whole damn life
around her! And now that’s just…
gone. I’ve to start from scratch.
And I’ve no idea from where to
begin again. And Thailand has been
great, but… I’ve no idea what I’ll
make of my life when I go back.

EMILY
Well, towel boy, I feel you. I
really do.

YATHARTH
I just poured my soul out to you
and you’re calling me towel boy…

EMILY
OK, sorry. I forgot your name. BUT!
BUT! BUT! Here’s some honest-to-god
heartfelt advice for ya. You don’t
have to worry about making
decisions back in India just yet.
You’re in Thailand. This is Limbo
Nation. What happens in Thailand,
stays in Thailand. Have the
‘THAI’me of your life… you get my
drift?

YATHARTH
I think so.

EMILY
Good. So just… give yourself up to
the tide, man. To the THAI-DE.
Gedditt? Eh… (nudges him, he
smiles) Come on.
(MORE)
 26.

EMILY (CONT'D)
Let’s hit the clubs tonight. Bring
your friend. It’ll be fun!

Emily gets up and reaches her hand out to Yatharth.

Reluctance for a second, and then he takes it.

18. EXT. MAIN STREET - VARIOUS ESTABLISHMENTS - NIGHT

Yatharth, Emily, and Anirudh are making their way through the
street, trying to decide which club to get in. As they’re
walking, a ladyboy picks Yatharth up and takes him into her
club.

Montage of them getting turnt — they make the teetotaler

break his rules - Yatharth and Emily getting increasingly
bond-y — ending with the two of them supporting Anirudh as he
stumbles back to the hostel. (He’s not piss drunk or
anything, just a bit sway-y)

That’s when Ping pulls up and says

PING
Ending the night so early??! It’s
only 3 AM! Hop in!

More partying — now with the 4 of them. Ping blends into the
group seamlessly. (Montage)

Then, the four of them stand on the street. Emily is smoking

a cigarette again.

PING (CONT'D)
Tell me your favourite part about
Bangkok so far. Emily you have been
here the longest — go.

EMILY
The smell. It smells of sex.

Yatharth scoffs.

EMILY (CONT'D)
What now, Towel Boy?

YATHARTH
My favourite part of Bangkok is the
people…

EMILY
Yeah, yeah. We know about the dude
who gave you Doraemon stickers.
 27.

ANIRUDH
Yeah dude. You’ve told them about
it five times already.

YATHARTH
But the food —

PING
Yes, you told us about Khun
Champa’s place too. The Tom Kha Gai
—

YATHARTH
No Gai for me — No bail either. I’m
vegetarian.

EMILY
WHAT.

Yatharth and Anirudh giggle and high five each other.

PING
(to Emily)
Must be an inside joke…

EMILY
Yeah. And Indian Inside Joke. An
INDSIDE joke.

ANIRUDH
Lame.

Emily smacks Anirudh.

EMILY
What’s been YOUR favourite part of
Bangkok, then?

ANIRUDH
Easy.

YATHARTH
Really?

ANIRUDH
Yeah. It was seeing Yatharth’s
dick.

PING
Wait. What?

Yatharth smacks Anirudh on the back of his head.

 28.

ANIRUDH
I got to know you like I never got
to see you before, man.

YATHARTH
Can we please move past that?!?

EMILY
PING! Anirudh told me that you have
secret spots that you’d take them
to. Can I pleeease tag along?

YATHARTH
No, there’s no place in the car…

EMILY
(pat response)
I’ll sit in your lap if I have to.

Yatharth’s ears go red.

PING
Nobody will have to sit on anyone’s
lap. We’re not driving. We’ll take
public transport.

ANIRUDH
But Emily, you can still sit in
Yatharth’s lap if you want to.

YATHARTH
(eager to change the
subject)
When can we leave?

PING
Tomorrow’s good.

EMILY
Wait, really?! What about your
work?

PING
(shrugs)
My cab’s not going anywhere. We can
go all around Thailand — Pai, Koh
Samui…

Emily hugs Ping. Anirudh climbs on. The three of them open
their embrace to Yatharth.

YATHARTH (V.O.)
I hate hugs. I barely touched
Utkarsha unless we were doing it.
(MORE)
 29.

YATHARTH (V.O.) (CONT'D)

I guess that’s why she broke up
with me. But in that moment, all I
could think of were Emily’s words
from earlier that evening — Give
yourself to the THAI-DE.

Yatharth joins the hug.

YATHARTH (V.O.)
So I did.

19. TURTLE TEMPLE - MORNING

Anirudh goes to Turtle temple. He’s all in influencer mode,

and then sees something that really touches him. Maybe a
father playing with his daughter — some silly childish game
like ‘PEEK A BOO!’ And that touches him and he puts his
camera away for a second. And feeds the turtles. As we show
visuals of Anirudh, Yatharth’s VO:

YATHARTH (V.O.)
The morning before we left on our
trip, Anirudh and I decided to
split up and do our own thing.
Anirudh went to Turtle Temple. I
don’t quite know what he saw there
— I’ll have to look at his footage
later — but I think it was his
Doraemon sticker moment. He didn’t
tell me what he did there. Or what
he saw. He just came back… changed.
And decided that he wanted to call
his Vlogging page SPACE TURTLE
FILMS. So I’d definitely say it was
something special. If you want to
know his side of things… maybe
you’d have to read his diary. Or
better yet, watch his vlog.

20.LUMPHINI PARK - MORNING

Yatharth goes to Lumphini Park. Or Khlong Bang, where he

talks to the painter dude with the guitar. I need him to have
a lot of heartfelt conversations and interactions with
people. We don’t need the audio necessarily.

YATHARTH (V.O.)
I didn’t want to see any more
temples, though. Surprising, right?
Old Yatharth never missed a chance
to suck up to the gods. But
Thailand had me wanting to
experience its people.
(MORE)
 30.

YATHARTH (V.O.) (CONT'D)

That Shahrukh song, ‘Tujhme Rabb
dikhta hai, yaara main kya karoon?’
Thailand taught me what it really
meant.

21. INT. TRAIN - BUS - FERRY - PAI DORM ROOM - DAY TO NIGHT

Four of them sitting in the train to Pai, facing each other.

They’re playing some poker-esque card game that Ping is
explaining to them.

YATHARTH (V.O)
Later that evening, we boarded the
train to Pai. Little did I know
that I was going to find God in
each of the three travelers with me
— even Anirudh. Shocking, I know.

ANIRUDH
This Pok Deng is giving me anxiety,
man. Let’s play something less
stressful, no?

YATHARTH
Thanks for teaching us nonetheless.
It was fun.

PING
OK, well, Emily — are there any fun
American games we can play?

EMILY
I can only think of I-Spy.

All three of them groan.

EMILY (CONT'D)
Clearly you’re all familiar with
it.

ANIRUDH
Yeah, Emily, but we’re not five.

EMILY
Give us an Indian game, then!

ANIRUDH
Hops and Bats.

YATHARTH
God, no.
 31.

ANIRUDH
Uh… OK. Name Place Animal Thing,
then!

YATHARTH
Better.

PING
How do you play?

YATHARTH
Tres facile. You just —

EMILY
Wait, you speak French?

ANIRUDH
We’ll arrive at a random letter of
the alphabet. You just have to name
one thing from each category that
starts with that letter.

YATHARTH
Oui. I speak French, and oui,
that’s how you play the game.
Anirudh, start-stop me.

PING
Start-stop…?

ANIRUDH, YATHARTH
You’ll see.

Anirudh Start-Stops Yatharth. He lands at J.

ANIRUDH
So I just have to say a name,
place, animal and thing that begins
with J. So like… Jack. Jordan.
Jackal. Jockstrap. Everyone get it?

Everyone nods.

EMILY
May I make a suggestion?

Everyone groans.

EMILY (CONT'D)
What?!

ANIRUDH
White people. Always meddling with
brown people stuff.
 32.

YATHARTH
Don’t colonise Name Place Animal
Thing, man.

EMILY
OKAY. Hear me out! We do name place
animal thing, but you have to tell
a story with every turn. Like my J
would be — Jones. Because it’s my
last name!

ANIRUDH
Uhhh cute, but only first names
allowed. So you start off with
minus 5 points. Good going, Team
USA.

EMILY
But now you know a little more
about me. Isn’t that more enriching
than winning some imaginary five
points?

Yatharth is keeping track of the score in his diary. He puts

a big fat -5 under emily’s name.

YATHARTH
We’ll see once we get to Pai.

Montage as they play name place animal thing over all the
modes of transport.

YATHARTH (V.O.)
We played Name, Place Animal, Thing
in the train… then while we waited
for the bus… and on the boat, too.
I stopped keeping score after the
first round. I got lost in their
stories. With the letter ‘B’, I got
to know about Pai’s time in the
military, when he showed us his
badge. And ‘K’ was when I learnt
that Anirudh is really from Kanpur.
I’ve worked with him for 4 years
and I could’ve sworn he was born
and raised in South Delhi. With
‘S’, Emily told us that she had a
pet snake at home. My kneejerk
reaction was that she is batshit
crazy, but then she choked up while
talking about him… like he was a
puppy or something. I won’t lie, I
had a bit of a ‘tujhme rabb dikhta
hai’ moment for her there.
 33.

Show them in a hostel dorm room in Pai with four beds.

YATHARTH (V.O.)
I’ve never been one for cuddles. I
like to sleep alone, in fact, so
that I can snore in peace. But that
night, in our little dorm room in
Pai, I felt so deeply connected
with those three, that I was
starting to feel the pinch of ever
having to say goodbye to them.

22. EXT. PAI - HOT SPRING — DAY

Show them exploring Pai. Vlog style. They come to a scenic,

deserted hot spring, strip off, and swim in the spring. Emily
climbs out and announces:

EMILY
OK guys! I think it’s time. Ping,
it’s in your bag?

PING
Yes, just check the inner pocket.

Emily rummages around and pulls out a little baggie. She

opens it and offers it to everyone. Everyone picks up a
shroom. Yatharth looks skeptical. Anirudh is chuffed. Emily
raises her shroom in the air, Gatsby style.

EMILY
I’d like to raise a toast. To my
favourite boys in the world.

YATHARTH
I thought your favourite boy was
Fluffy.

EMILY
To my favourite boys in the world
who are NOT snakes.

ANIRUDH
SALUD!

They chomp on the mushrooms and continue to splash around.

CUT TO

Some time later, Yatharth is feeling really hot. He’s sitting

on a rock and clutching his chest. Emily climbs out and asks
after him.
 34.

EMILY
You’re looking a little pale,
pardner.

YATHARTH
I’m hot. I think I’m dying.

EMILY
Be a Phoenix then. Die, and then
rise from the ashes.

YATHARTH
OK… I’ll try. How do I become a
phoenix? I’m not a phoenix. I’m a
person.

EMILY
Ok… Then be like Jesus Christ. He
died and rose again!

YATHARTH
God. I’m not even Christian. I’m
Hindu. We don’t resurrect, we
reincarnate.

EMILY
Maybe you’ll reincarnate as a
phoenix?

YATHARTH
Maybe. Or maybe I’ll reincarnate as
a rock. I can’t take my chances.

EMILY
Here’s what we’re going to do. I’m
going to take you to the water and
baptise you.

YATHARTH
I don’t want to be baptised!
Coloniser, at it again…

EMILY
It’s just a symbolic one. It’ll
feel good. My grandma took me to
her church once and they did it to
me. Trust me.

She reaches her hand out to Yatharth again, as she did

earlier in the film. He takes it. They go into the water and
stand in the middle, until it’s waist level.
 35.

EMILY (CONT'D)
By the power vested in me… I know
pronounce you… resurrected!

She dunks him in the water, pastor-style, for a few seconds.

YATHARTH (V.O.)
It worked. I felt… new. I had been
so scared of starting over, without
Utkarsha, without a plan. When
Emily baptised me, I felt… free.
Like a newborn baby. I can’t
describe exactly why I felt so
good… Part of it was the shrooms.
Part of it was the cold water
hitting my face. But mostly, it was
Emily.

FADE OUT

23. EXT. KOH SAMUI - CLIFF DIVING

YATHARTH (V.O.)
And that good feeling never left
me. It stayed with me in Pai. It
travelled with me when we went to
Koh Samui. Maybe I really was a
Phoenix. And when I thought I’d hit
rock bottom, I ended up being
reborn.

Montage of them doing stuff. In one brief cut, show the boys
having fun while Emily attends to a phone call away from
them, which she hangs up from and the runs back to the boys,
hitching her smile back onto her face. Show a cliff diving
scene where Yatharth and Emily jump into the water together.

YATHARTH (V.O.)
Or maybe I was just plain old
Yatharth. And it was Emily who was
the magic one. Because she, too,
never left me.

Show them sitting somewhere scenic, just the two of them.

Maybe on the edge of a cliff.

EMILY
Ever think of jumping?

YATHARTH
(sharply)
What?
 36.

EMILY
You know. Like giving yourself away
to the ocean.

YATHARTH
You say it like it’s a good thing.

EMILY
Isn’t it? Just succumb. No fighting
it.

YATHARTH
I mean. No. I think your instinct
to live will kick in at the last
moment. You will put up a fight.
It’s a terrible way to go.

EMILY
(shrugs)
Better a short struggle than a slow
boil that kills you over decades.

YATHARTH
(concerned)
Emily, what’s wrong? Talk to me.

EMILY
I started travelling with the idea
that I’d take a year off. From…
life. And now the year is almost
up.

YATHARTH
But you have so much to go back to.
Don’t you have friends, your
family… aren’t you excited to see
your grandma? You’ve told me so
much about her.

Emily is silent as she looks out into the horizon,

contemplating.

EMILY
My grandma died last year,
Yatharth.

YATHARTH
What?! But you never… you’ve always
spoken about her like she’s alive.

EMILY
Maybe ‘cause I want her to be.
(beat)
(MORE)
 37.

EMILY (CONT'D)
She’s all I really have, family-
wise. My parents are cool and all,
but I see them once a year. Dad for
Thanksgiving, mom for Christmas.
Then switch. Grandma was always
there.

YATHARTH
I’m sorry for your loss.

EMILY
(Shrugs)
It’s been over a year. It doesn’t
sting so bad anymore.

YATHARTH
Is that why you took the gap year?

EMILY
I guess so. It just seemed like a
fun thing to do at the time. But
now I’ve realised that I’ve just
been running away from figuring my
shit out.

Yatharth chuckles.

EMILY (CONT'D)
Real sensitive, towel boy.

YATHARTH
Shut up. I was just thinking, I’m
kinda in the same boat. I had a 10-
year plan that included 3 kids and
a sea-facing home in Mumbai. And
now I’m going to have to, in the
words of the inimitable Ms Emily
Jones, “figure my shit out.”

EMILY
How about we do it together, then?

YATHARTH
Sure thing. We’ll be on opposite
ends of the atlas. But we’ll be in
this together. OK?

Yatharth, whose aversion to touch will have been well-

documented through the film thus far, will now reach out his
hand for Emily, like she has done twice to him before (after
his spoke to Utkarsha, and at the hot spring). Build up this
moment with poignancy.
 38.

Emily looks at his hand and then into his eyes. And she
smiles, takes his hand, and then crashes into him, mouth-
first. Yatharth is taken by surprise, but he eases into it.

And FADE OUT

24. INT./EXT. - CAFE - EVENING

They’re eating a meal somewhere pretty. Yatharth has a

vegetarian meal, of course. Emily eyes his food.

EMILY
(In between chews)
Ooh, that looks good.

Yatharth takes a spoonful of it and feeds it to Emily.

Anirudh almost spits his food out in shock.

ANIRUDH
She just ate chicken!

YATHARTH
(continuing to eat with
the same spoon)
No biggie.

ANIRUDH
You won’t even share a cigarette
with me because of ‘jhoota’. Kamaal
hai!

PING
(catching on)
Anirudh, you wanted to show me the
footage right?

ANIRUDH
Yeah, but I don’t want to get my
laptop out now.

PING
That’s OK. You can show me at the
hotel room. Yatharth and Emily, are
you two OK to share a room?

Both try to be casual and shrug and nod. But Emily gives Ping
a secret smile.

YATHARTH
I’ll miss you guys. It’ll be the
first night on this trip that I
won’t be hearing Anirudh’s snoring.
 39.

ANIRUDH
Love you too, babe.

PING
I used to snore too! It never
bothered me, but then I dated a
light sleeper. So I started using a
neti pot. I can show you how to use
one tonight. It’ll help.

ANIRUDH
Thanks, man. You’re so sweet.

YATHARTH
You fixed your snoring for a girl.
That’s so husband material. How
come you’re still single, then?

Emily and Ping stop eating and exchange a look. Ping puts his
spoon down and pointedly looks at both Yatharth and Anirudh.

PING
I fixed my snoring for a guy.

ANIRUDH
Well… that’s still really nice of
you.

YATHARTH
Wait. The light sleeper you dated.
Was a man?!

PING
Yes. I am gay.

There is shocked silence on the table. Then Anirudh, sharply:

ANIRUDH
Why didn’t you tell us?

EMILY
Ummm. I knew he was gay, and he
didn’t have to tell me.

YATHARTH
If he’s been living with us for
days, I think it’s the decent thing
to do.
 40.

EMILY
Yatharth!! Really?! Does he have to
wear a placard around his neck that
says I AM GAY, and announce himself
with a bell every time he enters
the room?!

ANIRUDH
Oh, stop making us sound like
homophobes.
(to Ping)
I’m not rooming with you tonight. I
mean, no offense — you do you. I
just don’t want people to think
that I’m gay.

EMILY
You’re making yourself sound like a
homophobe. You don’t need my help.

YATHARTH
We have bonded so hard these past
few days. I find it difficult to
imagine how the fact that you’re
gay hasn’t come out once.

EMILY
Maybe this is why it hasn’t come
out?! You guys are being utter and
complete pricks.

Ping retains his dignified smile throughout this exchange,

never letting it slip. He’s not one for self-pity.

PING
It’s OK, Emily. Us eastern
countries aren’t as liberal as the
U.S.A.
(to the boys)
I just thought that you are my
friends, so you would accept me.

Emily gets up from her seat.

EMILY
Ping and I will share a room
tonight. You two can rot for all I
care.

PING
I’m sorry that I’ve hurt you. Thank
you for letting me travel with you.
 41.

Ping gets up and follows Emily out of the restaurant.

Yatharth and Anirudh look at each other with an expression
that conveys that they know they’ve messed up.

YATHARTH (V.O.)
This sounds really bad, but back
then, I didn’t exactly regret what
I said. What I regret is saying
those things about Ping. He was our
friend.
(Beat)
Eventually I reckoned with my
biases and prejudices. But in that
moment, I just wanted to apologise
to Ping. He showed us all his
secret spots, gave us the full
local experience. And what did we
give him?

ANIRUDH
I think we fucked up.

YATHARTH
Yeah. We’re not even that hot. Why
would he want to do us?

ANIRUDH
Speak for yourself.

CUT TO

25. INT. TRAIN - DAY

They are taking the train ride over River Kwai. Stony
silence.

PING
You two look rough. All okay?

EMILY
You don’t have to be nice, Ping.
They’ve been horrible to you.

YATHARTH
We’re fine. Anirudh was snoring
right in my ear, but —

ANIRUDH
Fuck you, man. Here you have the
perfect opportunity to apologise to
Ping, and you’re using it to shit
on me instead.
 42.

PING
No apologies are needed.

EMILY
(to Anirudh)
YOU need to apologise to Ping too,
you know…

YATHARTH
(to Anirudh)
I wasn’t shitting on you. Not
everything is about you — it was
just a throwaway joke.

ANIRUDH
I don’t joke about you taking 2
hours in the bathroom every
morning, do I?

YATHARTH
You can if you want to! I don’t
care. I’m not like you.

ANIRUDH
And what does that mean?

YATHARTH
You’re always obsessed with how you
come across to people. Who cares if
you share a room with Ping? Get a
life! We’re not some people on the
internet watching your vlogging
channel. Nobody’s watching you.

ANIRUDH
You’re one to talk. You’re so
paranoid all the goddamn time. Like
everyone’s out to take advantage of
you, or swindle money from you.
That’s what you thought of Ping!
And Emily, and Dao, and Khun
Champa, and everyone we’ve met on
this trip.

EMILY
Ouch. Really Yatharth?!

Yatharth glowers at Anirudh. Even though they’re fighting,

this was a line that should’ve stayed uncrossed.

ANIRUDH
(trying to salvage the
situation)
(MORE)
 43.

ANIRUDH (CONT'D)
And while we’re at it, Emily, if
your idea of conflict resolution is
to get up and storm off, then
you’re not very mature either.

EMILY
(scoffs)
Nice try making this about me.

But she looks uncomfortable with the accusation. Yatharth

catches her eye meaningfully. She looks away.

PING
Guys, it’s really nice of you to
defend my honour this way, but it’s
not necessary.

YATHARTH
It’s super necessary, Ping. You’ve
been nothing but nice to me and
Anirudh since you first laid eyes
on us.

ANIRUDH
Yeah. I’m really sorry.

YATHARTH
Me too.

PING
It’s OK.

EMILY
But it’s not, isn’t it?

ANIRUDH
Emily, you’re literally making
drama when there isn’t any.

EMILY
You’re apologising to Ping because
he’s your friend and you know him.
And we’re in Limboland. We’ll go
back home and go back to toe-ing
the line, won’t we?

YATHARTH
How do you mean?

EMILY
I’ll go back to being a fuck up.
You’ll go back to being a raging
homophobe…
 44.

ANIRUDH
Ai, ye of little faith.

EMILY
(Air quotes gesture)
Whatever “character growth” we’re
having here, it doesn’t matter.
It’s easy to be a nice person when
you know you’re going back to your
real life.

PING
Well. I’m not going anywhere. This
is my life, my reality. And, I
don’t appreciate you talking about
our time together like that.

Emily looks mortified. Anirudh smirks.

ANIRUDH
Where’s your righteous anger now?

Yatharth bites down a smile.

YATHARTH
I know exactly what we need.

The three of them look at him.

CUT TO

26. EXT. ELEPHANTS PLACE - DAY

All four of them are washing the elephants and laughing.

YATHARTH (V.O.)
Dao had recommended this place to
me, in passing. She told me there’s
something about the elephants
that’s really peaceful, calming.
Humbling. I thought we could use
some humbling.

IRL Yatharth turns to the three of them and says:

YATHARTH (CONT'D)
I have a proposal.
(clears throat)
A very good friend of mine
introduced me to the ritual of
Baptism.

Emily smirks.
 45.

YATHARTH (CONT'D)
Keeping the religious aspect aside,
baptism can be a way to start
afresh. To let bygones be bygones.
To —

ANIRUDH
OK, Shakespeare, we get it.

YATHARTH
To forgive, and to be forgiven,
without asking for it —

Anirudh looks at Emily and Ping. All three fill their buckets
and SPLASH Yatharth at the same time. As the four of them
goof off, Yatharth reaches to tuck Emily’s hair behind her
ear. Emily backs away.

YATHARTH (CONT'D)
What’s wrong?

EMILY
(shaking her head)
We’re… this isn’t going to work
out, Yatharth.

YATHARTH
… why?! Didn’t you just hear my
whole spiel about forgiveness and
ritual baptism and —

EMILY
Yeah, there’s no hard feelings. But
that doesn’t change the fact that
I’ve to go back to my life and
you’ve to go back to yours.

YATHARTH
What happened to doing things
together, from opposite ends of the
atlas?

EMILY
I… I’m sorry. I already do long
distance with my parents.

She walks off screen, leaving a flummoxed Yatharth. his face

falls.

27. INT. KHUN CHAMPA’S HOUSE — DAY

 46.

As Yatharth’s VO plays, we show Champa leaving Yatharth with

Dao to go into the kitchen and pack some food for him.

YATHARTH (V.O.)
Our trip back to Bangkok was…
quiet. We blamed it on us being
tired, but I think we were all a
little heartbroken that this was
ending.
(beat)
We planned to hang out in Bangkok.
But there was one place I wanted to
visit alone.

As the VO end, a young child of 5-6 enters the screen in

uniform. Dao hugs the child.

CHILD
Mama!!!

Yatharth is shook.

YATHARTH
You’re a mom?!

DAO
Yeah! I didn’t tell you?

YATHARTH
But you’re so young!

DAO
I got married at 19.

YATHARTH
You’re MARRIED?!

DAO
Not anymore. My husband left me a
few months after the wedding.
That’s why I have to work 2 jobs,
and mom has to run this place…

YATHARTH
That jerk.

DAO
(laughs)
He’s OK. He did love me.

YATHARTH
Then… why did he leave?
 47.

DAO
(with a sad smile)
You know how you’re always saying
that us Thai people love so
generously? Well, it’s because… we
don’t have rules to it. And
sometimes you get hurt in love, and
that’s OK. But it shouldn’t stop
you from loving in the future. And
loving more.

Yatharth doesn’t quite get it.

YATHARTH
But… he screwed you over.

DAO
Yeah, he did. But he gave me this
beautiful baby. And he showed me
love, for a short time maybe. But
it was real.

Yatharth is contemplative. Champa comes out with his food

packed. She hands it to him and kisses him, saying general
niceties in Thai — take care, I’ll miss you, visit again,
travel safe. Then, she says to Dao

CHAMPA
Tell him that as soon as I saw him,
I loved him very much.

DAO
She said she loved you from the
moment she saw you.

Yatharth has an emotional beat.

YATHARTH (V.O.)
Love. I took a year and a half to
tell Utkarsha that I loved her. And
here, this woman loved me from the
moment she saw me. Not like. Loved.

YATHARTH (CONT'D)
Thank you. So much. You’ve changed
my whole life. I have to go now.

Yatharth joins his hands and bows at both women, ruffle’s the
child’s hair, and runs off.

28. INT./EXT. SATHORN UNIQUE TOWER - EVENING

 48.

Emily is sitting on one of the floors, amidst the graffiti

covered walls, smoking a cigarette, looking like a perfect
goth angel.

Yatharth suddenly appears, covered in sweat, huffing really

hard.

EMILY
What are you doing here? Why are
you drenched?

YATHARTH
I had to bribe the security guard
500 baht to enter…

EMILY
But did it rain?

YATHARTH
And then, I ran to the top,
checking every floor for you.

EMILY
OK. Why? I’d have come back to the
dorm room eventually.

Yatharth sits opposite Emily and holds her.

YATHARTH
I don’t care about eventually. But,
in the moment, I felt like telling
you something. And so I thought
I’ll find you. And tell you before
it passed.

EMILY
Ohhhkay. Has it passed, then?

YATHARTH
Not at all.
(beat)
I love you, Emily.

EMILY
You do?

YATHARTH
(thinks for a moment)
Yes. I definitely love you. I don’t
know where we’ll be tomorrow, or if
I’ll come to visit you — I’m
deathly scared of snakes, and
Fluffy —-
 49.

Emily interrupts him with a kiss.

FADE OUT

29. INT. INDIA - YATHARTH’S ROOM - DAY

Yatharth is writing in his diary. As he speaks about the

people he met in Thailand, play rushes of them — laughing,
talking, maybe even waving at the camera.

YATHARTH (CONT'D)
I still write my diary. But I no
longer write to keep IOUs. To show
my dad — “look! You promised me a
PlayStation. I even have your
signature.” Life’s too short to
keep track of all of that. Now, I
just write to remember.
(beat)
And I hope it works. I never want
to forget Thailand and all the
lessons it has taught me.
(beat)
Ping, who never stopped smiling,
even when we attacked him for who
he was. I’m sorry, Ping.
(beat)
To Khun Champa and Dao, who are
like a mom and sister to me now.
(beat)
To the guy at the 7/11 — I didn’t
get your name, but I still have
your sticker sheet.

IRL Yatharth pauses and flips to the last page, where the
sticker sheet is safely tucked in the book. He smiles and
continues.

YATHARTH (CONT'D)
Heck, even Anirudh surprised me on
that trip. I don’t know what my
life would be without his goofiness
and unassuming wisdom. Incredibly
boring, I’m sure.

He looks out the window, sighs and then smiles.

YATHARTH (CONT'D)
And lastly, my beautiful, wild,
Emily — charmer of snakes and of
men. I loved you from the moment I
saw you. And no time, space, or
distance can ever take Thailand
away from us.
 50.

He shuts the diary and walks out of the room.

FIN