PANI PURI & HARMONY ~ EPISODE 13 ~ STILLNESS
The cafe feels strangely calm .
Morning sunlight drifts through the open terrace.
A few regulars sit quietly with chai and newspapers.
Aman works quietly in the kitchen.
Aunty arranges incense boxes near the counter.
ANJALI
Why are there so many candles everywhere?
AUNTY
Atmosphere.
ANJALI
Fire hazard.
Lucas appears at the entrance.
LUCAS (to Maya)
You look stressed.
MAYA
You arrived during active spiritual preparation.
LUCAS
Ahh… Cult energy.
AUNTY
It is meditation, not a cult.
Conor appears wearing dark glasses.
CONOR
Anjali..please tell me cold beer exists.
ANJALI
You are adding this to your tab.
CONOR
Great.I plan to make poor financial decisions later too.
He notices the cushions.
AUNTY
Tonight you will become peaceful.
CONOR
I’m Irish. This is already my peaceful form.
Lucas leans near Maya.
MAYA
You’re distracting me.
LUCAS
Good.
ANJALI
I’m watching this become a problem in real time.
Maya laughs and throws a napkin at her.
LATER…
The cafe closes for the afternoon.
Lucas waits outside with his scooter.
LUCAS
Come. Disappear for an hour before the event begins.
MAYA
One hour only.
Mr. Vikram watches Maya leave.
LATE AFTERNOON…
Lucas brings Maya back just before 4pm.
Inside –
AUNTY
Maya! The flowers are wrong.
MAYA
How can flowers be wrong?
AUNTY
Spritually wrong.
Aunty notices Lucas.
AUNTY
You’re back. Good. Come help.
She pushes incense sticks and holders into his hands.
AUNTY
These need arranging and placing here and there.
Aunty smiles at Lucas.
Candles flicker.
The music area is now covered with rugs and lanterns This is where Swami Rajan will sit.
Anjali is looking pretty in green. Maya and Lucas have gone for blue.
Sitar music drifts through the room.
Luna and Zoe arrive with Conor .
CONOR
Good evening, spiritually attractive people.
ANJALI
You changed clothes.
CONOR
This is meditation attire.
People settle onto scatter cushions.
Then –
A car pulls up outside.
AUNTY
He’s here.
Swami Rajan stops and smiles at the crowd outside.
He turns and enters the room.
AUNTY
Namaste, Swami Rajan.
SWAMI RAJAN
Namaste.
EVERYONE
Namaste.
He sits cross legged on the rug surrounded by cushions.
SWAMI RAJAN
People believe meditation means stopping thoughts.
A smile before he continues…
SWAMI RAJAN
If tbis were true…none of us would succeed
SWAMI RAJAN
Meditation is not removing the storm. It is learning you are not the storm.
Luna listens completely absorbed.
SWAMI RAJAN
Some people protect their hearts for so long.
He turns toward Maya…
SWAMI RAJAN
But you.. have recently begun letting your guard down.
Maya freezes slightly.
SWAMI RAJAN
That is not weakness. It is known as healing.
As night falls…
The event comes to a close.
Swami Rajan pauses by Maya before leaving.
SWAMI RAJAN
This place already had good energy.
MAYA
Thank you.Namaste.
EVERYONE
Namaste.
SWAMI RAJAN
Namaste.
Outside… the street glows under lanterns.
Lucas stands beside Maya at the entrance.
Then Maya rests her head lightly against his shoulder.
Inside the cafe –
Candles flicker…
Pani Puri & Harmony & Harmony feel completely still.
Music ” Waiting for the Guru ” by Dana Gaynor ,Sitar played by Dana Gaynor.
Cover picture by Manique.
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