Episode III.
Location: Courtyard of Nagarjun Palace.
There are at least eight hundred guests filling the main courtyard and gardens. There is music and laughter, and countless tables covered with food and liquor. Gyanendra stands at the gate. He is dressed in the traditional "mail posh suruwal" and the colorful dhaka topi. He is flanked on the sides by Rajiv Shahi and Paras Shah, all dressed in the traditional Nepali dress. Gyanendra greets the guests with namaste, and a smile. He shakes and squeezes hands of those who are close friends, pinches the chubby cheeks of the children, and makes them all feel welcome.
The entire family poses for a family portrait: Gyanendra, Komal, Paras, Himani, prerana, raj bahadur, Kritika, Rajan Khadka, Gorakh Shumser and his daughters-Girvani and Surangana, Dhirendra's daugthers, Purnika the bride and her bridegroom Avinash Rana. As they move into the pose, Gyanendra seems preoccupied.
Gyanendra: Where's Hridayendra ?
Paras: He'll be here bua, it's still early.
Gyanendra: Then the picture will wait for him.
Everyone in the group feels the uneasiness as Gyanendra moves back to the palace. Rajan khadka follows him.
Outside the main gate of the palace, several 'asabhya' journalists walk in and out of the rows of parked cars, writing license plate numbers down in their notebooks. We hear the music and laughter coming from the party in the distance. The men walk down another row of parked cars, put another number in the notebook.
Inside. Bharat Kesari Singh is dancing joyously, bumping bellies with the ladies.
Bharat Kesari: Colonel...jad lyauna bhanya jad k...wine..wine. hahahaha
He mops his sweating forehead with a big handkerchief. Colonel Pun hustles, gets a glass of icy black wine, and brings it to him.
Col. Pun: You look terrific on the floor !
Bharat Kesari: What are you, a dance judge ?
He laughs, huahahaahahah. Typical Bharat Kesari style...never changes. Takes a breath, and leaps back into the dance.
Outside. The people from press walk down another row of parked cars and put another number in the notebook. They move on to other parked cars, when Paras storms out of the gate, his face flushed with anger, followed by Bharat Kesari and Col. Pun.
Paras: K ho esto ? ko ho timi haru ? This is a private property.
Paras menacingly thrusts his reddened face at a journalist. The journalist reaches for his pocket and then flips open his wallet to show an identity card. Without saying a word, Paras steps back, spits on the ground, turns, and walks away, followed by Bharat Kesari and Col. Pun. He doesn't say a thing for most of the walk back into the courtyard, and then, mutters to Bharat Kesari.
Paras: God damn Kantipur...don't respect nothing.
Back in Gyanendra's office:
Rajan Khadka: Sarkar...
Gyanendra: bhana Rajan, what's next on today's agenda ?
Rajan: Apollo Kiraati wants to see you.
Gyanendra turns to Rajan.
Gyanendra: Is it necessary ?
Rajan: You understand him better than anyone.
Gyanendra nods to this. Turns back to the blinds and peeks out. He sees Hridayendra dressed in a black suit (notice non-traditional wear) leads Amy Brown through the wedding crowd, occasionally stopped and greeted by friends of the family. Gyanendra's eyes follow them closely. Hridayendra moves through the crowd, does 'darshan-dhog' to Komal, embraces Himani and introduces them to his girl. Gyanendra frowns at the sight, his eyes peering through the blinds...
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