Ravi can hardly believe what he’s just heard. “Thank you, sir. Thank you for everything you’ve taught me.”
Especially how a South Asian badass can take down villains.
INT./EXT. CHAI SHOP—DAY
Bontu and Ravi talk everything over while they sip their chai—how stupid they must have looked on Friday and how angry Ravi was at Bontu.
“I finally put my inner Hulk to good use,” Bontu says.
“And your outer bottom,” Ravi says. “Ouch, Bontu.”
“Wasn’t my uncle’s team impressive?”
“They must have been watching that hotel every day,” Ravi says. “No wonder he told me to stay away.”
“I could never do that job. I finally told Baba that this weekend.”
“You did? What did he say?”
“Gave Bontu’s Bengal Barano his blessing!” Bontu says, with a grin so wide Ravi can see it on either side of his cup of chai.
“That’s wonderful.”
* * *
They cross the street to take one last look at the hotel. As Ravi walks up to the door, he notices that both handles are secured with a strong iron chain and a padlock.
“Hey, Bontu, look—there’s a ‘closed’ sign on the door.”
Ravi presses his face against the glass, trying to see inside, but it’s dark.
“Uncle told me they might shut the place down. The owner will probably have to sell.”
Hmmmm. Maybe Ravi should mention that to Arjun.
“Are the rescued girls on their way back home?” he asks as they walk to the car.
“Not yet. They’re in a safe house, getting counseling. The police have to make sure that their families aren’t the ones who sold them to the traffickers. People get horribly desperate when their children are hungry.”
So much work left to do. So many powerless people to protect. Here, in the States, in every corner of the planet.
They walk in silence to where Bontu’s car is parked. Ravi gives the hood a friendly slap. “Thank you for showing me around this great city,” he says.
“Call it your ‘desh,’ brother,” Bontu answers. “Your village. I’ll see you at the airport tomorrow.”
INT. BOSE FLAT—NIGHT
Ravi’s last supper in Kolkata is just him and the Bose family. PG’s students are feasting with him at some restaurant near the seminary. Kat and Gracie are eating with Miss Shireen and the Asha House girls.
Mira makes Ravi’s favorites: lentils, rice, egg curry, cauliflower and potato curry, raita, and payesh, that classic Bengali sweet rice pudding, for dessert.
“Thank you for everything,” Ravi says. “The home, the delicious meals, the Bengali lessons … everything.”
“It was our pleasure, Ravi,” says Mira.
“Don’t forget the video games, Ravi Dada!” says Anand.
“And the Bengali lessons we gave you,” adds Bijoy.
“You’ll keep up with your Bangla, I hope?” Arjun asks.
“I will,” Ravi promises.
“I spoke with Shen, by the way. He had nothing but praise for you. He’s agreed to having foreign visitors again—if they’re anything like Ravi Thornton, they’re welcome, he said. Those were his exact words. My jaw literally dropped.”
“Well done, Ravi!” Mira says. “Maybe we should have you speak to all our potential big donors. One conversation with you, and rich old people will certainly empty their pockets.”
She and Arjun laugh. They don’t know anything about the Edward Thornton V trust fund that’s waiting for Ravi at home.
“What do you think about Shen’s rescue on Friday?” Arjun asks. “We were celebrating today in the office. Amazing! At the Royal Diadem Society Guesthouse. That place has quite an interesting history. I found it curious that the foundation you’re starting in Boston will share the same name.”
Ravi holds his breath, but Arjun doesn’t ask questions. The sentence hangs in the air for a second or two.
“Well, it looks like the police shut down the hotel today, Uncle Arjun,” Ravi says. “It might be available for rent. Or even to buy, if you can raise the money.”
“I’ll check into it.”
And Ravi knows he will. Turns out, South Asian badasses come in every shape and size.
“Last video game battle, Ravi Dada?” Anand asks.
“No,” Ravi says, making the twins’ faces fall. “LAST TICKLE CHASE!”
They run down the hall, squealing, and Ravi races after them, wiggling all ten of his fingers.
KAT
INT. ASHA HOUSE COMMON ROOM—DAY
Gracie and Kat haul their suitcases out of Miss Shireen’s cottage. She comes out, too, dressed and ready for work as usual, and locks the front door.
“Thank you for hosting us, Miss Shireen,” Gracie says.
Kat looks fondly at the small, unassuming cottage, and then turns to the small, unassuming woman—at least on the outside. On the inside, she’s a Bobcat defending Canaries with all her might. “You gave us a home away from home. Thank you for everything.”
“I’m not sad; I know you’re returning one day,” Miss Shireen says brusquely as they accompany her to the gate. She gives them each a namaste and climbs into the van that takes her to the office.
“Well, that was short and quick,” Gracie says as they watch the van pull away. “She’s probably glad to have her place to herself again.”
But Kat’s not fooled; she saw the fierce love in those feline eyes.
* * *
Kat kisses each of Baby Diana’s cheeks at least five times. She’s grown so much. Gracie’s doing the same thing with Logan. He’s grown, too, even though he’s still only two-thirds the size of Diana. Shiuli’s waiting in her mother’s arms for her turn. Kat and Gracie switch babies until all three of the little ones are kissed thoroughly.
The Asha House girls encircle them, giving them loving hugs and kisses. Amrita and Charubala promise to send photos through Arjun. So does Kavita. She and Kat hold each other for a long minute.
“Thank you for coming, Kat Didi,” she says. “Thank you for everything.”
“I’ll try and visit again, Kavita,” Kat answers. Goodbye, my Canary.
The Maruti is waiting outside the gate.
INT. KOLKATA AIRPORT—DAY
True to his word, Bontu’s at the airport to see them off.
“Your business is going to be a huge success,” Gracie tells him. “We’ll write you great reviews and follow you on social media.”
“Thanks again for doing that demo with Gracie, Bontu,” Kat adds. “You were terrific, even though nothing much came of it.”
“Want to see something curious, Kat?” Bontu asks, handing her his phone. “Firebird and I have gone viral.”
“What? How?”
“I uploaded our demo on my channel, and it began getting hits and comments almost immediately.”
Kat looks at Gracie, who shrugs and says, “I told him he could.”
Ravi, Bontu, and Gracie gather around Kat as she presses PLAY.
“You blurred out my face,” Gracie says. “Thank goodness. I was a little worried about that. And nobody can tell it’s you with your mask on.”
Kat sees that Bontu’s also cropped, edited, and added a soundtrack of Bangla gaan. He’s kept her voiceovers announcing each move: First, a Kimura. Next, a mount escape. Last, a triangle choke.
“This is incredible, Bontu,” Ravi says. “Looks like a scene in a real fillum.”
“But you can tell that it’s real BJJ, too,” Kat says. She reads the caption out loud. “‘Tiny Girl Fights off Big Bad Guy with Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.’ That’s perfect.”
“I don’t feel as small as I used to,” says Gracie. “But I guess if that wording gets us more views…”
“Look at all those comments,” says Ravi. “Some are creepy, but most are from girls saying they want to learn how to do this. And they’re not just Indian girls, people are commenting from all around the world. This is what you did
, Kat Girl. You’re Golden-Ruling like a maniac here.”
Kat’s stunned. As she scrolls through the comments, she sees BJJ instructors and academies from different countries linking to their websites. The view count has already doubled since Bontu handed her the phone.
“Amira wants to sign up for a course,” Bontu tells them. “Not to fight me off, of course; only to protect herself when she takes the last bus back from college. And when I showed my baba the video, he couldn’t believe it was me. He’s planning on seeing if they can use it for their police self-defense workshops for girls.”
PG comes up just then. “Time to check in,” he says.
RAVI
Ravi’s been dreading this so much. Leaving Kolkata with that dead-end manila envelope in his carry-on. Saying these last few goodbyes.
Kat smiles at Arjun. “Thanks for everything, Arjun Uncle. I’m sorry … that we argued this summer. And please give Mira Auntie my regards.”
Ravi can’t believe his ears. But the dimple’s there; she must be saying what he’s hearing.
“I will indeed,” Arjun replies. “In fact, you reminded me a bit of her from the start. Loving, and a fighter. I like to see that mix, especially in a young person.”
Ravi tries to make himself say something. He’s so grateful to Arjun but he can’t seem to put that into words.
Arjun seems to understand. He pulls Ravi into a brown-man hug. “You’ll always have a home in Kolkata with us,” he says. “Come back soon.”
“I will,” Ravi says, looking from Bontu to Arjun. “This is my desh, too, right?”
“Just as much as it is ours,” Bontu answers.
Ravi tries to smile, but that’s also too hard. He’d returned to his birthplace with such high hopes, and now he’s leaving empty-handed. And then, as if she can read his heart and his mind, Gracie slips her hand into his. They head for the plane.
KAT
At the gate, PG unzips his backpack and hands them their phones. “You did good, people. Nobody died of cell phone withdrawal. So here, take your tech back.”
Kat powers hers up. She’s not expecting many texts because she’s been emailing and calling Mom all summer. Sure enough, only a few come in, a couple from Mom, and one each from Amber and Brittany.
She starts with Mom’s. The first one says, I DID IT! Saved up enough to buy my ticket to Boston! Not going to tell you by email or phone so this is a SURPRISE when you get your phone back. Many dancing ladies and laughing faces follow.
Her text from yesterday tells Kat that they’re safe and sound in Grandma Vee’s apartment. They’re planning to meet Kat at the airport, followed by hearts, trumpets, and other celebratory emoji.
Kat is so excited she can hardly sit still.
“MOM’S IN BOSTON!” she shouts, and PG, Gracie, and Ravi cheer.
See you tomorrow, Mom! she texts. I’m soooooo glad you’re there.
Mom answers right away: Can’t wait, darling! It’s GREAT to hear from you by text. I’ve missed you like crazy cakes. Fifteen small cakes appear.
Kat hearts that, and then takes a deep breath before reading the texts from her classmates at Sanger. Brittany sent hers weeks ago, just before school got out for the summer holiday. Guess what, Kat? A ninth grader filed a complaint against your enemy, and her story sounded a LOT like yours. His parents yanked him out of school before the committee even began the investigation.
Kat’s heart starts beating faster.
She reads the one from Amber: People are saying they wish they’d believed you. Brittany and I did! He’s not coming back for senior year!
Bap-re-bap.
Kat was ready to face that Wolf again after her talk with Kavita, but now she doesn’t have to. She’ll be able to walk through the halls of Sanger with her head held high. Well, she’s always done that, but now she won’t be acting. First thing on her list this fall, though, is to find that brave freshman. Took two of us to take him down. I’ll love her forever.
Across from PG and Kat, Gracie and Ravi are reading texts, too.
“My parents’ texts read like diaries,” Ravi says. “They knew I wasn’t getting them, and they sent loads of email, too, but looks like they wanted to share what was happening on a daily basis anyway. And check this out: I heard from Brian. Made it down to Baylor. Be good to Gracie. She’s a keeper. How did he know about us, Gracie?”
Gracie smiles at him. “I think everyone knew. Everyone but you.”
She kisses his cheek. Kat rolls her eyes. Those two.
PG looks over at Kat and raises his eyebrows. “They finally got together?”
“Yep,” she says. “With a little help from Amit Biswas and Bonita Juarez.”
“No idea what you’re talking about,” says PG. “But let’s leave it that way.”
And now it’s time to board, to say goodbye to Kolkata.
Kat is the last passenger to enter the jetway, and Ravi and Gracie are walking ahead of her. Just before Ravi steps into the plane, he turns and blows a kiss.
Some people might look stupid doing that, but not Bird Boy.
He’s as graceful as a leading man making an exit, a star.
Kat can almost feel his kiss breezing by her.
She pictures it flying out of the airport and swooshing along Kolkata’s highways, streets, and lanes.
She hopes it gets to Ravi’s intended destination.
And that a mother feels it land on her cheek, a thank-you from a stranger who adores her.
RAVI
INT./EXT. BOSTON LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT—DAY
Ravi throws his arms around his parents. They’ve been waiting outside customs over an hour for their first sighting of him, Dad tells him.
“Your mother made me get here two hours before the plane landed.”
“I’m not the one who was so excited I woke up at four a.m.,” Mom says.
“I missed you guys, too,” Ravi says. “Let’s go home.”
They’re dear and familiar now, he realizes, even though they weren’t the last time he arrived in Logan.
As they drive home from the airport, Ravi’s parents start asking questions. “Why is everyone calling you ‘Ravi’?” Mom asks.
“It was my orphanage name. Do you remember?” And before they can answer, he asks, “Do you guys mind calling me that, too?”
“Of course we don’t mind,” Dad says. “We called you ‘Ravi’ before you started school. Still do sometimes when we pray for you.”
Ravi looks out of the window as they head home on the Mass Pike. He sees the Pru. The Citgo sign. Fenway Park. The thick, leafy trees of August block his view of the Charles, but he knows it’s there. He knows every curve of it. He rolls down his window. The Boston air is as humid as Kolkata’s. He takes a deep, long inhale of it. This is home, too.
INT. THORNTON KITCHEN—NIGHT
As they sip the cardamom-spiced chai Ravi’s brought back with him, his parents listen as Ravi talks. He tells them everything—his visit to the orphanage, what he discovered about his first mother at the Royal Diadem Society Guesthouse, and even about his botched, stupid attempt at a rescue.
When his mother hears about the four little girls who were freed at the hotel, she starts crying.
“Mom!” Ravi says. “It’s good news. No need for tears.”
“Thank God for tears,” she says. “They’re made for times like these. Painful memories. Happy endings. Lives saved.”
Or no memories at all, Ravi thinks. And sad endings.
“So what was your big takeaway from the trip, Ravi?” Dad asks.
He notices how easily his father uses his reclaimed name. “I guess it was ‘Golden-Ruling,’” he says.
They listen again as he describes what he wants to do in honor of his first mother.
“Oh, darling, that’s perfect!” Mom says.
His father, though, asks him to wait awhile before donating a chunk of his trust fund to the about-to-be-established Royal Diadem Foundation.
“It�
�s a big decision,” Dad says. “A good one, but you want to be sure you’ll have no regrets.”
Ravi won’t, he knows. He’s made other decisions, too, but he doesn’t tell his parents about those yet. Some small, some big.
Like join a gym so he can keep working out.
Find a Bangla teacher.
Visit Kolkata every year. Or more often. For longer stays.
Explore criminal justice classes at the community college. If you want to fight villains, you’d better figure out how to do it right. Teamwork, training, toughness—Shen modeled it all.
Schedule an appointment with a post-search counselor listed in that pamphlet he stuffed in a drawer before leaving for Kolkata.
Find out more about DNA testing. Maybe it’s worth a try.
And he’ll connect with other people who hear the drumbeat of grief that never leaves you if your first mother did. It’s not going to stop; Ravi knows that now. It’s still here with him in Boston, just as it was in Kolkata. The volume might turn up at times, and he might be able to lower it a bit, but it’s never going away. That early loss means he’ll have to work harder to feel his emotions, and even to act on them, but he’s willing to make the effort.
For her sake.
For his own.
KAT
INT. THORNTON HOUSE—DAY
When Kat, her mom, Saundra, and Grandma Vee arrive at the Thorntons’ for Kat’s going-away party, Ash is mixing drinks for the adults.
Kat admires the new nose ring. “Some of the Asha House girls wear those, too,” she tells Ash. “How were the last couple of college visits?”
“Awful. It’s decided—I’m taking a gap year after high school like Robin. Ravi, I mean.”
Kat introduces her to Mom—Saundra’s met most of the church folks on her previous visits—and then finds Martin, who’s handing around a plate of Grandma Vee’s fritters. He’s leaving for Brown in just a few days. With Mr. Boots, his therapy animal.
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