( theme music playing )
( music playing )
( line ringing )
- ( beeps ) - Woman: Hi, this is Divya.
Please leave a message. Thank you.
- ( beeps ) - Mom!
You gotta pick up.
Okay? I've got some crazy news.
I got a callback from an agency.
Like a real novelist agency, okay?
I have a meeting in New York on Friday.
I mean, this is so insane!
It's crazy! I mean...
( sighs ) Okay, I just wanted to let you know
I made it all the way through. I'm here now.
I got myself a little motel
and I'm just gonna hole myself in here
and try and finish the book.
You know, that way, in case I'm pitching the book
on Friday to the agent and he seems to like it,
I can just kind of slide it across the table
and be like, "Boom, there's my book, bitch."
You know? I mean, of course, minus the bitch part.
I mean, this is just so crazy, right?
I love you and I will talk to you soon.
Bye.
( chuckles )
Man on stereo: For a writer does not sit around
and think about writing.
A writer does not talk to his friends
about when he plans to start writing.
A writer simply writes.
Know that you are a creative spirit
and your voice will flow through you
if you allow the river to flow freely.
Now, turn off this silly old man's voice
and go write.
( music playing )
( car door closes )
( button clicks )
( touch tones beeping )
Hey, Mom, it's me again.
I can't find my laptop.
I was wondering if...
Oh, God, I hope not.
I was wondering if maybe I forgot it at your apartment.
Yeah, which is not good
because I'm really far.
Could you just please call me back
when you get this?
It's important.
Okay? Love you. Bye.
Come on, where are you?
Reporter on TV: Lesbian and gay groups hope that having
a lesbian lead character on a TV series
will make Americans more sympathetic
to their challenges.
- But Alison Stewart... - Come on, Mom.
...visited the campus in Roanoke, Virginia,
and found out that just because
Ellen DeGeneres has come out...
( sighs )
( birds chirping )
( sighs )
( chiming )
- Hello? - Divya: Anish?
Mom! Where have you been?
Hi, baby. I was at work.
And then I went to the store, then I was sleeping,
and then I was watching a very funny program on TV
- about these-- - No, Mom, I called you a million times.
- Why didn't you pick up? - Oh, it was you?
I thought it was the telemarketers calling me.
( static hisses ) --ish, I have such a hard time saying no,
so I simply-- I just don't even pick up the phone anymore.
Did you not hear me yelling into your answering machine?
I have an answering machine?
Yes, Mom. I got it for you for your birthday, remember?
- It's set up in the kitchen. - Oh, no, I don't know how to use it, so I just--
Okay, okay, fine. I'm sorry. Just never mind, okay?
Listen, I have a really, really important
work meeting on Friday with a publisher
and I need you to do me a favor.
Okay? I think I left my computer at your apartment.
- Your computer? - Yeah.
The whole thing?
- Yes, Mom, the whole thing. - No, I don't think so.
I think I would have noticed.
Why would you have brought your whole computer
- into the house? - 'Cause I was writing on it.
- Remember? - Wait, you mean that little black folding machine?
- Yeah! - That's your computer?
- Yeah. Have you seen it? - ( laughs ) Oh! It's so tiny.
- I was thinking it was a kind of a typewriter or little-- - No.
Yeah, no, no, no, that's my computer, Mom.
Yeah, that's-- anyways, getting back to the point,
- I really need-- - You know, this is a very-- this is a little computer.
- How do they make it so little like that? - I...
- So-- - I don't know, Mom!
I don't know who makes it so little.
I don't know. But the thing is, have you seen it?
No, I have not.
Well, can you go look for it, then, please?
Okay, but right now, I'm watching TV.
Mom, it's important, okay? It's very important.
( Divya crunching )
- Okay. - Okay.
- Okay, baby. - Okay.
Come on.
- ( loud crashing ) - Jesus.
- Divya: Hi, baby. - Yeah?
No, I didn't find it, baby.
- What? - No. I found it!
- You-- Mom! - ( laughs )
Oh, I almost had a heart attack!
- No, it was right in front of me. - Oh, my gosh.
- I just missed it. - It was right in front of you?
I am going to put this in the mail on Friday.
- So, I'm gonna put some books in there... - No.
- ...and get the book rate... - No, Mom.
- Mom, shh. Mom, please, please. - ...it's like a suitcase.
Please. Mom? Mom?
Now I'm speaking. Thank you.
You can't send it that way, okay?
Media mail, that takes six weeks, okay?
Look, I'm gonna figure out some way to get it to me,
but right now, I have a super, super important deadline,
and I need a copy of my book.
You understand?
What...
- Your what? - The book, Mom.
The one that I was writing on my computer?
Divya: Baby, how am I supposed to get it off your computer
and get it to you? ( laughs )
You want me to zip it through some time and some space
like David Copperfield?
- Ha ha. Jokes on jokes. - ( laughing )
Okay, Mom, please stop laughing.
It's not that funny. Mom, it's not that funny.
- Please, okay? Listen. - Okay, okay, what do you want me to do, baby?
So, what we're gonna do is, you're gonna send me an e-mail
from my mail account, okay, with a copy of my book,
which is in a Word document,
which is in a folder on my desktop.
Easy, right?
Divya: Anish, I'm not understanding what you are saying.
What-- what are you asking me to do?
Okay, Mom, all I'm asking you to do is open up the computer.
Can you do that for me, please?
Can you please open up the computer?
- Okay, okay, okay. - Thank you.
- ( rustling ) - ( Divya sighs )
- Okay, got it. - Okay, great job.
Okay, now, the next thing is the power button, okay?
It has a circle on it
with a line that's halfway through.
I want you to press this and then hold it
for a few seconds until you hear a chime sound, okay?
That means the computer is starting up.
- Neat. - It worked?
- Mm-hmm. - Yeah. Okay, great job!
- Okay, um... - Thanks, baby. This is easy.
Yeah, no, you're doing great, Mom.
Now, I want you to tell me what windows are open.
All the windows are closed.
- It's very cold outside. - ( whispers ) Oh, my God.
Uh, Mom, I mean the windows on the computer,
not the windows in your apartment.
Oh, I'm sorry, baby, I'm just--
that was dumb of me, sorry.
- No, Mom, you're not dumb. - No, I am.
Stop it. No, you're doing great.
Okay, just tell me
what you see on the screen.
Okay, baby, it is blue.
And a group of little blue--
the squares with tiny little words underneath them.
Yeah, so those blue squares
are actually called folders, okay?
So now, I want you to go and find the folder
that says "Gently Through the Current."
- "Gently Through the... Current." - Current.
- What is that? - What is what?
What is "Gently Through the Current"?
Oh, that is actually, um...
It's the title for my book.
Yeah.
- You like it? - ( Divya laughs )
It's not supposed to be funny, Mom.
It's a little airy-fairy.
- But what does it mean? - "Airy"...
It's a metaphor, Mom, okay?
First of all, it's a working title, so it can change,
but-- but it's a metaphor-- it's a metaphor, okay,
for when you're going where things take you
and whether that's a good thing or not.
Maybe a little more forceful, like tides.
"Tides"? That-- Mom, no. It's-- that--
- Tides. - Look, Mom, it's about societal misconceptions.
That you just have to surrender to what your experience is.
You know, so it-- ( stutters )
You know what, just forget it, Mom. You're not a critic.
- Okay, you don't read a lot of books. - Okay.
So, you-- it's not-- you wouldn't understand, okay?
Just tell me what's on the screen.
- What's on the screen? - See, I can't read these words.
They're like little ants.
But Janet next door has a telescope.
What? No.
You can increase the screen size in preferences.
Never mind. Never mind.
- Uh... - Ah, I'm just making a joke.
- I'm not this dumb. - You're right.
Sorry. I'm just... stressed.
- Uh... - Just tell me what to do.
Okay, so I'm 99% sure
that the folder is the fourth one down
in the top right-hand column,
so double-click that folder.
Three, one...
That's number one, two...
- Four-- the fourth one. - Three, four.
- Uh-huh. Yes. - And double-click.
And what double-click-- what is this?
Oh, sorry, that's when you take the mouse
over the folder and then you want to click it twice.
Really fast, okay?
So, like, click-click, click-click, click-click.
Yeah...
- Did you click-click? - I am just looking out the window,
and this Mr. Jenson just has got a new car.
Okay, Mom, Mom, I need you to focus.
- Okay? Please. - I'm getting a little tired,
so why don't we just do this tomorrow?
No! Tomorrow-- Mom, you're not understanding
how important this is for me, okay?
I need my book right now so I can write.
- I've wasted hours. I haven't written all night! - Okay, calm down.
- My meeting is on Friday! - I don't see why you can't just write
the rest of the book on some hotel paper
- and then you could type it up in New York City. - Mom. Mom.
What? No, I can't-- Mom, it doesn't work that way!
- Why doesn't it work like that? - Because I--
the book is 90% complete, okay?
And I need to look at the whole thing
so that I can... contextualize the--
forget it, you're never gonna understand.
Listen, I may not know about this computer,
but the situation doesn't seem very complicated to me.
People have been writing on notebook for thousands of years.
And you used to write on a notebook,
the ones I bought you from the store.
You wrote such good stories on just plain notebooks.
Mom, those were stupid stories.
The one about the dinosaur from the future?
I love that story.
That was one of your best stories.
Oh, my goodness, I-- honestly, I don't know why
you don't try to sell this dinosaur story
in your big meeting.
Because I wrote that story when I was 13.
I thought it was wonderful, baby.
What a nice title, too.
Nice ti-- Mom, it was called "Future Dinosaur."
- Yes, exactly. - ( sighs )
This way, you know what the story is about right away.
Crack.
- Mom? - Yes?
I'm gonna ask you this once.
I want you to answer honestly.
Are you trying to say something
about the title of my book?
No.
- I don't understand it, that's all I'm saying. - See, there--
so, that's-- so, you are trying to say something.
Why don't you just answer me when I ask you a question straightforward--
Mom, you know what, just forget it.
I don't expect you to understand.
Baby, I wish you would stop
talking to me like I'm a dummy, Anish.
Mom, I just need you to double-click
- on the document, please. - Okay, fine, fine.
- Thank you. - Okay, okay, okay, fine.
- ( whispers ) Oh, my God. - ( clicking )
Nothing's happening.
Mom, you need to click it really fast,
like twice in a row.
Like super fast, like click-click.
( clicking continues )
No, Mom-- ( scoffs ) oh, fuck.
I don't think this is working.
Mom, because you're not doing it fast enough.
- I can hear the-- - Oh!
What was that "Oh"?
Wait, there's some-- it came.
It ca-- so many words.
- Okay, yeah. - Oh, there's so many pa--
did you write all these words?
Yeah, Mom, that's my book, okay?
Now, this is great. Okay, this is great.
We're almost done, okay? We're almost done.
So, now all we're gonna do is,
we're gonna copy that whole thing, okay,
and then we're gonna paste it into an e-mail,
then you're gonna fire up my modem,
and then you're gonna send me the e-mail, and that's it.
- We're done. After that, we're done. - ( groaning ) No, no, no.
- We're done. - Okay, that sounds like too much to do.
No, no, Mom, Mom, Mom, I'm gonna guide you through the whole thing, okay?
It's gonna be really easy.
Okay, so now, what I want you to do
is I want you to look at the keyboard,
right, and find the "A" button
and the "Command" button.
"Command." Yeah, I see this.
Good! Good, okay, so now, I just want you to press
both these buttons at the same time.
- Okay, can you do that for me? - Okay.
At the same time.
Yeah.
- Uh-oh. - Wait, what do you mean "Uh-oh"?
No, I don't know. It says, um...
there's some cloud that's come over these words,
- like... - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
like a highlighter, everything--
Uh-huh, I get-- I know what you're saying, Mom.
That-- actually, that's a really good thing.
That's... exactly what we want to happen, okay?
- Because that means you've selected all, okay? - I did it.
Okay, so now I just want you to look at the keyboard again,
find the "C" button
and press that with the "Command" button,
and then that's going to copy all of it, okay?
It's gonna copy the whole book.
Mom, talk to me. What's going on?
Sooo, yeah, I don't think anything happened.
- Um... - What do you mean? What does that mean?
- What do you mean-- - Well, I don't know. ( stammering )
Everything just sort of-- it just went away.
- ( breathing heavily ) - You see, there were all these words,
you know, before, and now it's empty.
( stammering ) What do you mean, "empty"?
Uh, the words are gone.
Okay, okay.
Now, Mom, I need you to be very careful
from this moment onwards
and listen to me very carefully, okay?
What buttons did you press?
I-- I pressed what you told me to press.
- Which is what? - "Command" and "V" together.
No, not "Command V," Mom.
- I said, "Command C"! - Hey, this is not what you said.
Okay, Mom. Mom, okay, listen.
You've gotta listen to me very carefully, okay?
So, you just pasted over my whole book,
which means you basically deleted the whole thing.
So, so, right now, we need to be
extremely careful and don't touch anything
until I tell you exactly what to do, okay?
( chopping sounds )
- Mom! - No, I don't like this tone.
- Mom, just listen to me for one second. - Tone.
Mom, enough with this tone bullshit, okay?
Okay? You just pasted over my whole book,
and I need to do something to recover it before it's permanently deleted.
I'm sorry, young man,
if you use this tone with me one more time,
I'm going to hang up with you straightaway.
No. No, no, no. Okay, don't hang up.
Don't hang up, don't hang up.
Okay, just--
Mom, just press "Command Z."
- That's the undo function. - ( chopping continues )
- ( Divya mutters ) - Mom, if you chop one more fucking vegetable,
I swear to God.
Please press "Command Z."
Do not use that language with me,
and please apologize if you want me
- to press anything. - ( whispers ) Fuck!
I'm sorry. I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry.
Not "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
- Not like that. Really. - ( breathing heavily )
- Mom-- - No! Really.
I am so sorry.
Please, can you press "Command Z"?
Okay, fine.
Wait.
Okay, did the words come back?
Wait.
No, it didn't do anything.
- What do you mean it didn't do any-- - Oh, wait, wait, wait.
There's a little bubble here that says save--
- No, so don't press that button, because-- - Well, let me just...
No, no, no, Mom, you can't save the wrong document.
- It's a deleted document. - Baby, I'm just saving it for you.
No, Mom, don't save it. That's what I'm saying.
- Don't save it! - Okay, baby, it's saved.
The words are still gone, though.
Huh.
Huh... huh.
Mom, I want you to close my computer right now.
Uh, you don't want me to e-mail this to you?
Just shut up.
Just shut up for one second, and listen to me.
I want you to close my computer,
I want you to get on the fucking bus,
and I want you to go to the Mac World on 17th Street,
hand my computer to the guy who's in the store,
give him my number and have him call me immediately.
And I need you to do this right fucking now!
Divya: No.
- "No"? - You heard me.
You think I'm gonna sit here and do anything
for anyone who speaks to me like this?
Mom, you just deleted my fucking book.
( Divya speaking foreign language )
Where is your language? What is this tone?
I don't give a fuck about my fucking tone
and my fucking language, okay?
Can you just-- you deleted my life's work!
- Don't you understand that? - What life's work?
That's everything I've been working on, Mom!
You're being so dramatic. Life work, life work-- what is life work?
I just accidentally deleted some... stuff-- dumb words.
Don't call my words dumb
just 'cause you don't understand them, okay?
They're meant for people that can actually understand English.
( stammering ) You think that I'm dumb, an uneducated mommy?
- Mom. - That I can't possibly understand?
You know what? I understand what it takes
to raise a child with absolutely nothing.
Working two jobs to support you,
get you this college education so you can make something of yourself.
And then your son comes home and treats you like you're the enemy.
And why?
Because he spends four years and $50,000
at some university not becoming a doctor,
not becoming a lawyer, but just reading and talking about books
that he could've just done for free in the library instead.
You don't think I understand?
Okay, you don't try to guilt-trip me right now, okay?
'Cause you're always trying to make me somebody
that I'm not, okay, Mom?
I'm not gonna be a lawyer, I'm not gonna be a doctor, okay?
I have my own dreams.
I'm sorry if that's too hard for you to deal with, okay?
I'm sorry that I wasn't some perfect son
who could climb some social ladder
and save you from your sad, unhappy life.
Okay? You've never seen me.
- No, baby, I see exactly who you are. - You never see who I am.
No, you don't, Mom. You just see what you want me to be.
- But I just want you to be somebody! - ( scoffs )
What do you think I'm trying to do, Mom? I'm trying to be somebody.
- I'm writing a book. - You do not!
- I'm moving to New York. - You do not!
You do not listen. You are stubborn.
- You're just like her. - Like who?
- Huh? - You sai-- "Just like her"?
- Like who? What are you-- - No, nothing, nothing.
Nothing. You forget-- forget about all this.
( Divya crying )
I'm sorry about your book, okay?
I'm gonna take your computer to the bus,
I'm gonna give it-- I'm gonna give that book to your bus man
and I'm gonna tell him... to-- I'm gonna tell him...
Mom? Mom?
I'm gonna tell him to call you...
- Mom? Mom? - ...and I'm sorry-- I'm sorry about the book.
Mom, what's-- what's going on right now?
Are-- Mom, Mom, listen, listen, listen.
I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry I yelled at you.
Okay?
Don't cry, okay? I'm sorry.
( crying continues ) Baby, her name was Vetha.
And she was...
( sniffles ) and she was 19.
- Who? - ( sobbing )
She was raised by-- by very nice parents,
but they were poor.
And the girl, she just went through so much trouble
with school and then the drinking
and then the drugs and then the boys.
She was so smart, and I tried to help her out
and I tried to cook for her
and I tried to care for her when I could.
And then when this baby comes,
her parents just-- they cut her off
and they move away quickly from the shame.
So, she stayed with me
and I helped take care of this little, fat baby boy.
And we were-- you know, we were some-- family somehow
until one day, I woke up and she was gone,
and I never saw her again.
And I have this baby boy who's not even one year old.
Then I knew-- I knew that this boy would be mine.
( sobbing )
( exhaling )
Mom, um...
I'm trying to understand what you're saying.
( sniffles )
Are you saying that I'm adopted?
( Divya sighs )
Yes.
Okay.
And you decided to tell me this
right after you deleted my life's work on my computer?
( Divya laughs ) I'm sorry, baby.
I'm just-- oh, it just slipped out.
Also, you're technically Pakistani,
- but it's not a big deal, I think. - ( sighs )
No, it's not.
My baby, I'm sorry
this is happening like this, but I want to say that...
I know that you're not actually from me
and that you are actually not like me,
and that you're right, that I don't understand
what you think and what you do...
but you are my son.
- And I love you very much. - ( crying )
( both crying )
Mom?
- Mama? Mom? Mama? - I'll go, I'll get this computer...
- Mom, Mama. - ...to the Mac World,
and now we can see if we can just fix it for you, okay?
Mom, I'm scared that my book is not good.
Oh, oh, no, that's okay, baby.
You can write a new one.
And I'm gonna get this one back to you, okay?
Just in case. Okay, my baby?
I'm gonna make sure that they get
this one back to you, okay?
- Okay. - Oh, sorry, baby.
- Oh. - Will you call me afterwards?
I'll call you, my baby.
Of course I'll call you, baby.
- Thank you. - Aw...
I love you, Mom.
I love you, too, my baby boy.
( crying )
Love-- okay, I'm going now, okay?
- Bye. - Okay, raja, you eat, okay?
You eat something, okay?
- Bye. - ( sighs ) Okay.
( phone beeps )
( popping )
( switch clicking )
( keyboard clicking )
( exhales )
( pen scratching )
( scratching continues )
( sighs )
( music playing )
♪ (RHYTHMIC BEAT POUNDING) ♪
♪ (BASS GUITAR PLAYING) ♪
-(PUNCH) -(GRUNTING)
-(WALKMAN CLICKS) -(FINGERS SNAPPING)
♪ (ELECTRIC GUITAR STRUMMING) ♪
♪ (TAMBORINE SHAKING) ♪
♪ (ELECTRIC GUITAR SPEEDING UP) ♪
♪ (TAMBORINE SHAKING INTENSIFYING) ♪
♪ (ELECTRIC GUITAR RAPIDLY STRUMMING) ♪
♪ (TAMBORINE RAPIDLY BEATING) ♪
♪ (MUSIC REVERBERATING) ♪
(FINGERS SNAPPING)