Indulge me, I like this plot. And I know at least one or two of you are reading it. The rest of you can just ignore it and let us be happy. Oh, and here’s part 1.

As I rewrote it, in part 1 Shahrukh was a young orphan who had been adopted by a kindly smuggler and his family. He met and became best friends with rich kid Saif who got into smuggling to restore the family fortunes. They were both in love with dancing girl Karisma, but she picked Shahrukh. Everything in his life was great when he was arrested for smuggling diamonds and Saif confronted him and revealed it was all his plan, he harbored a hatred against Shahrukh for getting all these things he didn’t “deserve” when Saif was his superior in every way. Shahrukh ended up imprisoned in the middle of nowhere with a burning desire for vengeance. His cellmate former collge professor Boman Irani befriended him and taught him English and all kinds of other things. They also worked together trying to solve a riddle left behind by a previous prisoner that revealed where he hid his treasure. Finally Boman died after begging Shahrukh to try to find happiness along with vengeance. Shahrukh escaped by hiding in Boman’s body bag and then suddenly figured out the riddle. A year later he arrived in Bombay with a trusted assistant, Nawazuddin, who he had picked up from the streets. He was playing a Maharaja returned from Europe, impressed everyone with his wealth, and made sure word reached Saif who was now over extended and struggling to find funding. His wife Karisma spent her days shopping and spending his money, his son spends his nights drinking. Shahrukh also asked Nawazuddin to track down the family of his mentor and learns that they lost everything after his arrest and all died, except for his daughter Swara Bhaskar who has now been kidnapped by a local gang trying to take over her small store. Shahrukh breaks in to rescue her, beating up everyone only to reach the room where she was kept and find she has already killed her would be rapist. She greets him by name, the first person to immediately recognize him. INTERVAL.

We come back from the interval to find Shahrukh riding in the car with Swara studying her face. She is in shock and looking out the window. He notices her dress is torn and takes off his jacket and drapes it around her shoulders. He helps her out of the car, gently ushers her in to the lobby of the Taj hotel. A bellboy rushes up, Shahrukh informs him that the young lady will be staying with him from now on, can they send someone to his room to help organize clothes and so on? The bellboy says of course, they can take care of his “sister” and Swara speaks for the first time, saying “he’s not my brother”. Shahrukh studies her face but doesn’t contradict her, instead says to the bellboy, “Yes, she is my family but not my sister”.

Back in the room, Swara asks to be alone, and we the audience see herself compose herself, shower, change into the clean clothes Shahrukh laid out for her (his Pathani suit). And she studies the luxurious workings of the hotel, figures out the taps, touches the soft sheets. She is someone who has been denied luxury for a long time. She finally leaves the room to find Shahrukh pacing outside. He greets her a little nervously, and motions her towards the sofa and a tray of food he has provided. She sits down, then looks at him and asks, “where are the diamonds?”

Shahrukh is legitimately confused, “what?”

Swara explains, “the diamonds that destroyed my family. The diamonds my father sent you to bring and you never brought. The diamonds that had us thrown out of our house, that broke my father’s heart, that made my mother work night and day to support us, that killed my brother. Where are they?”

Shahrukh finally understands. He looks at her for a moment then walks across the room and opens up the desk and pulls out a book, scribbles something, and pulls out a page then returns and hands it to her, saying “This is a blank check. You can put in any amount you like. I do not have those diamonds for you, but I will give you everything else that I own if you desire it. All I want in return is for you to stay with me, be my family. Let me take care of you.” Swara holds the check for a second, looks at it, then reaches out and touches Shahrukh’s hand which is still held out towards her and asks “how did you get these scars?” Shahrukh pulls his hand away and hides it, Swara says, “When I was young, you used to tell me stories of your adventures. You can keep your money. I will stay with you if you tell me where you have been for the past 20 years. But only the truth.” Shahrukh looks at their joined hands for a moment and then says “tika”.

Quick flashes take us through his story, the shock of the arrest, Saif’s betrayal, the years with Boman in prison, and then parts the audience hasn’t seen yet, finding the hidden stash of jewels and digging it up alone, dragging it into town, using his old contacts and knowledge from the smuggling years to sell the jewels, using his new money and his polish from Boman to go on a buying spree and set himself up as a millionaire, finding Nawazuddin running a small time tour guide business and picking him to be his assistant, and finally finding Swara again. When we come back, Swara has tears in her eyes and tells him that her sufferings were no more than his, they have all been punished. But now they have found each other again, and have this happy ending. Shahrukh shakes his head no, and says “We cannot be happy until those who hurt us are punished. Don’t you want to hurt the men who ruined your family? Killed your mother and father and brother with their heartlessness?”

And then we cut to the smuggling inspector who arrested Shahrukh all those years ago, the one who had been paid off to work with Prakash/Swara’s father but betrayed him and Shahrukh. He is now powerful and confident and overweight. We see him continuing to be corrupt, to look the other way when a rich kid pays him off to lie about a hit and run where a small child was killed. And then Swara approaches him, she pretends to be a prostitute looking for protection. She entices him to come meet her at her house, but it is all a trap. The media catches him seemingly in a house if ill repute, he is humiliated, the department has to fire him, and his wife leaves him. Which is when Shahrukh shows up at his house with Swara, both dressed in black and angry faces, and Shahrukh explains to him why this happened to him.

Back at the hotel afterwards, Shahrukh asks Swara to wait a moment before going to bed, he has something for her. And he gives her a necklace of diamonds and tells her he couldn’t get back the diamonds he owed her family, but he has purchased these for her instead. She looks stunned, he leaves before she can say thank you, and then she goes back to her room and studies the necklace and FANTASY LOVE SONG.

Meanwhile over at Saif’s house, he and Karisma are fighting again. She is claiming she will leave him, he taunts her that she will never leave and walk away from all this wealth. She agrees but threatens that she is only staying for the wealth, if he wants to keep her then he has to make sure he fixes his businesses and doesn’t lose everything the way it is headed now. And she pulls out the card from Shahrukh and declares that if he is too lazy to win out, she isn’t. She is going to call this mystery man herself.

Shahrukh is in a store enjoying buying Swara fancy clothes, insisting she spend more and more, and getting her to try on outfits he picks out, when his phone rings and it’s Karisma. As soon as she starts talking, he is thrown back to their past love, while trying to reply in a reasonable tone. The conversation cuts from the present day with Karisma being charming and a little flirty and proper and Shahrukh being abrupt and short, and a love song of their past when they were young and innocent. Shahrukh hangs up and leaves the store, behind him Swara comes out of the dressing room in the dress he picked out for her, smiling, and then her face falling when she sees he is already gone.

Shahrukh prepares himself carefully for the meeting with Karisma, dresses in his finest suit, and buys her favorite sweets from before. But then he is ushered in to her fancy house, and instinct makes him wander around the corner and look and listen through the crack in the door. He hears Karisma talking to her son, telling him that he doesn’t have to worry, she is going to find the money for him to pay off his debts to the bars. And in the meantime, have another drink with breakfast to cure the hangover. And then she leaves him behind to nurse his hangover while she takes a call from a friend and promises to give a big donation to a charity event, but laughs about how of course the dress she is buying for the event will cost twice as much. Shahrukh backs away and closes the door, and throws the sweets in the trash. He walks away from the apartment, sending Karisma a text saying that he would prefer to speak with her husband on matters of business.

Shahrukh goes back to the hotel suite and hardly looks at Swara, just smiles vaguely and says she looks lovely, then goes into his office and calls in Nawazuddin. She looks confused and unhappy. And then we see a series of meetings without really understanding what is happening. Nawazuddin goes to talk to Saif and says that he is here on behalf of his employee who prefers never to speak about money. Saif objects to talking to underlings, Nawazuddin humiliates him by pointing out he must be desperate at this point and will have to put up with talking to an underling. He says that Shahrukh is willing to give him an enormous check right now, but all he asks in return is full access to the books.

Meanwhile, Shahrukh is hitting the seedier side of town. He goes to a dance club (item song!) and gets into a fight with a heckler. Which gets him noticed by the man who owns the club and asks to see him. Shahrukh plays it that he is a big gangster from overseas. He is putting up a respectable front, but this is the “real” person and he is looking for investment opportunities and to build up support in the city. The owner says he will partner with Shahrukh, if Shahrukh can get the local gangsters off his back. Cut to a shadey looking factory and a bunch of sleezy guys counting money, when a masked figure (Shahrukh) bursts in. He uses his smarts to win the fight, setting traps and things, but still gets beaten up pretty badly. He comes back to the hotel late that night, Swara is sleeping in the living room waiting up for him. He hides the bruises on his face from her and pretends to be drunk and waves her off, Nawazuddin rushes out to help him into the office.

The next day, Swara goes to Nawazuddin and begs him to tell her what is happening, Shahrukh is drifting away from her, she can feel it. Nawazuddin tells her nothing, but goes to talk to Shahrukh himself and begs him, for his own good, to talk to Swara. His killing himself for revenge and there is this lovely young woman in the other room who could give him every happiness. Shahrukh, tormented, bursts out “don’t I know that? But I don’t deserve her, not yet. I could give up my vengeance for myself but not for her. Saif has ruined too many lives with his actions, he must pay. And if this tired old worthless man lets himself be hurt to make it happen, what does it matter? No matter what happens, Swara will be taken care of. I gave you the papers, the deposit in her name in the London bank, the deed to the house, the British passports for both of you.” Nawazuddin, crying, says “Sir, why is there no passport in your name? Why aren’t you planning to come with us.” Shahrukh’s face hardens, he says “I don’t want you to be tempted to wait for me. If I don’t come home one night, leave immediately. And in the meantime, tell her I come home stinking of wine and woman. It will make it easier if you have to go.” Nawazuddin sadly nods.

Sad song montage! Swara watches Shahrukh, Nawazuddin watches her watching, Shahrukh pretends not to see her watching and pretends to be loud and drunk and obnoxious. Meanwhile at Saif’s house, he gives Karisma a big gift of money and everything is happy, she is loving, he is happy, their son is spoiled. And finally, the denouement. Nawazuddin is waiting in Saif’s office for him to arrive. Saif is cocky and casual, now that he feels rich again. Nawazuddin just smiles and puts up with it and tells Saif that his mysterious investor is finally ready to meet him. Saif tries to say that he is very busy and now isn’t a good time, but Nawazuddin hardens his voice and reminds him that he can’t afford to be difficult. He will meet the investor at the time and place of the investor’s choosing, or the money will stop. Saif petulently agrees.

Saif shows up at an old rundown house, frowns and double checks the address, and walks in. It’s deserted and echoing. And then a voice from the shadows asks “do you recognize this place?” Saif says “no” and tries to find the voice. The voice keeps talking, explaining that this is the place where Saif’s fortunes were founded, where he met his best friend and first boss, Shahrukh and Prakash. This was Prakash’s house, where Saif was adopted as one of the family, fed from the hands of Prakash’s wife, played with his children. And this was the house where they were driven in shame after Saif’s betrayal of them. Saif is now very angry and has recognized Shahrukh’s voice. He tries to threaten and bluster, say that no one will believe Shahrukh, then switch to say it was all a mistake and he regrets it every day, then blames Karisma and says that she was desperate for money, and he loved her, he had no other choice, but Shahrukh keeps talking over it all. Finally Saif pulls out a gun and shoots into the shadows, but it has no effect, the voice keeps going.

Shahrukh explains that he was looking for revenge for himself, but then he started thinking that if Saif had betrayed him, and had been free for 20 years, then there must have been other people who deserved revenge too. He looked through the books and he talked to the people and he found evidence that to expand his empire Saif took some shortcuts, hired killers to pave his way. Shahrukh found the gangster he used to find the killers, he was betrayed himself by Saif and happy to hand over the killers to testify. Saif will face justice for the murder of the old woman whose house was in the way of the land where he wanted his first factory, the inventor who held the patent to the miracle fabric that founded his fortune, the young reporter who threatened to release a story about Saif’s bribes of government officials. Shahrukh was thrown in jail on a fake charge with no hope of trial, he is going to be kinder to Saif, he will face a real trial for his real crimes. As Saif cries out “no, no” and shoots, the voice finally stops. He rushes to the shadows and finds a tape recorder.

Outside, Shahrukh is watching from the rooftops as the police arrive. Nawazuddin steps up behind him and says “are you sorry you weren’t there to see his face?” Shahrukh says “yes,” and for a moment his face reveals his deep lust to have been there, and then controls it and smiles slightly and says “and no. Better to be safe and live to see other faces.”

Which brings us to Karisma. She is in her bedroom preparing for bed when she hears a sound and turns and it is Shahrukh sitting on her bed. The same way they met all those years ago, when he snuck into her bedroom to plead Saif’s case and she ended up falling in love with him. Karisma gasps and almost faints in shock. Shahrukh reaches for her and helps her to the bed, gets her water. And then soothingly talks to her, “yes, it’s me. It doesn’t matter how I am hear, just accept that I am. If I had any doubt that you were involved in what happened to me, your reaction now was the final proof. You are innocent of betraying me. You do not deserve my vengeance.” Karisma starts to reach for him and murmurs his name and he gently puts aside her hands, saying “but you also do not deserve my love. Not any more. You are a different person than you were back then, and I am different as well. Forget me, and start fresh. Things are going to go bad for you here soon. I can give you money, for you and the boy, help you. It won’t be much, but it will help you survive.” Karisma’s face hardens and she processes the reality of what he is saying and she asks “Where’s Saif?” Shahrukh backs away from her and hardens too as he says “On the way to jail by now. Where he will stay since there is no money left for bail. Take my offer, it’s the best one you will get.” Karisma studies his face, and finally just says, “Thank you.” Shahrukh gives her a sharp nod, and walks out. Back on the streets, he walks to the Taj and looks up at the lighted room where Swara is, hesitates, then turns away.

Back at the hotel, Nawazuddin is pacing and watching the clock. It finally strikes midnight and he knocks on Swara’s door and tells her “it’s time.” She frowns, and says “no, Shahrukh isn’t back.” Nawazuddin shrugs, “I have my orders. If he isn’t back by midnight, we are to go to the airport. He will meet us in London.” Swara demands, “will he really meet us in London?” Nawazuddin says yes, but can’t meet her eyes. Swara slams the door in his face. Nawazuddin pounds on it, begging her to let him in, reminding her that the luggage is already gone, they have to go, she has to trust him. Swara stares around the room desperately and finally grabs a lamp, opens the door, and hits Nawazuddin on the head. While he is still recovering, she runs out the door and for the exit stairs. Nawazuddin chases after her and runs to the elevator, missing her. Swara, dressed in her traveling clothes and wearing her diamond necklace, starts walking the streets. Meanwhile, Shahrukh is also walking the streets, stripping off his fancy clothes and giving them to beggars as he passes them. Swara chases through the streets, and finally flashes to a childhood memory of Shahrukh taking her to the beach and telling her this was his favorite spot in the city. She rushes there, and finds him, looking out at the ocean. She calls out his name, and he turns. She asks him, “did you see Karisma?” Shahrukh nods, and says, “To say good-bye. To a woman I didn’t even know any more, maybe never knew.” Swara starts to cry and tries to hide it, “Why didn’t you come back to the hotel?” Shahrukh doesn’t really answer, instead saying “You are so young, and beautiful. Your life has been so hard. You deserve everything good in the world. A fresh start. A clean start, without any baggage.” Swara takes a step forward and asks, “Do you remember what I used to say when I was a little girl?” Shahrukh purses his lips and holds back tears and shakes his head. Swara takes another step closer and says, “Yes you do. I used to say that someday I would marry you. I’ve been waiting over 20 years for you, don’t make me wait any longer.” Shahrukh finally breaks with a little sob and reaches out and embraces her.

HAPPY ENDING SONG. Swara and Shahrukh get married in a big fun wedding, Nawazuddin is there, and so is the gangster from the dance hall and all the dancers, and after the ceremony, Swara and Shahrukh go to take blessings from the photos of their family, Boman and Prakash and Prakash’s wife and son.