Читать книгу Midnight of the Shah - Ilham Rahimov - Страница 1

1.INT. DARK ROOM SOMEWHERE IN TEHRAN, IRAN. FEBRUARY, 4 1949

Young man Nasser Fakhraray is getting ready to attempt the assassination of the Shah of Iran. The leader of the terrorist group Navab Safavi who is also in the room gives him final instructions.

Safavi

Be careful, Nasser. Approach the target as close as you can. You must not miss him!

Fakhraray

Don’t worry, brother. I will do everything as you told me.

Safavi

There will be a lot of bodyguards. You must not let them capture you! Do you hear me?

Fakhraray

I will not fail you, brother.

Safavi

May Allah be with you my brother! People of Iran will always remember and respect you as a hero. All martyrs will go to Jannet (Paradise) In sh Allah!

Safavi hugs Fakhraray and places a gun inside of a camera, then wraps the camera in black silk scarf. Fakhraray leaves the room.

2.INT. The Shah’s palace in Tehran.

The Shah of the Iran Mohammed Reza Pahlavi stands in front of a mirror. Palace hairdresser styles his hair. The Shah enjoys his new uniform. The Chief of his personal security service colonel Muhtadir Ikrami enters the room.

Ikrami

We are ready, Your Majesty!

3.EXT. Surroundings of the University of Tehran.

Big crowd of people awaits for the Shah.

Voice from the crowd

Shah is here!

Escort of vehicles approaches. The Shah’s limousine stops. Colonel Ikrami opens the door to let the Shah out of the vehicle. People cheer.

Voice from the crowd

May Allah bless our Shah!

Nasser Fakhraray watches Pahlavi through his camera where the gun is concealed. He slowly moves toward the Shah. He takes the gun out and shoots. People start to scream, causing chaos and commotion. Bodyguards shoot Fakhraray dead. Colonel Ikrami gets the Shah into the limousine and drives him away. The spectators flee from the scene. Bleeding body of Fakhraray lies still on the empty street. One of the officers comes up to the dead body, pulls Nasser’s head up by his hear and looks in his lifeless eyes.

Officer

Scum.

4. INT.  Hospital in Tehran.

The Shah lies on the hospital bed. His cheek is wounded, his blood scattered military coat hangs on a chair. Scared and panicky, he looks at colonel Ikrami sternly.

Shah

I am waiting for your explanation, Muhdadir.

Ikrami

He is dead, Your Majesty.

Shah

You have killed him, huh? I saw the face of that bastard. He was just a few steps away from me. If he had been a little more proficient or a better aim I would be dead too! This happened because of negligence and stupidity of my security service. Maybe one of my bodyguards is an accomplice? Maybe you too have a desire of my death, Muhtadir?

Ikrami

He was shooting chaotically in every direction and could have easily killed me as well. How would I dare to desire your death, Your Majesty? I was loyal servant of your late father and now I honestly serve you.

Shah

I don’t have a heir. Everything could have been ruined this damn morning. I know people don’t like weak monarchs. What they need is a powerful, ruthless ruler who can protect himself and his country. Allah miraculously saved me today. It is the sign from above. This means I have to carry out some epic, holy mission and I will do just that. I will smash all my enemies and sweep out red evil spirit from the streets of Iran. I will do that Muhtadir. I will build gallows in every corner of Tehran to hang communists. Do you hear me?

Ikrami

As you say, Your Majesty!

Shah

Get out!

Colonel bows and leaves the room.

5.EXT. Outskirts of Tehran.Evening.

Rustam Kerimi is a former teacher of ancient history now spy and consul in USSR Embassy in Iran. He leans on his car and looks at a lonely cypress tree in the wastelands in front of him. This tree gets his thoughts back to the past life in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Flashback .EXT. Azerbaijan. Baku. Spring 1935.  Ateshgah  –  Zoroastrian temple in Surakhani (suburb of Baku)  with 4 burning flames in every corner of the rooftop.

Kerimi tells to the group of students about history of that shrine of fire worshipers and other historical facts about Zoroastrianism.

Kerimi

The idea of Zarathustra (Zoroastr) reflected in the Gats – ancient parts of the Avesta. Avesta is a holy book of Zoroastrianism. According to Zarathustra Ahouramasda is God of life, light and truth. Ahouramasda has an opponent – Ahriman. Ahriman symbolizes evil, darkness and the death. It is clear to us that there will be everlasting struggle between the power of light and the dark army of evil.

Student

Who has created human being?

Kerimi

Good question! According to Zarathustra human beings were created by Ahouramasda, and he gave humans a right to choose between evil and good, light and darkness, and even life and death. Look over there at those cypress trees, please. Over there (pointing). In Zoroastrianism cypress tree is a symbol of life…

Flashback is over. EXT. Back in Tehran wasteland.

A light of an approaching car reflects on the cypress tree and distracts Kerimi from his memories. He instinctively checks his gun under his coat. That other car stops and colonel Ikrami still sitting starts talking to Kerimi from the open window.

Ikrami

Too cold to talk in the open air this evening.

Kerimi

Salam Alleykum, colonel.

Ikrami

Alleykuma Salam. Don’t touch your gun, Rustam. Weapon doesn’t suit you. You are too intelligent to be violent. Follow me.

Kerimi gets into his car and follows the colonel.

6.INT. Zorhana building. Zorhana is a national wrestling tradition of Iran and Azerbaijan.

Kerimi and the colonel enter into Zorhana where the athletes are training. Dozens of wrestlers in black pants and with naked torsos warm up to the sound of tonback(small oriental drum) and verses of murshid (declaimer). Chubby man meets colonel Ikrami and Rustam Kerimi. His name is Jannetali.

Ikrami

My dear uncle, Jannetali! Long time no see.

Jannetali

If I had been 30 years younger I would have kicked your ass.

Ikrami (laugh)

I remember your punishment, it was very painful.

Jannetali

You are a busy man now so I forgive your long absence.

Ikrami (points to Kerimi)

My friend, Rustam Kerimi

Kerimi

Glad to meet you, agayi (sir)

Jannetali

Call me Jannetali or uncle Jannetali. A friend of Muhdadir is my friend. Welcome to the den of an old wrestler. Would you like tea with cinnamon? It is very good for your young body.

Kerimi

Thank you, I would love to have a cup.

Jannetali leaves. Kerimi and colonel sit on a bench and watch how athletes waving big 20-25 kg “mils” that look like bludgeons.

Ikrami

Once I was young like them. Jannetali had his own Zorhana in Kazvin.

Murshid shouts some verses and wrestlers repeats the words.

Ikrami

He was finding boys from the streets making strong and fearless wrestlers out of them. I owe all my power and skills to Jannetali. He taught me everything he knew, and I became one of his best athletes. I won in many local competitions and overcame dozens of really huge, strong wrestlers. I thought I could turn mountains upside down in those days. I was naive and didn’t understand how to survive in this merciless life. Jannetali’s lesson – big muscles alone will not help you, one must have something over here

(pointing at his head).

Kerimi

I often visited Zorhana with my father when I was a kid. Colonel, can you tell me about your first meeting with Reza-shah.

Ikrami

I remember the day when two big men in Russian Cossack uniform came into our Zorhana. They had guns and shining daggers hanging from their waist. One of them was sartib (commander) Reza-khan – future shah of Iran, founder of Pahlavi dynasty.

Kerimi

It is a funny twist of fate that a son of a guard Cossack, trained by Russian officers, becomes the ruler of Iran.

Ikrami

He came up closer, and looking straight into my eyes he said to me – “Good wrestler”.

Then he puts his whip to my chest and askes – “I need strong guys who I can trust. Would you like to join me?”

Wrestlers take a break and drink water.

Ikrami

Jannetali was a smart man and he didn’t let me even think this over.

 “Yes agayi”, he’s answered for me, “Muhdadir will be your loyal servant.”

Jannetali made this crucial decision that has changed all my life. I actually did become a loyal officer of Reza-shah. Orphan Muhtadir gets accepted into inner circle of the Great ruler of Persia. Everything about that gorgeous coronation ceremony and birth of the new dynasty of Persian shahs will always be in my mind. I couldn’t keep my tears back when British and Russians humiliated my master, depriving him of his throne, palace, dignity, motherland. He couldn’t live without Iran and died far away from his home and family. Man without his homeland is orphan too, and a country without powerful leader, who is able to protect his people, is like a kid without parents. Iran was that kid, and anyone could hurt him. I swore to serve Pahlavi till my last breath, and I was ready to execute anyone who had ill intentions towards him. Now the Shah is Mohamed Reza. He is not as strong as his father, but he is Pahlavi too. I am going to serve him as wholeheartedly as I served his late father. God bless his soul!

Kerimi

Why are you saying this to me, colonel?

Ikrami

Please pass my words to your Ambassador and leaders of your country.

Kerimi

Why?

Ikrami

There was communist party membership card in the pocket of that bastard Nasser Fakhraray.

Kerimi

Only a brainless idiot will bring his documents along when he was going to kill the Shah. Trust me, communists are not so stupid.

Ikrami grimaces

Kerimi

Anyways, let me tell you my story, colonel. My father was well known rich Tabriz manufacturer. He had carpet factory, jewelry stores, lands and many houses. He was close to Kajar shah dynasty. When Reza-khan with his Cossack brigade dethroned Ahmed Shah Kajar, the hard times for Kerimi family have begun. Some friends of Reza-shah threatened my father that they will wipe out all males of Kerimi clan. My mother died then from cardiac arrest. Later my father was forced to flee his country. He took his 10 year old son and crossed Iran-USSR border. He had to leave everything else behind. Baku became our new home. We thought that all our misfortunes are over, but that was just a beginning. Years passed by, I’ve worked as a teacher in the University of Baku.

Kerimi forces himself to control himself. He is nervous.

Kerimi

One day, when I returned home I saw three guys as big as them

 (pointing at wrestlers)

dressed in the uniform of soviet intelligent service waiting for me.

Kerimi ceases for a while

Kerimi

Their leader was in the rank of captain. They came to confiscate the little what we had, including my favorite carpet from my room that my father brought from Tabriz. Later I saw that carpet in the museum of Azerbaijan History in Baku. It was like watching your heart being ripped out of your chest. Nice feeling, colonel, huh? Reza-shah stole my father’s reason to live, his homeland, his Iran. Communist deprived us of everything because my father refused to abandon Iranian citizenship. Tragic turn of life, don’t you think so? That night my father committed suicide. He killed himself trying to save my life. Then I became just another orphan, not the son of an enemy of the soviet people. I hoped that after the death of my father they would leave me alone, but I was wrong. Global politics have interfered into my life again. It is not a secret for you colonel. Your agents are aware of the details of my biography. My knowledge of Farsi and of the ancient history became very useful for communist leaders of Soviet Union. One other day I’ve met that captain once again on my path. I bet he could challenge anyone in this Zorhana. He was a coldblooded executor; less words more deeds, a bone crusher with no sense of merci. He gave me no choice.