The Mistress of Spices

Are you ready to give up your own

lives forever, for the spices?

To never love anyone but the spices?

I am, First Mother. I know the rules.

Mistresses, I have taught you all I can.

We must now decide where you are to go.

Paris.

London.

Nairobi.

Los Angeles.

Hong Kong.

Toronto.

San Francisco.

There's a need for you in all these places.

You will not burn.

You will not feel pain.

You will wake up in your new home

free of all your own desires.

But if a mistress fails her duty...

the spices will punish her.

I love being a mistress of spices.

The spices are my love.

I know their origins, colors,

smells, their magic powers.

Yes, the old, old magic.

Every spice has a purpose.

And for each person, there's a special spice.

I am named Tilo...

after the sesame seed...

the spice of nourishment.

But here no-one knows who I am.

Ladyjaan?

Yes, Haroun?

Ah! Ladyjaan.

Ah, please!

I am sick of old lady Kapadia.

These rich Indians,

they think they're still in India.

They treat us like animals.

Do this, that. Drive me here, there.

Not even a nod of thanks.

Ladyjaan, you must read my fortune today.

Haroun...

- you know I can't read your for...

- Yes, but Ahmed said.

You helped him get a green card.

He was nervous before the interview, so I just

gave him some brahmi leaves to chew on.

But he remembered

the Allegiance Pledge. First time, in English.

That wasn't me. It was the dashmul.

The herb of ten roots.

Lady, you are just playing with me.

Look at these eyes.

You see these dark circles?

Poor Haroun,

who came for the American Dream.

that now works for an Indian nightmare.

Lady...

please.

What's this?

Oh, it's from tire irons and wrenches,

from Arco Garages, my first job.

And erm... before that?

Back in Kashmir we are boatmen.

My grandfather, my father and I,

we would row our shikara for tourists,

from America, Europe.

One year, money was so good,

we lined the seats with red silk.

Chandan, the powder of the sandalwood

tree, that relieves the pain of remembering.

Rub it in.

One day the fighting started.

The soldiers arrived

and the tourists stopped coming.

The rebels came to take the young men.

There was blood.

Blood and more blood...

redder than the red silk of the boat.

I wish I had...

Hurry, now.

Faster, Haroun.

I wish I, too, had...

What was I saying?

You wanted to know your fortune.

Oh, yes.

- It is good.

- Mm-hm.

Very good.

Great things will happen in this new land for you.

Um...

riches and happiness...

...and maybe even... love.

Oh, Ladyjaan.

Thank you.

I know you have the gift.

Thank you.

I must go.

Poor Haroun.

I, too, was taken from home.

When I was born, my parents' faces

were heavy with fallen hope at another girl.

A daughter meant nothing more

than a dowry debt.

Maybe because I was left

to wander around alone.

I discovered I could see things others could not.

I knew which servant girl

was sleeping with her master.

I told a wealthy landowner

where to find his lost ring.

And I warned the village headman

of the floods before they came.

My fame spread far and wide.

And then the bandits came for me

to lead them to riches.

Mummy! Papa!

Mummy! Papa!

Mummy!

I did not know it,

but I had arrived at my destiny.

First Mother said I had been brought

to her to fulfill my duty as a mistress of spices.

Don't you know it's very important that you know

what the names of these spices are?

Because you will be using them in your work

and you will get the power from them.

Those are red chillies.

Red chillies.

Cardamom.

Cardamom.

Do you listen to the spices?

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