**Saturday, 7:00 p.m. – PVR Select Citywalk, Saket, Delhi**
The red carpet was actually **pink lotus petals** sprinkled over marble.
A 20-foot cut-out of **Priya Kumari** (age 2.5, in her butterfly crown) stood at the entrance, wings made of real morpho butterflies that fluttered on hidden motors.
**Movie Title (in glittery Devanagari and English):**
**पिंक लोटस: द बटरफ्लाई प्रिन्सेस**
*(A Rajesh Kumar & Anjali Rao Production)*
---
### 7:15 p.m. – The Arrival
The Bentley rolled up.
Rajesh stepped out in a simple cream bandhgala, grey streak now a proud silver thread.
Anjali in a **rose-gold saree**, the same one from their college drunken night, now altered to perfection.
Priya between them in a **mini lehenga** with LED wings that glowed soft blue.
Little Sheru trotted on a diamond-studded leash, wearing a tiny tuxedo bowtie labeled **"Executive Producer"**.
Paparazzi screamed.
"PRIYA BABY! ONE SMILE!"
Priya waved like royalty, then hid behind Rajesh's leg.
He knelt. "Beta, they're just big butterflies with cameras."
She peeked out, flashed a dimpled grin.
Flashbulbs exploded.
---
### 7:30 p.m. – The Theatre Lobby
The entire cast waited:
- **Neha Patel** – Associate Producer, in a neon green blazer, live-streaming on Instagram.
- **Brijesh Joshi** – Security Consultant (aka bouncer in sherwani), arms crossed, talwar hidden in umbrella.
- **Dr. Saraswati Iyer** – Music Composer, veena slung like a guitar, rudraksha mala glowing.
- **Vikram Malhotra (Starlight CEO)** – sulking in corner, ₹45 crore contract in trash, now distributor for ₹4.5 crore.
A giant **butterfly-shaped cake** (kesar-pista, 5 tiers) waited.
Priya cut it with a plastic sword.
Cream splattered Rajesh's kurta.
He laughed. "First red-carpet casualty."
---
### 8:00 p.m. – Lights Dim
The screen lit up.
**Opening credits:**
*"Dedicated to every parent who fought time to come home."*
**The Film (45 minutes, no interval):**
- **Act 1**: A drunk college couple (Anjali & Rajesh, real footage from 2018) register a film title on a dare.
- **Act 2**: The man vanishes in lightning. The woman raises their daughter alone.
- **Act 3**: The man returns, grey-haired, mortal, bearing a **butterfly crown** made from a goddess's wing.
- **Climax**: The family plants a lotus seed in the Yamuna. It blooms into a **butterfly tree** that grants one wish — *"Stay together forever."*
No CGI.
Real locations: Yamuna Riverside Villa, Lotus Academy, Giani's kulfi counter.
Priya played herself at 2.5 years old.
Little Sheru played **"Divine Guardian Pug"** (method acting).
---
### 8:45 p.m. – The Tears
Mid-climax, Anjali's on-screen self sings *"Chanda Hai Tu"* to baby Priya.
Real Priya (in Rajesh's lap) whispers, "That's Mummy's lullaby!"
Theatre sniffles.
Brijesh wipes eyes with sherwani sleeve.
Dr. Iyer's veena score swells.
Neha films audience reactions: 400 people crying happy tears.
---
### 8:50 p.m. – The Standing Ovation
Credits roll.
**Director: Rajesh Kumar**
**Producer: Anjali Rao**
**Star: Priya Kumari**
**Special Appearance: Little Sheru**
Lights up.
The audience rises.
Priya stands on her seat, wings glowing, waving both hands.
"THANK YOU!"
Rajesh bows. Anjali curtsies.
Vikram Malhotra claps hardest (₹4.5 crore about to become ₹45 crore in 48 hours).
---
### 9:15 p.m. – The After-Party (Villa Lawn)
Back home, the garden transformed:
- **Fairy lights** in banyan.
- **Dosa live counter** (Rajesh flipping butterfly-shaped dosas).
- **Kulfi fountain** (actual fountain).
- **Butterfly release** (500 real morphos, trained to land on Priya).
**Guests:**
- Lotus Academy kids (Riya, Aanya, 20 more).
- Garuda Force rookies (in civilian kurtas, no weapons).
- Big Bazaar Aunty (green saree, now VIP).
Priya rides Mithu the goat like a pony.
Anjali feeds Rajesh a jalebi.
He has syrup on his nose.
She kisses it off.
---
### 10:00 p.m. – The Toast
Dr. Iyer raises rose milk.
"To the family that defeated time with love."
Brijesh: "And burnt rotis."
Neha: "And viral grey hair."
Rajesh lifts Priya onto his shoulders.
"One last surprise."
He claps.
The banyan lights up.
A **neon sign** unfurls:
**"Priya's Village – Population: Everyone Who Loves Her"**
---
### 11:00 p.m. – The Mortal Midnight
Fireworks (silent, lotus-shaped).
Priya falls asleep on Rajesh's chest, wings still glowing.
Anjali leans into him.
"Day 20. Box office?"
He shrugs. "Doesn't matter. We made a memory."
Little Sheru curls at their feet, tuxedo bowtie askew.
The Yamuna reflects the neon sign, the fireworks, the family.
**Final Frame (frozen in time):**
Rajesh (grey streak shining),
Anjali (ring glinting),
Priya (crown crooked),
Sheru (snoring),
and the words floating in butterflies:
**"The Supreme Daddy retired.
The Family Man reigned forever."**
**THE END… of the beginning.**