The Fable

Spring, 1989. Dev and his family live atop a cliff in an old colonial mansion in the picturesque Indian Himalayas. Dev spends his mornings clamping on hand-made bird wings and jumping off the cliff for a morning flight. His son Juju runs about with their two mountain dogs while his beautiful wife Nandini perfects her mulberry jam. One bright morning, their teenage daughter Vanya surprises them by returning early from her boarding school for the summer holidays. Re-united, the family spends joyous nights, watching old films and counting stars. Dev owns a sprawling 5000 acre estate of fruit orchards, which he inherited from his grandfather, who was gifted the estate by British invaders for his decades of loyal service. The orchards would come into bloom every march, and yield the sweetest fruits every May. One day on a casual walk, Dev suddenly stumbles upon an apple tree that is mysteriously burnt. A few days later, several trees are burnt. At a loss, Dev orders Mohan, the manager of the estate, to begin investigating in the surrounding villages. Doubts fester as gossip floats. Some of the orchard workers suspect a group of meditative nomads who are passing through the area. A corrupt sheriff enters the fray, while loyal men camp out in the orchards keeping a deligent watch. Regardless of their efforts, on a quiet night, a massive fire erupts, engulfing an entire mountain side. Struggling for answer, Dev turns to both guns and silence. Deep in the darkness, in the silence of the night, answers begin to emerge. Will Dev finally realise who he and his family really are?