2 Male Actors (M + M) 5 - 8 Minutes Horror/Supernatural
The Empty Chair
Full Shooting Script in Industry Courier Monospace Format
INT. FUNERAL PARLOR WAITING ROOM - NIGHT
Dim fluorescent light. Incense smoke curls through a cramped waiting room. A faint FAN HUM starts, stops, starts again.
One EMPTY WOODEN CHAIR sits in the corner.
ANAND (40), funeral attendant in black shirt and formal trousers, holds a REGISTER BOOK.
GOPAL (64), grieving widower in white kurta and mourning shawl, trembles while clutching a FRAMED PHOTO.
ANAND
Sir, aap yahan baith jaiye. Bench zyada
comfortable hai.
GOPAL
Nahi.
ANAND
Thand bhi hai, aur aap—
GOPAL
Woh chair chhod do.
Anand glances at the empty chair.
ANAND
Kaunsi chair?
GOPAL
Wohi.
(points)
Mere bete ki.
Anand softens.
ANAND
Sir, yahan kisi ka bhi—
GOPAL
Woh usi par baithta tha.
Har baar.
A beat.
Anand notes something in the register.
ANAND
Aapka naam?
GOPAL
Gopal.
ANAND
Main Anand.
Aapko bas thoda sa—
Gopal stares at the chair.
GOPAL
Woh yahan tha.
Anand looks. Empty chair remains still.
ANAND
Kaun?
GOPAL
Mera beta.
A silence.
ANAND
Sir...
GOPAL
Mat bolo.
Mujhe pata hai main pagal nahi hoon.
Anand tries a small, awkward smile.
ANAND
Main bhi yahi hope kar raha hoon, sir.
Gopal almost smiles. Then freezes.
The chair has shifted slightly toward them.
GOPAL
Dekha?
ANAND
Kya?
GOPAL
Woh... woh idhar thi.
Anand looks at the chair. Then away. Then back.
The chair is now angled differently.
ANAND
Shayad floor uneven hai.
GOPAL
Floor ne bhi aaj decide kiya hai?
Anand exhales, nervous.
ANAND
Sir, honestly... yahan ka furniture
thoda dramatic hai.
Gopal lets out a shaky chuckle.
GOPAL
Mera beta bhi aisa hi bolta tha.
He lifts the framed photo. A YOUNG MAN smiles from it.
GOPAL (CONT'D)
Usne kaha tha, “Baba, is chair pe
koi aur mat baithne dena.”
ANAND
Kyun?
GOPAL
Usko lagta tha... log is ghar ko
kha jayenge.
Anand turns a page in the register.
A plain ENVELOPE falls out.
ANAND
Yeh kya hai?
Gopal steps closer, wary.
GOPAL
Maine nahi rakha.
Anand opens it. Inside: HOUSE TRANSFER PAPERS.
ANAND
Sir... yeh property papers hain.
Gopal’s hands shake harder.
GOPAL
Kisne diye?
Anand scans the papers.
ANAND
Sign line khali hai.
Gopal stares, horrified.
GOPAL
Main sign karne nahi aaya tha.
The FAN HUM cuts out.
Silence.
A tiny metallic CLINK.
On the chair armrest: a KEYCHAIN.
Gopal gasps.
GOPAL (CONT'D)
Yeh uska tha.
He steps forward, almost falling.
GOPAL (CONT'D)
Maine isko uske saath dafnaya tha.
Anand’s face changes. He looks from keychain to photo to papers.
ANAND
Sir...
The chair SCRAPES across the floor by itself and stops directly in front of Gopal.
Gopal breaks.
GOPAL
Beta...
He cries openly now.
GOPAL (CONT'D)
Tu yahi hai?
Anand notices something folded behind the register book. He pulls out an old PAGE.
A photocopy of the same property paper.
At the bottom, a handwritten note:
“Woh aadmi hi mere maut ka wajah tha.”
Anand looks up, stunned.
ANAND
Sir... aapke beta ne aapko rok liya.
Gopal reads the note. His face hardens.
GOPAL
Woh mujhe ghar se nikalna chahta tha.
ANAND
Aur aapko sign karne bheja gaya tha.
Gopal grabs the papers.
GOPAL
Nahi.
He tears them in half. Then again.
GOPAL (CONT'D)
Nahi.
Anand quietly collects the pieces and the envelope.
ANAND
Main isko file mein nahi daalunga.
Gopal nods, still shaking.
He looks at the empty chair.
GOPAL
Theek hai beta...
(beat)
Ab samajh gaya.
The chair is still.
The FAN HUM returns.
The incense smoke rises straight up.
Anand closes the register book.
ANAND
Sir... ab aap baith jaiye.
Gopal looks at the chair. Then, for the first time, sits beside it—not on it.
Anand watches, solemn.
FADE OUT.
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