1 Male + 1 Female (M + F) 5 - 8 Minutes Pure Comedy
The Last Seat
Full Shooting Script in Industry Courier Monospace Format
INT. INTERCITY BUS - NIGHT
Nearly empty bus interior. Flickering overhead LEDs. Passing streetlights stripe the windows. AC HUMS. Two adjacent seats near the back.
ARJUN (31), overly polite, wrinkled shirt, laptop bag, half-crushed lunch box, stands in the aisle.
MEERA (29), sharp-tongued, bright blazer, heels in hand, coffee cup, tote bag, already seated on the aisle seat.
Arjun holds a bus ticket and a seat number card.
ARJUN
(softly)
Excuse me... yeh seat 12A hai?
MEERA
(without looking up)
Haan. Aur aapka yeh late-night confidence, 12A ke right side pe nahi baithta.
Arjun blinks.
ARJUN
Sorry, mujhe laga... yeh meri seat hai.
MEERA
Interesting. Mujhe bhi laga tha.
She finally looks at him. Sharp.
ARJUN
(showing ticket)
Mere ticket pe clearly likha hai.
MEERA
(shows ticket)
Mere pe bhi.
Beat.
ARJUN
Toh phir... shayad aap galat seat pe hain.
MEERA
Oh, wow. Bold. Aapne ye conclusion MBA ke baad nikala?
Arjun sits on the edge of the seat, trying to remain polite.
ARJUN
Main bas keh raha hoon... maybe aapne number ulta padh liya ho.
MEERA
Aur main bas keh rahi hoon... maybe aapko reading glasses ki zarurat hai.
Arjun points to the seat number card.
ARJUN
Seat number card bhi match kar raha hai.
Meera leans in, squints, then smirks.
MEERA
Yeh card toh aapne khud pakda hua hai. Evidence ka source bhi suspect hai.
ARJUN
(offended, but polite)
Main suspect nahi hoon.
MEERA
Aapka laptop bag dekh ke toh lag raha hai aap har cheez ko apology mein convert kar dete ho.
Arjun glances at her heels in hand.
ARJUN
Aur aap... heels haath mein leke baithi ho. Yeh normal log nahi karte.
MEERA
Normal log bus mein fight bhi nahi karte.
ARJUN
Fight? Main toh bas seat clarify kar raha hoon.
MEERA
Haan, bilkul. Passive-aggressive clarifying.
The bus SWAYS. Both grip their bags.
ARJUN
Dekhiye, maine pehle hi seat reserve ki thi.
MEERA
Aur maine pehle hi yeh bus board ki thi.
ARJUN
Board ki thi? Iska kya proof hai?
MEERA
Main yahan baithi hoon.
ARJUN
Galat bus mein bhi baith sakte hain.
Meera narrows her eyes.
MEERA
Aapki life ka motto hai kya?
ARJUN
(defensive)
Nahi. Mera motto hai... courtesy.
MEERA
Courtesy? Aapne mere coffee cup ko dekh ke abhi tak “ma’am” nahi bola.
ARJUN
(instantly)
Ma’am, aapka coffee cup bahut... authoritative lag raha hai.
Meera laughs despite herself, then catches it and recovers.
MEERA
Nice. Ab seat ke saath coffee bhi claim karoge?
ARJUN
Agar aapne seat chhodi toh maybe.
MEERA
Cute. Threat bhi polite hai.
A beat. Both stare at each other, equally annoyed.
A CONDUCTOR, mid-50s, sleepy, appears from the front aisle. He takes the tickets.
CONDUCTOR
Kya problem hai?
ARJUN
(relieved)
Sir, yeh seat...
MEERA
(simultaneously)
Sir, yeh banda...
Conductor raises a hand.
CONDUCTOR
Ek minute.
He checks both tickets, then the seat number card.
CONDUCTOR (CONT'D)
Aap dono Bus 21 ke passenger ho.
Silence.
ARJUN
Ji?
MEERA
Kya?
CONDUCTOR
Yeh Bus 12 hai.
Beat.
ARJUN
(small voice)
Oh.
MEERA
(stunned)
Oh.
Conductor shrugs, bored.
CONDUCTOR
Platform ke doosri side se galat bus pakad li.
Next stop pe utar jaana.
He starts to leave.
MEERA
(calling after him)
Sir, toh yeh seat kiski hai?
CONDUCTOR
(without turning)
Bus ki.
He exits.
A long beat. The hum of AC. Passing streetlight stripes.
MEERA
(deadpan)
Toh hum dono itne confidently galat the?
ARJUN
(embarrassed, polite)
Ji. Lekin... respectfully.
Meera stares at him. Then snorts.
MEERA
Respectfully galat.
Arjun smiles despite himself.
ARJUN
Aap bhi... aggressively wrong thi.
MEERA
Thanks. That felt almost like a compliment.
They both laugh now. Real, helpless laughter.
The bus sways. They gather their bags.
MEERA
Next stop pe utarna padega.
ARJUN
Haan. Aur shayad... platform bhi check kar lena chahiye.
MEERA
Wow. Groundbreaking advice.
ARJUN
(gentle)
Sorry.
MEERA
(smiling)
Is baar valid hai.
They stand, awkwardly side by side, moving toward the exit.
The nearly empty bus rolls on.
FADE OUT.
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