1 Male + 1 Female (M + F) 5 - 8 Minutes Pure Comedy
Rent Due
Full Shooting Script in Industry Courier Monospace Format
INT. APARTMENT HALLWAY - NIGHT
Harsh tube light flicker kar rahi hai. Ceiling fan buzz kar raha hai. Ek cramped hallway, shoe racks stacked, ek front door. NIKHIL (27), T-shirt aur track pants mein, haath mein rent envelope liye khada hai. Uske chehre par fake confident grin hai.
Mrs. BHATIA (55), cotton saree, reading glasses, clipboard haath mein, door ke saamne aise khadi hai jaise rent nahi, verdict sunane wali ho.
NIKHIL
(smiling too hard)
Aunty, bas do din ka time.
MRS. BHATIA
Pichhle mahine bhi do din the, beta.
Woh do din ab tak chal rahe hain.
Nikhil awkward laugh karta hai.
NIKHIL
Salary late ho gayi. Office ka issue hai.
MRS. BHATIA
Office ka issue nahi, tumhara pattern issue hai.
Mrs. Bhatia clipboard par kuch tick karti hain.
NIKHIL
UPI down tha. Bank server bhi.
MRS. BHATIA
Aur tumhara excuse server? Full time up.
Nikhil envelope ko dekhkar phir Mrs. Bhatia ko.
NIKHIL
Aunty, main genuinely struggle kar raha hoon.
MRS. BHATIA
Struggle? Tumhara struggle dekhkar meri
washing machine bhi depressed ho jaati hai.
Nikhil hansi rokta hai.
NIKHIL
Main aapka favourite tenant hoon na?
MRS. BHATIA
Haan. Example of what not to keep.
Also yes.
Beat.
Nikhil deep breath leta hai, envelope aage badhata hai.
NIKHIL
Lo, rent.
Mrs. Bhatia envelope ki taraf dekhti bhi nahi. Woh apni keys nikaalti hain aur door khol deti hain.
MRS. BHATIA
Late ho gaya.
NIKHIL
Late? Main toh abhi—
Mrs. Bhatia andar se ek aur envelope nikaalti hain. Receipt chipki hui hai.
MRS. BHATIA
Rent toh aa gaya.
Nikhil freeze.
NIKHIL
Kahan se?
MRS. BHATIA
Tumhare flatmate Ravi se.
NIKHIL
Ravi ne?
MRS. BHATIA
Haan. UPI se. Kal raat 11:47 par.
Exact amount. Including pending electricity.
Nikhil ka muh khula reh jaata hai.
NIKHIL
Par usne bola uske paas bhi—
MRS. BHATIA
Ravi jhooth bolta hai, par tum se kam.
Beat.
Mrs. Bhatia Nikhil ke haath mein envelope ko tap karti hain.
MRS. BHATIA (CONT'D)
Yeh dramatic envelope kisliye laaya?
NIKHIL
Main socha... pehle de deta hoon.
MRS. BHATIA
Ab mat dena. Duplicate entry ho jayegi.
Nikhil embarrassed.
MRS. BHATIA (CONT'D)
Agli baar excuse kam, coordination zyada.
Aur haan, Ravi ko bolna, kal se shoe rack ka rent alag.
Nikhil stunned.
NIKHIL
Shoe rack ka bhi?
Mrs. Bhatia deadpan.
MRS. BHATIA
Tumhare rent se zyada honest hai.
Woh door kholkar andar jaane lagti hain, phir rukti hain.
MRS. BHATIA (CONT'D)
Aur haan, tumhara rent due nahi tha.
Tumhara confidence due tha.
She goes inside. DOOR CLOSES.
Nikhil hallway mein akela khada rehta hai, envelope haath mein. Ceiling fan buzzing. Tube light flicker.
He looks at the envelope, then at the closed door.
NIKHIL
(to himself)
Ravi... main tujhe kal dekhunga.
Beat.
He sighs, fake grin ki koshish karta hai, fails.
CUT TO BLACK.
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