No Signal

Ek purana, narrow hallway. Ek bulb flicker kar raha hai. Door ke bahar muted city sounds. WALL PAR MOBILE SIGNAL ka icon ek hi bar pe atka hua.

INSPECTOR ANIKA (33), composed, plain kurta-jacket mein, badge dikhate hue, notebook kholkar khadi hai. Uske saamne TANYA (29), trendy loungewear, makeup half-done, phone aur ring light stand ke saath, fake confidence mein khadi hai.

Tanya Sharma?

Depends. Police ke liye Tanya. Followers ke liye Tanyaaa.

Main joke mood mein nahi hoon.

Main bhi. Bas habit hai.

Anika uske phone ko dekhti hai. Single bar. Tanya screen lock karti hai.

Tumne call kiya tha. Bola tha neighbor ke flat mein murder hua.

Murder bola tha? Main ne toh bola tha... something very bad.

11:17 pe livestream dekha tha?

Haan. Shayad. Matlab dekha tha. Signal gaya toh...

Signal gaya ya story?

Tanya smirks, nervous.

Aap logon ko har cheez story lagti hai.

Aur tumhe har cheez content.

Anika notebook mein likhti hai. Tanya ring light ka stand adjust karti hai.

Aapne notice kiya? Aapka face is light mein kaafi dramatic lag raha hai.

Tumhara bhi. Bas truth ke liye kaafi nahi.

Truth ke liye followers nahi milte, Inspector.

Mujhe followers nahi chahiye. Facts chahiye.

Toh bad luck.

Anika flat ke locked door ki taraf dekhti hai. Then Tanya ke phone ki screen.

Recent live nahi hai.

Network weak tha.

Par app open hai. Drafts empty.

Aap mera phone stalk kar rahi ho?

Main tumhari kahani check kar rahi hoon.

Anika ek step closer.

Pehle bola murder. Phir shadow. Phir panic.

Memory fuzzy ho sakti hai.

Ya script.

Silence. Bulb flickers.

Tanya phone ko side mein pakad leti hai.

Aapko lagta hai main jhooth bol rahi hoon?

Mujhe lagta hai tum jhooth ko rehearsal ki tarah bolti ho.

Tanya laughs, but it breaks halfway.

Wow. That was actually good.

Thanks.

Aap bhi half-done kurta pehen ke aayi ho, main bhi half-done makeup mein hoon. Matchy.

Focus.

Anika ek KEY CARD nikalti hai, usko inspect karti hai.

Ye building access card kis ka hai?

Mera nahi.

Maintenance ka bhi nahi.

Toh shayad kisi ka private event hoga.

Tumhein kaise pata?

Tanya hesitates.

Mujhe... DM aaya tha.

Kis se?

Anonymous.

Message mein kya tha?

"Aao. Agar sach dekhna hai toh 3B ke bahar ruko. Inspector bhi aayegi."

Anika freezes. Tiny beat.

Mujhe kaise pata tha?

Mujhe kaise pata hoga? Main bas invite follow kar rahi thi.

Nahi.

Tum mujhe yahan laayi.

Tanya looks at her. The fearless act drops a little.

Aap itni smart ho, Inspector. Thoda late ho gayi.

Kis cheez mein?

Jis murder ko aap dhoondh rahi ho... woh flat ke andar nahi hai.

Anika’s eyes narrow.

Toh kaun target hai?

Tanya takes a breath. Then:

Aap.

Silence.

Mujhe?

Haan. Main victim nahi hoon. Main invitation hoon.

Anika stares. Then calmly closes her notebook.

Staged livestream.

Smart.

Fake panic.

Mostly real.

Ring light, charger, weak signal... sab setup.

Content strategy.

Aur mujhe yahan bulane ka reason?

Ek purana case. Ek naam. Ek inspector.

Kiska naam?

Aapka.

A beat. The bulb flickers harder.

Tumne mujhe trap kiya.

Trap nahi. Test.

Kis baat ka?

Ki aap sach mein innocent ho ya sirf badge pe innocent lagti ho.

Anika slowly steps forward. Tanya doesn’t move.

Aur live?

No signal.

Tanya taps her phone. SCREEN: "NO SIGNAL".

Par recording local save ho gayi.

Anika notices Tanya’s charger cord. She tugs. A SMALL PORTABLE RECORDER slips into view, clipped near Anika’s notebook edge.

Interesting.

Aap bhi.

Anika snatches the KEY CARD from Tanya.

Flat mein kaun hai?

Koi nahi.

Toh door locked kyun hai?

Kyuki darwaza kabhi kabhi logon ko nahi, stories ko rokta hai.

Anika looks at Tanya — then the locked flat — then back.

Tumne ye sab kyun kiya?

Kyuki jo log camera pe sach bolte hain, unko hi sabse pehle chup karaya jaata hai.

Aur aaj raat... aap camera ke saamne aa gayi.

Anika’s jaw tightens.

Tumhe lagta hai tum jeet gayi?

Nahi.

Mujhe lagta hai ab aap samajh gayi ho.

Anika stares at her, then at the dark hallway.

Agar tumne ek bhi cheez manipulate ki hai...

Toh?

Toh main bhi story likh sakti hoon.

Tanya smiles, finally honest.

Wahi toh main chahti thi.

Bulb flickers. The hallway goes almost dark.