The Interview Room

Glaring tube light. Bare room. One metal table. Two chairs. One-way mirror.

DETECTIVE SHIKHA (41), disciplined, sharp-eyed, plain shirt and formal pants, sits with a case file, coffee-stained notes, and an evidence photo.

MALA (38), a calm but tense school librarian in a modest sari, sits opposite, clutching a handbag.

Silence.

School library se suspect ko nikalte dekha aapne?

Haan.

Kab?

Shaam ke 6:17.

Itna exact?

Library mein time ka hisaab hota hai, Madam.

Shikha slides the evidence photo across the table.

Is photo mein corridor ke end par jo shadow hai, woh aapka suspect hai?

Haan. Yehi tha.

Aap itni jaldi kaise sure ho gayi?

Kyuki main school librarian hoon. Main cheezein notice karti hoon.

Ya cheezein aapko notice karti hain.

Mala gives a tiny, controlled smile.

Aapka matlab?

Mera matlab, aapki story rehearsed lag rahi hai.

Aur aapka sawaal?

Mera sawaal simple hai. Aap us waqt library mein kya kar rahi thi?

Lost-and-found register update kar rahi thi.

Theft suspect ka lost-and-found se kya lena?

School mein jo gum hota hai, woh sirf cheezein nahi hoti.

Shikha stops. She studies Mala.

Aap mujhe confuse karne ki koshish kar rahi hain.

Nahi. Main aapko yaad dila rahi hoon.

Shikha flips open the file. Inside: an old case reference.

Yeh case aapko kahan se mila?

Lost-and-found records se.

Kya?

Har missing item ka record hota hai. Har missing bacche ka bhi, agar koi dhundhne wala ho.

Mala opens her handbag and takes out a worn LIBRARY CARD. She places it on the table.

Yeh...

Aapka hai.

Mera nahi.

Naam nahi hai is par. Bas ek bacche ka record number hai.

Shikha’s jaw tightens.

Ye card aapko kahan mila?

Jahan aapne chhoda tha.

Beat.

Kaun ho tum?

Main us bacche ki badi behen hoon jiska naam aapki file se gayab ho gaya tha.

Shikha goes still.

Yeh possible nahi hai.

Possible tab hota hai jab aap file complete rakhti hain.

Mala leans in, calm but lethal.

MALA (CONT’D)

Aap soch rahi hain main witness hoon.

Main witness nahi hoon, Detective.

Main reason hoon aap yahan baithi hain.

Tumne mujhe yahan kyun bulaya?

Kyuki aap hi woh insaan ho jo sach officially likh sakti ho.

Sach kya hai?

School ke lost-and-found records se bacchon ko track kiya ja raha tha. Names, addresses, transfers... sab.

Kaun?

Wahi log jinke liye missing log numbers hote hain.

Shikha looks at the file, then the card, then Mala.

Tum mujhe blackmail kar rahi ho.

Nahi.

Main aapko choice de rahi hoon.

Mala slides a folded paper across the table.

MALA (CONT’D)

Is file ko khol ke sach likh dijiye.

Ya phir phir se kisi bacche ko ‘missing’ rehne dijiye.

Shikha’s hand hovers over the file.

The tube light BUZZES.

Tum mastermind ho.

Aur aap?

Mala looks at the one-way mirror.

MALA (CONT’D)

Aap evidence.

Shikha finally looks up. The mirror reflects nothing useful.