Solo Male 4 - 6 Minutes Slice of Life/Romance
Coffee for One
Full Shooting Script in Industry Courier Monospace Format
FADE IN:
INT. SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD CAFÉ - MORNING
A warm, intimate café corner by the window. Early morning sunbeams cut through steam and dust. Mostly empty. The distant sound of street traffic hums outside. A grinder whirs softly.
A MAN (30-36), quiet, understated, in a soft sweater and jeans, with a well-kept beard and shy eyes, sits alone at a small table for one. A coffee cup, a sugar packet, a pen, and a receipt lie in front of him.
He looks at the empty chair opposite him.
MAN
(to the empty chair, softly)
Roz ka scene. Ek cup coffee. Ek window. Aur ek
khali chair.
He takes a sip. Thinks.
MAN
(half-smile)
Main yahan regular hoon. Itna regular ki café
ka grinder bhi mujhe judge karne laga hoga.
He picks up the sugar packet, tears it open, then doesn’t use it.
MAN
Aaj main bas... aaj main bolne wala hoon.
He folds a napkin, then unfolds it.
MAN
(to himself)
Simple line. Seedha. No filmy bakwaas.
“Hi, would you like to grab coffee sometime?”
He rehearses it under his breath.
MAN
(trying it)
Hi... would you like to grab coffee sometime?
He winces.
MAN
Thoda zyada formal. Thoda zyada... boring.
He looks toward the counter, nervous.
MAN
Par theek hai. Main boring hoon. Safe hoon.
Sweater bhi safe, beard bhi safe, life bhi safe.
He notices movement off-frame near the counter. His eyes brighten.
MAN
(straightening up)
Abhi. Bas abhi.
He rises slowly, coffee cup in hand, the pen in the other.
MAN
Bas normal reh. Bas ek insaan se baat karni hai.
He takes one step toward the counter.
A small BELL above the door rings softly.
He freezes.
MAN
(confused)
Haan?
He looks toward the entrance, then toward the counter. The unseen barista has clearly moved out of frame and is gone.
MAN
(to the empty space)
Nahi. Nahi, yeh toh... yeh toh timing ka
murder hai.
He stands there for a beat, then returns to his table, defeated but trying to laugh it off.
MAN
(to the empty chair)
Great. Main bolne hi wala tha aur scene end.
Very cinematic. Very cruel.
He sits. Stares into his coffee.
MAN
Aise kaise? Roz smile, roz “good morning,” aur
aaj jab main ek decent human being ki tarah
ek line bolne jaa raha tha, tabhi gayab.
He picks up the receipt, reads it absent-mindedly.
MAN
Total... tax... gratitude... wow, receipt bhi
mujhse zyada stable hai.
He sighs, then notices the coffee cup sleeve.
A folded NAPKIN NOTE is tucked inside the sleeve.
He pauses.
MAN
(quietly)
Wait...
He carefully removes the note, unfolds it.
He reads.
A long beat.
MAN
(whisper)
“Same seat. Tomorrow. Ask properly. —M”
He looks up, stunned.
MAN
(soft laugh, disbelieving)
Oh.
He stares at the note again, then at the empty chair.
MAN
Tumne... tumne mujhe pehle hi bolne ka chance
de diya?
He smiles, shy and genuinely touched.
MAN
Matlab... main itna bhi invisible nahi tha.
He folds the note carefully and slides it into the inner pocket of his sweater.
MAN
Tomorrow.
He looks at the chair with renewed warmth.
MAN
(gentle, hopeful)
Theek hai. Kal.
He lifts the cup with both hands, as if it’s suddenly precious.
MAN
Aaj ka din miss hua... but maybe yeh miss hona
hi start tha.
He looks out the window. Sunlight brightens the corner.
MAN
(smiling to himself)
Coffee for one... par maybe not for long.
He sits back, calmer now, the empty chair no longer empty in feeling.
FADE OUT.
THE END.
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