3-Character Trio Cast 6 - 9 Minutes Horror/Supernatural
The Rooftop Tenant
Full Shooting Script in Industry Courier Monospace Format
INT. ROOFTOP WATER TANK AREA - NIGHT
Moonlight. Neeche shehar ki neon lights. Ek SINGLE TORCH beam idhar-udhar kaanp rahi hai.
IMRAN (32), faded uniform, thin aur wary, torch pakde khada hai. VARUN (28), T-shirt aur pajama pants mein, restless aur jittery, uske paas hai.
Dono water tank ke paas khade hain.
VARUN
Main bol raha hoon, Imran bhai, koi na koi hai.
IMRAN
Koi nahi hai. Tu bas raat ko zyada sochta hai.
VARUN
Sochta nahi hoon. Sunta hoon.
IMRAN
Kya sunta hai?
VARUN
Footsteps.
A beat. Distant city hum.
IMRAN
Har raat same story.
VARUN
Toh har raat same footsteps kyun?
Imran torch beam tank lid par daalta hai. Rusty metal.
IMRAN
Top floor vacant hai. Months se.
VARUN
Wahi toh problem hai.
A faint SOUND. STEP... STEP...
Dono freeze.
VARUN
(whispering)
Sunaa?
IMRAN
Chup.
Torch beam ke bahar, ek WHITE DRESS mein ZOYA (30) nazar aati hai. Damp hair. Calm. Strangely detached.
ZOYA
Aap log mujhe dekh rahe ho?
Varun almost scream karta hai.
VARUN
Kaun ho tum?!
Imran instinctively Varun ko rokta hai.
IMRAN
Kaise aayi yahan?
ZOYA
Main yahin rehti hoon.
(soft)
Main Zoya hoon. Top floor ki nayi tenant.
VARUN
Nayi tenant? Top floor locked hai!
Imran apni KEYS nikaalta hai. Building REGISTER bhi uske haath mein hai.
IMRAN
Ye lo. Keys mere paas hain.
Aur register mein top floor vacant hai.
Zoya tank ke paas aati hai. Wet shawl uske shoulder par.
ZOYA
Aap log register ko dhang se dekhte nahi.
Varun nervous laugh.
VARUN
Haan, bas ghost ko dekhte hain.
IMRAN
Varun.
Zoya smile karti hai, almost pitying.
ZOYA
Main ghost nahi hoon.
Main tenant hoon.
Imran torch register par daalta hai. Ek faded entry: ZOYA. Neeche cut mark. “SHIFTED OUT.”
VARUN
Yeh... yeh kya hai?
IMRAN
(low)
Yeh entry purani hai.
ZOYA
Purani nahi.
Bas chhupayi gayi.
A beat. Wind.
ZOYA (CONT'D)
Aap dono ne mujhe yahin band kiya tha.
Imran ka face drain ho jaata hai.
IMRAN
Nahi...
VARUN
Kya bol rahi ho?
ZOYA
Main chilla rahi thi.
Aap dono ne bola nuisance hai.
Phir lid band kiya.
Phir register se naam hata diya.
Zoya tank lid tap karti hai. DULL, WET SOUND.
ZOYA (CONT'D)
Main tank mein mar gayi thi.
Varun steps back.
VARUN
Imran bhai...
Imran ki saans atak jaati hai.
IMRAN
Humne... humne toh bas...
ZOYA
Bas kya?
Chupaya?
Bhool gaye?
A long silence.
ZOYA (CONT'D)
Main aap dono ko isliye sunai deti hoon
kyunki lid aap dono ne band kiya tha.
Guilt ka lock bahut strong hota hai.
Varun almost cries.
VARUN
Main kuch nahi jaanta tha.
ZOYA
Par sun toh tum bhi rahe the.
Imran looks at the keys in his hand like they’re burning.
IMRAN
Main caretaker tha...
ZOYA
Aur main tenant thi.
(beat)
Ab bhi hoon.
The TORCH beam flickers.
ZOYA (CONT'D)
Ab aap log mujhe dekh bhi rahe ho.
Sun bhi rahe ho.
Bas itna kaafi hai.
Zoya slowly steps back toward the tank lid. Moonlight catches her wet hair.
VARUN
Ruko...
She is already fading into the darkness near the lid.
IMRAN
Zoya...
A final, soft voice from the tank.
ZOYA (O.S.)
Good night, tenants.
Silence.
Then—FOOTSTEPS.
STEP... STEP...
Varun and Imran look at each other.
On the rooftop, the footsteps continue.
Only now, there are two men breathing hard...
...and one wet, distant laugh.
FADE OUT.
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