3-Character Trio Cast 6 - 9 Minutes Mystery/Crime
The Rooftop Witness
Full Shooting Script in Industry Courier Monospace Format
FADE IN:
EXT. APARTMENT ROOFTOP - NIGHT
Ek cluttered rooftop. Single FLOODLIGHT, door city glow, kuch dangling BULBS WATER TANK ke paas. Laundry lines hawa mein hil rahi hain. Potted plants maze bana rahe hain. Rooftop gate LOCKED hai.
INSPECTOR NIDHI (36), practical clothes, notebook aur flashlight ke saath, area scan kar rahi hai.
SANJAY (39), plain T-shirt, tense, evasive, bruised knuckle chhupata hua, corner mein khada hai.
BINA (61), faded house dress, rooftop plants ke beech se aati hai, curious, chatty.
NIDHI
Sanjay. Neeche se body mili hai.
Tum keh rahe ho accident tha?
SANJAY
Haan, madam. Slip hua hoga.
Rooftop hai, slippery bhi hota hai.
NIDHI
Aur tumhare haath pe yeh?
Nidhi flashlight se bruised knuckle par beam daalti hai.
SANJAY
Gate ka lock jam tha.
Main bas... khol raha tha.
BINA
Oho. Lock jam tha ya zubaan?
Sanjay glares.
NIDHI
Bina ji, aapne kuch dekha?
BINA
Main kuch nahi dekhi.
(beat)
Par main sab sun leti hoon.
Nidhi looks up, interested.
NIDHI
Sab?
BINA
Haan. Is building mein log chalte kam,
bolte zyada hain.
Nidhi opens notebook.
NIDHI
Raat ko rooftop par kaun kaun aaya tha?
SANJAY
Koi nahi aaya. Main akela tha.
BINA
Jhooth.
SANJAY
Aunty, aap please—
BINA
Aunty mat bol. Main Bina hoon.
Aur main sun sakti hoon jab aadmi
darr ke saath saans leta hai.
Nidhi moves toward the WATER TANK. Finds a KEY RING near a planter.
NIDHI
Yeh keys kiski hain?
Sanjay stiffens.
SANJAY
Building keys honge.
NIDHI
Tumhari pocket mein kyun nahi, phir?
Sanjay has no answer.
Bina walks to the laundry line, fingers the clothespins.
BINA
Raat ko teen pair the.
NIDHI
Teen?
BINA
Haan. Ek bhaari. Ek ghise hue soles wala.
Aur ek aisi chaal...
(smiles)
Jaise koi left leg ko ghaseet ke chalta ho.
Nidhi turns sharply.
NIDHI
Tumne chehra nahi dekha?
BINA
Chehra nahi.
Par pair ka aadmi pehchaan leti hoon.
SANJAY
Yeh bakwaas hai.
BINA
Bakwaas nahi, beta.
Main is rooftop pe pandrah saal se
paudhe uga rahi hoon.
Tum log mujhe dekhte nahi.
Main tumhe sun leti hoon.
Nidhi steps closer to Sanjay.
NIDHI
Tumne usse pakadne ki koshish ki?
SANJAY
Main... main bas...
NIDHI
Ya dhakka diya?
Sanjay looks at Bina, then away.
BINA
Isne jhooth isliye bola kyunki
yeh kisi aur ko bachana chahta tha.
Ya khud ko.
Nidhi narrows her eyes.
NIDHI
Kaun tha woh?
Bina leans in, casual as ever.
BINA
Jo aadmi aise chalta hai...
(beat)
Woh Sanjay nahi hai.
Nidhi processes this.
NIDHI
Tum sure ho?
BINA
Bilkul.
Jhooth bolne wale aadmi ke pair
thoda bhaagte hain.
Us raat ke pair... gusse mein the.
A beat.
SANJAY
Main usko rok raha tha.
Woh bas... phisal gaya.
NIDHI
Aur tumhara knuckle?
SANJAY
Gate pe laga.
BINA
Nahi.
Woh us waqt laga jab tumne
uska arm pakda tha.
Silence.
Nidhi writes in notebook, then shuts it.
NIDHI
Bina ji, tumne itne saal yeh sab
kaise notice kiya?
BINA
Kyunki log mujhe buddhi samajh ke
ignore kar dete hain.
Aur jab log tumhe underestimate karte hain,
toh tum unki asli aadat sun leti ho.
Nidhi switches off flashlight for a second, then on again—hard beam on Sanjay.
NIDHI
Ab tumhari kahani nahi,
tumhari chaal bolegi.
Sanjay swallows hard.
BINA
Aur haan madam...
NIDHI
Hm?
BINA
Next time rooftop pe aao,
toh pehle paudhon ko hello bolna.
Witness log bura maan jaate hain.
Nidhi almost smiles.
NIDHI
Noted.
She steps toward the locked gate, keys in hand.
CUT TO BLACK.
THE END.
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