3-Character Trio Cast 6 - 9 Minutes Psychological Thriller
Signal Lost
Full Shooting Script in Industry Courier Monospace Format
FADE IN:
INT. TINY APARTMENT LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Tez baarish. Window ke bahar lightning. Ek chhota, boxed-in living room: SOFA, COFFEE TABLE, band CURTAINS, ek single TUBE LIGHT jo kabhi jalti, kabhi dhundhli padti.
Laptop ka blue glow room ko aur thanda bana raha hai.
Eshan, 29, rain jacket mein bheega hua, cracked helmet ek haath mein, delivery bag dusre mein, darwaze ke paas khada hai.
PHONE SCREEN: SIGNAL LOST.
ESHAN
(annoyed)
Bas yaar... ek confirmation hi toh chahiye tha.
Rupa, 31, pale aur anxious, laptop ke paas khadi hai. Woh Eshan ko dekh kar jaise relief aur fear dono feel karti hai.
RUPA
Aap aa gaye.
ESHAN
(confused)
Main... haan. Kya aapko delivery thi?
RUPA
Nahi. Matlab... haan. Baitho, please.
Thunder. Tube light flicker.
Eshan hesitate karta hai, phir sofa ke edge par baith jaata hai.
Laptop screen on. Dr. Naina, 37, calm, composed, almost too still, video call par.
DR. NAINA
Good evening, Eshan.
ESHAN
(half-laugh)
Madam, good evening? Storm dekh rahe ho?
DR. NAINA
I am. And you’re late.
ESHAN
Main delivery rider hoon. Late hona mera hobby nahi.
Rupa screen ke paas thoda aur jhukti hai.
RUPA
(softly)
Usne aaj subah lift mein kisi se jhagda kiya tha.
Eshan looks up sharply.
ESHAN
Kisne bola?
DR. NAINA
You didn’t mention it online.
ESHAN
Online? Main apni lunch bhi online mention nahi karta.
DR. NAINA
But your pulse says otherwise.
Eshan glances at his own wrist instinctively.
ESHAN
Aap log kaun ho?
RUPA
Eshan... please, bas baitho.
ESHAN
Main baitha hua hoon.
(beat)
Aap dono mujhe jaanti ho?
Dr. Naina’s image glitches for a second.
DR. NAINA
Eshan, tell me—when the lift stopped, did you feel anger first or humiliation?
ESHAN
Kya?
DR. NAINA
Answer the question.
ESHAN
(irritated)
Main koi patient nahi hoon.
DR. NAINA
No. You’re a subject.
Silence.
Thunder cracks.
Rupa quickly picks up a GLASS OF WATER from the coffee table and offers it.
RUPA
Paani lo.
ESHAN
Nahi chahiye.
RUPA
Please.
ESHAN notices her hand shaking.
ESHAN
Aap kaanp kyun rahi ho?
RUPA
Main... thodi thak gayi hoon.
DR. NAINA
Eshan, your route today included three unscheduled stops.
ESHAN
Delivery app glitch tha.
DR. NAINA
And two verbal confrontations.
ESHAN
What is this? Tracking?
DR. NAINA
Behavioral observation.
Eshan stands abruptly.
ESHAN
Meri privacy ka kya?
RUPA
(blurting)
Tumne privacy kabhi maangi hi nahi.
Eshan stares at her.
ESHAN
Main aapko jaanta hoon?
RUPA can’t meet his eyes.
RUPA
Tum mujhe... pehchaanoge.
Laptop glitches. Naina’s face freezes, then returns.
DR. NAINA
Open the file on the desktop.
ESHAN
Main kyun karun?
DR. NAINA
Because it has your name.
Eshan steps toward the laptop. Rupa shifts aside, guilty.
ON LAPTOP SCREEN: “SUBJECT E-29 / AGGRESSION RESPONSE TRIAL”
Eshan freezes.
ESHAN
Subject?
RUPA
Eshan...
ESHAN
(boiling)
Main delivery rider hoon!
Main koi test sample nahi hoon!
DR. NAINA
You were selected because you are predictable under stress.
ESHAN
Predictable?
DR. NAINA
Rain. Isolation. Delays. Perceived disrespect. Unknown woman. Locked room.
(beat)
We wanted to see what comes next.
Eshan looks around. Door locked. Curtains closed. No escape.
ESHAN
Yeh sab... setup tha?
RUPA
(teary)
Mujhe bola gaya tha tum dangerous ho sakte ho.
ESHAN
Main dangerous lagta hoon?
RUPA
Mujhe nahi pata tha tum itne... normal hoge.
That lands harder than insult.
DR. NAINA
Rupa, stay on script.
RUPA
(angry, to screen)
Script? Tum logon ka script! Mera bhi? Uska bhi?
DR. NAINA
Rupa, do not interfere.
RUPA
Main interfere nahi kar rahi. Main guilty ho rahi hoon.
A beat.
Lightning flashes. Tube light goes full bright.
ESHAN
(quiet, dangerous)
Kis cheez ka experiment?
DR. NAINA
We are building a model to predict violence before it happens.
ESHAN
Aur main?
DR. NAINA
You are the data.
Silence.
Eshan slowly picks up his cracked helmet. The helmet visor reflects the laptop screen.
In the reflection, a RED RECORDING DOT blinks.
ESHAN
(whispers)
Main yahan shelter lene aaya tha...
DR. NAINA
No, Eshan.
(beat)
You entered Stage One.
Rupa starts crying silently.
RUPA
Mujhe maaf kar do.
Eshan’s phone BUZZES.
INSERT - PHONE SCREEN: NEW NOTIFICATION - “STAGE 2 APPROVED”
Eshan stares at it.
ESHAN
Stage two?
DR. NAINA
Observed response: elevated heart rate, confrontation avoidance, then compliance.
ESHAN
Compliance?
DR. NAINA
You’re still holding the helmet.
Eshan looks at his own hand. Tight grip. White knuckles.
Outside, thunder roars.
Inside, total stillness.
ESHAN
(low)
Signal lost ka matlab yeh tha?
DR. NAINA
Signal lost means you thought you were watching the room.
(beat)
The room was watching you.
Eshan slowly turns toward the door.
Rupa and Naina watch him in silence.
The red dot keeps blinking.
FADE OUT.
THE END.
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