The Wrong Funeral

Muted beige walls. Soft overhead light. A single casket draped in flowers. Closed curtains. Incense in the air. Eerie, respectful stillness.

DETECTIVE MEENAL (38), plain formal wear, sharp eyes, notepad in hand, steps in.

SAIRA (34), in black attire, immaculate makeup, stands near the casket — composed, but guarded.

IRA (29), simple salwar suit, grief-stricken, clutching a handbag and a folded death certificate, stands by the door.

Saira ji? Main Detective Meenal. Ek body identification issue pe baat karni hai.

Haan. Lekin issue bas paperwork ka hai, madam. Body ka nahi.

Paperwork? Aap logon ne meri behen ka body galat family ko dikha diya.

Meenal looks at Ira, then at the casket.

Aap kaun hain?

Ira opens the folded death certificate with trembling hands.

Ira. Aur yeh death certificate meri behen, Nida ka hai.

Main usko pehchaan sakti hoon.

Madam, kabhi kabhi forms mix ho jaate hain. File number galat ho gaya hoga.

File number galat, body same... ya body galat, file same?

Saira doesn't answer.

Meenal steps to the guest register on the side table, flips pages.

Yahan do families ke signatures ek hi time pe?

Log upset hote hain. Jaldi mein sign kar dete hain.

Main jaldi mein nahi thi. Maine jo face dekha, woh meri behen ka nahi tha.

Aap grief mein hain. Aisa lag sakta hai.

Grief mein bhi wrist ka burn mark yaad rehta hai!

Beat.

Meenal looks up sharply.

Burn mark?

Left wrist pe. Purana. Nida ke wrist pe tha.

Jo body aapne dikhayi... usmein nahi tha.

Saira's jaw tightens.

Morgue access kis-kis ke paas hai?

Sirf authorized staff.

Aur records edit kaun karta hai?

Aap mujhe accuse kar rahi hain?

Main sawal pooch rahi hoon.

Ira notices an ENVELOPE tucked near the casket flowers. She picks it up.

Yeh kya hai?

She opens it. Insurance claim forms. Multiple signatures. A note inside.

“Body release after payment confirmation.”

Interesting.

Nida pe insurance policy thi?

Aur family ko bataya nahi gaya.

Saira turns away a fraction too quickly.

Aapko kya pata tha, Saira?

Funerals mein kaafi cheezein hoti hain. Aapko proof chahiye, suspicion nahi.

Meenal moves to the casket, gently removes the flower garland.

Under it: a SMALL MORTUARY TAG.

She inspects it closely.

Fresh ink.

She compares the tag with the death certificate.

Tray number mismatch hai.

Matlab... body swap?

Lagta hai.

Saira exhales, finally losing composure.

Main bas... forms process karti thi. Upar se instructions aati thi.

Upar se kaun?

Saira doesn't answer.

Meenal opens the guest register, tears out a page, and finds another hidden tag beneath it.

Do tags. Same mortuary code.

Do bodies. Ek file.

Double claim.

Ira stares at the casket, devastated and furious.

Meri behen ko file bana diya?

Aur body ko paperwork.

Saira breaks.

Swap yahin hua tha. Morgue mein.

Bodies ko kabhi kabhi wrong family ko dikhaya jaata tha... taaki signatures mil jaayein.

Phir asli body dusri file mein chali jaati.

Insurance ke liye?

Haan.

Silence.

Meenal closes her notepad.

Toh yeh paperwork mistake nahi tha.

Yeh inside job tha.

Main akeli nahi thi.

Woh ab baad mein.

Pehle record sahi hoga.

Ira steps closer to the casket, holding the death certificate to her chest.

Nida ka naam... sahi likhna.

Meenal nods.

Likha jaayega.

The three women stand in the still room — detective, mourner, and the woman who helped hide the truth.

The incense hangs in the air.

The casket remains closed.

But the lie is open.