3-Character Trio Cast 6 - 9 Minutes Horror/Supernatural
The Tenant on the Top Floor
Full Shooting Script in Industry Courier Monospace Format
FADE IN:
INT. OLD APARTMENT CORRIDOR - TOP FLOOR - NIGHT
Ek narrow corridor. Ek single TUBE LIGHT buzz karti hai aur flicker hoti hai. Door peepholes andhere mein chamak rahe hain. Stairwell se thandi hawa aa rahi hai.
INSPECTOR TARA (37), plain clothes, torch aur police notebook ke saath corridor mein aati hai. Practical, alert.
MRS. KHAN (59), housecoat mein, keys ko kas kar pakde hue, pehle se corridor mein khadi hai. Frightened, but stubborn.
LEENA (24), rain-damp kurta, pale chehra, quiet and unnervingly still, corridor ke end se nazar aati hai.
TARA
(dry)
Top floor ka drama yahin khatam hoga, Mrs. Khan.
Crying ki complaint hai, ya building ka talent show?
MRS. KHAN
(offended, whispering)
Madam, mazaak mat kariye. Raat ko room se
bachche jaisa rona aata hai. Aur yeh ladki...
Leena unke paas aati hai. Bilkul silent.
TARA
Aap Leena ho?
LEENA
(softly)
Haan.
TARA
Aap akeli rehti ho?
LEENA
Shayad.
Mrs. Khan irritate ho jaati hai.
MRS. KHAN
Dekha? Normal insaan aise answer deta hai?
Yeh toh... bas khadi rehti hai. Din mein bhi.
TARA
(to Mrs. Khan)
Aapko kaise pata woh din mein bhi khadi rehti hai?
Mrs. Khan chup.
Tara torch se Leena ko observe karti hai. Leena ka kurta damp hai, jaise barish mein bheeg kar seedha yahan aayi ho.
TARA
Aapko complaint kiske against hai, pata hai?
LEENA
(after a beat)
Apne against.
Tara ek pal ko ruk jaati hai.
TARA
Matlab?
LEENA
Main raat ko apne footsteps sunti hoon.
Deewar ke andar se.
(small breath)
Jaise main room mein nahi, building ke andar chal rahi hoon.
Mrs. Khan ki aankhen phat jaati hain.
MRS. KHAN
Maine bola tha na! Yeh ladki theek nahi hai!
TARA
(firm)
Mrs. Khan, panic se case solve nahi hota.
(to Leena)
Aapka room kaun sa hai?
Leena corridor ke end wale locked door ki taraf dekhti hai.
LEENA
Wohi.
Tara door ke paas jaati hai. Nameplate par faded letters. Door chain lagi hui. Lock purana hai.
TARA
Keys.
Mrs. Khan reluctantly keys deti hai.
MRS. KHAN
(warning)
Madam, is room mein jo bhi aata hai...
seedha nahi jaata.
TARA
(half-smirk)
Building ka slogan hai ya threat?
Tara key daalti hai. LOCK CLICK.
Tube light ekdum flicker karti hai.
SFX: A DISTANT CHILD-LIKE CRY? Ya shayad hawa.
Corridor ka perspective subtly shift hota hai. Door thoda aur door lagta hai.
Tara palat kar dekhti hai. Mrs. Khan aur Leena wahi hain.
Par unki shadows alag direction mein stretch ho rahi hain.
TARA
(uneasy, masking it)
Aap log yahin rahiye.
MRS. KHAN
(under breath)
Hum kahin ja bhi nahi rahe, madam.
Leena ek step aage.
LEENA
Aap logon ko bhi kabhi footsteps sunai dete hain?
TARA
Nahi.
LEENA
Achha.
(beat)
Phir shayad aap abhi tak building ke andar nahi ho.
Tara stares. Then turns the key again. The chain somehow loosens by itself.
TARA
(to herself)
Enough.
She PUSHES the door open.
INT. TOP FLOOR ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Room EMPTY.
No bed. No luggage. No tenant.
Sirf dust, ek purani khidki, aur wall par damp outline.
Tara torch sweep karti hai.
TARA
Yeh... khali hai.
Mrs. Khan doorway par aa kar dekhती hai, shaken.
MRS. KHAN
Nahi...
(whisper)
Yeh room kab se khali tha.
LEENA
(from behind Tara)
Phir bhi lock kyun tha?
Tara slowly turns.
Leena room ke andar nahi, corridor ke reflection mein dikhti hai—glass pane mein. Aur us reflection ke peeche ek SECOND SILHOUETTE khadi hai, same posture.
Tara ka face hardens, but for the first time, fear slips in.
TARA
Leena... aap kaun ho?
Leena ek faint smile.
LEENA
Main woh tenant hoon...
(beat)
jo building chhod ke gayi hi nahi.
Mrs. Khan ka haath keys se kaanp raha hai. Keys gir jaati hain.
Tara notices a MAINTENANCE REGISTER on a dusty ledge. She opens it. Last page par faded photograph: LEENA. Same face. Same age.
Under it, handwritten note:
"TOP FLOOR - LOCKED ROOM - OCCUPIED"
Tara ka torch tremble karta hai.
TARA
(stunned)
Yeh possible nahi hai...
MRS. KHAN
(crying now)
Madam, humne kaha tha na...
Yeh tenant... zinda nahi chhodi building.
Leena room ke beech mein khadi, bilkul still.
LEENA
(almost childlike)
Main toh bas apni footsteps dhoond rahi thi.
Tube light ek aakhri baar violently flicker karti hai.
SFX: A loud, hollow FOOTSTEP from inside the wall.
Tara, Mrs. Khan, freeze.
When the light steadies...
Corridor mein sirf TARA aur MRS. KHAN.
Leena gayab.
On Tara’s notebook, the last page is now written in fresh ink:
"TOP FLOOR. ROOM LOCKED. TENANT STILL INSIDE."
Tara stares at the page.
TARA
(barely a whisper)
...Kya bakwaas hai yeh?
Mrs. Khan looks at her, terrified.
MRS. KHAN
Madam...
(pointing)
Aapke peeche.
Tara slowly turns—
CUT TO BLACK.
THE END.
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