2 Male Actors (M + M) 5 - 8 Minutes Sci-Fi/High-Concept
Freeze Frame
Full Shooting Script in Industry Courier Monospace Format
FADE IN:
INT. BRIDAL SUITE - DAY
Soft golden daylight window se aa rahi hai. Vanity mirror ke bulbs warm glow de rahe hain. Room mein wedding décor untouched: phool, ribbons, invitation card, ek sherwani bag.
NEIL (31), casual shirt, camera strap, rumpled trousers, camera check kar raha hai.
TARIQ (31), sherwani mein, flower garland half-worn, watch baar-baar dekh raha hai.
NEIL
Thoda seedha khade ho jao. Bas ek confident look.
TARIQ
Confident? Main to abhi decide kar raha hoon
ki main is shaadi mein hoon bhi ya nahi.
Neil smirks, camera lift karta hai.
NEIL
Very funny. Mirror ke paas aa.
Tariq mirror ke paas jaata hai. Neil framing set karta hai.
NEIL (CONT'D)
Chin up. Haan. Perfect.
CLICK.
Neil camera screen dekhta hai. Uska face change.
On screen: Tariq looks composed, almost regal.
NEIL (CONT'D)
Hm. Good.
Tariq relax hota hai.
TARIQ
Dekha? Main natural hoon.
Neil takes another shot.
CLICK.
Neil screen check karta hai. His eyes narrow.
On screen: Tariq looks pale, anxious. A dark shadow near the watch.
NEIL
Weird.
TARIQ
Kya weird?
NEIL
Light. Kuch nahi.
Neil takes more photos, faster.
MONTAGE - CAMERA SCREEN IMAGES
- Tariq as a confident groom.
- Tariq terrified, sweating.
- Tariq in a wedding hall, garland fallen, hollow-eyed.
- Tariq in a hospital bed, eyes closed.
END MONTAGE
Neil freezes. He checks the memory card, then the screen again.
NEIL (CONT'D)
Yeh... yeh glitch hai.
TARIQ
Nahi.
Neil looks up.
NEIL
Kya matlab nahi?
Tariq stares at the mirror, not at Neil.
TARIQ
Maine subah se yahi dekha hai.
Neil steps closer.
NEIL
Kahan?
TARIQ
Mirror mein.
(beat)
Kabhi main dulha hota hoon.
Kabhi koi aur.
Kabhi main khush hota hoon.
Kabhi main already toot chuka hota hoon.
Neil tries to laugh it off.
NEIL
Tu serious hai?
TARIQ
Kaash mazaak hota.
Neil raises the camera again.
TARIQ (CONT'D)
Nahi. Bas.
Tariq grabs the camera barrel.
TARIQ (CONT'D)
Please. Mat dekh mujhe.
NEIL
Camera se darte ho?
TARIQ
Haan.
(beat)
Aur mirror se bhi.
Neil lowers the camera.
NEIL
Tujhe lagta hai ye future dikhata hai?
TARIQ
Future? Nahi.
Ye woh sab dikhata hai jo main pehle bhi jee chuka hoon.
Neil confused.
NEIL
Alternate timelines?
TARIQ
Shayad.
Ya main har baar wahi galti repeat karta hoon.
Neil looks at the invitation card on the table. He picks it up.
INSERT - WEDDING INVITATION
The names: NEIL and TARIQ.
Neil’s breath catches.
NEIL
Yeh...
He turns the card. Same date. Same venue.
NEIL (CONT'D)
Impossible.
Tariq finally turns to him.
TARIQ
Nahi.
Yeh bas yaad dila raha hai.
NEIL
Kya?
Tariq gestures to the mirror.
TARIQ
Ki hum yahan pehli baar nahi aaye.
Neil stares at him, shaken.
He opens the memory card on the camera.
ON CAMERA SCREEN - LAST FILE
A photo of this exact room.
Tariq in sherwani.
Neil in frame, holding camera.
Same light. Same mirror.
Neil looks up, stunned.
NEIL
Main... photo mein tha?
TARIQ
Haan.
(softly)
Har baar.
Tariq looks into the mirror.
For a moment, his reflection shows different versions of him: groom, runaway, broken man, corpse-like stillness.
Neil steps back.
NEIL
Camera future nahi dikha raha...
TARIQ
Haan.
Ye lives dikha raha hai.
Jo main already jee chuka hoon.
A distant WEDDING SHEHNAI drifts in from outside.
Neil lowers the camera completely.
NEIL
Toh ab?
Tariq adjusts his watch. Straightens the garland.
TARIQ
Ab ek photo mat lena.
(beat)
Shayad iss baar hum finally wahi jee lein
jo pehle kabhi jee nahi paaye.
Neil looks at him. Then at the camera.
He slowly turns the camera OFF.
Silence.
The mirror bulbs hum softly.
Tariq and Neil stand in the warm light, both frozen between timelines.
FADE OUT.
THE END
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