1 Male + 1 Female (M + F) 5 - 8 Minutes Mystery/Crime
The Alibi Lesson
Full Shooting Script in Industry Courier Monospace Format
FADE IN:
INT. DINER BOOTH - LATE NIGHT
Warm but harsh neon light. A quiet diner. A BUZZING NEON SIGN hums outside the window. A half-empty COFFEE POT sits on the counter.
SANJAY (39), checked shirt, expensive watch, tries to look relaxed in a vinyl booth.
Across from him sits KRITI (35), plain blazer, notebook open, pen poised. Her stare does not blink.
A beat.
SANJAY
Dekho, main zyada time waste nahi karunga.
Mujhe bas ek alibi chahiye.
KRITI
Alibi kis baat ka?
SANJAY
(smiles too quickly)
Bas... ek incident hua hai.
KRITI
Incident.
She writes that down.
KRITI (CONT'D)
Time?
SANJAY
Raat ke... 10:30 ke aas-paas.
Kriti glances at his watch.
KRITI
Interesting.
She slides a DINER RECEIPT across the table.
KRITI (CONT'D)
Yeh 11:12 ka hai.
Sanjay freezes for half a second.
SANJAY
Haan, main baad mein aaya tha.
Pehle parking mein tha.
KRITI
Parking?
Tumne toh bola tha office se seedha ghar ja rahe the.
Sanjay forces a laugh.
SANJAY
Arre, matlab... route mein tha.
KRITI
Route mein ya jhooth mein?
Silence.
The neon sign BUZZES louder for a moment.
SANJAY
Tum help karogi ya interrogation?
KRITI
Dono mein same cheez hoti hai.
She flips a page.
KRITI (CONT'D)
Victim kaun tha?
SANJAY
Ek aadmi.
KRITI
Naam?
SANJAY
Business rival.
KRITI
Naam.
SANJAY
(swallows)
Shayad... Rakesh.
KRITI
Shayad?
SANJAY
Dekho, sab kuch itna clear nahi tha.
KRITI
Tumhe alibi clear chahiye,
par victim blurry hai?
Sanjay rubs his thumb over the expensive watch.
KRITI (CONT'D)
Watch kaafi mehngi hai.
SANJAY
Gift thi.
KRITI
Kisne di?
SANJAY
(beat)
Client ne.
KRITI
Kaunsa client?
SANJAY
...Old client.
Kriti leans back, still not blinking.
KRITI
Sanjay.
SANJAY
Haan?
KRITI
Tumne abhi apna naam do baar badla hai.
Sanjay stiffens.
SANJAY
Kya?
KRITI
Pehle Sanjay. Phir Arjun.
Ab “log mujhe Sanjay kehte hain.”
Tumhara naam kya hai?
A long beat.
SANJAY
Sanjay hi hai.
KRITI
Sure?
He avoids her eyes.
SANJAY
Main bas nervous hoon.
KRITI
Nervous log details yaad rakhte hain.
Jhoothe log versions.
She closes the notebook halfway.
SANJAY
Main kisi ko maarne nahi gaya tha.
KRITI
Aha.
SANJAY
Bas... dhakka lag gaya.
KRITI
Dhakka?
SANJAY
Accident tha.
Woh gir gaya.
KRITI
Woh kaun?
SANJAY
(fast)
Rakesh.
KRITI
Abhi tak Rakesh tha?
SANJAY
Shayad nahi.
KRITI
Tum “shayad” pe jeete ho ya marte ho?
Sanjay’s jaw tightens. He looks at the coffee pot, then the receipt.
SANJAY
Tum mujhe judge kar rahi ho?
KRITI
Main tumhe test kar rahi hoon.
She turns the receipt over. On the back, handwritten:
“ONE CONFESSION = ONE CHANCE.”
Sanjay stares.
SANJAY
Yeh kya hai?
KRITI
Diner ka rule nahi hai.
Mera hai.
SANJAY
Tum investigation kar rahi thi?
KRITI
Nahi.
Main dekh rahi thi tum sach bol sakte ho ya nahi.
Sanjay leans in, alarmed.
SANJAY
Kis baat ka sach?
Kriti’s stare hardens.
KRITI
Us raat ka.
Jab tum driving seat pe the.
Jab ek aadmi mara.
Aur tumne uske baad bhi kahani badli.
Sanjay goes pale.
SANJAY
Tum kaun ho?
KRITI
Main us aadmi ki family ke liye nahi aayi.
Main tumhare liye aayi.
SANJAY
Matlab?
KRITI
Matlab yeh alibi lesson tha.
Crime se bachne ka nahi.
Guilt se bhaagne ka.
Sanjay’s eyes dart. He has nowhere to go.
SANJAY
Main... main bas...
KRITI
Haan?
He cannot finish.
Kriti closes her notebook.
KRITI (CONT'D)
One chance thi.
Tumne use bhi jhooth mein kharch kar di.
She stands.
The neon sign BUZZES.
The coffee pot sits half-empty and cold.
Sanjay remains in the booth, exposed.
SANJAY
Kriti...
She stops at the end of the booth, without turning.
KRITI
Jo naam tumne diya tha na...
Woh bhi galat tha.
She exits.
Sanjay is left alone with the receipt, his watch, and the silence.
FADE OUT.
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