Three Seats Away

Pale blue daylight large windows se andar aa raha hai. Ek single TUBE LIGHT buzz kar rahi hai. Plastic chairs, water cooler, tissue box, wall clock. Sterile, suspended silence.

RAGHAV (55), retired schoolteacher, soft sweater mein, ek chair par seedha baitha hai. Uski aankhen thaki hui hain, par dignified.

Uske haath mein ek WORN WATER BOTTLE hai. Wo usse kholne ki koshish karta hai, phir ruk jaata hai.

Door khulta hai.

DEV (31), formal shirt, hospital file ke saath andar aata hai. Practical haircut. Controlled breathing.

Dev Raghav ko dekhta hai. Raghav Dev ko.

Kuch pal ka silence.

Doctor ne bola hai reports abhi pending hain.

Haan.

DEV file ko tight pakad leta hai. Baithta nahi.

Main reception se puchh aaya tha. Abhi... wait karna padega.

Wait toh hum kar hi rahe hain.

Dev is line ka matlab samajh jaata hai. Koi jawab nahi deta.

Door phir khulta hai.

AMAN (28), restless posture, casual jacket, andar aata hai. Woh pehle Dev ko dekhta hai. Phir Raghav ko.

Aman ruk jaata hai. Dev bhi.

Achha. Tum dono pehle se milke baithe ho.

Agar tum time pe aate, toh “pehle se” nahi bolna padta.

Haan, kyunki tumhe toh har cheez schedule mein chahiye.

Raghav tissue box ko seedha karta hai. Dono sons use notice karte hain.

Baith jao.

Aman ek chair khinchta hai, par Dev ke opposite. Ek khali chair beech mein reh jaati hai.

Tumhe kaise pata chala?

Mujhe? Tumhare hospital file ne message bheja tha kya?

Meri maa ki tabiyat kharab hai.

Aur mujhe laga tum sirf duty karne aaoge.

Aur mujhe laga tum sirf blame karne aaoge.

Raghav sharply looks up.

Bas.

Beat.

Raghav apni wristwatch dekhta hai.

Tum dono ko lagta hai main kuch nahi dekhta tha?

Silence.

RAGHAV (CONT’D)

Main dekhta tha Dev ka har extra shift. Aman ka har missed call. Aur tumhari maa ka har chup-chaap aansu.

Aman ki aankhen neeche.

Papa...

Nahi.

Aaj “papa” nahi. Sach.

Dev file kholta hai. Paper rustle.

Ek folded NOTE neeche girta hai.

Aman uthata hai. Note kholta hai. Dev aur Raghav dono dekhte hain.

INSERT NOTE - HANDWRITTEN

“Main jaanti hoon tum dono mujhe lekar aayoge, aur phir ek doosre ko dosh doge.

Bas itna samajh lo—main ne tum dono ko alag nahi kiya.

Tum dono ne khud ko alag kiya hai.

Dev, Aman ko chhota mat samjho.

Aman, Dev ko dushman mat samjho.

Tum dono bhai ho. Pehle yeh bol do. Baaki baad mein.

Main theek hoon.

Aur tum log pehle ek baar bina ladai ke baat kar lena.”

Aman note ko dheere se neeche karta hai. Uski aankhon mein pani.

Maa ne yeh...

Haan.

Raghav ka face soften hota hai. Woh khud ko sambhalta hai.

Toh? Ab bhi blame karoge?

Dev and Aman exchange a look. Pehli baar seedha.

Main sochta tha tum ghar chhod ke bhaag gaye.

Aur main sochta tha tumne sab sambhal ke mujhe chhota bana diya.

Dev absorbs that.

Main... bas kar raha tha jo mujhe sahi laga.

Mujhe bhi.

Beat.

Raghav stands slowly. He places the water bottle on the table.

Galat yeh tha ki tumne ek doosre se poocha nahi.

A long silence.

Then, from the corridor, a faint ANNOUNCEMENT is heard. Unimportant. Life continues.

Raghav sits back down, leaving the middle chair open.

RAGHAV (CONT’D)

Abhi bhi der nahi hui.

Aman looks at Dev. Dev looks at Aman.

Aman silently offers the TISSUE BOX to Dev.

Dev, after a beat, takes it.

Dev passes the WATER BOTTLE to Raghav.

Raghav accepts it with a small nod.

The three men remain seated—three seats, finally occupied without war.

The tube light buzzes.

The dawn brightens.