The Waiting Bench

Cold fluorescent tubes buzz above a nearly empty waiting room. A WATER DISPENSER hums in the corner. A WAITING BENCH sits under a flickering corridor light.

DR. ADITYA (42), wrinkled scrubs, exhausted face, ID badge hanging loose, storms in with a stack of hospital FILES.

Behind him is RAMESH (50), thin, watchful, carrying a THERMOS and a heavy bunch of KEYS.

On the bench sits PALLAVI (34), rain-soaked sari clinging to her, pale, still, unsettlingly calm. Her eyes do not blink.

DR. ADITYA

Ramesh, yeh kaun hai? Kisne allow kiya isko yahan baithne?

Sir, main toh bas ward round ke baad dekha... yahin thi.

DR. ADITYA

“Yahin thi” ka kya matlab hota hai? Hospital waiting room hai, lounge nahi.

Pallavi slowly turns her head.

Arjun kahan hai?

A beat.

DR. ADITYA

Kaun Arjun?

Arjun kahan hai?

Ramesh looks away. Aditya notices.

DR. ADITYA

Ramesh?

Mujhe nahi pata, sir.

Aditya drops the files on a chair and walks to the file rack.

DR. ADITYA

No admission, no patient, no record. Simple.

Arjun kahan hai?

DR. ADITYA

Madam, yeh hospital hai ya aapka ringtone?

A tiny, uneasy almost-smile from Ramesh. Pallavi does not react.

Aditya opens drawers, pulls out old registers.

DR. ADITYA

Naam batao. Form fill karna padega.

Arjun kahan hai?

DR. ADITYA

Aap paani logi?

Pallavi stares at the WATER DISPENSER, but does not move.

Arjun kahan hai?

Ramesh sets the thermos down, uneasy.

Sir... aap chhod dijiye na.

DR. ADITYA

Chhod dunga? Yeh aurat kaun hai? Kya problem hai tumhari?

Ramesh falls silent.

Aditya finds an old CASUALTY REGISTER and flips pages.

DR. ADITYA

One year old files... yeh kahan se?

Sir, woh page mat kholo.

Aditya freezes.

DR. ADITYA

Kya bola?

Pallavi tilts her head, listening.

Aditya turns the page.

Brought in late.

Declared dead before admission.

Aditya’s face drains.

DR. ADITYA

Arjun... dead before admission?

Ramesh closes his eyes.

DR. ADITYA

Tumhe kaise pata tha is naam ka?

Sir... woh aayi thi. Har kuch hafton mein.

DR. ADITYA

Kaun aayi thi?

Ramesh gestures to Pallavi without looking directly at her.

Yeh.

Silence.

Pallavi finally stands. Her sari drips onto the floor, though she seems strangely dry under the fluorescent light.

Main us din uske saath thi.

DR. ADITYA

Kaun sa din?

Jab woh yahin tha.

Main bhi yahin thi.

The corridor light FLICKERS.

Aditya grips the file.

DR. ADITYA

Tumhara naam?

Pallavi looks at his ID badge.

Aapko yaad nahi?

A beat.

Sir...

DR. ADITYA

Bol.

Us raat... Arjun ko laaya gaya tha.

Aap late the.

Jab tak aap aaye, sab khatam ho chuka tha.

Aditya stares at him.

DR. ADITYA

Tumne mujhe bataya kyun nahi?

Maine bataya tha.

Par aapne file close kar di thi.

A beat. Aditya remembers.

DR. ADITYA

Companion ka naam...

Unidentified likh diya gaya tha.

Pallavi steps closer to the bench.

Main wait kar rahi thi.

DR. ADITYA

Kis ka?

Arjun ka.

She looks at the floor near the bench.

A small hospital TOKEN lies there.

Aditya bends, picks it up.

ARJUN.

Aditya’s hand trembles.

DR. ADITYA

Yeh token...

Uska tha.

Ramesh backs up a step.

Sir...

The corridor flickers again.

For one brief second, the bench seems to hold TWO SILHOUETTES beside Pallavi.

Aditya blinks.

Now only Pallavi remains.

Arjun kahan hai?

Aditya cannot answer.

Ramesh lowers his head, ashamed.

DR. ADITYA

He died here...

Pallavi’s expression does not change.

Toh phir...

Main kis ka wait kar rahi hoon?

A long, icy silence.

The fluorescent buzz grows louder.

Ramesh slowly picks up the thermos.

Aditya looks at the bench like it has become a witness.

Sir...

Kuch log mar ke bhi wait karte hain.

Aditya turns to him, horrified.

DR. ADITYA

Weeks se tum isse baat kar rahe the?

Ramesh does not answer.

Pallavi sits back down on the bench, perfectly still.

Arjun kahan hai?

The corridor light FLARES.

SMASH TO BLACK.

END.