The Silent Witness

Ek chhota sa kitchen. Table ko interview setup bana diya gaya hai. Single PENDANT LAMP upar se latak raha hai. Window ke bahar baarish. Table par RECORDER, FILE FOLDER, do TEA CUPS, aur ek APARTMENT KEY.

INSPECTOR ARVIND (43), raincoat pehne, stern face, notebook haath mein. INSPECTOR MOHIT (39), clean shave, careful eyes, recorder aur file folder ke saath. KAVYA (35), elegant, bandaged wrist, calm but visibly tense.

Recorder ON.

Time kya hai, madam?

Raat ka. Aur baarish ka.

Smart answer. Par hum weather report nahi likh rahe.

Inspector Arvind, thoda soft.

Soft logon ko murder cases mein nahi bhejte.

Kavya ek chhota sa, almost involuntary smile deti hai.

Aap dono mein se kaun good cop hai?

Aaj hum dono busy hain.

Chaliye. Aapne call kiya tha. Bola ki wall ke paar murder suna.

Haan.

Kaunsi wall?

Yeh wali.

Kavya side wall ki taraf ishara karti hai.

Aur awaaz kiski thi?

Ek aadmi ki. Saans ghut rahi thi. Phir ek thud. Phir... khamoshi.

Time?

9:15.

Arvind notebook mein likhta hai. Mohit recorder dekhte hue uski aankhon ko observe karta hai.

Pehle bhi bola tha 9:20.

Shayed.

Shayed?

Baarish mein time bhi bhig jaata hai, Inspector.

Mohit chhoti si hansi rok leta hai.

Nice. Par humein exact chahiye.

Exact hota toh murder bhi exact hota.

Arvind table par haath maarta hai.

Humein smartness nahi, sach chahiye.

Sach hi de rahi hoon.

Poora?

Jo bach gaya hai.

Mohit file folder kholta hai.

Aapke paas apartment key kaise aayi?

Kavya key ko dekhti hai. Phir Mohit ko.

Kyunki main yahan aayi thi.

Kab?

Jab awaaz suni.

Aur andar nahi gayi?

Dar gayi thi.

Ya kisi ko andar se nikalne diya?

Kavya ki nazar Arvind par tik jaati hai.

Aap bahut assumptions karte hain, Inspector.

Aur aap bahut rehearsed lag rahi hain.

Arvind.

Kya? Dekh nahi raha? Story mein holes hain.

Haan. Jaise aapki file mein.

Mohit ek beat ke liye Kavya ko dekhta hai.

Aap bandage kyun pehne ho?

Kavya wrist ko cover karti hai.

Gir gayi thi.

Ya kisi ne giraya?

Aap dono ko har cheez mein violence kyun dikhai deti hai?

Kyunki aap humein yahan baitha ke aadhi raat ko tea pila rahi hain.

Tea mein zehar nahi hai, Inspector.

Kaise pata?

Kyunki agar hota, toh aap pehle hi bol chuke hote.

Mohit tea cup ko side mein rakh deta hai.

Chaliye. Ye apartment kis ka hai?

Mere bhai ka.

Arvind aur Mohit ek saath dekhte hain.

Aapne pehle nahi bataya.

Aapne poocha nahi.

Naam?

Sameer.

Arvind ke chehre par ek micro-reaction.

Sameer... Sharma?

Kavya ki aankhon mein ek spark.

Aapko yaad hai?

Bohot logon ke naam yaad hote hain.

Nahi. Aapko kuch naam nahi bhoolte.

Silence.

Mohit recorder ko pause karke rewind karta hai.

Ek second.

Recorder se faint, distorted audio.

RECORDER (V.O.)

...usko pata chal gaya tha...

Arvind ka chehra sakht.

Yeh edit hai.

Nahi. Yeh live pickup hai.

Main sirf witness nahi hoon.

Toh kya ho?

Kavya slowly apna bandaged wrist table par rakhti hai. Calm.

Victim ki behen.

Mohit file folder mein kuch dekhne lagta hai.

Sameer ki sister... Kavya.

Haan.

Toh phir yeh drama kyun?

Drama nahi. Trap.

Kis ke liye?

Kavya seedha Arvind ko dekhti hai.

Aapke liye.

Mohit ka head up.

Arvind?

Bakwaas.

Sameer ne marne se pehle ek naam bola tha.

Kaunsa naam?

Aapka.

Beat.

Baarish aur tez.

Yeh jhooth hai.

Nahi. Jhooth woh tha jo aapne file mein likha tha.

Mohit file folder kholta hai. Andar ek purani COMPLAINT COPY aur ek PHOTO.

Yeh kya hai?

Arvind ka face drain ho jaata hai.

Mohit, woh file mat kholo.

Kyun?

Kavya quietly apartment key pick karti hai.

Kyunki is key se aap yahan aaye. Aur yahan aapka sach band hai.

Main kuch nahi chhupa raha.

Phir recorder ke saamne bol dijiye.

Mohit recorder ON karta hai.

Inspector Arvind... aap kya chhupa rahe ho?

Arvind Mohit ko dekhta hai. Phir Kavya ko. Phir window ki baarish ko.

Main... main bas...

Bas kya?

Arvind tootne lagta hai.

Us case ko... dabaya tha.

Mohit freeze.

Kis case ko?

Sameer ka.

Kavya ki aankhon mein aansu nahi, bas relief.

Bas.

Main nahi chahta tha ki baat bahar aaye.

Kis baat ki?

Cover-up ki.

Silence. Recorder keeps rolling.

Mere bhai ne marne se pehle kuch nahi bola tha.

Main uski khamoshi laayi hoon.

Mohit recorder stop karta hai.

Arvind ko samajh aa chuka hai.

Tumne murder stage kiya?

Haan.

Kyun?

Taaki ek guilty aadmi khud bol de.

Kavya Arvind ko dekhti hai.

Aur bol diya.

Baarish ki awaaz. Pendant lamp ka halka jhilmilana.

Arvind silent. Mohit stunned.