3-Character Trio Cast 6 - 9 Minutes Mystery/Crime
The Landlord’s Daughter
Full Shooting Script in Industry Courier Monospace Format
FADE IN:
INT. APARTMENT CORRIDOR - EVENING
Narrow corridor. Weak TUBE LIGHT flickers. Stairwell se yellow spill. Padosi TVs ke muffled sounds. Ek LOCKED FLAT ke bahar door chain latak rahi hai. Mail slot purana aur bent.
SIDDHARTH (40), office clothes, guarded, polite, aankhon se bachkar khada hai.
Achaanak FLAT ke andar se ek GHUTI HUI SCREAM.
Siddharth freeze.
Door chain hilti hai.
REKHA (45), house slippers, stern bun, keys ko weapon ki tarah pakde corridor mein aati hai.
REKHA
Kya dekh rahe ho?
SIDDHARTH
Main... scream suni thi.
REKHA
TV ka sound hoga.
SIDDHARTH
Itna clear?
REKHA
Yahan sabko sunayi deta hai. Sach kisi ko nahi sunta.
Siddharth keys par nazar daalta hai.
SIDDHARTH
Flat mein kaun hai?
REKHA
Meri beti. Ira. Aur woh theek hai.
IRA (22), college jacket, nervous, observant, corridor mein aati hai. Sleeve ko neeche khinchti hai.
IRA
Mujhe kuch nahi hua.
Siddharth uske wrist par bruise ka ek glimpse pakad leta hai.
SIDDHARTH
Aap theek ho?
REKHA
Usse kaam se kaam rakho.
IRA
Kaam? Funny.
REKHA
(beat)
Apni hadd mein raho.
SIDDHARTH
Scream ke baad police call kar sakta tha.
REKHA
Kar dete.
IRA
Kar dete na. Shayad sach bahar aa jata.
Rekha ghoorti hai.
REKHA
Phone do.
Siddharth calm.
SIDDHARTH
Mera phone mere paas hi rahega.
Ira corridor ke kone se BROOM uthati hai. Zameen par ek thok.
IRA
Maa, keys se dar lagta hai ya sach se?
REKHA
Bakwaas band karo.
Siddharth mail slot ke paas jhukta hai. Ek ENVELOPE neeche girti hai.
REKHA
Woh mat chhoona!
Ira envelope pehle utha leti hai.
IRA
Too late.
Woh envelope kholti hai. Cash bundles. Rent receipts. Kuch papers.
Silence.
REKHA ka face tight.
IRA
Yeh rent ka paisa nahi tha, maa.
REKHA
Woh ghar ke liye tha.
IRA
Ghar ke liye? Ya apne liye?
REKHA
Maine sambhala hai sab kuch.
IRA
Mujhe sambhalna bhool gayi.
Siddharth dheere se.
SIDDHARTH
Main shayad galat waqt par galat jagah tha.
IRA
Nahi. Aap sahi waqt par the.
Ira phone nikaalti hai. Voice recorder ON.
REKHA
Kya kar rahi ho?
IRA
Proof.
SIDDHARTH
Proof of what?
IRA
Scream fake thi.
Beat.
Siddharth stunned.
IRA (CONT'D)
Maine aur Siddharth ne signal diya tha. Taaki aap react karo.
REKHA
Tumne isse involve kiya?
SIDDHARTH
Mujhe bataya nahi gaya tha.
IRA
Aapne bhi poocha nahi.
Rekha keys ko aur tight pakadti hai.
REKHA
Tum dono pagal ho.
IRA
Nahi. Bas thak gaye hain.
Ira papers spread karti hai.
IRA (CONT'D)
Yeh cash missing nahi tha. Yeh receipts aur property papers missing the. Aap Siddharth ko illegal eviction se nikalna chahti thi. Deposit bhi apne naam.
Siddharth finally Rekha ko directly dekhta hai.
SIDDHARTH
Main time pe rent deta raha.
REKHA
(beat; defensive)
Ghar bachana tha.
IRA
Ghar bachane ke chakkar mein mujhe tod diya.
Rekha ka gussa thoda crack hota hai.
REKHA
Tere baap ke baad...
IRA
Mera bruise bhi usi ka hissa hai?
A heavy silence.
Siddharth steps back, processing.
SIDDHARTH
Toh scream help nahi thi.
IRA
Signal thi.
REKHA
Kis cheez ka?
IRA
Ki chori kaun kar raha hai. Aur kis se.
Rekha ki eyes flicker to the envelope.
REKHA
Main ne kuch chori nahi ki.
IRA
Toh keys kyun kaanp rahi hain?
Siddharth, low.
SIDDHARTH
Main witness ban gaya.
IRA
Nahi.
(soft)
Aap proof ban gaye.
Tube light flickers hard.
Ira envelope Siddharth ko deti hai.
IRA (CONT'D)
Rakh lijiye.
Siddharth takes it.
REKHA slowly door chain kholti hai. CHAIN CLINK.
Andar se koi awaaz nahi. Sirf TVs aur stairwell wind.
Siddharth looks at Ira. Ira gives a small nod.
Siddharth looks at Rekha. Rekha looks away.
SIDDHARTH
Good night.
He exits frame into the dim corridor.
Ira stays. Rekha stands with keys in hand, now less like a weapon, more like evidence.
FADE OUT.
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