Scene 1
Field/Ext./Day
Nikhil, Anjum Bhaiya
Its evening time….Nikhil goes out to play as usual….Anjum Bhaiya too is there. Anjum Bhaiya once again asks him – lets go for an outing…Nikhil, enthusiastic as ever is about to say Yes when he us reminded of his mother’s words – Beta, you need to concentrate on your studies. There is time for everything. You play but you study as well. This is time for you to study. Nikhil’s thoughts are broken – what are you thinking? . Nikhil shows reluctance but Anjum Bhaiya is in no mood to give up today. What is this Nikhil…you never come out with us…come on today we are not listening to you. Nikhil is still hesitant, his one mind wants to go , the other mind is guilty of not studying. He is torn when Anjum Bhaiya says – Ok , you want me to speak to aunty that allows you to be spared for one day. Let me do that. Anjum Bhaiya smiles. Nikhil now decides – Its ok , I shall come today….Anjum Bhaiya pats on his back and says in a thrilling tone – That’s the spirit…come , today you will go and next time you will only ask me to take you again. I am sure you are going to enjoy. Together they leave on a bike.
Scene 1A
While sitting on bike, Nikhil looks towards his home. From his POV we see a very nicely built bunglow.
Cut
Scene 2
Nikhil’s Home/Int./Day
Mother is waiting at home. She is doing her Sandhya puja. Her puja nears the end. Phone rings in the background. She does not get up. Phone rings and stops. She continues with her puja. Phone rings again. She is done with her puja. She gets up and takes the call.
Mother – Hello
Father – where were you? Why were you not picking your call?
Mother – Was doing Sandhya puja.
Father – I am sure….where is Nikhil?
Mother – Gone out to play…time for him to return….
Father – hmmmm….
Mother – you sound tensed ….did the call came again?
Father (tensed) – Yes
Mother – So then ? We cannot give away our land …its ancestor’s land
Father – But how long can we prolong? I am thinking….they are dangerous people…Builders are… ok…let me think over it
Mother – If the property is becoming so much a matter of concern then it’s better to do away with…we cannot be living under threat everyday
Father – yes, I agree…still let me think…Let me come back we shall discuss and take a call soon….let me consult the lawyer as well….till now we haven’t….
Mother – Ok …come soon and be careful…
Scene 3
Nikhil is enjoying himself on bike….he is enjoying the bike ride…Anjum Bhaiya then stops at a place. It’s a residential area. Nikhil asks him – why did you stop? , Anjum Bhaiya says casually – One of my friend will also join us…Nikhil says – ok…..the friend comes and Anjum Bhaiya introduces him to Nikhil – He is Sudhir…My dear friend and they shake a hand. …
All three sit and they ask Nikhil to sit in middle. Nikhil agrees. Soon the bike seems flying on the road and we see dusk turning to dark. Nikhil realizes that they are leaving the city and are at outskirts. Nikhil says – Anjum Bhaiya , we must return now…its getting dark. Mummy will get worried…I must return home now…let’s not go any further. Anjum Bhaiya relaxes him – Are chillax boy…enjoy the fun while it lasts ….and we show Nikhil getting tensed now …Sudhir gets closer and Nikhil now senses some danger and he goes in an alert mode.
Scene 4 :
Mother is waiting at balcony….She sees sky getting darker and does not find any kid outside…She is worried now on where has Nikhil gone. She immediately closes the doors and leaves for the playing field, which isn’t very far.
Scene 5 :
Nikhil now tries to get down from bike but his hands are held tightly by Sudhir. On bike, a small tussle is taking place. Bike loses balance slightly. Sudhir now hits Nikhil and Nikhil goes unconscious.
Scene 6:
Mother is knocking the doors of 2 -3 kids who used to play with Nikhil. 3 of them show ignorance. Mother is getting desperate now. She is thinking the worst. Finally the fourth kid tells her that he saw Nikhil leaving with Anjum Bhaiya. Taking that kid with her, she leaves for Anjum Bhaiya’s home.
Scene 7
Nikhil is lying in a hut unconscious. He opens his eyes and finds himself in an abandoned hut in an obscure area. He shakes his head to come back to senses. He looks here and there and is terrified now. He sees a window. He moves there and tries opening that window but the window is completely jammed. He is unable to open the door. He feels frustrated.
Scene 8
Mother asks Anjum Bhaiya’s mother about Anjum’s whereabouts. Anjum’s mother pleads ignorance and says – I have no clue. HE keeps roaming here and there and I really have no clue where he goes.
Mother gets upset and says – You have no idea where your son is? What kind of mother you are?
Anjum’s mother goes silent for a moment and then in an offended tone says – My son is a grown up boy. I don’t need to keep a tab on him…Now you may leave…
Mother changes her stance and pleads – Please understand, my son is missing. He was last seen with your son. I think he may help me out…could you help me out please?
Anjum’s mother understands and says – Once he come, we shall come to your home and let you know….Mother says – I shall wait anxiously…
While she turns, Anjum is seen coming.
Nikhil’s playmate tells Mother – he is the one …he is Anjum Bhaiya….
Mother moves towards him expectantly…
Mother – You know Nikhil…right ?
Anjum says – Yes I do know him.
He looks bit uncomfortable. – Why?
Mother – My son is missing….he was last seen with you…(she is observing his uncomfortable self) ….
Anjum – Seen with me means what ? You think I am responsible for him going missing?
Mother controls her anxiety, tension and maintaining her composure says – I never said that he has gone missing. Did I ?
Anjum is caught but he composes himself and says – the way you asked meant same….
Mother – I do not mean that …I am just asking because I am told that he left with you….
Now, Anjum is caught, yet he says – Yes I did drop him to one of his friend’s place, he wanted to get some notes from his friend and he asked me to drop him to friend’s place on my bike. I just did that….
Mother – Where? Which area ? Could you help me with that ?
(She is observing him) …
Anjum says – Sorry…he only led me there and I cannot take you there since even I am confused with the way…Sorry…I am of no help…
Mother very casually says – I hope you are telling the truth because your body language is saying something else….I am old enough to understand when a person lies…But I do tell you one thing – If any harm comes in my son’s way and I get the inkling that you were by any which way involved in it….Trust me and my faith in God – You will not be spared and you will face the consequence of same …
Anjum gets offended and says – You are trying to threaten me ….is it?
Mother says – No , I AM JUST WARNING….I BELIEVE IN MY GODDESS DURGA AND KNOW THAT NO HARM WILL BE DONE TO MY SON…BUT ANYONE TRYING TO HARM MY SON WILL NOT GO UNSCATHED…..THAT’S MY FAITH…
Interval
Scene 9
Nikhhil sees a small stone kept there. He breaks the window. The men outside hear the noise and quickly come to open the door. They rush in and see the cracked window. They rush to window and look in the direction. Nikhil is seen running at far.
Scene 10
We see a man talking on phone. Haan Satyendra Ji. Achchha….haan…theek hai hum yahin wait karte hain….
Scene 11
Mother is seen in front of Goddess statue at her home. She is doing akhand jaap. The lamp is burning and she is continuously doing puja with mantrochhar with tears coming out of her eyes. Her eyes fixated on Goddess though. The entire room is full of smoke and one can see only her face and hand movement with aarti thaal. The mantrochhar fills the entire environment. She is doing maha mrityunjay jaap and at the end she faints.
Scene 12
Nikhil is being beaten up badly. He is bruised yet the men are beating him up with boots like a football. The men beating him are saying – you rascal, your father is not listening to our requests. We have been asking him to sell the vast empty area to us. We were not even asking for free though we can take it away forcefully any day. We still took the right path, sane way and tried to break deal. We were willing to pay huge sum of money…but your father is so stubborn…now we will see what will he do with that land…he is willing to lose out on son but not on the land that is of no use to him…are we will make residential colony, so many people will get home….we are doing service to humanity…why can’t he help us in that? He wanted to pay the price , let him pay the price….he might be the rich man but once he loses out on his son..he will be the poorest man around….and you ..you thought some kind of movie is being made where you can run away and will not be caught either….they are staged in movies…we are trained…even if a bird makes a sound…we know….don’t you dare run away….your decision will be taken soon….Nikhil has no strength left and amidst all these sound and being beaten continuously make his heart go weak and he cries out in pain – Maaaaaaaaa….his voice echoes
Scene 13
With echo sound of Nikhil saying – Ma, we reveal that the hut is at an obscure place and his sound faints in the air.
Scene 14:
And we see few policemen encircling the hut. We reveal that police has come around the hut and along with them are mother and father. Mother’s eyes have welled up in anticipation and she is continuously praying silently.
Scene 15
Nikhil is almost in an unconscious state now and he can only see a blurry vision of a man who is looking at him and smiling. We hear a gun shot and Nikhil closes his eyes.
Scene 16
Blank screen and we hear ambulance sounds….we open and find Doctors trying to resuscitate Nikhil. They are trying to give him shock….the minute pass and one of the nurse says – time is over Sir…Doctor looks at his watch and turns in slight frustration.
Scene 17
Doctor comes to mother and says – Sorry we could not save him.
Mother listens and moves away in shock. She walks down the corridor and comes outside hospital. Her walk is that of a woman lost. She reaches a mandir built outside hospital. She enters and in front of Devi starts crying.
Her VO goes – I have been your devotee…I can never question you. I believe in you and I trust that if I have lost my son today…you must have thought something good…however I am a human being and react or respond on what I see and hear. The truth for me now is that I have lost my son…and all I can think now is that I had only one son ….and I have lost that son….just like that…for no reason that I could see….and all I could think of is crying …..so I am crying
She breaks down….she is only crying and one of her tear falls on Goddess’ leg. There is a twinkle and light spreads.
Scene 18
That’s same light travels to Nikhil’s heart and light spreads once again…Nikhil suddenly makes a movement and the nurse making report looks at the movement with amazement.
Scene 19 :
Anjum Bhaiya is seen entering the jail. So is his friend. We see mother looking from far along with Nikhil and his father.
The VO of mother runs : I am sure my son cannot be harmed but I am also sure that the person who will try to harm my son will not go unscathed.
FREEZE