ARJUN vs ZAHEER

[Greenwood]

Update 76



DELHI DAY OUT — SHANU & ZAHEER
TIME: NEXT MORNING, AROUND 10:00 AM
LOCATION: DELHI — STREETS, SHOPS, & LAUGHTER
Ek halka sa dhoop bhara subah, lekin hawa mein ek chilled sa excitement.
Zaheer ek cap ulta pehne, camera neck pe latkaye nikalta hai guest house se. Shanu cotton ka breezy kurta pehne, sunglasses lagaye uske peeche chal rahi hoti hai.
Zaheer
Tu late hi hoti hai. Mujhe laga main tujhe uthane gaya hoon,
Shanu (grinning)
Kya karein, Delhi me dosti bhi street smart honi chahiye.
SCENE: JANPATH MARKET — 11:00 AM
Loud colors. Chatpati bargaining. Street vendors ki awaaz.
Zaheer ek kurta stall ke saamne khada try kar raha hota hai.
Shanu
Yeh blue wala le le, isme tu less coach aur zyada cousin ki shaadi me dancer lagega.
Zaheer
Waise tujhe kya lagta hai, main dancer ban jaun?
Shanu
Pehlay thoda tu jeans dhang se pehnna seekh le, phir discuss karenge.
Dono ek dusre par choodi, jhumke, stole try karte hain… ek dusre ke liye nahi, sirf hassi ke liye. Zaheer ek golgappa stall ki taraf point karta hai.
Zaheer
Tu khila rahi hai ya main har baar sponsor hoon?
Shanu
chalo 1-1 golgappa race?
CUT TO: GOLGAPPA COUNTER
Golgappa wala shocked hai ki dono ek dusre se compete kar rahe hain. Zaheer aankh bandh karke paani puri kha raha hai, Shanu beech beech mein hasi chhupa rahi hai.
Zaheer (mouth full)
Paani thoda kam teekha bolo bhai… jal gaya hoon main!
Shanu (laughing uncontrollably)
Bas, tu toh ekdum viral video material hai!
SCENE: DELHI HAAT — 1:30 PM
Shanu aur Zaheer ethnic craft stalls me ghus gaye hain. She picks up a hand-painted jhola.
Zaheer
Yeh kya hai? Jungle book part 3 ka poster?
Shanu
Artist ki kalpana hai. Kuch bhi bol mat.
Zaheer
Tere jaisa hi hai… bright, confusing, aur sabka dhyan khinch leta hai.
Shanu thoda ruk ke usse dekhti hai. Aur phir aankh maar ke kehti hai—
Shanu
Bohot line maarne lage ho aajkal,
Zaheer (mock serious)
Main original hoon. Influence nahi deta, impact karta hoon.
SCENE: INDIA COFFEE HOUSE — 3:00 PM
Old-college vibe, filter coffee, wooden chairs.
Shanu ek purani diary kholti hai, kuch sketch bana rahi hoti hai. Zaheer coffee stir karte hue use silently dekh raha hota hai.
Zaheer
Sketch kis ka ban rahi ho?
Shanu (half smile)
Ek dost. Jo kabhi kabhi annoy karta hai… lekin Delhi jaisa hai… chaos me bhi fun.
Zaheer (softly)
Toh tu bhi Delhi jaise hai… thoda loud, thoda crazy… but yaad rehne layak.
Ek lamha rukta hai. Coffee ke beech ek khamoshi, jo zaroori thi.
SCENE: SUNSET VIEW — INDIA GATE LAWNS — 5:30 PM
Sunset ke saath Shanu aur Zaheer ek thali le kar lawn me baith gaye hain. Butter naan aur paneer ke beech ho raha hai dosti ka digestion.
Shanu
Tu aise hi hai ya Delhi ne kuch extra swag de diya?
Zaheer
Jis sheher me tu saath ho, wahan thoda swag toh banta hai.
Shanu aankhon me uski taraf dekhti hai… lekin kuch nahi kehti. Sirf ek bite uske plate me daal deti hai silently.
MUSIC MONTAGE — VIBEY TRANSITION
Dono metro ke glass ke bahar dekhte hue headphones share kar rahe hain.
Selfie lete waqt ek chaat wale ke saath photo photobomb ho jaata hai.
Ek kapde ki dukaan me dono ek dusre ke upar kapda lapet ke naach rahe hote hain.
LAST SHOT — METRO PLATFORM — NIGHT TIME
Zaheer aur Shanu side by side khade hote hain. Metro ke aane ki aawaaz door se aa rahi hoti hai.
Zaheer
Yeh din repeat kar sakte hain?
Shanu
Nahi… next time upgrade karenge. Goa?
Zaheer smiles.
Metro aati hai… aur dono uss bheed me kho jaate hain.
FADE OUT.
[b]DELHI RAILWAY STATION – NIGHT DEPARTURE[/b]
TIME: 11:45 PM
TRAIN TO JAIPUR
Platform thoda khamosh tha. Midnight ke kareeb ki thakaan hawa mein ghuli hui thi, lekin station ki roshni ab bhi apne jazbe mein jagmag kar rahi thi. Train ready thi, green signal mil chuka tha.
Zaheer ek arm bag uthaye, aage badhkar Shanu ke liye reserved seat pe blanket set karta hai. Coach ke andar already college ke do staff members settle ho chuke hote hain – ek ne newspaper thela banake pillow bana liya, doosra ek corner me earpods laga ke aankhein bandh kiye baitha hota hai.
Shanu thoda daant kar bolti hai
Shanu
Tujhe lagta hai tu bada gentleman ban gaya hai?
Zaheer (thoda muskara ke)
Jab se tune compliment diya tha Delhi wale kurte wale look pe… tab se thoda improve karne ki koshish kar raha hoon.
Shanu usse side me dhakka deke window seat le leti hai. Zaheer hass ke uske bag ko adjust karta hai, phir khud bhi uske paas baith jaata hai.
TRAIN STARTS MOVING
Dono ke pair thoda thoda chill lagne lagte hain, toh Zaheer ek bada kambal nikaal ke dono pe wrap kar leta hai.
Kambal ke andar, unke haath ek doosre ko dhoondh lete hain.
Unki ungliyan ek doosre me halke se ulajh jaati hain — bina kisi zaroorat ke explanation ke.
Zaheer (softly)
Kaafi kuch ho gaya in 3-4 dino mein na?
Shanu (smiling)
Pehle toh laga tha boring honi wali trip hai… lekin phir Dilli ne sab plan ulta kar diya.
Zaheer
India Gate… golgappe… tu sketch bana rahi thi coffee house mein…
Shanu
…aur tu bina bataye photo le raha tha. Mujhe maloom hai.
Zaheer thoda jhuk ke kehta hai
Zaheer
Woh candid tha. Artist ko candid mein hi khoobsurat dikhte ho.
Shanu uski taraf dekh kar aankhon se kuch kehna chahti hai… par keh nahi paati. Sirf uska haath aur tight ho jaata hai.
MUSIC FADES IN – LOW INSTRUMENTAL PIANO
FLASHBACKS (SOFTLY OVERLAID ON SCREEN):
– Zaheer and Shanu laughing during golgappa competition
– Metro me ek headphone share karte waqt chhoti si jhatak se dono ka sir mil jaata hai
– Shanu ki diary me Zaheer ka sketch
– India Gate ke saamne dono ki ice cream waali baat
– Delhi Haat me rang birange kapdon ke beech ek dusre ko khojne jaise pal
BACK TO TRAIN – NIGHT
Kambal ke andar woh dono ab ek dusre ki taraf slight lean kar ke baithe hote hain.
Zaheer ka sir Shanu ke kandhe pe aa jata hai. Shanu uski taraf dheere se jhuk ke, cheek pe apna head rest kar leti hai.
Kambal ke neeche dono ke haath ab bhi ek dusre ke haathon me locked hote hain… warm, quiet, still.
Train platform se nikal chuki hoti hai… khidki ke baahar Delhi ki roshni dheere dheere peeche chhootti ja rahi hoti hai.
[b]FADE OUT — TRAIN’S SOUND FADING INTO NIGHT[/b]
[b][b]MIDNIGHT — AMMU KI CHHAT PAR[/b][/b]
TIME: 1:15 AM
Sky full of stars. Summer wind thoda halka. City ki awaazein ab sirf door ka ek faint hum ban gayi hain. Chhat pe ek chhoti si string light jhalak rahi hai. Arjun slowly upar aata hai… haath me two ice creams ka box aur ek chhoti plastic spoon ka packet.
Ammu chhat ke kone pe railing se tik ke baithi hoti hai. Hair tied in a bun. Ek white kurta pehna hai aur uski aankhon me ek shaant si thakan. Arjun ke kadam ki awaz sunte hi woh peeche mud kar dekhti hai.
Ammu
Itni raat… ice cream?
Arjun (thoda cheeky)
Kuch pal sirf thandak ke saath ache lagte hain… aur kuch bas tere saath.
Woh uske paas aake baith jaata hai. Ice cream ka box kholta hai aur ek spoon uske haath me pakda deta hai. Ammu kuch nahi kehti… bas ek chhoti si muskaan
Dono kuch der bina bole ice cream khate hain. Sky ki taraf dekhte hue.
Phir Arjun dheere se bolta hai
Arjun
Woh raat…
Ammu ki aankhon me woh yaad jaag jaati hai. Ice cream ka spoon haath me hi ruka reh jaata hai.
Arjun (continuing)
Woh raat… meri life ki sabse saaf raat thi. Jahan sab kuch tha… par kuch bhi nahi tha.
Ammu (softly)
Sab kuch… matlab?
Arjun uski taraf dekh ke halke se hansa
Arjun
Tu thi… ek bistar tha… tu mere itne kareeb thi ki teri saansen bhi alag se sun sakta tha.us raat main tujhe deserve karta tha.
Ammu ka chehra slowly blush se bhara jaata hai. Woh aankhen jhuka leti hai, par uski muskaan rukti nahi.
Ammu
Mujhe laga tu so gaya tha…
Arjun (laughs softly)
Nahi. Puri raat main bas tujhe dekh raha tha… ek aur baar kho jaata toh shayad wapas nahi milti.
Ammu uski taraf dekh kar sirf ek word bolti hai
Ammu
Stupid.
Woh dono thoda hansi me baat ko dilute kar dete hain. Ek comfort wali khamoshi inke beech aake baith jaati hai.
Arjun slowly apni jeans ki pocket se ek folded cigarette nikaalta hai.
Woh ek puff leta hai, aur aasman ki taraf smoke chhodta hai.
Camera pulls back.
Dono ek doosre ke paas baith ke thandi ice cream aur raat ki khamoshi share kar rahe hain. Ek door si train ki seeti aati hai. Koi alarm nahi, koi tension nahi. Bas ek quiet confession
[b][b]FADE OUT[/b][/b]
[b][b][b]EARLY MORNING — JAIPUR RAILWAY STATION[/b][/b][/b]
TIME: 5:35 AM
Platform par thoda rush hai, but morning ki halki-halki roshni mein sab kuch soft aur sleepy lag raha hai. Train se utarte waqt Zaheer ek hath se trolley bag kheench raha hota hai, dusre se apna backpack adjust kar raha hota hai. Shanu ne ek oversized hoodie pehna hai, baal loosely tied, aankhon mein neend ke nishaan par chehre pe ek sukoon bhari muskaan.
Taxi stand tak bina zyada baat kiye dono chal rahe hote hain.
Shanu (thoda neck stretch karte hue)
Bas ghar pahuch jaayein… toh ek proper bed pe letne ka mann hai.
Zaheer (thoda muskura ke)
Aur main toh sirf tujhe dekh ke thakawat bhool gaya tha.
Shanu uski taraf sideways glance leti hai… kuch kehti nahi, bas aankhon se hi keh jaati hai: stop being cheesy, idiot.
Taxi ride mein dono ek hi seat pe side-by-side. Kambal ab nahi hai, lekin unke beech ki warmth jaag rahi hai. Jaipur ki sadkon par taxi dheere-dheere chali ja rahi hai, aur dono window se sheher ki familiar galliyan dekhte hain… jaise kisi long dream ke baad apne ghar laut rahe ho.
CUT TO: STREET OUTSIDE THEIR HOUSES
Taxi rukti hai. Shanu aur Zaheer ke ghar paas-paas hain.
Taxi se utarte hain. Ghar abhi pura jaag nahi raha, but kitchen se kahin chai ka pehla boil hota hua sunayi deta hai.
Shanu bag uthate hue kehti hai
Shanu
Tera ghar idhar... mera udhar…
Zaheer (softly)
But tera chehra... woh yahin reh gaya hai mere saath.
Shanu ek second ke liye ruki. Uske steps thoda slow hue. Woh Zaheer ki taraf dekh ke halke se muskurayi… ek tired, loving, only-we-understand wali muskaan.
Kuch seconds ke liye dono aankhon se aankhon mein baat karte hain.
Kuch nahi bolte… sirf ek lamha chhod dete hain us raat, us safar, us haath-pakde huye kambal ke andar ke lamhe ko lock karne ke liye.
Shanu (soft whisper)
Bye, Zaheer.
Zaheer (holding the moment)
Goodbye nahi… see you very soon.
Shanu palat ke apne ghar ke gate me chali jaati hai… bag le kar. Zaheer abhi bhi wahi khada hai… tab tak jab tak uski jhalak andar nahi chali jaati.
CAMERA FADES — DIL MEIN HALKA SA BACKGROUND SCORE UTHTA HAI
[b][b]Woh safar khatam hua… ya ek naya shuru hua, ye bas un dono ko maloom hai.[/b][/b]