Scene 1:
EXT. NIGHT
Mist laden Miami… the steely November with hues of grey… white vapour emanates from the chilled recesses of a man as he walks down the street, embracing his jacket and himself – attempting in vain to keep the cold out.
His soft soles hardly make a sound as he walks on the sidewalk… constantly looking over his shoulder. In the dim light from the street lamp we can make out his shape, but no features… he has a bouncy walk of an athlete – short quick steps.
As a car passes by, throwing light on his face, he covers it even further with his hood, creeps into a shadow and waits, sensing danger. Then, after a while, continues on his way.
He crosses into another lane with cars parked on both sides of the street. Again the figure stops… looks around then starts crossing the road… as he approaches the centre… suddenly headlights of one the another vehicle burns on his face…
This is the first time that we see his face – Dave Cruise.
Blinded like a trapped animal, his mind refuses to move his body… the cops start surrounding him. Then as suddenly, he starts running through an opening in the garden…
The chase… through the ruins of the street… the market, the downtown.
End of it Dave manages to escape and boards the Subway.
Scene 2:
EXT. BAYFRONT PARK NIGHT
Wide shot of CP. late night… the white pillars are stark and lonely.. a car with blaring music speeds through the inner circle and passes off-screen… the camera stays on the pillars and slowly we discern a figure in the darkness – behind the pillar. Off screen the car turns with screeching tyres, upsetting a dog.
It is all quiet again. No movement. Then we see another figure in the shadows… and he stealthily walks towards the first, that is Aakash… stops near him and without looking speaks… tells him to walk ahead and enter the lane… Aakash nods. Does as he is instructed… the figure follows…
In the alley… both regard each other… we see Rohit for the first time.. Aakash’s father… he embraces Aakash… but Aakash does not give in… we realize that there is something wrong in the relationship…
Father guides Aakash to a door… and knocks gently…
A man opens the door cautiously and nodding lets them enter…
Inside is an old restaurant with a courtyard…
A woman in her late 40’s walks towards Aakash… embraces… tears roll out… we realize that this is Aakash’s mother…
Father breaks the moment by telling them that they will have to leave this place soon… the police might have been informed… Aakash is not much impressed… father tells him that he will do whatever is in his powers to get Aakash out of the mess… even if it means breaking the law… Aakash tells him that all this might not have happened if he had been there when his son really wanted him…
Aakash asks the mother where is Shruti… mother looks at the father… is about to reply when… father sees a movement from the corner of his eyes… and then hears a gentle knock.. understands.. tells A to move… father and son go up a flight of stairs… and through the window jump out on to the sidewalk… and start running… A tells father that he does not want him to come but father does not listen… as they turn a corner… they bang into a cop… both run in a different direction… the cop tells them to stop… and then fires…. A falls to the ground.. gets up again and starts running… when the second bullet hits him in the back… then one hits the father… both fall… high speed… we remain with Aakash… as his life flashes in front of him… between him falling and hitting the ground…
In the flashes we see this pretty girl… him laughing… they together… all the good times that he has had with her…
End of it, he falls to the ground… and gently shuts his eyes… in the background – out of focus, the father falls…
Scene 3:
EXT. STREET NIGHT
Ana is on the bike with Mac… ostensibly speeding towards CP… her hair caught by the wind… pretty and frightened face… the bike stutters… stops… Dev tries to kick it to life… but nothing happens… Shruti is growing restless by the moment… suddenly decides that she cannot wait any longer… starts running…
Scene 4:
BACK TO CP
Ambulance… the press… cameras… people… police have cordoned off the area… father and son are put on a stretcher… mother is crying helplessly… inter cut… shruti is running towards the shoot-out…
As A is moved towards the ambulance he opens his eyes and looks at the mother.. who runs to him.. he asks her.. ‘where is Shruti?’.. mother still does not know what to say..
A looks at the mother and says ‘ I don’t want to die!’..
Just as the ambulance starts moving.. Shruti reaches the spot.. looks at the mother and the moving ambulance.. understands.. runs after it…
We stay on her face… slowly the sound fades out..we go to Dev’s face..
Sound transition.. wheel of an ambulance.. sound of a cycle rickshaw..
Dev’s Voice over:
Why does love always have to pay a price.. the violence that brought him to this stage, had its roots in his anger for his father.. to be a rebel and show how bad he could be.. ironically violence has played an important role his life, in our lives – keeping us together..
Scene 5:
EXT. MARKET DAY
The hustle of Delhi.. old Delhi.. traffic.. people.. shops… we can start with different people looking at something.. we follow someone on a scooter, in a car, cycle.. a pedestrian.. etc..
Then show what they are looking at.. we follow one particular cycle rickshaw.. and in it is Shruti.. a year younger.. but as pretty.. she has a smile on her face.. smile of someone who knows the kind of effect she has on people..
The guy in the car who had been looking at her.. suddenly bangs into the rick.. nearly toppling it.. the main falls to the ground.. while the suite comes out form behind the wheel and in typical Delhi attitude starts beating up the Bihari..
A crowd gathers around to look at the show.. Shruti is about to intervene when a hand grabs the rick-guy from behind and moves him out of the way as the slap from the suite bites the air..
An argument ensues in which A dares the suite to hit him.. Ojas and Dev help the Bihari to get his clothes alright.. the suite backs off – scared.. says the rick –guy was not looking where he was going.. when Shruti intervenes and says that the suite was not looking at the road but her!.. this brings laughter from the crowd.. the suite gets into the car.. when A follows and bends the wipers.. says it is a reminder of their meeting.. all this while Shruti is looking at A – amused and impressed.. the crowd refuses to move.. so Ojas takes off his cap and pases around.. again laughter,.. the crowd understand s that the show is over.. disperse.. Before leaving A corrects the cycle handle. We stay on Shruti’s face as they leave.. a drop of rain falls on her faced.. she looks at the sky…
Scene 6:
EXT. FOOTBALL FIELD DAY
Rain falling on the field.. players have taken up their positions.. the game begins.. in flash cuts we see how they had come on the field.. the challenge that they had given each other.. how Kunal intimidates Ojas.. why Aakash is not playing.. says he is not interested in these silly games.. he sits under the shade watching the match.. the players walk onto the field..
Back to the game… we see the board.. Pol Science (Hon) Vs English (Hon)..
Fast cuts of ball travelling.. dribbling.. in one of the manoeuvres Ojas tries to take the ball away from the opposition.. when he is badly shouldered by Kunal.. referee does not give a foul.. A smiles…
The game progresses.. tackles slides.. etc..
Shruti enters college and sees the game being played…
After half time Ojas scores a goal.. pissing off Kunal.. the opposition gather around and makes a plan.. they are even more aggressive.. in a sliding tackle Kunal hits Ojas in the groin.. sending him to the ground.. A who had been taking all this without protest.. is not able to control himself.. runs to the ground and bashes Kunal.. everyone else joins in the fight. And from a serious fight it turns into a comic brawl…
Scene 7:
INT. PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE DAY
We begin with AOD… their feet… all mucky with mud… in the soundtrack we hear the Principal’s voice as he blasts them for getting into a fight…
All the while the three of them are cleaning their feet on the carpet…
The camera tilts up to reveal their smiling faces.. and suddenly Ojas burst into a laughter.. the other two try to control but cannot and all three start laughing.. the princi is now really angry.. we see him – this thin funny man. Who looks more like a peon then a princi..
Midway… A cuts him off… saying that they were not the only ones in the fight… someone else had started it… why does he not catch them because he is scared of them…
The princi suspends them for a week… Now get out!
All make a sad face… and say Thank You sir! And march out like three army men!
Scene 8:
INT. CORRIDOR DAY
As they come out we see a huge crowd of students gathered outside the office.. waiting…
‘Friends we have been suspended for a week… they have broken us but not our spirit’…
The crowd cheers them… we realize that all three are popular in college… as they are carried to the canteen on the shoulders… we see Shruti walking in from the other side… looking for her class… she again sees the three of them… specially A… while Dev looks at her…
Again Dev’s voice over comes in..
‘his aura, his confidence and with all this the innocence to fight the world’.. that first day in college he was the hero… of everyone!
Include in the voice over that the freshers were officially joining from the next day –
Even Aakash refers to it in his conversation.
The crowd is stopped midway… by a professor… the jubilation gradually dies down… the students look at him in respect… and comically one after the other… vanish from the spot… in the end it is only A who is standing there… when he too tries to leave he is stopped by the prof. Harsh…
An intense scene follows with the prof… he is someone who A looks up to… we come to know a bit more about A…. his aspirations…. why the rebellion…
We end the scene with the professor taking pride in the fact that A had bashed up Kunal… who needed bashing…
Scene 9:
INT./EXT. SHRUTI’S HOUSE DAY
Badly bruised Kunal is sitting in the veranda of the Chandni Chowk house… a few kids are peeping in through the door enjoying Kunal’s discomfort… while Arjun the elder brother applies first aid…
Kunal chucks something at the kids who scamper away…
Kunal is giving a huge yarn about how he beat the shit out of A and gang… not realizing that Shruti is standing behind him… Arjun is looking at him… then at Shruti. Who is nodding her head at the correct places…
Finally she comes in front and Kunal stops his tirade…
Shruti tells him that he ruined her first day in college… thank god they did not know that she was his sister or else… it would have finished her reputation… then she tells Arjun what had really happened… without knowing she talks about A and his bravado… Arjun looks at it in the way that he would have to sort out this guy called A… but Shruti tells him that Kunal should do it.. if he wants to survive in the college…
As Kunal flinches from the wound… Shruti smiles… moves away… and thinks of A since she saw him for the first time… flashes…
Scene 10:
EXT. STREET/HOSPITAL NIGHT
We cut back to the ambulance as it reaches the hospital.. Shruti, Dev and the mother reach as the stretcher is being carried out.. under police supervision..
A looks at Shruti… smiles in spite of the pain… extends his hand to her… and again the words leave him… ‘I don’t want to die!’
END OF EPISODE
