(London – Same Evening)

Doorbell ki awaaz ke baad...

Andar se footsteps ki awaaz dheere-dheere paas aati hai.

Atishay bilkul still khada tha.

Uski heartbeat unusually fast thi.

Do hafte se jis ladki ko wo dhoond raha tha...

Jiski sirf aankhon ki ek jhalak uske dimaag se nahi nikal rahi thi...

Aaj...

Shayad wo uske saamne hone wali thi.

Door ka handle move hua.

Atishay ki nazar door par tik gayi.

Door dheere se open hua.

Lekin...

Saamne jo ladki khadi thi...

Wo Simran nahi thi.

Atishay ekdum silent ho gaya.

Girl confused hokar uski taraf dekhti hai.

Girl:

"Yes?"

Atishay kuch seconds tak usse dekhta raha.

Phir uski aankhon mein disappointment clearly nazar aayi.

Wo ladki professor jaisi lag rahi thi.

Lekin...

Those weren't the eyes he was searching for.

Atishay ne ek baar phir uska face dekha.

Phir address check kiya.

Phir uski taraf.

Atishay:

"Are you... Professor?"

Girl confused hokar nod karti hai.

Girl:

"Yes."

Atishay ki jaw tighten ho gayi.

Atishay:

"Accounts professor?"

Girl:

"Yes."

Atishay kuch seconds ke liye bilkul chup raha.

Usne socha tha...

Aaj finally wo mysterious girl uske saamne hogi.

Lekin...

Phir se ek dead end.

Girl ne confused hokar poocha—

Girl:

"May I know who you are?"

Atishay ne koi jawab nahi diya.

Wo bas ek baar uske face ko dekhta hai.

Phir dheere se bolta hai—

Atishay:

"Sorry. Wrong person."

Girl aur confused ho jaati hai.

Girl:

"Excuse me?"

Lekin Atishay already turn kar chuka tha.

───

(Outside the Apartment)

Atishay building se bahar nikalta hai.

Uska assistant turant uske paas aata hai.

Assistant:

"Sir?"

Atishay kuch nahi bolta.

Wo bas saamne road ko dekhta rehta hai.

Assistant dheere se poochta hai—

Assistant:

"Wasn't she the one?"

Atishay apni aankhen band karta hai.

Uske dimaag mein ballroom ka scene flash hota hai.

Simran ki aankhen...

Uski smile...

Uski voice...

Atishay dheere se sir hila deta hai.

Atishay:

"No."

Assistant chup ho jaata hai.

Atishay pocket se woh paper nikalta hai jis par address likha tha.

Wo paper ko dekhta hai.

Phir usse fold kar deta hai.

Atishay:

"Something is wrong."

Assistant:

"Sir?"

Atishay:

"The information was correct."

Wo ek second rukta hai.

Atishay:

"The university..."

Atishay:

"The department..."

Atishay:

"Even the address..."

Atishay ki expression serious ho jaati hai.

Atishay:

"Then why wasn't she here?"

Assistant ke paas koi answer nahi tha.

───

(Kapoor Global Headquarters – Late Night)

Atishay office mein wapas aa chuka tha.

Usne apna coat chair par phenka.

Desk par baithte hi usne university ke records dobara mangwaye.

Assistant laptop connect karta hai.

Assistant:

"Sir, this was the professor listed as absent today."

Atishay screen ko dekhta hai.

Wahi ladki ki profile.

Accounts Professor.

Atishay ki eyes narrow ho jaati hain.

Atishay:

"Check the branch."

Assistant records open karta hai.

Kuch seconds baad uska expression change ho jaata hai.

Assistant:

"Sir..."

Atishay uski taraf dekhta hai.

Assistant:

"We may have made a mistake."

Atishay:

"What mistake?"

Assistant screen ki taraf point karta hai.

Assistant:

"The university has multiple branches."

Atishay ki expression instantly hard ho jaati hai.

Assistant:

"The professor whose address we received belongs to this branch..."

Wo screen par doosri location dikhata hai.

Assistant:

"...but the gala invitation was connected to another branch."

Silence.

Atishay chair par peeche lean karta hai.

Do hafte ki search...

Hundreds of leads...

Aur finally...

Wrong branch.

Atishay dheere se aankhen band karta hai.

Uski lips par ek bitter smile aati hai.

Atishay:

"So close..."

Wo aankhen kholta hai.

Atishay:

"...and still nowhere near her."

───

Assistant thoda hesitate karta hai.

Assistant:

"Sir, should we start again?"

Atishay screen par us mysterious girl's blurred CCTV image dekhta hai.

Kuch seconds ki silence ke baad...

Uski aankhon mein obsession phir se wapas aa jaata hai.

Atishay:

"No."

Assistant confused hokar dekhta hai.

Atishay image ko zoom karta hai.

Atishay:

"We don't start again."

Wo screen par uski aankhon ki taraf dekhta hai.

Atishay:

"We continue."

Assistant sir jhuka deta hai.

Assistant:

"Yes, sir."

Atishay laptop band karta hai.

Aur dheere se kehta hai—

Atishay:

"Whoever you are..."

Ek pause.

Atishay:

"...I'm still coming for you."

Camera screen par freeze hoti blurred image par zoom karta hai.

TO BE CONTINUED... 🖤