## Voice Sheet: The Cafe Encounter **Setting:** A quaint cafe in Alborn, MN. Selvi is engrossed in her camera, a half-empty mug of something warm beside her. --- **Selvi:** (Muttering softly to herself, a gentle hum of contentment, as her fingers navigate the camera's buttons. Her eyes scan images of rolling hills and blossoming apple orchards.) **Hunter:** (Approaching Selvi’s table, his gait resolute but not intrusive. His eyes are scanning the cafe, then land on Selvi and her camera. He clears his throat softly.) "Excuse me, miss? Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about something that happened recently?" **Selvi:** (Startled, she looks up, her eyes wide. She sees Hunter, his serious expression, and a flicker of apprehension crosses her face. She quickly puts her camera down, clutching it slightly.) "Ji?" (Her voice is soft, a question in Hindi, her brow furrowed.) **Hunter:** (Observing her reaction, he tries a more direct approach, though still with a professional politeness.) "I'm Detective Hunter. I'm investigating some… recent occurrences in town. I was wondering if you might have seen anything unusual, say, in the last week or two? Especially around the outskirts?" **Selvi:** (Her eyes widen further, a flicker of fear replacing the initial confusion. Her grip on her camera tightens. She shakes her head slowly, her voice trembling slightly as she speaks quickly in Hindi.) "Ek hafte mein? Nahin, nahin, maine kuch nahin dekha. Sab kuch theek nahin hai yahan. Log gayab ho rahe hain… yeh bahut darawana hai." (A week? No, no, I haven't seen anything. Nothing is alright here. People are disappearing… it’s very frightening.) **Hunter:** (Listening intently, but his expression clearly shows he’s lost. He tries to pick up on her tone and body language. He cocks his head slightly.) "I'm sorry, I don't... I don't understand. Are you saying you *have* seen something? Or that you haven't? Your tone seems… troubled." He gestures vaguely with his hand, trying to convey his confusion. **Selvi:** (Her throat clenches. She shakes her head vigorously, her chest heaving a little. She repeats, trying to emphasize the gravity of her words, oblivious to Hunter’s lack of comprehension.) "Troubled? Haan! Bahut troubled! Har jagah log gayab ho rahe hain! Yahan koi surakshit nahin hai. Maine Alborn ke baare mein kitni khoobsurat cheezein suni theen… lekin ab toh bass dar hi dar hai." (Troubled? Yes! Very troubled! People are disappearing everywhere! No one is safe here. I heard so many beautiful things about Alborn… but now there's just fear.) **Hunter:** (His jaw tenses slightly. He understands the word "troubled" from her repetition and the fear in her eyes, but the rest is a complete blank. He tries to rephrase, slowly and clearly.) "Okay. Okay. So, you're saying… something is wrong? And you're feeling… unsafe? Is that what you mean by 'troubled'?" He leans forward slightly, an earnest look on his face. **Selvi:** (Nodding vehemently, tears welling in her eyes, she points vaguely towards the window, then makes a sweeping gesture with her hand.) "Haan! Bahut galat. Roz nayi khabar. Maine apni ankhon se nahin dekha, lekin har koi baat kar raha hai. Kuch galat ho raha hai, bahut galat." (Yes! Very wrong. New news every day. I haven't seen it with my own eyes, but everyone is talking about it. Something wrong is happening, very wrong.) **Hunter:** (He sighs, running a hand over his chin. He can tell she’s genuinely distressed, and he’s frustratingly unable to get the specifics. He tries another angle, pointing to her camera.) "Your camera. You take pictures, right? Have you taken any pictures of… anything unusual? Any… people who looked out of place? Or… strange vehicles recently?" **Selvi:** (She looks at her camera, then back at Hunter, a flicker of understanding finally crossing her face at the mention of pictures. She shakes her head sadly.) "Nahin. Bass prakriti. Ped, phool, pahad. Maine bass khoobsurati capture ki hai." (No. Just nature. Trees, flowers, mountains. I've only captured beauty.) **Hunter:** (He's about to try another question, perhaps about places she's photographed, when his phone buzzes insistently in his pocket. He pulls it out, glancing at the screen. His expression hardens.) "Damn it." (He looks up at Selvi, an apologetic but urgent look on his face.) "Look, I… I have to go. Something just came up. I really appreciate your time, even if we couldn't… quite communicate." He gestures helplessly. "I'll… I'll try to find someone who can help with the translation. Thank you." **Selvi:** (She watches him, her expression still troubled but with a faint understanding of his need to leave. She nods slowly, a small, sad "theek hai" (okay) escaping her lips as he turns abruptly and strides out of the cafe, leaving her at her table, still clutching her camera.)