# Voice Sheet: The Café Encounter --- Hunter: "Excuse me, ma'am? Mind if I sit down for a moment?" Selvi: *(looks up from her camera, startled)* "Haan? Aap kaun hain?" *(Yes? Who are you?)* Hunter: "I'm Detective Hunter Brandt, with the county sheriff's office. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions. Were you in town last Tuesday evening, near the old mill on Route 7?" Selvi: *(her expression shifts, visibly shaken)* "Oh... woh raat... haan, main wahin thi. Mujhe kuch bahut ajeeb dikha tha. Ek aadmi... woh jungle ki taraf gaya aur phir ek cheekh sunaayi di. Mujhe bahut darr laga." *(Oh... that night... yes, I was there. I saw something very strange. A man... he went toward the woods and then there was a scream. I was very scared.)* Hunter: *(blinks, leans back)* "I'm sorry — I didn't catch any of that. Do you speak English?" Selvi: *(shakes her head, frustrated, then holds up her camera and begins scrolling through photos urgently)* "Dekhiye... yeh dekhiye! Maine photos li thi. Yeh aadmi... yeh wahin tha us raat." *(Look... look at this! I took photos. This man... he was there that night.)* Hunter: "Are those... photos from the mill? May I?" Selvi: *(nods and hands the camera over, pointing at the screen)* "Haan, haan. Yeh dekho — yeh aadmi yahan khada tha, aur phir woh gayab ho gaya. Aise hi. Ek pal mein." *(Yes, yes. Look at this — this man was standing right here, and then he vanished. Just like that. In an instant.)* Hunter: *(squints at the photos, clearly interested but struggling)* "This is... that's the mill all right. And this figure — who is this? Can you tell me who this person is?" Selvi: *(shakes her head helplessly)* "Mujhe nahi pata woh kaun tha. Lekin uska chehra... maine ek photo mein pakda hai. Yeh dekho, yeh wala." *(I don't know who he was. But his face... I captured it in one photo. Look, this one.)* Hunter: "I wish I could understand you. This is — hold on." *(pulls out a notepad and mimes writing)* "Can you write anything down? A name, maybe?" Selvi: *(takes the notepad, writes in Devanagari script, then pauses and draws a rough sketch of the mill and a stick figure heading into the trees — then draws an 'X' where the figure disappeared)* Hunter: *(studies the sketch intently)* "So someone went into the woods there... and that's where they — okay. Okay, I think I'm getting some of this. The photos on your camera could be real evidence. Can I — " *(mimes taking the camera)* Selvi: *(pulls the camera back protectively)* "Nahi, nahi — yeh mera camera hai. Lekin main photos de sakti hoon... kisi tarah." *(No, no — this is my camera. But I can give the photos... somehow.)* Hunter: "All right, all right, I understand. It's yours. I won't take it." *(holds up hands reassuringly)* "Look, I'm going to need to find someone who can translate — " Selvi: *(speaks quickly, urgently)* "Aap samajh nahi rahe — woh aadmi jo gayab hua, usse kisi ne jungle mein kheencha. Maine dekha. Woh apni marzi se nahi gaya tha." *(You don't understand — the man who disappeared, someone pulled him into the woods. I saw it. He didn't go willingly.)* Hunter: *(frustrated, rubbing his jaw)* "There's something important you're trying to tell me, isn't there? I can see it in your face." Selvi: *(nods vigorously, eyes wide)* "Haan. Bahut zaroori hai. Koi khatre mein hai." *(Yes. It's very important. Someone is in danger.)* *(Hunter's phone buzzes loudly. He glances at the screen and his expression hardens.)* Hunter: "Damn it. I have to take this." *(answers the phone)* "Brandt here. — Yeah. — Where? — I'm on my way." *(hangs up and stands, then looks at Selvi with genuine regret)* "I have to go. But I'm coming back, all right? Don't leave town." Selvi: *(watches him stand, anxious)* "Aap jaa rahe ho? Lekin maine abhi sab kuch nahi bataya! Woh photos dekhiye — please!" *(You're leaving? But I haven't told you everything! Look at the photos — please!)* Hunter: *(places a business card on the table and taps it)* "Call that number. I'll find a translator. I promise." *(holds her gaze for a moment, then turns and strides out of the café)* Selvi: *(picks up the card, turns it over helplessly, then whispers to herself)* "Koi meri baat samjhe... isse pehle ke bahut der ho jaaye." *(Someone needs to understand me... before it's too late.)* --- *She looks back down at her camera, scrolling to the photo of the shadowed figure at the tree line, and her hands tremble.*