Run: 2026-02-20-01KHY7KXDW0KXSDAY3QE1X8A8J

**Title: *Whispers in the Apple Orchard*** --- **Scene: *The Morning Sunlight Through the Café Window*** *(Selvi sits at a small wooden table in *The Orchard Café*, her camera resting on the table between them. The scent of freshly brewed coffee and cinnamon fills the air. She adjusts the lens of her camera, her fingers moving with practiced ease. Across from her, Hunter leans against the counter, arms crossed, his sharp eyes scanning the room. He doesn’t look away from her as he steps forward.)* --- **Hunter:** *(approaching, voice low and measured)* "Selvi. You’re the one who took those photos of the old mill last week, right?" *(Selvi doesn’t look up. She keeps her camera steady, her expression unreadable. She speaks in Hindi, her voice barely above a whisper.)* **Selvi:** *"Aapko kya mila?"* *(What did you find?)* *(Hunter blinks. He’s never heard her speak before. The words roll off his tongue in English, but the tone—*shaken*, *hesitant*—hangs between them like a warning.)* **Hunter:** *(raising an eyebrow, voice tight)* "What did I find?" *(Selvi exhales, her shoulders tense. She glances at her camera again, then back at him. Her voice drops, urgent.)* **Selvi:** *"Aapko *dushman* mila."* *(You found a stranger.)* *(Hunter’s jaw tightens. He doesn’t know Hindi, but the way she says it—*dangerous*, *unsettled*—makes his instincts flare. He steps closer, his voice dropping to a growl.)* **Hunter:** "Who?" *(Selvi hesitates, then pulls out her phone. She shows him a photo—a man in a faded jacket, standing near the old mill. His face is blurred, but the way he lingers, *watching*, is unmistakable.)* **Selvi:** *"Aapko *uske* *pahuch* gaya."* *(You were followed.)* *(Hunter’s grip on his coffee cup tightens. He doesn’t understand the words, but the *meaning*—the way she clenches her jaw—tells him something’s off. He studies the photo, then looks up at her.)* **Hunter:** "You’re sure this is who?" *(Selvi nods, her voice barely audible.)* **Selvi:** *"Yes. *Aapko* *khub* *dushman* mila."* *(You found a very dangerous man.)* *(Hunter exhales sharply, rubbing his temple. His phone buzzes—a text from his partner. He glances at it, then back at Selvi.)* **Hunter:** "I gotta take this. But I’ll be back. You stay here." *(Selvi doesn’t move. She watches him leave, her camera still in hand. The café door swings shut behind him, and the silence that follows is heavy with unspoken questions.)* --- **End Scene.** *(Next: Hunter races to the mill, only to find something far worse than he expected.)*