Run: 2026-04-24-01KQ05A4CPMEKPEF8TMCAEJD29

**SCENE START** **INT. THE BEAN & BERRY CAFE, ALBORN, MN - DAY** Sunlight streams through the window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. SELVI sits alone at a small, round table, a half-finished cup of chai before her. Her attention is entirely on the digital camera in her hands, her thumbs scrolling slowly through images. Her face is a mask of quiet concentration, but a slight furrow in her brow betrays some deeper thought. DETECTIVE HUNTER enters the cafe, his sharp eyes scanning the room before landing on Selvi. He approaches with a measured, deliberate pace. **HUNTER** Excuse me. I’m Detective Hunter. Mind if I sit? Selvi looks up, startled. She clutches her camera a little tighter and gives a hesitant, polite nod. Hunter pulls out the chair opposite her and sits, the wood scraping softly against the floor. He leans forward, elbows on the table. **HUNTER** You’re the photography student, right? Selvi. I’m talking to folks who were out near the old apple orchard last week. There was a… disturbance. You see anything unusual? Selvi’s expression shifts from cautious curiosity to one of deep unease. Her eyes widen slightly. She swallows hard. **SELVI** *(In Hindi, her voice hushed and troubled)* हाँ… उस रात… मैंने देखा। पेड़ों के बीच कुछ चलता हुआ। अँधेरे में एक आकृति। बहुत अजीब… बहुत डरावना। मुझे लगा कोई मुझे देख रहा है। (Haan… us raat… maine dekha. Pedon ke beech kuch chalta hua. Andhere mein ek aakriti. Bahut ajeeb… bahut daraavna. Mujhe laga koi mujhe dekh raha hai.) Hunter listens intently, but his confusion is immediate and clear. He blinks, his no-nonsense expression faltering for a second. **HUNTER** I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. Was that… Hindi? I don’t… I don’t understand. Selvi’s shoulders slump slightly in frustration. She gestures with her hands, trying to convey ‘seen’ by pointing to her eyes, then mimes something tall moving between imaginary trees with her fingers. **SELVI** *(In Hindi, more urgently)* मैं नहीं समझा पा रही। यहाँ कोई नहीं समझता। मैंने उस रात कुछ देखा, जो गलत था। बहुत गलत। (Main nahi samjha pa rahi. Yahan koi nahi samajhta. Maine us raat kuch dekha, jo galat tha. Bahut galat.) **HUNTER** *(Slower, emphasizing each word)* The orchard. Last week. Did you see something? Something wrong? Selvi nods vigorously, relief flickering across her face that he’s trying. She points emphatically at her camera. **SELVI** *(Mixing a few hopeful English words with Hindi)* Camera. चित्र… no, picture. मेरे पास है। सबूत। (Camera. Chitra… no, picture. Mere paas hai. Saboot.) She starts to turn the camera on, her hands trembling slightly. **HUNTER** A picture? You have a picture of what you saw? Just as Selvi nods again, Hunter’s pocket erupts with a sharp, insistent ring. He holds up a finger to her, a silent ‘one moment,’ and pulls out his phone, turning away slightly. **HUNTER** (Into phone) Hunter. What?… Where?… No, I’m coming now. Don’t let anyone near it. He ends the call, his demeanor snapping back to pure professional urgency. He stands abruptly, his chair scraping back. **HUNTER** *(To Selvi, already moving)* I have to go. Immediately. We need to talk about that picture. Stay here. Or come to the station. The police station. Do you understand? Police station. Selvi’s eyes are wide with alarm, both at his sudden intensity and at the aborted conversation. She nods quickly. **SELVI** *(In Hindi, softly)* ठीक है। पुलिस थाना। समझ गयी। (Theek hai. Police thaana. Samajh gayi.) Hunter gives a final, curt nod and strides out of the cafe, the door swinging shut behind him. Selvi is left alone at the table, her finger frozen over the camera’s playback button. She stares at the empty chair opposite her, then down at the camera, a fresh wave of anxiety washing over her. **SCENE END**