Run: 2026-09-02-01M1GWW2KB0T7K5BPH29Z2S4KC

*[INT. CAFÉ — MAIN STREET, ALBORN, MN — MORNING. Rain on the window. SELVI sits alone, camera in her lap, thumbing through photos with a troubled frown. DETECTIVE HUNTER crosses to her table, badge out, a folded flyer in his hand. Selvi's lines are in Hindi, with bracketed glosses for the director — Hunter understands none of them.]* --- **Hunter** *(even, no-nonsense, showing the badge)*: "Ma'am. Detective Hunter, county sheriff's office. You were out past the Sorensen orchard yesterday at dusk — camera work, correct? Third man gone missing this month, right before festival weekend. Dale Sorensen." *(unfolds the flyer on her table)* "Did you see anything?" **Selvi** *(startled, troubled, drawing the camera to her chest)*: "क्या... क्या बात है? क्या मैंने कुछ ग़लत किया है? मैं... मैं तो बस तस्वीरें ले रही थी।" [What... what is it? Have I done something wrong? I... I was only taking pictures.] **Hunter** *(blinking, thrown)*: "Whoa, hold on now. Is that — Hindi? I don't speak a word of it. Nobody's in trouble. You understand? *Nobody.*" *(points at the flyer, then mimes snapping a photo)* "Did you see anything out there? Yesterday?" **Selvi** *(shaking her head, voice unsteady)*: "मुझे समझ नहीं आ रहा... आप क्या पूछ रहे हैं? क्या... क्या किसी के साथ कुछ हो गया है?" [I don't understand... what are you asking? Has... has something happened to someone?] **Hunter** *(rubbing the back of his neck)*: "Okay. This ain't gonna work." *(taps the photo on the flyer)* "This man. Dale Sorensen. Runs the cider press every October. His truck's been sitting on County 7 since yesterday." **Selvi** *(eyes dropping to the flyer — she goes very still)*: "कोई... कोई ऐसा नहीं जो हिंदी जानता हो? यहाँ कोई?" [Isn't there... anyone who knows Hindi? Anyone here?] **Hunter** *(helpless shrug)*: "Not in Alborn, ma'am. Not that I've ever found." **Selvi** *(the color draining from her face, pointing at the flyer)*: "ये... ये आदमी! मैंने इन्हें देखा था — कल शाम, सेब के बाग़ के पास!" [This... this man! I saw him — yesterday evening, near the apple orchard!] **Hunter** *(leaning in)*: "There it is. That tone I understand. You saw him? When?" *(holds up a finger — wait — digs out a battered notebook, sketches a setting sun, points at her, eyebrows raised)* **Selvi** *(nodding fast, tapping his sketch)*: "हाँ — शाम को। सूरज डूबते वक़्त। छह बजे के क़रीब।" [Yes — in the evening. At sunset. Around six o'clock.] *(then, urgent, lifting the camera)* "एक मिनट... एक मिनट! मेरी तस्वीरें... यहीं कहीं हैं..." [One minute... one minute! My pictures... they're in here somewhere...] **Hunter**: "Pictures. Yeah. Keep going, ma'am." **Selvi** *(scrolling fast, muttering — then freezing; she turns the screen toward him, hand trembling)*: "देखिए! ये सफ़ेद गाड़ी — ये आदमी पेड़ों की ओर जा रहा था... और गाड़ी के पास एक और आदमी खड़ा था। लंबा। चेहरा नहीं दिखा।" [Look! This white van — this man was walking toward the trees... and by the van stood another man. Tall. I couldn't see his face.] **Hunter** *(studying the screen, jaw tight)*: "White van. Tall fella by the door. That much I got." *(flips to a fresh page, draws a boxy van, holds it up, points at her)* **Selvi**: "हाँ! हाँ, बिल्कुल। उस पर कुछ लिखा था — पर मैं यहाँ की लिपि नहीं पढ़ सकती।" [Yes! Yes, exactly. Something was written on it — but I can't read the script here.] **Hunter** *(writing fast)*: "Lettering. Can't read it. Fine." *(mimes a steering wheel, points at the screen, tilts his hand — which way?)* **Selvi** *(pointing through the window, west)*: "वह उस तरफ़ निकल गई — पीछे वाले रास्ते से। मैं एक घंटे बाद लौटी, तो न गाड़ी थी, न वो आदमी। मैंने सोचा था... फल तोड़ने वाले होंगे। काम पर होंगे।" [It went off that way — by the back road. I came back an hour later, and there was no van, no man. I thought... they must be pickers. There for work.] **Hunter** *(phone buzzing; he answers, clipped)*: "Hunter." *(pause)* "Where." *(pause; his eyes cut to Selvi)* "Nobody goes out there alone. Sit on it till I'm there." *(pockets the phone, stands, taps the flyer, then her camera, then sets a card on the table)* "Ma'am. I gotta run. Don't delete a thing off that camera. Don't show it to anybody but me. That van turns up again — you call this number." **Selvi** *(quietly, half to herself as he turns to go, gripping the camera; then her eyes lift, frightened)*: "भगवान... वो सफ़ेद गाड़ी... जिस रास्ते से निकली थी... वही रास्ता मेरे छात्रावास के पीछे से जाता है।" [God... that white van... the road it took... that same road passes behind my dorm.] --- *[END SCENE]*