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Monday, July 4, 2011

Silence Please...

SILENCE PLEASE...
(Short Film)

INT. PSYCHIATRIC WARD, HOSPITAL - DAY                 SCENE #1

Some patients accompanied with their attendents with reports in their hands are waiting in the ward. ‘Dr. Bhansilal - Psychiatrist’ glitters in brass. Doctor is ‘IN.’ ‘On appointment only’, ‘Silence Please...’ are the messages conveyed by the posters there. A middle-aged man is sitting grim faced, silent, and calm. A nurse is sitting near the entrance with tokens and reports on table. She gestures to the middle-aged man to wait. A woman patient with her parents comes out.

NURSE
Sir... you can go...

The man is already in. Nurse's reaction on his strange act of urgency.



INT. DOCTOR’S ROOM, HOSPITAL - DAY                   SCENE #2

Dr. Bhansilal comes out from the inner room. He adjusts the screen at the door.

DR. BHANSILAL
Sir... please take your seat... just a minute...

The man sits in a chair facing doctor’s chair. He places his file on the table. Dr. Bhansilal sits on his chair and turns back after getting some cool breeze from air conditioner. Doctor opens the patient’s report.

DR. BHANSILAL (CONT’D)
New patient? came alone?

MIDDLE-AGED MAN
yes doctor...

Doctor’s mobile phone on the table rings. Doctor picks it up.

DR. BHANSILAL
Excuse me...
(to the middle-aged man)
Yeah tell me... WHAT..? I met him in the morning... can't believe it... now..? why..? OK I’ll come... yeah... now itself...

The man is looking at the Doctor. His file is in Doctor’s hands. Doctor switches off his mobile phone and picks up the intercom on the table.

DR. BHANSILAL (CONT’D)
Mary... this is the last patient today... I’ve got to go urgently... cancel all other appointments or postpone...
(keeping the phone down)
sorry... it’s an urgent call... I’ve got to go... yeah... tell me what is your problem?

MIDDLE-AGED MAN
Doctor you won’t believe if I tell you about that...

DR. BHANSILAL
First you tell me what is your
problem then I’ll decide whether to believe it or not...

MIDDLE-AGED MAN
Doctor I’m afraid that if I tell this to anyone people may call me ‘a mad man...’

DR. BHANSILAL
See Mr. what is your name?
(looks at his file)
CUT TO:
Scene at hallway. Nurse at the table. Nurse takes out two injection bottles from the drawer. Empty chairs.
CUT TO:
DR. BHANSILAL (CONT’D)
...see I’m the doctor here... I’m here to listen to your problems and help in correcting it. There is
nothing to fear or hesitate... just open up... do you hear any voices? getting angry for trivial things?

MIDDLE-AGED MAN
No doctor.

Nurse comes in.

NURSE
Doctor it’s time for your insulin dose...

DR. BHANSILAL
Oh... yeah...
(nodes his head)

Nurse goes into the inner room. Sounds of glass and metal. Nurse comes out with a syringe in her hand. She gives that to Doctor, looks at the middle-aged man. Their eyes meet. Dr. Bhansilal self injects it. The middle-aged man is looking at the happenings.

DR. BHANSILAL (CONT’D)
Sorry again... OK tell me...
(throws the syringe in
dustbin)

MIDDLE-AGED MAN
Doctor I SEE people who are
going to die...

DR. BHANSILAL
WHAT??? what do you mean? come
again...

MIDDLE-AGED MAN
I see people before they are going to die...

DR. BHANSILAL
...See I would like to make one thing clear. All of us are going to die... so make it clear...

MIDDLE-AGED MAN
I’m the last person to see them before their death Doctor...

DR. BHANSILAL
Is it?
(looks at him sceptically)
strange... it may be your
imagination... they might have died due to other factors... you mean... each and every person you see are dead?

MIDDLE-AGED MAN
No doctor. Actually only when I see a HALO over someone's head Doctor...

DR. BHANSILAL
... do you see HALO over my head now?

MIDDLE-AGED MAN
No doctor. I fear I may get
entangled in police problems... Will police arrest me for their death Doctor?

DR. BHANSILAL
See I’ll tell you one thing... if you’ve committed anything wrong then only you got to worry... otherwise there is nothing to worry...
(murmurs to himself)
it’s a case of depression,
trauma... may be visual
hallucinations?

MIDDLE-AGED MAN
I’m a law-abiding citizen Doctor. Even at 12 o’clock midnight I wait for green at traffic signals Doctor.

DR. BHANSILAL
OK come inside. Sit. Feel
comfortable. OK...


INT. INNER ROOM, HOSPITAL - DAY                     SCENE #3

Doctor takes him to inside room. Patient sits in the chair. Doctor removes some instruments near the chair. The chair is different with straps on each handle and elongated backside hood. Doctor adjusts the disc with painted circles of black and white straight to the patient. Doctor selects a spot on arm, cleans, applies an injection to the patient and rubs at the spot. Throws the cotton into dustbin.

DR. BHANSILAL (CONT’D)
Just relax... relax... relax... do what I say... OK?

MIDDLE-AGED MAN
Yes Doctor.

Doctor is sitting on a chair opposite to him. He leans to see the man’s face and looks intensely. Doctor gets up from his chair, goes near the patient.

DR. BHANSILAL
Look here...
(pointing to the disc)
ONLY here... slowly... OK...

The patient looks at the disc intensely.

DR. BHANSILAL (CONT’D)
How many have died after you
saw them?

MIDDLE-AGED MAN
Three Doctor...

DR. BHANSILAL
How?
(hesitates)
I mean what is the cause of their death?

MIDDLE-AGED MAN
One in road accident, second fell from sixth floor, and third committed suicide by hanging from celing fan...

DR. BHANSILAL
What others told about those
deaths?

MIDDLE-AGED MAN
What?

DR. BHANSILAL
I mean... what is the opinion of others on those deaths?

MIDDLE-AGED MAN
They said those are accidents and suicides Doctor...

DR. BHANSILAL
Then why you fear? You did nothing wrong... right?

MIDDLE-AGED MAN
But... I fear they may accuse me of killing them... I feel guilty Doctor... and moreover I fear I may see HALO over my wife and children’s head...

DR. BHANSILAL
Don’t worry. No need to fear or feel guilty... I’m here to take care of you... You’ll be alright...
(adjusts his spectacles)
OK... from when? I mean... when this all started?

MIDDLE-AGED MAN
After my father’s death Doctor...

DR. BHANSILAL
When?

MIDDLE-AGED MAN
About three months before Doctor...

DR. BHANSILAL
Oh... I see...

MIDDLE-AGED MAN
Doctor my neighbour told me that my father’s ghost has gotten into me and because of that I am having this
power...

DR. BHANSILAL
Sir... we are all educated... No superstitions... that would lead you nowhere... You see science and technology is advancing day by day... you see for yourself daily. Isn’t it?

MIDDLE-AGED MAN
Actually I went to Police station to inform about these deaths Doctor. But came back as I thought they may arrest me instead and put behind bars...

DR. BHANSILAL
If you’ve informed the Police it would’ve been useful for them... just because of your hesitation their investigation should not suffer... may be your information would've been useful in finding the cause of their death... educated people like you shouldn’t do like this...

MIDDLE-AGED MAN
Police don’t differentiate between educated or uneducated Doctor. They are always sceptical...

DR. BHANSILAL
That may be a coincidence... you might have met them at the last moment before accident or suicide. May be..?
(seeing patient getting sleepy)
OK will start ... look at me...

FADE OUT.

FADE IN:

I/E. HALLWAY, HOSPITAL - DAY                     SCENE #4

The middle-aged man comes out of the room. He gives the report file to the waiting nurse. Nurse smiles at him broadly. The man nodes in acceptance. Nurse opens the file. There is a bundle of cash.

NURSE
Thanks Doctor...
(to the man)

MIDDLE-AGED MAN
No... I should thank you for your help

He walks towards the main gate.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN:

A gun shot is heard. People rush towards Dr. Bhansilal’s room.

CUT TO:

SOME MOMENTS BEFORE...

Dr. Bhansilal is sitting in reclining position in the chair where the middle-aged man was previously sitting. The middle-aged man is standing before him.

MIDDLE-AGED MAN
Why you guys killed my father for your greed? What is his mistake? Being clean? You killed him for not cooperating to your corrupt practices? Feared he may expose you all? YOU are revered as God by people, but you’ve become Devil. You don’t deserve a place here. Know your punishment? You are going to shoot yourself in the temple at 12 o’clock. Is this enough for you? Do you agree? Do you agree?

DR. BHANSILAL
(staring at the disc)
Yes I agree. We all are responsible for his death. We deserve punishment. In ten minutes I’ll shoot myself. I’m going to be free from all my sins. No regrets... definitely I’ll be dead. There is no meaning in carrying on with my corrept life... and killing innocent people for my gain...

Slowly a HALO over Dr. Bhansilal's head emerges.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN:

EXT. ON ROAD, NEAR HOSPITAL - DAY                    SCENE #5

Busy junction. All kinds of vehicles are waiting for signal. Green signal for walkers to cross road. The middle-aged man crosses the road, while crossing he stands in the middle for a moment

MIDDLE-AGED MAN
Are you happy dad?

He asks looking at the blue sky. Then he proceeds to the other end. Signal turns green, vehicles roar, speeding vehicles fill in the road.

THE END

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