The First Step By SHUBHANKAR MAZUMDAR

This screenplay may not be used or reproduced without the express written permission of the author.

21st August 2010 Copyright (c) 2010

B- 210, Survey Park, Calcutta: 700075. mshubhankar@gmail.com +91-9836263064

TITLE CARDS ROLLS Title cards apprears in white letter with red underlines on a black background.

INT. LIVING ROOM - EVENING

2 FADE IN

Still. Silence. The beat of a heart. The room is in disarray. A half filled glass placed on the table. A bottle of sleeping pills kept beside the glass. The contents of a tin box, placed on the table, strewn out, photos, tickets, memories. A golden engagement ring lies next to a silver picture frame, a picture of Sohini along his boy friend, in a romantic and close pose inserted in it. Sohini is sitting on the floor, wearing a long black gown, her back against the sofa. Screwed up letters lie in a pile next to her. Her eyes, red with crying, mascara run, nose red raw with blowing. She holds a wedding album in her lap. Turning the page she stares on the pictures in a album, kept on her lap. A small sarcastic smile escapes on Sohinis lips. Her hearts pounding. The smile is now disgust. She rips the photo out and tears it into pieces. She turns the page and rips out the next photo. And the next one, and the next. Shes furious now, grabbing the page she rips it from the album. She started weeping. Throwing the whole lot onto the table, everything goes flying. Pictures and memories scatter, the frame smashes the glass. Tears rolling down her face, she rips up the last photo, screwing the pieces up and throws them to the floor. She sits there. Still ... Tears ... Lost. DISSOLVE

2.

MONTAGE- USING RAPID EDITING, SPECIAL EFFECTS AND MUSIC TO PRESENT COMPRESSED NARRATIVE HISTORY OF SOHINIS PAST LIFE. 3 Sohini meeting his man for the first time. They continue meeting at various places to know each other and come close. They came intimate. Sohini got pregnant. He promises Sohini for marriage. DISSOLVE

INT. KITCHEN - EVENING Sohini is standing in front of the gas oven. Water is boiling in a pan. she waits, still, vacant, steam rises, bubbling, hissing, boiling, it wont stop. She stares, lost. [A TELEPHONE RINGS] ----RIIIIING---[IN MALE VOICE OVER -- IN APPEALING TONE] HELLO SOHINI.. TUMI AMAKE BOJHAR CHESTA KARO PLEASE... (A THUD SOUND OF FALLING OF A HEAVY OBJECT) AAMI SOTTI TOMAKE BHALOBASI.. KINTU MAA AMAKE ETO JOR KORCHE... (A THUD SOUND OF FALLING OF A HEAVY OBJECT) AAMI BIYER POREYO TOMAKE CHARA BANCHTE PARBO NA... PLEASE SOHINI BOJHAR CHESTA KARO.. SONA AMAR... (A THUD SOUND OF FALLING OF A HEAVY OBJECT) AAMI PROMISE KORCHI, BIYER POREO AAMI TOMAR SONGE THAKBO.. SUDHU TUMI ABORTION TA KORIYE NAO.. ---TELEPHONE LINES ENGAGE TONE---

FADE TO BLACK

3. 5 INT. LIVING ROOM - EVENING 5 FADE IN Photographs of babies are pested on the wall. Sets of teddy bears and dolls are piled up in a corner for the would be coming baby. FADE OUT TO BLACK 6 INT. LIVING ROOM - EVENING 6 FADE IN Stretched out on the sofa, she looks at peace. The noise in her head is subsiding now. Her eyes close. Peace, peace and quiet. A glass full of water is on the floor. Next to it an empty sleeping pill bottle is lying, cap discarded nearby, few pills spilling out over the carpet. [VOICE OVER -- SOUND FADE IN] A BABY IS CRYING IN TOP VOICE. [SOUND FADE OUT] FADE OUT TO BLACK 7 INT. LIVING ROOM - EVENING 7 FADE IN A faint sound of mobile phone ringing ... RIIIIING ... The sofa is empty. The filled glass is still on the floor, untouched. ... RIIIIING ... The pills are back in the bottle. ... RIIIIING ... The room is neatly maintained. ... RIIIIING ... The table meticulously organized. Only the wedding ring, photograph and memories are missing. ... RIIIIING ... A bulky black plastic bag is kept in the room corner. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

4.

CUT 8 INT. BATHROOM - MORNING Sohini taking the shower. Water pounds her face. Her face is calm and at peace. She looks determined. She is enjoying the shower. CUT 9 EXT. ON A TAXI - DAY Sohini sitting at the back sit of taxi. Smartly dressed, she looks confident. She leaned forward and instruct the taxi driver. SOHINI DADA.. EKTU LEFT SIDE E TAXI TA RAKHBEN PLEASE.. Taxi driver nods his head and take the taxi to the left side of the road and halt. Sohini looks outside and then to a bulky black plastic bag, kept beside her. 10 EXT. ON THE ROAD - DAY 10 9 8

She gets out of the taxi with the black plastic bag in her left hand and walks towards the dustbin pit. She throws the black plastic bag into the pit, using both the hands. She slowly return to the taxi, opened the door and climbed back in. Moments later taxis door slams shut. The taxi drives off. FADE TO BLACK 11 ENDING TITLE ROLLS 11