[Black screen. Soft instrumental music — half romantic, half melancholic.]

ROSE (V.O.)

(light, teasing tone)

People say I’m rude.

I call it — “defensive self-respect.”

You smile too much, people think you’re weak.

You talk too little, they call you arrogant.

So, I do both. Confuse them equally.

(pause, then a small laugh)

And no, I’m not looking for love.

I already have enough unpaid internships in my life.

[cut to her — walking briskly through a crowded street, earphones in, a pen stuck in her hair, sipping coffee she forgot to stir.]

ROSE (V.O.)

I’m the elder sister type — I fix everything and everyone,

except my own Wi-Fi connection and emotions.

But that’s fine. I’m fine. Always fine.

(music shifts slightly — softer)

If love ever finds me, it better not ask for attention.

I don’t have any left.

[CUT — switch to another voice-over. The music drops to quiet piano.]

ARAV : (arjun's father)(V.O.)

People call it calm.

It’s not calm. It’s Tiredness — practiced to perfection.

(we see him watering plants at dawn, wearing a plain white shirt, everything still, elegant, quiet)

I don’t argue anymore. I just… let silence do the talking.

It’s easier that way.

When you’ve already lost something once,

you stop chasing what can vanish again.

(a small pause, then his voice softens)

But sometimes, a voice you’ve never heard feels familiar.

Like you already know its rhythm.

Like you’re supposed to.

(music swells — strings blend subtly with her earlier upbeat tone)

ROSE (V.O.)

Nice to meet you—

ARAV (V.O.)

—Rose.

[Both freeze for a second. A faint hum. The audience realizes — they haven’t met yet. But they just greeted each other.]

[Screen cuts to title:]

> “His Father’s Secret”

Scene 1 – The Son’s Romantic Encounter

...[INT. CAFÉ – DAY]...

...----------------...

Rose sits across from Arjun (the son). He’s trying too hard — hair perfect, smile louder than necessary.

She’s distracted — laptop open, a file half-read, tapping her pen to the beat of an English love song playing faintly in the café.

...----------------...

ARJUN:

You’re not even listening to me.

ROSE (without looking up):

I am. You said something about … how your barber changed your life.

ARJUN:

It was about my band, actually.

ROSE:

Same difference. Both need trimming.

(he laughs awkwardly, she gives a polite half-smile and types again)

ARJUN:

You really don’t like dates, do you?

ROSE:

I like work deadlines. They end faster.

(he leans forward)

ARJUN:

You’ll like me eventually.

ROSE:

Confidence looks cute till it’s wrong.

(her phone buzzes — work message. She instantly packs up)

ROSE:

I have to go. Client review. Thanks for the coffee.

(he watches her leave, slightly frustrated but charmed)

[EXT. CAFÉ – CONTINUOUS]

She walks out, slips her earphones in.

The 90s Hindi song “Pehla Nasha” remix starts playing.

She smiles — not for Arjun, not for anyone — just for herself.

ROSE (V.O.):

Love songs sound better when they’re not about you.

(camera pans up as she walks into the evening crowd —

crossing paths unknowingly with ARAV exiting another building across the street.

Neither notice. But both pause for a second — like a strange heartbeat syncs between them.)

...[Fade Out.]...

PROLOGUE — VOICE-OVER CROSSFADE

ROSE (V.O.)

People think silence means peace.

Sometimes it’s just the safest way to scream.

(She’s sitting on her bed, headphones in, screen glowing with unfinished work.)

ARJUN (V.O.)

She doesn’t talk much, but her one-liners can amputate your ego.

I keep trying to make her laugh, like a fool collecting smiles he can’t keep.

(Parallel cut: he’s in his room tuning his guitar, planning something on his phone.)

---

SCENE 1 — MORNING ROUTINE

INT. OFFICE – MORNING

Rose arrives early, coffee in one hand, earbuds in, humming “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran softly.

Colleagues greet her; she replies with nods and small smiles.

She works through emails, expression steady, eyes sharp.

A coworker teases:

CO-WORKER: “Your boyfriend came to drop you yesterday?”

ROSE (without looking up): “Delivery boy. Brought stress.”

(Laughter. She hides a smile.)

V.O. ARJUN:

She calls herself allergic to romance, but she laughs like she’s made for it.

---

SCENE 2 — ARJUN TRYING TOO HARD

EXT. CAMPUS CAFÉ – AFTERNOON

Arjun waits outside with two coffees and a small box of macarons.

Rose appears late, files in hand.

ARJUN: “You look like work punched you.”

ROSE: “Work doesn’t punch. It stabs politely.”

(He laughs; she sips coffee.)

He tries to joke, she rolls eyes but softens.

For a moment, she laughs genuinely — short, unguarded.

He looks mesmerized.

V.O. ROSE:

He’s sweet. Loud. Full of good intentions.

But sometimes kindness without understanding feels like noise.

---

SCENE 3 — THE IDEA OF LOVE

That evening they walk through a flea market.

Arjun keeps talking; she listens halfway, eyes caught by a musician playing an old Hindi love song on guitar.

She stops, smiles at the tune.

ARJUN: “You actually like this old stuff?”

ROSE: “It’s older than both of us and still trending. That’s called loyalty.”

(He grins. She doesn’t notice he’s already texting someone — a plan forming.)

---

SCENE 4 — THE SURPRISE

INT. CAMPUS HALL – NEXT DAY

A small crowd gathers. Fairy lights, music, phones recording.

Arjun steps onto a little stage with his band.

ARJUN (into mic):

“Before we start, I just wanna say… someone changed my whole definition of happy.

Rose — she’s not just my friend. She’s my girl.”

(Gasps, cheers, applause. Spotlight searches the crowd, lands on her.)

*Rose freezes — eyes wide, smile vanishing.

Her hand tightens around her notebook.*

V.O. ROSE:

Public. Loud. Cameras. Congratulations without consent.

That’s not love. That’s a press release.

She walks out quietly. No drama, just absence.

---

SCENE 5 — SILENCE

EXT. ROAD – EVENING

She walks alone, headphones on, listening to “Kiska rasta dekhe ”.

Her face unreadable.

The city lights blur through her tears she refuses to wipe.

V.O. ROSE:

Maybe he just wanted the world to know.

But I wanted the world not to interfere.

Privacy is my love language.

---

SCENE 6 — ARJUN’S CONFUSION

He runs after her later, breathless.

ARJUN: “Why are you angry? I just wanted people to know we’re together.”

ROSE: “You wanted people to clap. There’s a difference.”

(He doesn’t get it. His face falls.)

ARJUN: “You’re impossible to read.”

ROSE: “Then stop trying to perform comprehension.”

(She walks away. He stands in silence, guilt and frustration mixing.)

---

SCENE 7 — ROSE’S FORGIVENESS

INT. HER ROOM – NIGHT

Candlelight, laptop open.

She scrolls through messages he sent — apology, confusion, memes.

She sighs, types back: “It’s okay. Just don’t do it again.”

V.O. ROSE:

He won’t understand why it hurt.

And I don’t have the energy to explain pain that needs maturity as vocabulary.

(She hits send, closes laptop, lies back, eyes on ceiling. Music plays softly — “Truly Madly Deeply.”)

---

INTERCUT — FATHER’S PARALLEL MOMENT

INT. HIS STUDY – SAME NIGHT

He sits alone reading, radio humming the same tune she’s hearing.

He mouths one line unconsciously — same as her.

FATHER (V.O.)

Some songs travel in circles, finding the listener they belong to.

(He looks up suddenly, like he felt something.

Cut to her closing eyes at the same beat of music.)

ROSE (V.O.)

Goodnight, whoever’s listening.

FATHER (V.O.)

Goodnight, whoever said that.

(They exhale at the same time. Two screens, one silence.)

---

EPILOGUE — TEXT OVER BLACK

> ~Sometimes the right souls start in the wrong story.~

Fade out.