Teo Friast (The........reality is a....tale)

BLACK SCREEN. INT. NANA’S OLD ROOM - DAWN

In a darkened room with one light on in the corner, we see the back of VAADANA's head, a woman in her 30s with an olden get-up and half a pebble hanging around her neck. In the same frame the back of an old man's head is seen, who is also Vyastaava's Nana. Vaadana stands in front to the right of Nana. The corner of the screen reads 'Long Back' indicating an olden time. The scene is in black and white, a visual mixture of the Silent and Sound cinematic eras. Both characters know and speak Hindi for the same time period reason, but Vaadana learns English later on.

NANA speaks in Hindi and has a protective tone

Don't do it. It's too dangerous. You can't change what was written to be.

Vaadana turns to reveal her face.

VAADANA speaks in Hindi and in a neutral tone

I have to.

Vaadana shapeshifts into time, by turning into a glitch-like figure and disappears with the glitch closing leaving Nana alone in the room. As the glitch closes time-warping glitch audio is heard. There is sudden silence with a black screen. OVER BLACK

Suddenly, the audio of a prior car crash is heard with Vaadana's 8-year-old son screaming. . . time-warping glitch audio from before cuts in, indicating Vaadana changing the circumstances of this incident. Suddenly and we hear Vyastaava's mother screaming instead like Vaadana's son was. Immediately after, a normal; instead of renditioned audio of a car crash is heard, after Vyastaava's mother screams. An ambulance then sirens and her last breath is heard. CUT TO BLACK. INT. VYASTAAVA’S ROOM - MORNINGWith the audio of birds chirping we see the back of VYASTAAVA's head, a 15-17-year-old boy who is listening to music on his headphones as he studies. In a cutaway we see a picture of his mother is seen hanging on the wall with a flower necklace around it, indicating her death. The corner of the screen now reads 'Present Time. ' indicating a recent setting. The room decor also resonates with a recent decor and the screen is no longer in black and white. We see Vyastaava about to write something, but suddenly, his pencil glitches into a wire and the music on Vyastaava's headphones glitches off.

VYASTAAVA: Woa-h-h!

Startled, he falls off his chair trying to push away. We stay in a slightly awkward silence due to the shock, the camera stays slightly shaky on the floor for a few seconds. He looks out the door speechless, the camera is towards the door where we get a glimpse of his father, and the camera is back on Vyastaava as he gets back up, losing his speechlessness to continue with his work.

CUT TO:EXT. THE ROAD - LATER

Vyastaava's back is seen as he cycles to school with his schoolbag on his back.

JUMP CUT TO:INT. SCHOOL - NOON

Vyastaava is seen talking to his enthusiastic friend, AAKASH DARJEE, who is around the same age.

JUMP CUT TO:EXT. THE ROAD - AFTERNOONV

yastaava's front is seen as he cycles back home with his schoolbag on his back. In a mid-shot side angle, we see Vyastaava's head turn as he sees a familiar mountain in the middle of the ride. CUT TO:EXT. THE MOUNTAIN - SUNSETVyastaava is seen climbing up the slightly steep hill. As he reaches the top we see him walking to lie down on the top of the hill looking at the sun go down and the stars become clearer. We see the sky Vyastaava's watching. JUMP CUT TO:EXT. THE MOUNTAIN - MOMENTS LATERSuddenly, a sound starts howling and darkness spreads as Vaadana appears in a prisoner-like get-up, struggling to stay as a glitch. Try to hold on while the universal forces attempt to kick her out. Vyastaava tries to keep his eyes open through the immense light coming from the glitch and catches a glimpse of Vaadana's face. Seconds later, she manages to turn back into the glitch and disappears as it closes. A flower grows on the spot of the incident, and a video is then projected from the center of the camera. In the video, Nana is seen sitting on a chair as if he is on a zoom call.

VYASTAAVA: Nana.

CUT TO:INT. NANA’S OLD ROOM - DAWN

Nana sits down worried.

INTERCUT NANA'S OLD ROOM AND THE MOUNTAIN

NANA speaks in Hindi and slow enough for the audience to process the information

Uh. . . my sweet grandchild. Vaadana. . . she must have appeared from the glitch. That woman can shapeshift, but into things out of reach, her powers are not limited to objects or dimensions. She planned to shapeshift into time years back from when you receive this message, and when she gets what she wants. . . my daughter might be in grave danger. Your mother's life could depend on this child.

Vyastaava is seen to be mutely saying 'Mumma?'.

According to my cabal by THIS time, YOUR time, the universe would start pushing Vaadana out. Like a glitch in the system, since time is concrete, bound to win. But I know Vaadana, she will get back up until she finds a way to get whatever she wants, permanently. You must stop that time from coming. (still in Hindi)

Nana holds up the symbol.

This should lead the path. (Hindi)

Vyastaava looks down at his pebble necklace.

Find the other side of the pebble. Do you remember the rhyme?Follow the star that shines the brightest for you,It will take you on a path you always knew. When the star grows red and dims to disappe ar,You will feel what you're looking for is near. (Hindi)

The tune of the rhymes then loops once off-screen of the mountain frame and fades out. The video display stops and the Vyastaava is left staring at the scenery for a few seconds.

CUT TO:EXT. THE MOUNTAIN - IMMEDIATELY AFTER

Vyastaava rushes awkwardly and hastily down the mountain

JUMP CUT TO:EXT. THE ROAD - CONTINUOUS

Vyastaava rushes awkwardly and hastily down the road.

JUMP CUT TO:INT. FRIEND’S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

The Vyastaava drags his friend Aakash DARJEE out

. JUMP CUT TO:INT/EXT. VYASTAAVA’S ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Vyastaava drags his friend in and explains the situation at hand while pacing.

VYASTAAVA. . . what you're looking for is near.

AAKASH DARJEE

Okay, well we have to find this other side of the stone.

Aakash holds up the half of the pebble that is with Vyastaava, after Aakash finishes his sentence both friends pace across the room a couple more times.

AAKASH DARJEE Follow the star, the brightest star. (Hindi)

VYASTAAVA: Sirius?

AAKASH DARJEE: And we'll have this other side of the stone.

Both friends walk out excited. Vyastaava smiles with joy, not excitement.

CROSS CUT:EXT. SOMEWHERE ELSE - LATE AFTERNOON

Vaadana appears struggling to stay as glitch. It is becoming harder for her.

CROSS CUT:EXT. THE ROAD - NIGHT

Both friends look for Sirius.

VYASTAAVA: Sirius.

Both friends follow the star's direction.

CUT TO:EXT. SOMEWHERE ELSE - LATE NIGHT

Both friends followed the star across the city on their bikes for hours. They end up at a dead end.

AAKASH DARJEE: Let's go home. There's no point in breaking through a brick wall.

VYASTAAVA: Of course, there is a point. Nana said this woman did something out of greed that put my mother in danger. This could be why she's. . . this stone could find me more than closure for my mother's death.

AAKASH DARJEE: Sorry. . . but there's nowhere to go. There's no special pebble here that can help us change the dead's fate and nothing we can do about it.

Vyastaava sits down at the side of the pathway in disappointment, and Aakash sits beside him in defeat aswell.

CUT TO:EXT/INT. VAADANA’S HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER

Vaadana is finally weak enough to be kicked out by the universal forces. She is seen walking in anger toward a house, in slow motion.

INTERCUT SOMEWHERE ELSE AND VAADANA'S HOUSE (slow motion)The night sky glows bright white somewhere else. Vaadana slams open the front door of the house she glitched out next to.

The sky glows brighter in somewhere else. Vaadana walks down the hallway of the house in frustration. Vyastaava covers his eyes with his wrist and looks away. Then slowly peaks toward the sky. Vaadana turns towards another hallway. Vyastaava gets up putting his hand down, squinting to look at the sky as the brightness slightly focuses on a lone star. Vaadana walks in a door and slams it closed. Vyastaava still getting up stares at the star now fully focused on by the camera, with his eyes almost closed due to the brightness. The room Vaadana's in glows brightly from the gaps between the door edges. Vyastaava now standing stares at the star with his eyes almost closed due to the increased brightness. The room Vaadana's in glows brighter from the gaps between the door edges, just like the star increases brightness. Star glows too bright for Vyastaava to open his eyes the slightest bit. As the light dims Vaadana walks out of the room now with a new yet olden get-up and the other half of the pebble hanging from her neck, slamming the door behind her. Star dims a slight bit. Vaadana walks down the second hall. The star still the brightest dims just enough to see normally. E

ND INTERCUTEXT. SOMEWHERE ELSE - LATE NIGHT

(Still in slow motion) Aakash gets up confused at Vyastaava's expression. Vyastaava puts the pebble necklace on his neck and they both stand in awe and shock.

VYASTAAVAFollow the star that shines the brightest for you. (Hindi)

AAKASH DARJEEFollow the star. (Hindi)

Both friends follow the star's direction. FADE TO:EXT. VAADANA’S HOUSE - LATE NIGHTBoth friends, following the point of the star in the night sky walk down the road to a house. Vyastaava pulls out a metal chain.

VYASTAAVAWe might need something.

Aakash nods. He sees nothing in his hand and picks up a small enough branch.

VYASTAAVA (O. S. )I know this place. . .

VYASTAAVA. . . Nana had a friend from his special friend group who lived here. I. . don't remember what happened to her.

They go inside the front door of the house. CUT TO:INT. VAADANA’S HOUSE - LATE NIGHTBoth friends walk in the door one after the other.

AAKASH DARJEEThis has to be the place where we find the special stone's missing piece.

Suddenly a voice speaks.

VAADANA (O. S. )Who are you and why are you here?

Vyastaava mutely tells Aakash it's probably 'Vaadana' speaking.

AAKASH DARJEEMy name is Aakash, and we are here to speak to Miss Vaadana.

VAADANA (O. S. )without skipping a beat

Why?

AAKASH DARJEEWe--

VYASTAAVAYou might have something we need.

VAADANA (O. S. )I don't think so.

VYASTAAVAWe know your power, and how you used it. You stole a life and we. . . I want it back. So, I think so.

Vaadana steps out in rage, shapeshifting back into her human form from a wall form.

VAADANARaging in anger

I haven't committed any crime.

VYASTAAVA(Painful voice but not too much)

You're pure evil. I know you're the reason my mother isn't alive today.

VAADANA I haven't committed the crime. She did. . if anyone should be complaining, it should be me. I just lost everything I had all over again. Everything I had achieved is gone and I want it back.

VYASTAAVA You cause a mother's death, then tell her son she did wrong by you? I lost a parent!

Vaadana takes a step forward and speaks.

VAADANAAnd I lost my son. . . my only son.

Both friends look a little surprised.

VAADANAThat car crash that killed your mother was once supposed to kill my son, once upon a timeline. Your mother can be blamed for all my years of suffering. Dreading every second of my son's death. I watched my son die. It was unbearable. There were shards of glass from the window of the car pierced into his skin. The blood was running away from his body as fast as his life was running away from his soul. It's unforgettable to know someone who never stopped smiling had to leave this world in such pain, without even getting to say goodbye. The sight of death speaks a thousand silent sentences and I had to hear them all. My son, He told me. . .

Aakash smacks Vaadana down with his small enough branch, and she goes down.

VYASTAAVAbarely audible due to voice blur

What did you do that for, the dead son?

Both friends continue to bicker.

FADE TO BLACK. INT. VAADANA’S HOUSE - DAWN

Vaadana is seen tied up using Vyastaava's metal chain and Aakash wakes her up with the small enough branch. The eyes of each, Vaadana and Vyastaava, speak of defenselessness and guilt, respectively. Both start slightly tearing up in a way appropriate to their emotion. Vyastaava lesser than Vaadana. Vyastaava looks up at Aakash who is seen standing. Aakash nodes in yes. Vyastaava looks down with his head after his eyes, in deep regret, at the other half of the pebble that is on Vaadana's neck knowing exactly what to do.

VAADANAMy son deserves a happy ending .

VYASTAAVAit's my turn to have what I lost.

As Vaadana struggles with the metal chain Vyastaava joins the pebble at the cracks and restores real-time by disintegrating Vaadana, the source of the problem, destroying all the complications Vaadana made about who dies in the car crash. The screen fades to black.

OVER BLACK. The audio of a prior car crash is heard with Vyastaava's mother screaming in the crash, glitching back and forth with time-warping glitch audio to indicate the change back to real-time, into the Vaadana's 8-year-old son screaming version of the crash. An ambulance then sirens and his last breath is heard, additionally, exclaiming sounds of shock are heard from Vyastaava's mother. After a slight pause with sounds in the background the audio fades with a soft echo of Vaadana's burst of cry, reacting to her son's death.

FADE TO BLACK. INT. VYASTAAVA’S HOUSE - SUNRISE

In the living room, Vyastaava and his dad are seen enjoying breakfast. Vyastaava's mother, the woman from the photograph in the first scene is seen entering the room with more breakfast. A picture of Nana is seen with a flower necklace in the background. Everyone is smiling; however, Vyastaava has a slightly sad smile. CUT TO:INT. VYASTAAVA’S HOUSE - SUNRISEAt the door, the mother is seen helping Vyastaava put his bag on while the father wears his shoes. Everyone is smiling; however, Vyastaava has a slightly sad smile. FADE TO:EXT. THE ROAD - MORNINGVyastaava is seen sitting in his school bus still feeling guilty. The bus leaves the camera frame to reveal a little boy standing on the footpath, with a big bag on his back and the pebble as a whole on his neck. The screen then glitches back and forth with the video message from Nana.

INTERCUT THE ROAD AND NANA'S OLD ROOM

The screen glitches to show continue the video of Nana from earlier. The boy's expressions are sad. Nana is seen leaning back from the camera.

NANAin a sad toneKnow this. . .

A tear rolls down the little boy's cheek.

NANA. . . there will always be unexplained loss. . .

The boy's expressions are sadder.

NANA (V. O. ). . . ends for messing with time.

VAADANA'S SON: Mama

Deeply saddened the little boy looks at a picture of his mother who wore the pebble when she was alive, Vaadana.

BLACK.