EPISODE 4: "Shadows of the Past"
OPENING SCENE
Location: Mumbai – A Quiet Apartment in Andheri
(The screen fades in with a dimly lit apartment. The ceiling fan creaks as it spins. A young woman, Ritika Sinha (26), a journalist, sits at her desk, typing furiously on her laptop. She looks tense, glancing at the door occasionally. The camera zooms into her laptop screen, where an article draft is open:)
"EXPOSING THE TRUTH: THE SECRET CRIMINAL EMPIRE HIDING IN MUMBAI'S SHADOWS"
(Suddenly, a loud knock on the door startles Ritika. Her fingers freeze over the keyboard. She hesitates, then stands up and approaches the door.)
Ritika (nervously, whispering to herself): "Not now… Not tonight…"
(She peeks through the peephole. Nothing. She exhales but doesn't open the door. She quickly deletes the article from her laptop, removes the USB drive, and hides it inside a flower vase. She turns off the lights and moves to the bedroom.)
(A shadowy figure stands outside her apartment, the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps echoing in the hallway.)
(CUT TO BLACK — A loud THUD is heard. A muffled scream. Silence.)
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SCENE 2: BLACK SQUAD HEADQUARTERS
(Morning. ACP Sulaiman Qazi enters the office, holding a cup of black tea. His eyes scan the whiteboard, where ongoing case details are scribbled in red and black ink.)
Inspector Imran Wani (arriving, reading the board): "Three murder cases this week. Mumbai is getting restless."
ACP Qazi (sipping his tea): "Not just restless, Imran. It's becoming something else—unpredictable."
(Before they can continue, Sub-Inspector Neha Joshi rushes in, looking disturbed.)
Neha: "Sir, another case. A journalist, Ritika Sinha. Found dead in her apartment in Andheri. No signs of forced entry. Neighbors heard a scream but saw no one."
(ACP Qazi tightens his grip on the cup, his face hardening.)
ACP Qazi: "Ritika Sinha… That name sounds familiar."
Neha: "She was investigating an underground crime network—something big. Before she died, she tried to publish an article exposing them."
(Imran immediately grabs his coat.)
Imran: "We need to see that article. Let's go."
(CUT TO BLACK.)
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SCENE 3: CRIME SCENE – RITIKA'S APARTMENT
(The team enters the dimly lit apartment. The crime scene is cold and eerily quiet. The forensic team is already present, collecting evidence. Ritika's body lies near the bed, her face frozen in terror. No visible wounds, no blood—just… lifeless.)
Forensic Officer: "No physical injuries. No strangulation marks. We sent her blood samples for toxicology."
ACP Qazi (looking around): "She knew she was in danger."
(Imran searches the room, checking Ritika's desk and laptop. He frowns when he finds it wiped clean.)
Imran: "Someone erased everything from her laptop. No documents, no browsing history—nothing."
(Neha walks towards the flower vase, her eyes scanning it. Something seems off. She removes the flowers and finds the hidden USB drive.)
Neha (holding it up): "Looks like she left us a clue."
(They exchange glances as tension fills the air.)
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SCENE 4: THE TRAP IS SET
*(At the headquarters, Neha inserts the USB into the computer. Files start appearing—half-written articles, audio recordings, and a video file named "THEY ARE WATCHING.")
(Imran clicks on the video. The screen glitches before showing Ritika, fear in her eyes, whispering into the camera.)
Ritika (on the screen, voice trembling): "If you're watching this, I'm probably dead. They know I've uncovered too much. Mumbai is being controlled from the shadows. It's not just corruption—it's an empire. And if they find out I have proof…" (she hesitates, looking over her shoulder) "...they will erase me."
(The video cuts to black.)
Neha (whispering): "She knew."
(Suddenly, the lights flicker. A red warning flashes on the computer screen—SYSTEM BREACHED.)
Imran (standing up): "We've been hacked!"
(The screen goes dark. Then, a message appears in blood-red letters:)
"YOU'RE NEXT."
(Silence. The team exchanges tense glances.)
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SCENE 5: THE AMBUSH
(The squad heads to a warehouse near the docks, following Ritika's last known location before she died. The place is abandoned, eerie. As they step inside, the metal doors slam shut behind them.)
(Gunshots! The team takes cover as masked assailants open fire. The warehouse erupts in chaos. Imran and Neha fight back, exchanging bullets with the attackers.)
(ACP Qazi moves tactically, taking down two shooters with precise shots. Neha engages in hand-to-hand combat with one of them, dodging a knife strike before delivering a knockout punch.)
(Imran spots the leader, a man in a black trench coat, escaping through a back door.)
Imran (shouting): "Qazi sir! He's getting away!"
(The chase begins—dark alleyways, speeding through Mumbai's narrow streets. The man jumps onto a moving truck, but ACP Qazi jumps after him, pulling him down. A brief struggle, and Qazi pins him against the pavement.)
ACP Qazi (breathing heavily): "Who do you work for?"
(The man smirks, blood on his lips.)
Man (whispers): "You don't stop what you can't see…" (he suddenly collapses, foaming at the mouth—cyanide pill.)
(Imran and Neha arrive, stunned.)
Neha: "They'd rather die than talk."
(ACP Qazi stares at the body, realizing this is bigger than they imagined.)
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CLOSING SCENE
(The team stands outside, watching the body being taken away. Mumbai's city lights flicker in the distance.)
ACP Qazi: "We've only scratched the surface. Ritika knew something dangerous, and someone made sure she wouldn't talk."
Imran: "But we have her files. We'll find out what she knew."
(The camera zooms out as they walk away, determined. A dark figure watches them from a distance, making a call.)
Mysterious Voice (on phone): "They took the bait. Phase two begins now."
(FADE TO BLACK.)
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TO BE CONTINUED…