Bloody Smile

Screenplay writing

Fade in:

INT. PG – Early Morning

[Ring]
[Ring]
[Ring]

A short boy sleepily snoozed the alarm and went back to sleep
promptly.
 
[Ring]
[Ring]
 The boy woke up again to snooze the alarm but froze after seeing
the time displayed on his mobile. He threw the cover and rushed
to get ready.
 
AKASH
Shit!

The boy wondered how he could oversleep. He berated himself for

this mistake and glanced with envy at the other roommates, who
were still sleeping. The room he was staying in was like any PG
in Chennai, a small room crammed with as many beds as humanly
possible.
The boy got ready in record time, stayed a few more minutes in
front of the mirror, adjusted his oversized spectacles, and
rushed out.

ROOMATE
Hey, Akash!

 One of his roommates hollers, which makes him pause.

Switch that damn light off!

 AKASH
(Sheepish)

Sorry, Keshav Bro, I was in a hurry,

 
KESHAV
(smug)

Yeah, yeah, do you think I don't know where you are going?

Keshav sleepily shooed Akash away. Akash stood for a few moments,
confused, but he remembered he was already running late.

A few months earlier, Akash came to Chennai from his hometown for
work. He still has not adjusted to the fast pace and uncaring
nature of the people in this big city. Akash looked at the watch
and sighed. He was going to be really late.

Akash envied his roommates, particularly that smug Keshav, who

could sleep until sunrise, and he needed to wake up early every
day of the week. Those guys are not single anymore.

Keshav always talked with his girlfriend all night, but he even
occasionally threw a gloating look at Akash. While fuming about
Keshav, he reached his destination.
CUT TO:

EXT. COACHING CENTRE – EARLY MORNING

 
The coaching centre was a dinghy, one-story building with a
narrow entrance and a faded name board that read, ‘The Best
Education Coaching Centre.’
 
There was not a lot of space apart from the classroom. So, a
group of boys and girls were standing on the road talking among
themselves instead of entering the coaching centre.

Akash looked at his watch; the time showed 6:25 AM. There was
still time for class to start. He searched among the crowd. He
could not find a person and became disappointed.
 
After a few moments, a group of girls reached the coaching
centre. Akash became jubilant after seeing Megna, who was busy
talking with her friends. She was a petite girl with curly hair
that gave her a permanent bedhead look.
 
Megna's friends spotted Akash and pointed him at her. After
noticing Akash, Megna got angry. Akash avoided her eye contact
and pretended to be interested in the dreary cow on the opposite
side of the road.

Megna said something to her friends and started walking toward

Akash. He noticed she was approaching him, panicked, and thought
of escaping from the place, but at the last moment, he stayed.

CUT TO:

MEGNA
(irritated)

What is your problem? Why have you been stalking me for the past
few weeks?
 
Akash did not think Megna would be this harsh, but the thought
that Megna was really speaking to him distracted him from what
she was saying.
.
Megna noticed Akash's blank look and got angrier, thinking that
he was mocking her.

MEGNA
 
Stop stalking me. Otherwise, I will report you to my dad.
 
Akash comes out of a reverie but ignores her. Akash felt that
since Megna had confronted him, he should use this chance to
propose to her, and meanwhile, Megna was waiting impatiently for
his answer.
[Ting]
[Ting]
[Ting]
 
The bell rang, which indicated class was going to start. Megna
thought Akash might not respond. She had already said her piece,
so she turned back to return to her class.

AKASH
(passionately)

Megna, I love you.

Akash said loudly, which was heard by boys and girls who were
hurrying to their class. Megna stopped after hearing Akash's
confession. Akash could not see Megna's expression clearly as she
was facing in the opposite direction to him.

MEGNA’S FRIEND

Come on, Megna, class is going to start.

MEGNA
(annoyed)

You go. I will come within a few minutes,

Megna turned back to Akash with an annoyed look.

 
Are you an idiot? I do not even know your name.

AKASH
 
I am Akash.

MEGNA
(shouts angrily)

That is not important. I knew nothing about you.

AKASH
(desperate)
We can learn about each –
 MEGNA
(shout)

All I know about you is that you are a creep who likes to follow
the girls.

Some latecomers to the class glance at this duo. Akash felt

ashamed and wanted to sneak away, but he still felt he could
convey his true love to her.

AKASH

Megna, I love you truly, if you give me a chance.

 
MEGNA

Why do I have to give you a chance? I already have a boyfriend.

 
Akash was shocked because he stalked her for more than a month
and did not even once see a man outside her family talking with
her in a friendly manner. But Megna's declaration made him angry
and jealous
.

MEGNA

This is my last warning. If you stalk me again, I will make my

boyfriend beat you. Get lost.

Megna rushed back to her class, and Akash stood there for a few
moments. He was sad and angry. He could not believe Megna had a
boyfriend. A few boys and girls attracted by their fight were now
openly laughing and whispering to each other. Akash fled the
place without looking back, since he felt Megna had insulted him
by rejecting his proposal.

[Megna walks away from Akash and leaves the screen. Camera should
be stationary and scene should be showed from Akash’s point of
view.]
[But when Akash flees from scene camera should go along with him]
  DISSOLVE TO:
                                                               
EXT. ROAD – Morning
 
Akash felt the hot tears leaking uncontrollably. He used his
shirt cuffs to wipe the tears off, and his mind was a mess. He
unknowingly thought about the first time he met Megna on the
road.
Akash was very new to the city back then and went to explore a
few nearby areas. He felt homesick and wanted to go back to his
warm and slow-paced village, where everyone knew everyone. He, in
this state of mind, saw Megna. She was so good-looking like a
goddess. Akash fell in love at first sight, and he somehow felt
this city was not all bad.
 
He went back to the place, again and again, but could not meet
Megna. He persisted, and one day he coincidently saw Megna again,
but this time, she was with a group of girls. So, he followed her
from a safe distance, but Akash felt unsatisfactory, so he went
nearer to eavesdrop on the girls.

[FLASHBACK]

EXT. ROAD – EVENING

CUT TO:
YOUNG WOMAN

Hey, Megna, did you watch True Romance, a Korean series on

Netflix, yesterday?"
The tall, skinny girl questioned Megna.

MEGNA
 
I had little time. I will watch this weekend

ANOTHER YOUNG WOMAN

Sona, I watched. The male lead is cute, but he should not have
behaved like that against the female lead. I will never watch
that series again.
the fat girl replied.
MEGNA

"Anjali, what did he do?"

ANJALI
(disgusted)

He stalked the female lead. How can he be so indecent?

SONA
(defensively)

But he is tall and handsome.

Sona defended her latest crush.

 
ANJALI

So what? I don't like this type of man. What about you, Megna?

 
Megna looked confused. She did not want to get in between her
friends' fights.

MEGNA

I did not watch the show. Is your dress new? It looks good on
you.

Megna tried to change the subject. Sona rolled her eyes at

Megna's obvious attempt to change the topic, but Anjali failed to
notice this underplay.

ANJALI
 
Ha! My boyfriend bought this dress for my birthday,
Anjali said, and she did an impromptu pose to show off her new
dress.

SONA
(accusingly)

But your birthday was six months back.

ANJALI
(Boastfully)

Haha, that you know, but my boyfriend did not know.

 
This made all three girls laugh. Akash, who was interested in
their talk, failed to notice that he was very near to them. The
girls, who were laughing, suddenly stopped and glared at him.
 
Megna mesmerized Akash. He felt her laugh, and her words were
exquisite. Akash who was mooning over Megna, failed to notice he
was closer to them. When the girls glared, he bolted off as fast
as he could.
CUT TO:
MEGNA
 
Did he stalk us?

Megna questioned her friends.

 
ANJALI

You did not notice? I noticed him like fifteen minutes back,
 
SONA
(curious)

Who was he stalking among us?

ANJALI
(boastfully)
 Obviously, it's me.

SONA
 
Don't you have a boyfriend already?

ANJALI

What? A girl can't have a spare.

SONA
(angry)

Shameless! Did you not say that you don't like a man who stalks
girls?
 
ANJALI

Hmph. So what? What's it to you? Don't you just like tall guys?
 
SONA
(defensively)

But he's cute.

ANJALI
 
What do you think, Megna?

Anjali asked. Sona also looked at Megna. She was silently

observing the fight, saying nothing. When they asked her opinion.
She did not reply but looked as though she was mulling over
something. Only she knew her true thoughts.

DISSOLVE TO:
 
Well, today Akash felt remembering her face was painful. He vowed
not to meet her again. He rushed to the PG as he could not be
late for work.
CUT TO:

EXT. ROAD – LATE EVENING 

Akash became a shell of a man. He had a dark circle and bloodshot

eyes. His dress was untidy and not pressed, and he even had a
beard. These changes did not sit well; whoever saw him would
consider him a person down on luck.

It was evening, and the heat of summer did not decrease even when
the sun was about to set. Office workers rushing to their homes
and sellers hawking the wares in the street for selling various
items drowned the Chennai streets. The road was noisy, crowded
and messy. This was how Akash's mind felt even after two weeks of
rejection.

Akash was roaming instead of going back to his PG. His relations
with other roommates deteriorated. He even fought with Keshav,
who was happily speaking with his girlfriend for the entire
night.

He was roaming without a destination, but somehow, he came to the

place, where he met the Megna first time. He felt like crying out
loud, but somehow restrained himself and tried to leave this
place, but unfortunately or fortunately, he saw Megna, who was
dressed gorgeously, was going somewhere.
 
Akash's mind blanked for a moment when he saw Megna as he felt a
part of him had nothing to do with her, but another part of him
wanted to associate with Megna to some extent. He felt torn but
ultimately followed Megna.
 
Akash felt something different about Megna. She was not wearing
her usual dress, for instead she dressed well as if she was going
outside, and she was also not going the usual route.
 
These changes made Akash suspicious. He stalked her, and his
suspicion proved to be true. Instead of going to her house, she
went to the Lakeside, which provides privacy, and couples used
for rendezvous.
 
Akash made a fist and gritted his teeth and muttered to himself.

AKASH
(Jealous and angry)

Whore, here I am suffering because of you, but you dressed nicely

and secretly going out to meet your boyfriend.
 
Akash becomes jealous after coming to know Megna's destination
and her rejection also bruised his manly pride.
CUT TO:
 
Suddenly Megna stopped and looked to the sides and back as if she
was searching for someone before entering the lakeside. Akash
scrambled to hide behind the dustbins. After Megna entered the
lakeside, Akash came out of hiding. He looked angry because Megna
was acting differently from his idealistic perception of her.

 
He sneaked in and looked at Megna; she was idly gazing at the
lake and looked as though she was waiting for someone. Akash felt
Meghna was cheating on him. He became blinded with rage and
looked around, but only found the stones, and he took them and
started shouting and running towards her.

AKASH
Megna!
 
Megna turned towards Akash with a smile, but her expression
quickly changed to surprise when she saw her running towards her
angrily. Akash threw a stone which hit Megna's head. She fell and
started bleeding profusely.
 
When Akash looked at Meghna, who was drenched in her own blood.
He came out of his blind rage. Her condition made him freeze at
shock. She was cradling her bloody head.
 AKASH
(wailed)

Megna, I am sorry.
 
Megna gave him a pained smile in a situation that made him feel
guilty.

[close up of Megna]
CUT TO:
He ran away from the scene, leaving bleeding Megna to the ground.

 
Akash in his panic, pushed the couples who were entering the
lakeside area hand in hand. They shouted at him, but he did not
heed.

[Camera moves along Akash but stops here and Akash runs away from
camera]

Shortly thereafter another shout was heard, which made Akash run
faster. He ran off towards the sunset with a heavy heart.
FADE OUT: