Kaise yeh yaarian

Part 30

INT. SPACE – JAM ROOM – LATE EVENING

A heavy silence blankets the room. Fab5—Manik, Cabir, Mukti, Dhruv, and Alia—sit in a loose circle. The energy is weighed down, the air tense. Instruments rest quietly, forgotten.

Alia fidgets, her eyes fixed on the floor. She's fighting an inner battle—and losing.

ALIA

(soft, barely audible)

I... I need your help.

(beat)

It's about Harshad.

Heads snap up. The name lands like a slap.

CABIR

(flat)

What about him?

ALIA

(voice trembling)

I want to get him out... of jail.

A stunned silence follows. Mukti stiffens.

MUKTI

(disbelieving)

You're joking... right?

ALIA

(choked)

He's my brother. The only family I have left. We've already lost our parents. If I lose him too...

DHRUV

(cutting in, firm)

But Alia... after everything he did? After what he did to Cabir?

ALIA

(eyes pleading)

I know. I know. What he did was cruel, unforgivable. I'm not trying to defend him. I'm not asking you to forget.

But I... I want to withdraw our complaint. I want to give him one last chance.

Cabir rises to his feet slowly, expression unreadable. He starts pacing, fists clenched.

CABIR

(low, hurt)

You were there, Alia. You saw what he did. The threats. The blackmail. He nearly destroyed my life.

ALIA

(tears spilling, voice breaking)

I remember. And I hate myself for not stopping it sooner. But this guilt—this ache—it's eating me alive.

(quietly)

I'm not asking you to forgive him. Just... let me try. Please.

Mukti looks away, jaw tight. Dhruv looks torn.

MUKTI

(soft, conflicted)

Alia...

ALIA

(voice shaking)

I've let all of you down so many times. But this... I need to do this. I need to believe people can change.

(beat)

I'm not asking you to trust him. Just... trust me.

The silence is thick. Then—Manik finally speaks.

MANIK

(quiet, firm)

You really ready to own this? If he slips again—then what happens?