Kaise yeh yaarian

Part 41

NO PROOFREAD. An interaction between Manik and Nandini will be included in the next part.

Can studies the set again.

Not the lights.
Not the framing.

The faces.

Something's off.

He lowers the camera slowly.

CAN
Why do you all look like you're being punished?

A few crew members stiffen.

Fab5 blinks.

Cabir snorts before he can stop himself.

CABIR
Because we kind of are?

Mukti shoots him a warning look.

CAN
I'm serious.

(gestures vaguely at them)
You're musicians.
You look like mannequins who lost a bet.

Cabir glances down at his outfit — stiff jacket, tight collar.

CABIR
I mean...
no offense, but this thing doesn't let me breathe.

MUKTI
Or move.

ALIA
Or exist.

Dhruv adjusts his sleeves uncomfortably.

DHURV
It's... not us.

Can nods once.

Like that confirms something.

CAN
Yeah.

(beat)
That's what I thought.

He turns to Nandini.

CAN (CONT'D)
Who picked the outfits?

Before she can answer, Soha steps in.

SOHA
They're styled to match the campaign brief.

CAN
They don't match them.

Soha opens her mouth.

Can keeps going — calm, unbothered.

CAN (CONT'D)
You can't ask people to sell music while wearing someone else's skin.

A beat.

Can looks back at Fab5.

CAN (CONT'D)
Go change.

Everyone freezes.

CABIR
...Change into what?

CAN
Your clothes.

(beat)
Your style.

Mukti's eyes widen.

MUKTI
You're serious?

CAN
Dead serious.

Cabir grins.

CABIR
I love this man.

Soha steps forward.

SOHA
This isn't—

CAN
Temporary.

(beat)
If it doesn't work, we go back.

He meets her gaze.

CAN (CONT'D)
But at least we'll know.

Silence.

Then Nandini speaks — steady.

NANDINI
Go.

Fab5 doesn't wait .

They're already moving.