Boys Hostel
Boys Hostel
CHARACTER: PEON / HOSTEL CARETAKER
EMOTION: Sad • Regretful • Reflective
LOCATION: BOYS’ HOSTEL – OUTSIDE AREA
TIME: DAY
EXT. BOYS’ HOSTEL – OUTSIDE AREA – DAY
The hostel is quiet.
A PEON in his late 40s sweeps the outside area with a broom. His clothes are simple and worn out. He has clearly done this work for years.
While cleaning, he notices something near a corner.
He stops.
Five empty beer bottles are lying behind a wall.
He looks at them for a moment. A faint disappointment crosses his face.
Just then, a COLLEGE STUDENT walks out of the hostel.
STUDENT
(casually)
Yaar Uncle… yahan kuch beer ki bottles padi hain.
Inhe utha dena.
(points towards the bottles)
Do bottle toh toot bhi gayi hain… dhyaan se uthana.
PEON
(normal, gentle)
Theek hai beta… main utha dunga.
student walks away.
The peon watches him for a moment.
He slowly turns back towards the bottles.
He bends down, picks up one unbroken bottle…
A faint smile appears on his face, but there is sadness behind it.
He turns slightly towards the camera.
PEON
(slowly, almost to himself)
In ladkon ko lagta hai hostel mein rehna matlab bas maze karna hai.
Ghar se paisa aa raha hai…
Maa-baap fees bhar rahe hain…
Toh zindagi badi aasaan hai.
He looks at the bottles in his hand.
PEON
Lekin inhe kya pata…ki aane wale kuch saal mein
zindagi inki achhi khaasi band bajane wali hai.
(a faint, sad smile)
Inmein se koi achha karega… Koi apna business khada karega… Koi achhi post par pahunch jayega…
Aur koi… bas wahi ka wahi reh jayega.
He looks down.
PEON
Aur jo wahi reh jayega na… sabse zyada wahi royega.
Raat ko akela baith ke sochega…
(pause)
“Kaash…”
Bas…
ek ghanta roz padh liya hota, doston ke saath ghoomne ki jagah
thoda apne future ke baare mein soch liya hota.
Toh aaj…
college ke hostel mein jhaadu nahi laga raha hota.
He stops.
Looks directly towards camera.
PEON
(quietly)
Theek suna aapne…
main apni hi baat suna raha hoon.
A long pause.
He looks away.
PEON
Main bhi aisa hi tha.
College jaane ka mann nahi karta tha.
Padhai se zyada… nashe mein interest tha.
Dost bulaate the… toh chale jaata tha.
Kal kya hoga… kabhi socha hi nahi.
He gives a small, painful smile.
PEON
Lagta tha…
zindagi toh poori padi hai. Kar lenge kabhi baad mein.
He looks at his hands.
PEON
Phir pata hi nahi chala… kab woh baad mein… poori zindagi ban gaya..
PEON
Aaj dekho… Nashe bhi chhoot gaye…
Woh saare dost bhi apni-apni manzil tak pahunch gaye.
Koi naukri kar raha hai… koi business.
Kabhi-kabhi phone par baat ho jaati hai.
Lekin… sabki zindagi mein mere liye jagah hi nahi bachi.
He looks towards the hostel rooms.
PEON
Aur main? Main aaj bhi yahin hoon.
Subah uthta hoon… hostel saaf karta hoon…
Aur tum jaise ladkon ko dekh kar… bas ek hi baat sochta hoon.
He takes a breath.
PEON
Thodi si mehnat kar lo, beta.
(pause)
Bahut zyada nahi… sirf thodi si.
Aaj ke do saal… tumhe aane wale pachaas saal dikha sakte hain.
Aaj agar padhne ka mann nahi kar raha… toh bhi ek ghanta baith jaana.
Aaj agar dost bula rahe hain… toh kabhi-kabhi unhe mana kar dena.
Kyuki waqt… wapas nahi aata.
He looks at the broken bottles
PEON
Aur meri tarah… kal ye mat sochna…
“Kaash…”
A long silence.
He finally looks down.
Slowly, he begins collecting the bottles.
One by one.
He carefully picks up the broken pieces with his hands covered by a cloth.
The hostel door closes in the background.
The peon continues cleaning.