JACK REWRITES THE PRESENT
By
Mohit K. Mishra
INT. - JACK'S ROOM -
MORNING
It’s a small room,
untidy, posters of the film stars on the walls. Untidy bed and untidy study in
a corner. Sound of shower running and male voice humming. It’s JACK, a college
going student of early twenties.
His mother calls him
for breakfast.
MOTHER (O.S.)
Jackie... c’mon fast
you'll get late for your college...
JACK
Pack it... I'll eat it
on the way to college.
INT. - HALL - MORNING
Mother, outside Jack's
room.
MOTHER
Eat your breakfast
here... you are not eating well for some time... come fast, I’ll get late
for work too.
Jack opens the door,
dressed and ready with a small shoulder bag with him.
JACK
I am ready.
Jack comes to the
table and sits and starts to eat his breakfast quickly.
MOTHER
Eat slowly.
Mother goes to the
kitchen.
Jack gets his phone
out of his pocket. Searches for TINA on facebook, his love interest. Goes to
her wall. Tina is a beautiful girl of early twenties. He sighs after seeing her
profile picture. Nothing new has been posted.
Mother comes. Jack
puts his phone back in his pocket.
MOTHER (CONT'D)
(suspiciously)
What are you trying to
hide?
JACK
Nothing mom.
He gets up and picks
the food from the plate.
JACK (CONT'D)
I'll eat it. Bye mom.
EXT. - ROAD - MORNING
Jack walks on the
footpath, finishes his last bite. Puts his ear phone on.
INT. - TRAIN - MORNING
It's a crowded train.
Most of the people lost their phones.
Jack again looks at
Tina's wall, checks her favorite music and finds it on the internet. Starts to
play and listens to it.
(OPENING CREDITS MAY
BE INSERTED HERE)
EXT. - COLLEGE -
MORNING
Jack enters the
college campus. He takes off earphones. Suddenly someone calls his name.
Jackie!
It's RAKESH, his
friend and classmate. Jack stops, waits for Rakesh.
Rakesh is running to
catch up with him.
JACK
Hi,
RAKESH
Hi,
JACK
What's up...
RAKESH
(panting)
Good. What's up with
you?
They start to walk to
their class.
JACK
Okay,...
RAKESH
Why so cold reply...?
JACK
Same boring class.
RAKESH
I know, but then why
are you going to the class?
JACK
Gotta attend the
class.
RAKESH
Yeah, I know why you
gotta attend the class.
INT. - CLASS - MORNING
Jack and Rakesh enter
that class. Lecturer hasn't arrived yet. Students are busy talking to each
other. Jack and Rakesh move to their seats. Jack is trying to find someone.
Rakesh understands his restlessness and points to a group of girls. Jack looks
at them. Tina is there talking to her friends, Laughing. She looks at Jack,
smiles and waves 'hi'. Jack stops and waves in 'hi'. Rakesh bumps into jack.
RAKESH
Oho! can’t you wave
while walking also...
JACK
It’s hard for me...
RAKESH
Let me teach you how
to do it. Start walking.
Rakesh waves to Tina
in 'hi'.
Tina also responds
with hi.
RAKESH (CONT'D)
See, it’s really easy.
They find their seats.
They are back-benchers.
JACK
We are one of the best
students in the class and we sit here, why?
RAKESH
Because, we want to
remain one the best students in the class and if you sit in the front you have
to tilt your head up, it gives you pain in the neck and most if the class is
boring you can’t do anything about it.
Jack has been looking
at Tina. She is sitting in the front row. She looks back and their eyes meet.
Jack smiles. She points to the front seats telling him to come to the front
seats.
JACK
(to Rakesh)
Hey, she is asking to
come to the front seats...
RAKESH
I am comfortable here.
You go there.
Jack points to his
seats and shows a thumbs up sign 'telling he is good at his place'.
JACK
I think she likes me.
RAKESH
How do you know that?
JACK
She is concerned about
me...
RAKESH
Don't get
delusional... get to know her first.
Rakesh opens his bag
and gets his tablet out and turns it on.
JACK
Then why did she ask
to come to the front?
RAKESH
Because you are one of
the best students in the class.
JACK
She is also one of the
best students of the class.
RAKESH
Precisely, that's why
she asked you. Did she ask someone else in the class?
Jack is trying to
think it out.
Lecturer enters the
class. Everyone gets organized. Lecturer starts the lecture.
RAKESH (CONT'D)
Com'n...
JACK
What?
RAKESH
He has been repeating
the same thing for the last three sessions.
JACK
I didn't notice
that...
Rakesh starts to work
on his tablet.
JACK (CONT'D)
What have you been
writing?
RAKESH
Some codes...?
JACK
What for?
RAKESH
I don't know yet.
Rakesh carries on.
Jack also gets his
tablet out of his bag. He turns it on and starts to read on it.
EXT. - CANTEEN - NOON
Jack and Rakesh are
sitting in the canteen about to finish their lunch.
Tina and her friends
also arrive at the canteen. They order their food and find their places.
Jack is looking at
Tina.
RAKESH
Why don't you ask her
out?
JACK
I want to, but I'm looking
for the right moment.
RAKESH
Okay. Let's go.
JACK
Okay.
Both get up and move
out of the canteen.
EXT. - OUTSIDE CANTEEN
- NOON
Jack stops outside the
canteen.
RAKESH
What happened?
JACK
What do you think,
should I ask her out when she comes out?
RAKESH
Hmm, yeah.
They wait.
Tina comes out with
her friends and passes by Jack. Both exchanging smiles.
RAKESH (CONT'D)
Good signal...
Tina stops to check
her bag. She is little further away from Jack and Rakesh.
RAKESH (CONT'D)
You don't have to stop
her even... that's your chance.
JACK
Okay.
Jack walks towards
Tina.
Tina looks at him.
Jack freezes.
Returns to Rakesh.
JACK (CONT'D)
Something is wrong!
RAKESH
Yeah, I know, the
ground is sticky there (points to the place where Jack froze.)
Tina starts to walk
and joins her friends.
RAKESH (CONT'D)
Let’s go to class. We
have to study. Exams are approaching.
They walk to their
class.
RAKESH (CONT'D)
Why don't you ask Tina
out after the exams. You can study without any tension. And after the exams she
will have plenty of time to go out.
JACK
I think it is a good
idea.
INT. - JACK'S ROOM -
DAY
Jack is sitting in his
study and reading his notes.
INT. - RAKESH'S ROOM -
DAY
Rakesh is sitting in
his study and writing code on his computer.
INT. - JACK'S ROOM - NOON
Jack is eating while
reading.
INT. - RAKESH'S ROOM -
NOON
Rakesh is eating in
his study while writing the code on his computer.
INT. - JACK'S ROOM -
NIGHT
Jack is reading on his
tablet while walking in his room.
INT. - RAKESH'S ROOM -
NIGHT
Rakesh is still
sitting in his study and writing code in his study, yawning.
EXT. - COLLEGE -
MORNING
Jack and Rakesh meet
and walk to their exam halls.
RAKESH
How is the preparation
for the exam?
JACK
Good, how about you?
RAKESH
Good.
EXT. - OUTSIDE EXAM
HALL - MORNING
Students are checking
their seat no. on the lists stuck outside the exam halls. Jack and Rakesh also
find their seats.
RAKESH
Hey, I am in the hall
no. 4.
JACK
I am in the hall no.
3. And Tina should be in...
RAKESH
Hall no. 5. But right
now she is there.
Rakesh points to
Tina's group checking their seats in another list.
RAKESH (CONT'D)
Ask her out when the
exams are done.
Everyone starts to go
into their respective exam halls.
There is a group of
boys standing next to Tina's group. RAJNISH, another one of the best students
of the class, is standing there. He looks at Tina and goes to her group. He
wishes everyone good luck for the exams. And goes back to his group.
One of the girls from
Tina's group sighs seeing her.
GIRLS
He is so cute!
Tina looks at him, she
smiles.
Jack and Rakesh have
been seeing all this.
RAKESH
Never mind that...
JACK
Hmm... yeah...
RAKESH
Let’s go to exam
halls...
They reach hall no. 3.
RAKESH (CONT'D)
Stay here she will
pass from here for her hall.
Rakesh goes to his
hall.
The group Tina passes
by them. Jack waves in 'hi'.
TINA
Hi,...
JACK
Hi,... best of luck
for the exams.
TINA
Thank you... to you as
well.
JACK
Thanks bye...
TINA
Okay,...bye...
They go to their
halls.
Jack sees them go.
SERIES OF SHOTS:
-Students are writing
their papers.
-Some feel excited,
some sad.
-Jacking writing his
paper.
-Rakesh is writing his
paper. He looks to his left, Rajnish is sitting on the next bench lost in
writing.
-Tina is writing her
paper.
EXT. - OUTSIDE EXAM HALLS
- NOON
Everyone is gathered
outside the exam halls. Happy faces, worried faces, sad faces.
Jack looks for Rakesh.
Rakesh walking towards him lost in reading on his tablet, he seems really
excited.
JACK
Hey, how was the exam?
RAKESH
(excited)
Good.
JACK
I thought you'd say
great, you look excited.
RAKESH
Oh, actually I have
been reading this physicist, (shows his tablet to Jack) I was waiting for his
new article in the series he has been writing. Can’t wait to read it.
Rakesh turns the
tablet off and puts it into his bag.
RAKESH (CONT'D)
What about your
excitement? Did you ask Tina out?
JACK
Can’t find her.
RAKESH
Let’s find her.
They find Tina
standing with her friends. Everyone seems excited.
RAKESH (CONT'D)
Go, this is the right
chance, she is happy...
Tina looks at Jack.
Smiles.
He smiles back.
RAKESH (CONT'D)
Go for it.
Jack starts to walk
towards Tina.
His heart pumps
faster.
Jack carries on
walking.
Take deep breaths.
He notices that
Rajnish is also walking to Tina.
Jack slows down.
Rajnish reaches Tina.
RAJNISH
Hi,
TINA
Hi,
Jack stops. He can
hear them talking.
RAJNISH
How were your exams?
TINA
Good, how about you?
RAJNISH
Great! Well, some of
my friends are going to a movie. Would you guys like to join?
A boy bumps into Jack.
BOY
I am sorry.
JACK
It's okay.
Because of it, Jack
couldn't hear Tina's response, all he could see was that they both smiled.
RAKESH (O.S.)
What happened?
Rakesh is standing
next to Jack.
JACK
I don't know...
RAKESH
Why are you standing
here? Again the sticky ground?
JACK
I think Rajnish just
asked her out.
RAKESH
What?
JACK
Yeah.
RAKESH
What was her answer?
JACK
I think she said yes..
End of the sequence
