Scene: Teju's Hostel Room - Early Morning
The first rays of the morning sun streamed through the hostel window, casting warm slivers of light across Teju's small room. She sat at the edge of her bed, clutching a faded photograph of her and Ojas - her mother - caught mid-laughter in a time that now felt like a lifetime ago.
Teju traced her mother's face in the picture with trembling fingers.
"You always believed in me, Ma... even when I didn't," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "I hope I make you proud today."
She rose and quickly got dressed in her neatly ironed salwar-kurta, her hair pulled back in a tidy braid. With her bag slung over her shoulder, she stepped onto the narrow balcony outside her room. A tulsi plant, placed carefully in the corner, stood tall despite the previous night's winds.
Folding her hands, Teju closed her eyes in prayer.
"Just let today go smoothly. No drama, no complications... please."
As she lowered her hands and turned to leave, a breeze passed softly over the tulsi leaves. A faint shimmer danced over the plant, and one of its leaves suddenly bloomed, vibrant and dewy - drawn by the soft glow now briefly emanating from Teju's right palm.
But she didn't notice.
The moment had passed.
She walked away, her steps steady, unaware that the faint star-shaped mark in her palm had briefly illuminated, reacting instinctively to her purity of intent - and silently calling something ancient from slumber.
---
Scene: College Grounds - Morning
Teju stepped out of the college gate and into the vast, sun-drenched campus grounds. The energy was electric - students laughing, rushing past in groups, some playing volleyball near the sports court, others huddled over notes on stone benches.
Her eyes sparkled as she took it all in.
"Finally," she murmured, a genuine smile curving her lips. "College life."
She walked a few steps forward, breathing in the crisp morning air, heart fluttering with excitement - until the shift happened.
A sudden murmur rippled through the crowd.
A few students began gathering in one direction, pointing upward and whispering urgently. Teju followed their line of sight, curiosity turning into confusion... then into horror.
She froze.
On the edge of the old academic building's rooftop, a girl stood trembling, one foot already beyond the boundary railing. Her hair whipped in the wind, and her eyes were wide, lost.
Teju's breath hitched.
The world around her dulled - voices faded, motion slowed. All she could see was the silhouette of the girl teetering on the edge of a devastating decision.
"No..." Teju whispered, her voice barely audible as the horror of the moment sank in.
Something inside her stirred.
Without waiting, Teju began pushing her way through the small crowd, her heart pounding. Her fingers instinctively curled into fists - and beneath her skin, the faint star-shaped mark on her palm began to shimmer again, unnoticed by all, even her.
Scene: Rooftop - Teju's Ascent / Sahir's Arrival
Teju's heartbeat thundered in her ears as she pushed past stunned students and raced into the building. The echo of her footsteps filled the stairwell, growing louder with each flight she climbed. No one was following her. No one was helping. Just whispers and stares below.
Her breath grew shallow, but she didn't stop - not when a life was hanging at the edge of that roof.
---
Scene: College Gates - Sahir's Car
Sahir's black SUV screeched to a halt at the campus entrance, the air alive with tension. He lowered the window, frowning as he saw a group of students clustered unnaturally in the center of the grounds, their attention fixed on the old building.
He flagged a student nearby. "What's happening over there?"
The boy looked panicked. "Sir, a girl's on the rooftop. She's about to jump. I-I think she's going to-"
Sahir's eyes darted up.
And there, emerging just behind the girl on the rooftop - was Teju.
His breath caught. "Tejaswini..."
---
Scene: Rooftop
The wind was fiercer now, tugging at Teju's hair as she stepped onto the terrace. Her shoes scraped against the dusty concrete, but the girl standing at the edge didn't even flinch.
She was barefoot. Wearing a plain kurti. And her eyes-
Vacant. Distant. Hollow.
As though she wasn't really there.
"Hey... hey!" Teju called out softly, raising her hands slowly, inching closer. "Please... you don't have to do this."
No response. The girl stood eerily still, one foot already extended past the ledge.
"What's your name?" Teju asked gently, voice steady despite the storm of fear inside her.
Still nothing.
Teju looked closer.
The girl's pupils were dilated unnaturally. Her lips moved - ever so slightly - but there was no sound. As if she were whispering... to someone invisible.
Suddenly, a chill skated down Teju's spine. The air around the girl shimmered-just for a second-and Teju felt it. A presence. Heavy. Dark. Wrong.
This isn't depression. This isn't fear. Someone's controlling her.
---
Scene: College Grounds
Sahir burst out of his car, eyes fixed on the rooftop. He grabbed a megaphone from a campus guard and shouted, "Move back! Everyone, clear the grounds!"
But his eyes didn't leave Teju - now standing just meters away from the girl, hands still raised, her mouth moving as she pleaded with her to step down.
Sahir whispered to himself, "Come on, Teju. Please be careful."
Scene: Rooftop - The Fall
The wind howled around them like a warning. Teju took another cautious step forward, her eyes fixed on the girl's blank face.
"Listen to me," Teju urged, voice quivering with emotion. "Think about your family... your mother. She must be waiting for you. Just one step back... please."
Still, no response.
The girl swayed, as if pulled by invisible strings.
"You're not alone," Teju whispered, "I'm here... I won't let you fall."
But then-
The girl's knees bent.
She leaned forward.
She jumped.
Teju's reflexes kicked in - with a scream, she lunged forward and shoved the girl to safety, just barely pushing her away from the ledge. The girl tumbled backward onto the roof tiles with a thud - the spell broken. Her eyes blinked rapidly, confused, as if waking from a deep sleep.
But Teju-
Teju's balance slipped.
Her foot missed the edge. The world tilted. And suddenly-
She was falling.
---
Scene: College Grounds - Time Freezes
From below, screams erupted. Sahir's breath caught in his throat as he saw Teju's body tilt into the air.
"Teju!"
In the blink of an eye, he raised his hand-
Snap.
The sound echoed like lightning cracking through the sky.
Everything froze.
The falling leaves stilled. Students mid-scream were locked in place, their mouths frozen open. The world turned to a tableau of suspended fear.
Sahir's figure blurred into motion, speeding across the ground, through the building, up the stairwell, and out onto the roof within seconds.
He reached the edge just as Teju hovered mid-air, gravity still paused. Her hair floated around her like a halo, eyes wide in terror - locked in the moment of freefall.
Sahir reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist, steady and sure.
Snap.
Time resumed.
---
Scene: Rooftop - The Eye Lock
Air whooshed past as the world moved again. Teju gasped sharply, realizing she was no longer falling - but in Sahir's arms, his breath inches from hers.
The students below gasped and shouted, unaware of how she'd been caught in time.
Their eyes met - intense, searching, vulnerable.
Sahir didn't speak. He just held her.
And in that charged silence, Teju whispered, breathlessly, "...you... you caught me."
Sahir managed a faint smile. "You really should stop trying to be a hero without a backup plan."
Teju let out a shaky breath, the adrenaline still rushing through her. But something else stirred too - warmth, recognition, and the sense that she had just brushed up against something far beyond her understanding.
Scene: Rooftop - After the Rescue
Sahir gently set Teju on her feet, his hands lingering for a second longer than necessary. She looked up at him, her breath still uneven from the fall.
"Thank you..." she said softly, her voice trembling with gratitude. "I don't know how you caught me, but... you saved my life."
Sahir offered a faint nod, his expression unreadable. "You saved hers first," he replied quietly, tilting his chin toward the girl on the ground.
Teju turned, concern flashing in her eyes.
She rushed toward the girl, who sat dazed, trembling from head to toe, still struggling to understand what had happened. Kneeling beside her, Teju gently cupped her face.
"Are you okay? Can you hear me?"
The girl blinked, her lip trembling. Slowly, she nodded. "I... I don't know what happened. I didn't want to jump. I swear. It's like... I wasn't in control..."
Teju's eyes softened with empathy. She squeezed the girl's hand gently. "It's over now. You're safe."
Sahir stood a few steps behind them, watching silently.
His eyes weren't on the girl.
They were on Teju.
The way she had thrown herself into danger without hesitation. The way her first instinct after nearly dying was to check on someone else. There was no trace of fear or arrogance in her - just genuine concern.
She was brave. And kind. And real.
Sahir's gaze lingered on the way her hair moved in the breeze, the worry etched on her brows, the comforting way she held the other girl's hand.
A rare softness crept into his usually composed features.
"You're different," he murmured under his breath, almost to himself. "You're... extraordinary."
The sirens wailed faintly in the distance - someone had finally called for help.
But as the world resumed its chaos, on that rooftop, in that still moment, Sahir realized something had shifted within him.
And Teju - unaware of the change she'd just stirred in him - continued to comfort the girl, embodying the very light that the darkness feared.