The following is what i would call an 'emotion note' like you have concept notes. This was written for the actors (their names as characters) in this 6min shortie called Carpe Diem we are shooting...

Smoke

Mitash knocked twice. Sujoy opened the door to bare a smoke-filled room. Sujoy himself was busy taking a drag and latched the door back with the other hand. The room was darkened, a single bulb and the computer screen glowing in a space of darkness and smoke. Mitash walked over numerous cigarette stubs and looked around haplessly. ‘Sujoy, whenever I see you with a cigarette why is it I am always reminded of a man’s funeral pyre?’, his voice showing exasperation. Sujoy gave him a look which said, ‘now let’s not start it all over again’. Sujoy’s chain smoking was a bone of contention between the two friends exactly because of the great understanding they shared. Mitash knew that Sujoy wanted to chuck the habit. Not that smoking had beginning to affect his health-hardly. The issue was more about the will to leave the habit. And the Sujoy, Mitash had known intimately was one who always prided himself upon his determination. There was hardly a milestone Sujoy had desired and had not reached. More than the damage to his lungs Mitash wondered if this battle of the smoke was now all about Sujoy’s spirit. Mitash gave him a long drawn look and sensing the defenses and arguments Sujoy was stacking up mentally, just dropped the issue, changed his tone, shifted the subject.

Sujoy’s hands involuntarily picked up a cigarette from the packet nearby. He didn’t quite realize it until it was brought halfway to his lips. He snapped himself off from the computer screen and wondered. What’s happening to me? Don’t I need to quit smoking now. He felt he clearly ran out of the confidence that he could stop it anytime he wanted. That was clearly not the case now. At this moment he didn’t feel like covering up that bare fact-He was addicted to cigarettes and he knew stopping it was not as simple as lighting up a fag. If Mitash was concerned he knew that it was time to ring the alarm bells. The cigarette was still dangling indecisively between his fingers. The dark patch of burn on his index finger waited for yet another rendevouz with fire. He, almost absentmindedly, bought it to his lips and took hold of the lighter. If he had been able to take an objective peek into his psyche he could have seen the wild search for excuses to placate himself into smoking this cigarette. The flame from the lighter went up once, twice. Excuses, excuses so that he can smoke this fag without much guilt. Nothing seem to come by. He thought weakly to himself, ‘Well, lets see tomorrow…’ and with those deadly words lighted up his ‘funeral pyre’-as Mitash would have termed it!

The next three days his thoughts, feelings, and even dreams were lashing against one another. Within him he felt the case against smoking resembled furious waves trying their might against a rocky coastline. The waves were never going to give up. But when will the rocks show up their crack lines? Sometimes he had the funny feeling of being an innocent bystander watching this spectacle of a psyche divided over this small stupid extinguishing piece called a fag. He then cleaned up his room of all the cigarette stubs; threw out his ashtray and a packet with two full cigarettes in them. He felt a ritualistic cleansing, which alas did not last long. That evening he bought himself a packet from Thapas and smoked a few with his friends. It just resolved the matter for a few minutes until the smoke lasted and soon again the raging waves…

The group was having a small break at the Thapas amidst classes. Someone lighted a cigarette. The group was having a light banter and small ripples of laughter did the rounds. The cigarette did too. Sujoy was 5 hands away from the cigarette. Mitash at the other end was looking at Sujoy with a poker face. For a moment Sujoy wasn’t sure if he saw the cigarette or a fire raging towards him. His imagination was overworked and was capable of such tricks! He took a few deep breaths, looked at Mitash watching him, his poker face how turning intent. The cigarette now reached his neighbour who took his puff. He extended the cigarette towards Sujoy confidently with the surety there was no need to ask. Sujoy missed a beat, he imagined how aghast the group would look if he said coolly, ‘No thanks’! He imagined the smile on Mitash’s face. He imagined how the raging waves would finally rest, how he would find himself in peace over the determination he had now almost decided to redeem.

‘No thanks!’ he uttered.