Eliza

1. INT. SECRET COURTYARD – NIGHT

– JANUARY 29, 1979

CLANG!

The iron rod freezes in the air – a bloody hand grips it from behind like fate itself.

HAMED (20) explodes from the smoke – panting, raging like a lioness. He hurls Hadi against the wall so that mortar rains down.

HAMED
Touch him – and I swear by all that is holy – you will never see tomorrow.

HADI (coughing blood)
You protect traitors now?

HAMED (voice cracking with pain)
I protect my brother.

Hadi stares – eyes black with hatred.

HADI (hissing, threatening)
You’ll pay for this, Hamed. You’ll both pay.

Then, like a shadow, he flees into the smoke and disappears.

HAMED (whispers to the silence)
What have we become… God, what have we done to each other?

Hamed falls to his knees beside Yosef and lifts up the small child. Then he sees the woman.

YOSEF (barely audible, pointing to the woman)
She… the mother… can we…?

Hamed gently sets down the child and rushes to the woman. He feels for a pulse, listens for breathing.

HAMED (shakes his head, quietly)
She’s gone, brother. She’s already gone.

CHILD (crying, reaching toward her mother)
Mama… mama…

YOSEF (tears streaming down his face)
We can’t just… leave her here…

HAMED (feeling the ceiling – more debris falls)
The whole house is going to collapse. We have to go – now.

He lifts Yosef carefully.

HAMED (to the child, softly)
Your mama is with the angels now, sweetheart. We’ll take care of you.

The piano music fades slowly – replaced by the sound of wind and falling timber.

CUT TO BLACK.

2. EXT. TEA HOUSE – BACKYARD – NIGHT – JANUARY 29, 1979

Smoke still rises from the Qala district on the horizon. HAMED parks a worn van outside a traditional tea house. YOSEF steps out with the small CHILD (2) in his arms. She is pale and feverish.

HAMED (whispering)
Come, we’ll go in through the back door.

They pass an old pond with fish. Yosef stops—childhood memories.

YOSEF
Do you remember when we fed the fish here?

HAMED
That was before everything changed.

They walk toward a door. Hamed knocks gently—three short knocks.

HAMED (continues)
Master Saber? It’s Hamed.

The door opens. MASTER SABER (60s) appears, gray-haired and kind despite the late hour.

MASTER SABER
Boys? What are you doing here so late?

YOSEF
We need help.

Master Saber sees the child in Yosef’s arms. His expression becomes serious.

MASTER SABER
Come in. Quickly.

3. INT. MASTER SABER’S HOME – LIVING ROOM – NIGHT – JANUARY 29, 1979

A simple but clean home. Calligraphy pens and books on a small table. A samovar bubbles in the corner.

MAHTAB (20s), a young woman in a headscarf, comes out from another room with a tea tray.

MAHTAB
Uncle, should I boil more tea?

MASTER SABER
Mahtab, this is Yosef and Hamed. I’ve told you about them.

Mahtab sees the child and her face softens.

MAHTAB
Oh, what a beautiful little girl!

She approaches carefully. The child looks up with tired blue eyes.

MAHTAB (continues)
What’s her name?

YOSEF
Eliza.

MAHTAB (to Master Saber)
Uncle, she looks so pale.

Mahtab lifts up the child. Her expression changes.

MAHTAB (continues)
She has a fever. High fever.

YOSEF (panicking)
What? No, we have to take her to the hospital!

MAHTAB
Calm down. I’m a nursing student. We can treat her here. Hamed, can you run to the pharmacy and buy some children’s aspirin?

HAMED
Sure, but—

MAHTAB
Go now. The pharmacy on the main street is open all night.

Hamed rushes out. Mahtab carries the child to her room.

MAHTAB (continues)
I’ll bathe her and give her medicine. She’ll be fine.

Yosef watches them disappear into the room. He’s alone with Master Saber.

MASTER SABER
Sit down, Yosef. Tell me what happened.

YOSEF
I don’t know where to begin.

MASTER SABER
Begin with the truth.

4. INT. MASTER SABER’S HOME – LIVING ROOM – CONTINUED

MONTAGE – FLASHBACK: Yosef recounts the night’s events as in the original version.

Mahtab comes out from the room.

MAHTAB
Her fever has gone down. She’s sleeping now.

YOSEF
Thank you. I… I don’t know how to thank you.

MAHTAB
You don’t need to thank me. But you can’t take care of a child on your own.

YOSEF
I’ll learn.

MAHTAB
It’s not just about wanting to. She needs stability, a home, a family.

5. INT. MASTER SABER’S HOME – BEDROOM – NIGHT – JANUARY 29, 1979

(Two hours later)

Eliza sleeps on a floor mattress. Yosef sits beside her, watching over her. Mahtab comes in with a blanket.

MAHTAB
You need to sleep too.

YOSEF
I can’t. What if the fever comes back?

MAHTAB
It won’t come back. She’s strong.

Mahtab sits beside him. She observes Yosef’s protective posture.

MAHTAB (continues)
What are you thinking of doing?

YOSEF
I don’t know.

MAHTAB
She can’t live on the street. And you can’t support her.

YOSEF
I’ll find a way.

MAHTAB
Listen to me. I’ve seen many children at the hospital. Those who grow up without stability carry it with them their whole lives.

YOSEF
And those who grow up without love?

MAHTAB
You can’t give her everything just because you love her.

YOSEF
What do you suggest then?

MAHTAB
Let us try to find her relatives. The Polish community, the church, the embassy.

YOSEF
And if we don’t find anyone?

MAHTAB
Then… then we’ll see.

Eliza stirs in her sleep. Yosef places his hand on her forehead.

YOSEF
She’s so small.

MAHTAB
Yes.

YOSEF
Her mother held her so tight. Even when everything was falling apart around them, she fought to protect Eliza.

Mahtab unconsciously hums a soft melody – a fragment of Chopin’s Nocturne in C-sharp minor.

MAHTAB
She sounds like a strong woman.

YOSEF
I wonder what her story was. How she ended up there, why she was alone.

5B. INT. MASTER SABER’S HOME – EARLY MORNING

Master Saber sits at his desk working on calligraphy. Yosef enters quietly, looking at the beautiful texts on the wall.

MASTER SABER (without looking up)
You don’t sleep much, do you?

YOSEF
No. Too much to think about.

Master Saber puts down his pen and points to a Persian verse on the wall.

MASTER SABER
“He who saves one life saves all of humanity.”

YOSEF
Where does that come from?

MASTER SABER
I’ve seen similar words in many traditions. Persian poetry, Jewish wisdom, Christian texts… Humanity is a universal language, Yosef.

He goes to a bookshelf and takes out a worn, thick book with texts in different languages.

MASTER SABER (continues)
In my youth, I helped refugees from many countries. Armenians, Jews, Europeans…

He flips through the book, stops at a page with Polish texts.

MASTER SABER (continues)
Mahtab’s grandmother was among them.

YOSEF
Mahtab’s grandmother?

MASTER SABER
Her grandmother was Polish and her mother half Polish-half Iranian. Grandmother fled here in 1942 together with many other refugees during World War II. That’s why Mahtab knows some Polish. She’s a quarter Polish.

A silence. Master Saber looks at Yosef with kind eyes.

MASTER SABER (continues)
Love sees no nationalities, Yosef. Only people in need.

Eliza is heard crying from the other room. Yosef gets up to go to her.

MASTER SABER (stops him)
Let Mahtab take care of her. You need rest too.

YOSEF
How can I rest when everything has changed?

MASTER SABER
By understanding that change sometimes leads to something better. That little girl… she came into your life for a reason.

6. INT. MASTER SABER’S HOME – LIVING ROOM – EARLY MORNING – JANUARY 30, 1979

Master Saber writes calligraphy. Yosef enters, exhausted.

MASTER SABER
There’s a Polish priest in Tehran. Father Kowalski. He helped refugees during the war.

YOSEF
Would he help us?

MASTER SABER
Perhaps. But you must be prepared. Her family might want her back.

Eliza cries from the bedroom. Mahtab picks her up and carries her to the living room.

MAHTAB
Good morning, sweetheart.

ELIZA (with broken voice, mixing languages)
Mama… where is mama?

Mahtab goes to a shelf and takes out the small Polish-Persian dictionary.

MAHTAB (flipping through the pages)
I have this from grandmother. I thought… if we’re going to help her, I should try to understand what she’s saying.

YOSEF
Your grandmother left it to you?

MAHTAB
Yes, she said languages are bridges between people. Now I understand why.

YOSEF (V.O.)
I knew nothing about her. But I knew she loved Eliza. That was enough.

YOSEF (to Eliza)
I’m here now, Eliza. I’ll take care of you.

ELIZA (in Persian)
Where is mama?

YOSEF
Mama… mama had to go away. But I’m here.

ELIZA
When will she come back?

YOSEF
She’s watching over you from heaven, sweetheart.

Mahtab sees this and her determination strengthens.

8. INT. LOCAL COMMITTEE BUILDING – DAY

A sparsely furnished office with revolutionary posters. HADI (30s) sits behind a metal desk. On the desk lies an old photo – him, Yosef and Hamed as children. A YOUNG INFORMANT stands nervously.

INFORMANT
Brother Hadi, there are rumors about Master Saber’s house. A foreign woman and a child have been seen there.

Hadi stares at the photo, fingers it slowly.

HADI (leans forward)
Foreign?

INFORMANT
Blonde. European. And the man who brought them… some say it was Yosef.

Hadi’s eyes narrow with recognition and anger.

HADI
Yosef…

FLASHBACK – BRIEF SCENE: Young Hadi (10 years old) cries outside the mosque. A MULLAH places his hand on his shoulder.

MULLAH
Why are you crying, boy?

YOUNG HADI
My father beat me for playing with Jewish children.

MULLAH
And what did you learn from this?

YOUNG HADI (confused)
That… that I shouldn’t play with the wrong people?

MULLAH (warmly)
No, child. You learned that hate is passed down from generation to generation. The question is: do you want to continue the cycle, or break it?

BACK TO PRESENT

Hadi crushes the photo in his hand.

HADI
…that traitor still hides corruption’s spawn.

An ELDER COMMITTEE MEMBER enters.

ELDER COMMITTEE MEMBER
Brother Hadi, are you certain about this? Yosef was your friend.

HADI (throws photo fragments on the floor)
Friendship dies when principles are betrayed.

He looks at his reflection in the window.

HADI (whispers)
Forgive me, old teacher. I became what you warned me against.

Then harder, to the room:

HADI
Do you think I enjoy this? I loved them as brothers.

ELDER COMMITTEE MEMBER
Then why…?

HADI (stands up, paces back and forth like a caged animal)
Because revolution demands sacrifice. Even of our hearts. I have already lost them as friends. Now I must save them as sinners… or destroy them as enemies.

He stops, picks up a fragment of the photo.

HADI (to informant)
Gather the brothers. Tonight we cleanse our district of this infection.

10. EXT. MASTER SABER’S HOUSE – SUNSET

Through the window, we see shadows moving in the courtyard. ARMED MEN take positions around the house. Hadi stands in the center, his face twisted with fanatical determination.

HADI (to his men)
Remember, we seek justice. The corruption ends tonight.

11. INT. MASTER SABER’S HOME – BACK ROOM – EVENING

MASTER SABER
There’s a passage through the old cellar. It leads to the alley behind the bakery.

MAHTAB (appears with a packed bag)
I’m coming too.

YOSEF
Mahtab, you don’t need to—

MAHTAB (interrupting)
I’ve seen you with her. She needs someone who understands children, and you… you need help. Besides, what future do I have here? Uncle will be questioned because of us. My studies are suspended. At least with you I can do something meaningful.

HAMED
They’re close! I can see torches.

MASTER SABER
Go now. Through the cellar.

MAHTAB (to her uncle)
Uncle, I—

MASTER SABER
Go, child. Sometimes we must follow our hearts, even when the path is unclear.

They embrace quickly.

HAMED
Now!

13. EXT. ALLEY BEHIND BAKERY – NIGHT

They emerge from a hidden entrance behind old flour sacks. HAMED leads them through narrow alleys while they hear shouts and breaking glass behind them.

HADI’S VOICE (distant, enraged)
Find them! They mock God with their presence!

14. EXT. MASTER SABER’S HOUSE – NIGHT

Hadi storms through the empty rooms, overturning furniture. His men stand helplessly.

HADI (furious)
They were here! I can smell their corruption!

He picks up Mahtab’s Polish-Persian dictionary, left behind in the rush.

HADI (continues, holding the book)
Foreign poison… infecting our pure soil.

He throws the book into the fireplace. The pages curl and burn.

15. EXT. BUS STATION – NIGHT

A crowded, chaotic station. HAMED buys tickets while Yosef holds Eliza close. Mahtab stays alert, scanning for threats.

HAMED
The next bus leaves in ten minutes. You’ll be safe there.

YOSEF
What happens to you?

HAMED
I’ll stay and make sure they think you went north. Lead them away from your trail.

They embrace each other.

HAMED (continues)
Take care of each other. And Yosef… trust her.

He nods toward Mahtab.

HAMED (continues)
She chose to come. That means something.

16. INT. BUS – NIGHT

They board a crowded night bus. Other passengers – families, workers, all fleeing something. Mahtab sits beside Yosef who holds Eliza.

ELIZA
Where are we going?

YOSEF
To a new home.

ELIZA
Will mama be there?

YOSEF
Mama will be in your heart. Always.

ELIZA
And you?

YOSEF
I’ll be right here beside you. I promise.

Mahtab sees this exchange and her decision to come along now feels right.

YOSEF (V.O.)
Sometimes you have to leave everything… to find what really matters.

20. EXT. OLD GATE – NIGHT

Rainy street. The streetlight flickers. YOSEF, barefoot in slippers, carries sleeping ELIZA against his chest. He approaches a familiar gate.

An ELDERLY WOMAN (60s, Eastern European accent) stands in the doorway. Dressed in dark clothes, translucent.

ELDERLY WOMAN (broken Farsi, with Polish accent)
You… you take good care of her.

She shows a yellowed photograph. In the picture: the blonde pianist from Qala with little Eliza.

ELDERLY WOMAN (continues)
I have all information… about this child. About her mother.

Yosef tries to come closer, but the woman recedes like a misty figure.

YOSEF
Wait! Who are you? What do you know?

ELDERLY WOMAN
I know the truth. But truth… has its price.

The photograph changes – now shows Eliza as older, then disappears in smoke.

ELDERLY WOMAN (continues, fading away)
Your journey with her has only begun, Yosef. Truth awaits.

Fade to black

YOSEF (V.O.)
We thought we had escaped. But some hunters never give up the chase. Some hatred burns eternal. And some secrets… demand their price.

CLIFFHANGER-TEXT: The bus disappears into the darkness. Hadi stands at the window, eyes burning with fanaticism: he will not accept that “sin’s children” live.

END OF EPISODE 2