INT. SANDHYA'S BEDROOM- MORNING

A pink lamp illuminates eight-year-old SANDHYA sitting at her desk staring into space. Above her bed scattered with chapter books and plastic toys, an astronomy-themed analog clock ticks.

The hour hand jerks to eight and the clock chimes. Sandhya jolts. While her back is turned to her desk, a bottle of play-doh rolls onto the center of the desk's surface.

Sandhya twists back around and peers at the yellow play-doh container. The second-hand clicks in the background.

Grimacing, she snatches the bottle and opens it. Colors ooze onto her hand.

Sandhya shakes her wrist and the play-doh transforms into a clay waterfall that wriggles and crawls on its own. The waterfall dips down onto the desk, where it forms a pool. A mountain range builds itself along the length of her arm.

Wide-eyed, Sandhya stills. Her gaze flickers to the lamp and a lightbulb (imaginary) appears above her head. Sandhya grins.

She squeezes her eyes shut and the play-doh squirms, fusing together into a floating vibrant ball before bursting.

Sandhya's eyes open to see little clay planets revolving around yellow and orange stars drifting by her head.

A clay rocketship swoops around the planets before landing on Sandhya's desk.

Sandhya rests her chin on the wooden surface and smiles at the figurine. Plummeting from the asteroids and comets above, white specks of clay tumble around the spaceship. As each speck strikes the desk, they sprout into flowers and critters that sway and frolic beside the vessel.

A knock on the door.

SANDHYA'S MOTHER

(Outside room)

Sandhya, help set the table, please!

The clay figurines in the air and on the desk fall still before collapsing into a single ball that rolls back into the yellow container. Sighing, Sandhya snaps the cap back on.

SANDHYA

Coming!

Sandhya ambles out of her chair and takes one last glance at the container sitting at her desk.

SANDHYA

Don't worry, I'll be back later.