Scene 1
Midnight settled heavily over the police station
Inspector Abhishek sat in his cabin, the faint glow of his laptop lighting up his face. On the laptop screen was his daughter.
"It's really late" he said, leaning back slightly. "Didn't Kavya say anything?"
Vaani sighed from the other end. "Mom's out on a date."
Abhishek frowned. "With that lawyer?"
"Yeah," she replied, irritation slipping into her voice. "First he broke our home, and now he's dating my mom."
Abhishek paused for a moment before speaking carefully. "Kavya can make her own decisions, It's her life."
Vaani scoffed. "And you? What are you, a machine? Don't you feel anything?"
Before he could answer, the cabin door burst open. A constable rushed in, drenched in sweat, breathing heavily, a broken baton still clutched in his hand.
"S-sir!" he stammered. "We broke four sticks beating him… but he hasn't said a word!"
Abhishek closed his eyes briefly, exhaling in frustration.
"Duty time?" Vaani said with a faint smirk.
"I'll call you later, babygirl," he replied, already reaching for the laptop lid. "Bye."
Vaani smiles "Bye…"
The call ended, and the room fell quiet again for a second—before reality rushed back in.
Abhishek stood up and walked out with the constable. "How many times have I told you?" he snapped. "Don't start fucking panic when I'm talking to my daughter."
"I'm sorry, sir," the constable said quickly. "But that criminal… something feels wrong about him."
Abhishek waved it off. "don't be scared! Maybe just another psycho!"
"That's not it," the constable insisted. "At the crime scene… there was a boy. Aditya. His head was completely crushed. In public. No weapon. Nothing."
Abhishek's expression hardened. "We'll deal with that after we break him."
Scene 2
As they walked past the holding area, something made Abhishek stop.
A girl sat on a bench, her head lowered, her shoulders trembling. Blood stains marked her clothes and smeared faintly across her cheeks. She looked small—fragile—but there was something about her stillness that felt heavy.
"What about her?" Abhishek asked.
The constable followed his gaze. "She's the one who caught him."
Abhishek looked at her again, this time with quiet surprise.
Scene 3
The prison cell smelled of damp walls and stale air.
Inside, the accused—Prashant—sat curled in a corner, his back to the world, his face hidden. He didn't move, didn't react, as Abhishek stepped in.
"Bring him out," Abhishek ordered.
A few minutes later, Prashant was seated in the interrogation room, his hands cuffed tightly to the table. His head hung low, strands of hair falling over his face.
Abhishek didn't sit immediately. He watched him first.
"Listen carefully," he said at last, his voice cold. "If you don't speak, I'll have someone beat you to death and reward them for it. If you're useless alive, at least your death will serve a purpose."
No response.
Abhishek slammed his palm against the table, the sharp sound echoing in the room. "Why are you after that girl?"
Still nothing.
Irritated, Abhishek stepped forward, grabbed a fistful of Prashant's hair, and yanked it hard, pulling strands free.
"Maybe I'll use this for black magic," he muttered.
He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper near Prashant's ear. "Don't think I'm bluffing. I know what it takes. I know people who deal with these things… forces you wouldn't even understand. Kali… Bhairav… Mahakal…"
He paused, watching for a reaction.
"Karn Pishachi."
That was it.
Prashant's body stiffened, and for the first time, a tear slipped down his cheek.
Abhishek noticed.
"There's still time," he said quietly.
Prashant's lips trembled before he finally spoke. "T-the book… the girl has… I need it."
Abhishek's eyes narrowed. "Fine. But first, your name."
"Prashant," he said weakly. "Please… my hair…"
Abhishek glanced at the strands in his hand, then casually placed them back in front of him.
"I… I need the girl too," Prashant added.
"Why?"
Prashant hesitated, fear flickering across his face. "Without her… the book is incomplete."
Abhishek studied him carefully. "And what happens after that?"
Silence.
In a flash, Abhishek grabbed his jaw, forcing his face up. "Talk!"
But Prashant shut himself down again, retreating into silence.
Scene 4
Outside, the night air felt cooler.
Abhishek stood with the constable, sipping tea from a small glass.
"Did you question the girl?" he asked. "Any weapon? Anything useful?"
"We asked everyone," the constable replied. "They all said the same thing—he crushed Aditya's head with his bare hands. I've seen him before too… he was following her at a crossroads. I helped her that day."
Abhishek frowned. "She's hiding something."
The constable hesitated. "Sir… she's just a kid—"
"She's nineteen," Abhishek cut him off sharply. "Not a child. And someone is dead."
His voice lowered, but the anger remained. "A mother lost her son tonight."
Scene 5
Back inside, the noise of the station felt distant.
Abhishek dragged a chair across the floor and sat down in front of the girl.
Up close, she looked even more shaken. Her eyes were red, fixed on the ground, her hands trembling slightly.
"Aditya was your friend," Abhishek said.
She nodded faintly.
His tone softened, just a little. "Aleena… if you want justice for him, you need to tell me about the book."
A pause.
Then his voice hardened again. "And understand this—I'm not like the others. If you lie to me, I won't hesitate."
For a moment, she didn't move.
Then, slowly, she reached into her bag and pulled out an old, worn book. Its cover looked ancient, almost unnatural in the harsh light of the station.
She placed it on the table between them.
Her voice broke as she spoke.
"He killed Aditya… for this."