Author's POV :

Same Day - Morning

Location : Crime Investigation Cell

The morning light filtered weakly through the frosted glass walls of Aarav's cabin, the beams cutting faint lines across the floor and desk stacked with open case files. The air smelled faintly of coffee gone cold and the metallic tang of anxiety that always hung in the Crime Cell.

He stood before the glass wall, hands folded behind his back, eyes fixed on nothing. The case file on his desk lay open-the same murder file that had been haunting him for days. Each photograph, each blood-stained report, screamed more questions than answers.

His jaw tightened as he stared through the translucent pane separating him from the bustling corridor outside. The station was awake-phones ringing, boots echoing, voices blending into a low, constant hum. But inside his mind? Silence. A gnawing, restless silence.