The State Police Department has recently appointed a new Inspector General of Police who would be spearheading the investigation into some recently discovered cases.
The fact is that the city was situated around forest and vegetation, although it was quite very far away from the near city which made this isolated since the activity around the localities didn't observe very much likely due to less population density.
With a crime rate well below the national average, serious incidents were few and far between in the tranquil city.
However, recent revelations had sent a shockwave of unease and trepidation rippling through its citizens.
As unsettling discoveries began to surface, the once-peaceful community found itself grappling with a newfound sense of fear and uncertainty.
The appointment of a new Inspector General of Police to oversee the burgeoning cases had set in motion a chain of changes, including the transfer of Arun to work directly under his command.
As the team assembled for their first meeting, Nitin, the newly appointed IGP, introduced himself with a disarming smile and an air of confidence.
"Greetings, one and all. My name is Nitin, and it is a great pleasure to make your acquaintance. Together, we will work as a cohesive unit to rid our society of these fears and ensure that peace and tranquillity reign supreme. Let us join hands and embark on this noble mission with zeal and determination, for the safety and security of our citizens depend on us."
As Arun stood in the corner lost in thought, the chief approached him and initiated a conversation.
"Hey Arun, how are you doing?" he asked.
"I'm fine, sir," Arun replied.
"You found the kid at the scene of the murder, right?" the chief inquired.
"Yes, sir," Arun confirmed.
"It's Adarsh, and we have uncovered some evidence that points to him as the murderer, but we're not entirely certain yet,"
"He hasn't uttered a single word since he arrived, has he?" Chief questioned.
"No, he hasn't,"
"What do you think could be the reason?"
"Perhaps he's in shock," Arun hypothesized.
"Interesting, let me know if you uncover anything else,"
'F*ck off !, I am not your f*cking personal assistance or something', obviously, he had not expressed his discontentment in front of him, yet Arun was deeply perturbed by the recent appointment and harbored frustration at the thought of working under him.
Arun was a fiercely independent person who loathed working under someone else, but the current predicament left him with no choice.
Two consecutive deaths had inundated the department with a plethora of tasks, and Arun was constantly shuttling between different locations in search of more evidence to exonerate Adarsh. Unfortunately, all his efforts proved to be in vain.
The media had already portrayed him as a heinous murderer, disseminating the news far and wide throughout the city.
local residents were taken aback and found it exceedingly difficult to reconcile the idea that a seemingly sweet, kind young man could commit such an atrocity against his own mother.
Initially, Adarsh was depicted as a gentle and kind young man, and many were vehemently opposed to the notion that he could have committed such a heinous crime.
However, as more reports surfaced, opinions began to shift.
Adarsh was gradually painted as a monstrous figure, a harbinger of darkness sent to this world to wreak havoc and devastation.
Arun devoted the remainder of his day to investigating the body discovered on the farm.
The medical examiner posited that the individual's demise was not a suicide, but rather a homicide.
The victim had been suspended by the neck for more than six hours, causing a complete fracture of the cervical vertebrae.
Additionally, numerous fractures were detected throughout the body, indicating a brutal attack.
"Someone killed him and brought him here and then after that he worked very hard to just put the body in a way that he hanged himself."
"Why would anyone do such a hardship, he could have buried the body anywhere in the jungle and no one would have ever found it."
"Officer! That is your job to find it, not mine."
"Thanks to inform me about my duty."
"My pleasure!"
"Hey, officer!"
"What now?"
"Well, in the evidence room, I think one painting got missing."
"What do you mean, by missing?"
"We count it before when we put it there and it was a total of six of them and now in the morning we searched it and it was only five."
Arun hastily abandoned the lab and rushed towards his abode. Upon his arrival, he swiftly unlocked the drawer and retrieved the painting, inspecting it with great scrutiny.
"What is this?" he muttered on his own as he found something interesting in it, something that made him hook into it.
As the evening began to descend, Arun determined that he should deposit the painting in the evidence room forthwith to preempt any potential conflict.
Given that he was the last individual known to have entered it, there existed a distinct possibility that he might fall under suspicion.
Without further ado, he hastened back to the department to discharge this duty.
As he drew closer to his intended destination, Arun's eyes were inexplicably drawn once more to the painting, compelling him to momentarily veer off course. Without a second thought, he redirected his vehicle, charting a new course toward a new destination.
There was an indescribable allure to the painting that compelled Arun to alter his course, directing his vehicle.
His journey led him to the farmhouse where the body had been discovered, shrouded in darkness as the last vestiges of daylight faded away.
Illuminated by the beam of his flashlight, Arun found himself standing in the same spot as the figure in the painting, gazing upward at the suspended victim.
Arun gazed upward, his eyes mirroring the same expression as the figure depicted in the painting.
As he glanced around the room, his amazement grew as he realized that the color of the walls was identical to that portrayed in the artwork.
The details of that individual were almost similar to the body that had been found there but when we look a little bit down, there was something more in that painting, something that was not traceable into that room.
As Arun lowered his gaze to inspect the floor, he was struck by a profound realization that the painting contained an additional element not present in the room: a subterranean feature extending nearly ten meters beneath the ground.
A sense of urgency overtook Arun, his curiosity piqued as he felt compelled to uncover the secrets hidden beneath the floor.
Armed with a hard, sharp tool, he began to methodically dismantle the wooden planks, striking with increasing force until the boards finally gave way after a quarter of an hour.
Beneath the surface lay nothing but dark, loamy soil, its secrets waiting to be uncovered.
As he excavated the soil with feverish determination, Arun's mind fixated on the painting's enigmatic suggestion of a feature buried ten meters beneath the surface.
After thirty grueling minutes of digging, his efforts were suddenly rewarded with a sudden, heart-stopping sensation.
His pulse raced as a surge of adrenaline coursed through his veins, his mind racing with anticipation of what he might discover.
With a sudden jolt, Arun pulled the object out of the soil, and in a moment of shock, he exclaimed, "What on earth is this?" But deep down, he already knew what it was - a human hand, detached from the rest of the skeleton.
Arun, lacking the motivation to continue digging, set the painting aside and immediately called Chief Nitin for assistance. Concealing the painting in his car, he waited for the team to arrive.
After twenty minutes, they arrived and began the excavation process. By the end of the night, a total of twelve corpses were unearthed.