The building shook violently as if the earth itself was angry.
Dust and debris rained down on everyone and everything, obscuring their vision.
Arun lay on the ground, struggling to regain his bearings.
Amidst the chaos, Amit's voice cut through the haze, calling out for Arun.
With great effort, Arun managed to rise to his feet and call out to Amit.
But the real concern was Rudra.
He had taken the brunt of the impact and it was unclear what his condition was.
Meanwhile, Chief Nitin was helping his colleague to evacuate the building.
He knew that there was a suspect locked up and it was imperative that he did not escape.
As they stumbled through the wreckage, Arun and Amit searched for Rudra.
They could barely see each other, let alone anything else. But they persisted, driven by a sense of urgency.
Arun and Amit rushed forward to check on Rudra's condition.
Arun couldn't shake the memory of the impact from the falling ceiling that had hit him hard, leaving him in a critical state.
Time was of the essence, and they needed to locate Rudra fast, or he might not make it.
The room they were in was small, measuring only 8 by 10 inches.
Finding a single person in such a confined space should not have been difficult.
However, despite searching every nook and cranny, they couldn't find Rudra.
Arun even exerted himself to clear the pile of ceiling debris, hoping to uncover him, but to no avail.
It was then they realized that Rudra was nowhere to be found.
He must have either escaped or vanished into thin air.
The only two exits from the floor were the one where Chief Nitin was helping his associate to evacuate the building and the other that was sealed shut.
A sense of unease crept over them as they pondered the mysterious disappearance of Rudra
Nitin rushed towards the room where Arun and Amit were searching for the mysterious man, Rudra.
His mind was filled with a flurry of questions, and the only one that escaped his lips was, "Where is he?"
Arun was struggling to stand as he had sustained a wound on his knees. "We searched the whole room," he replied wearily, "and he's not there
"What do you mean he's not there?" Nitin's tone betrayed his anxiety.
"We don't know," Amit interjected. "I was outside when the incident occurred, and I didn't see him leave."
Nitin's eyes narrowed as he tried to make sense of the situation. "Then how in the world did he escape?"
The trio exchanged perplexed glances, each trying to comprehend the bizarre turn of events.
The missing man had vanished into thin air, leaving behind a trail of confusion and unease.
They knew that they had to act fast before the situation spiraled out of control.
Nitin wasted no time in taking charge of the situation.
He ordered his officers to initiate a thorough search operation in the vicinity, convinced that the missing man could not have gone too far in such a short period.
The search radius of 100 meters around the building was the starting point for the operation.
As the officers began scouring the area, Nitin left the premises, leaving Arun and Amit to tend to their minor injuries.
Arun knew that the search operation was unlikely to yield any positive results, but he was still haunted by the conversation he had had with Rudra.
He knew that he had to answer some tough questions, but he also realized that the truth was far-fetched and unlikely to be believed.
For a moment, he considered telling a lie, but he ultimately decided to confide in Amit and reveal everything that had transpired.
The truth was too bizarre to be kept hidden, and Arun knew that he needed to confront the situation head-on.
Amit was dumbfounded when Arun told him that the world was going to end in just 20 days. "I know it sounds crazy, but..." Arun began to explain, but Amit interrupted him.
"It sounds like bullshit," Amit declared, completely rejecting the idea of an impending apocalypse.
"That's exactly what I thought at first," Arun replied, trying to defend his source.
"He told me that the end of the world was near, I'm not making it up."
"He probably just wanted to grab public attention," Amit said dismissively, unwilling to entertain such a preposterous notion.
Both of them sit in Arun's car discussing the situation.
As Arun conversed with Amit, a captivating notion suddenly struck him, centering around the wristwatch.
His hand instinctively dove into his pocket, only to come up empty-handed.
He recalled the last time he glimpsed the timepiece was in Rudra's possession, just before the ceiling tumbled down.
In the ensuing pandemonium, the watch had slipped his mind entirely.
However, Arun's desire to reclaim the valuable keepsake, a cherished present from Shreya, prevailed.
He resolved to retrace his steps and retrieve it, knowing it was too priceless to leave behind.
The thought of losing it was too unbearable to fathom.
With determination etched onto his face, he set out to seek the watch, despite the potential obstacles and danger that lay ahead.
As he ventured into the unknown, the gravity of his mission weighed heavily on his mind.
Yet, he knew he could not rest until he found what he sought.
"I need to go back, I think my wallet fell in there"
The idea of bringing a wristwatch would be not that satisfying to make him believe so he lied instead of telling the whole truth about it.
Arun insisted on going back to the room, despite his injuries, as he had dropped his wallet there.
Amit, concerned for his well-being, offered to search for it himself, but Arun was adamant about going back himself.
"Sir you need to get medical attention right now, look at your leg; if you are so insistent then I'll go and find your wallet it's not important, nobody is going to take it"
"Thanks, Amit for your concern but I can help myself"
Amit couldn't help but suspect that Arun was hiding something from him, hence his accusation of lying.
"You are lying isn't it" Amit suspects Arun about hiding something from him.
However, Arun reassured him that he was not lying and that he simply needed to retrieve his wallet.
As Amit delved deeper into his investigation, Arun's defenses were suddenly on high alert. "Let's go together, then" he suggested, hoping to avoid any further confrontation. Despite his initial reluctance, Arun reluctantly stepped out of the car and began making his way toward the building.
"Why are you doing this?" Amit probed, hoping to unearth the truth. "Just tell me, I won't say a word."
Arun's hesitance was palpable, but Amit pressed on. "I don't think you're being honest with me," he declared, moving closer and taking Arun's hand. "Let me see what's in your pocket."
With a defeated sigh, Arun relented, knowing he could no longer evade the truth. "Fine, you win," he conceded. Amit was intrigued by Arun's evasiveness and was determined to uncover the truth, no matter the cost.
Arun took a deep breath before starting to explain. "Listen, when I was talking to that man, he somehow took my watch. It was a gift and I had put it in the drawer of my car before entering the department. But when I saw him next, he was holding the watch in his hand."
Amit's eyebrows furrowed with disbelief. "Are you sure about this?" he asked, doubting Arun's words.
"I know it sounds crazy, but that's what happened," Arun replied, frustration evident in his voice. "I didn't want to tell you earlier because I knew you wouldn't believe me."
"Let me get this straight," Amit said, his tone incredulous. "You're telling me that this man somehow managed to steal your watch magically while he was under strict surveillance?"
"Yes," Arun replied with a hint of frustration. "That is totally impossible, but that's exactly what happened."
"Okay, then let's check your car's drawer," Amit suggested, eager to solve the mystery.
He knew that the watch was not there and they were simply wasting time.
As they reached the car, Arun opened the drawer with a sense of dread, fully expecting to find it empty.
But to his surprise, the watch was right there, sitting innocently in the drawer.
He was taken aback, his entire body experiencing a mixture of shock and relief.
"I don't understand," Arun said, looking at Amit with confusion.
"You were so sure that the watch wasn't here. How did it suddenly appear?"