Duplus (Ongoing editing)

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—-Third Person's POV—-

Amaani stood frozen, her shaking limbs betraying her fear. "I... I haven't killed anyone," she stammered, trying again despite the firmness in his expression. He crossed his arms over his chest. "If you're innocent, we'll let you go. But..." His eyes narrowed, gleaming dangerously. "All evidence points to you, Miss Lx16. If I were you, I would have confessed by now."

His menacing tone only deepened her sense of helplessness. "I swear by Allah, I have no idea what you're talking about. I—"

"What's going on here?" a familiar voice interrupted. Amaani released the breath she'd been holding when she saw Sufiyaan approaching with two cups of ice cream. She quickly rushed to his side, clutching his sleeve. "Sufiyaan! This man... he says I murdered someone. Tell him it's not true! You know I could never do such a thing!"

The man's gaze shifted to Sufiyaan, scrutinizing him. "This is a legal matter. I suggest you stay out of it. Miss Lx16 has committed a grave sin, but I'm still willing to give her one chance to explain herself. Now," he turned to the girl behind him, "take her to the car. We need to leave for the interrogation."

Sufiyaan hesitated, the severity of the situation sinking in. "Wait... sir, you can't do that. She's innocent!" he finally spoke, stepping forward. He was smaller than the man towering over him, and it made him cautious. "She could never do something like that!"

The man grew impatient, as if baffled by the delay in his orders being followed. "Enough, kid. Your sister is in serious trouble. If you want her spared, I suggest you listen to me. She'll be taken to the interrogation room, and I'll question her myself. If she has a believable explanation, she'll be set free. It's no complicated matter." He gestured to the girl, who immediately stepped forward and took Amaani's arm. "Come on, Miss. This is for your own good."

Amaani looked desperately at Sufiyaan as she was led toward the car. "Sufiyaan, do something!" she pleaded, but the man cut her off. "Don't even think about it. She's in police custody now. If she's innocent, she won't be harmed. That's a promise." His words were meant to reassure, but they only deepened Sufiyaan's worry. His words hardly seemed sincere. He tried to follow, but as Amaani was ushered into the black car, the harsh reality settled in. "Amaani..." He was left standing there, ice cream cups in hand, a bit lost at how to make his next move to get her out of this situation.

The police chief followed them. "Start the car," he ordered the driver, taking the passenger seat. His gaze occasionally flicked to Amaani in the back, her veiled face and worried eyes capable of fooling anyone. Maybe even him. But he was a man of logic, not swayed by emotion. His expression remained hard as the car pulled away from the park.

Amaani sat in silence, her hands clasped together as she prayed. Sweat beaded on her forehead despite the cold air. She didn't dare look at the girl beside her, knowing she'd only be met with silence or an order to keep quiet. A flicker of annoyance rose in her. Surely, this wasn't how the law operated?

The ride was quiet, her mind racing with anxious thoughts. "Where are we going?" Amaani finally mustered the courage to ask, her throat dry. The man glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "The headquarters. For your interrogation." He answered as if saying that the sky was blue.

Amaani frowned, disapproving of his curt reply. But she was past expecting basic decency from him. Her heart pounded as she gazed out the window, whispering prayers for protection. The car eventually pulled up to an imposing structure—taller than any other building in the Nuristani community but still not that big. Under the dark sky and flickering streetlights, it looked like something out of a horror movie. The car stopped, snapping her out of her thoughts.