Arpita vs. Faith
Faith Kar sat in the corner of the police station, her perfectly tailored suit rumpled and her makeup slightly smudged, though she still held onto a shred of her usual arrogance. Handcuffed and glaring at everyone, she radiated defiance.
Across the room, the click of a camera lens echoed.
“Smile for the camera,” Arpita said, her tone saccharine and biting all at once. She adjusted the angle of her DSLR and snapped a shot. “Or don’t. This lighting is not forgiving, and honestly, that suits you.”
Faith scowled. “Who the hell are you?”
“Arpita,” she replied breezily, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Freelance photographer, occasional chaos enthusiast, and full-time nemesis of people like you. Oh, and I do Vogue covers. Not that you’d know anything about class.”
Faith scoffed. “You’re wasting your time.”
“Oh, honey,” Arpita said, crouching slightly to get a lower-angle shot. “This isn’t just for me. It’s for your future. These mugshots are going to haunt you for years.”
Faith sneered. “I’ll have this mess cleaned up in a week. People like me don’t stay down for long.”
Arpita tilted her head, studying Faith with mock pity. “Oh, you poor, delusional sociopath. Do you think prison bars are just decorative? Because I promise, they’re not. And even if you do wiggle your way out, you’ll never escape these.” She held up her camera triumphantly.
Faith shifted uncomfortably. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Arpita smirked. “Let’s just say that by the time I’m done, the only red carpet you’ll ever walk will be in the prison laundry room. And trust me, I’ll make sure the lighting there is just as unflattering.”
Faith opened her mouth to retort, but Arpita cut her off.
“Oh, and one more thing,” she added, leaning in conspiratorially. “You might want to practice your angles. Front-facing shots make your jawline look… weak.”
Faith glared, her composure cracking ever so slightly.
Arpita stepped back, snapping one final photo with a dramatic flourish. “Perfect. That’s the one. You’re going to be viral, Faith. But not in a good way.”
With that, she turned on her heel and sauntered out of the room, leaving Faith seething and the officers stifling their laughter behind their desks.
End Scene.