Black Squad: Mumbai - Episode 6
Title: "The Vanishing Act"
Genre: Crime, Thriller, Investigation, Action
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Opening Scene
Location: A packed theatre in South Mumbai – "Royal Empire Theatre"
The theatre is filled with an eager audience as they wait for the magic show's grand finale. The magician, Rudra Mystique, dressed in a sharp black suit, stands inside a glass box on stage. The trick? He will vanish and reappear in the crowd.
The countdown begins. The assistants cover the glass box with a curtain. A drum roll echoes through the hall. The audience watches in suspense.
3...2...1!
The curtain drops. The box is empty. The spotlight scans the audience, searching for Rudra. But he doesn't appear anywhere. Murmurs turn into gasps. His assistant rushes to check inside the box. The magician is gone.
Backstage, chaos erupts. The theatre manager tries calling Rudra's phone, but it's switched off. His assistant screams in horror when she notices something inside the glass box—a pool of fresh blood.
Cut to: Black Squad Headquarters – Morning
ACP Sulaiman Qazi reads the news article on his laptop:
"Magician Goes Missing in the Middle of a Live Act—Blood Found on Stage!"
Qazi exhales deeply, tossing the newspaper to Inspector Imran Wani and Officer Nisha Rao.
Qazi (calmly): "A magician who vanishes in front of a thousand people? And no one knows where he went?"
Imran (grinning): "Maybe he's still in the box, waiting for an applause."
Nisha (serious tone): "The blood says otherwise."
Qazi: "Exactly. Get to the theatre. If this is an act, we need to find out who wrote the script."
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Act 1: The Investigation Begins
Scene: Royal Empire Theatre – Crime Scene Analysis
Imran and Nisha inspect the stage. The blood inside the glass box is smeared but not excessive—suggesting an injury rather than a brutal attack. The assistants claim Rudra practiced this trick hundreds of times without issues.
Meanwhile, Constable Kunal finds something under the stage—a small, blood-stained key.
Kunal: "This was hidden under the platform. Looks like it came from a locker or a briefcase."
Nisha: "Where does this key lead?"
The theatre manager, a jittery old man, interrupts.
Manager (nervously): "Rudra had enemies. Lots of them. Other magicians, loan sharks, even a crazy fan who sent him threats."
Imran smirks. "A magician with a criminal list longer than his tricks? Interesting."
Qazi (on phone): "Nisha, take the key to forensics. Imran, check Rudra's background. We need to know who wanted him to disappear permanently."
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Act 2: Suspects & Secrets
1st Suspect – Vikram The Illusionist (Rival Magician)
Publicly accused Rudra of stealing his famous 'vanishing act.'
Claims he was in another city the night of the incident.
CCTV proves he was at a hotel 50km away. Alibi confirmed.
2nd Suspect – Rajesh Khanna (Loan Shark)
Rudra owed him ₹25 lakhs, last seen threatening him two nights ago.
Claims Rudra promised to pay back soon but no evidence of a confrontation on the night of the disappearance.
3rd Suspect – Meera Tandon (Obsessive Fan)
Sent Rudra hundreds of love letters.
Was in the audience during the show.
Claims she saw a shadow moving backstage just before the trick.
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Act 3: The Breakthrough
Scene: Forensics Lab
The key leads to a private locker in a local bank. Inside the locker? A black velvet pouch containing a SIM card, ₹10 lakh cash, and a mysterious ticket to Dubai.
Nisha (reading the ticket): "This was booked for Rudra… the morning after his show."
Imran (thinking aloud): "He was planning to run. But why?"
Just then, forensics confirms: the blood in the box isn't Rudra's—it belongs to someone else.
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Act 4: The Chase
Qazi, Imran, and Nisha track Rudra's assistant's call records. The last call before the show was to an abandoned warehouse near Mumbai Port.
Scene: Warehouse – Midnight
The team storms in. Inside, they find Rudra—alive, tied to a chair, bruises on his face.
Standing over him? Rajesh Khanna, the loan shark, with a gun.
Rajesh (grinning): "You cops always ruin the fun."
Turns out, Rudra faked his disappearance to escape his debts. But Rajesh found out and kidnapped him to ensure he never left India. The blood in the box was planted to create drama.
A gunfight breaks out. Imran and Nisha take cover behind crates. Bullets fly. Qazi sneaks up and lands a brutal punch on Rajesh, disarming him.
Rajesh (spitting blood): "This isn't over, ACP."
Qazi (calmly, as he cuffs Rajesh): "It is for you."
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Final Scene: Justice Served
Back at the station, Rudra confesses everything.
Rudra: "I had no choice. I was drowning in debt. I thought if I 'disappeared,' I could escape."
Qazi: "Next time, disappear to the police before your enemies find you first."
As Rudra is taken away, Nisha shakes her head.
Nisha: "A magician who tried to pull the ultimate trick—vanishing from life itself."
Imran (grinning): "Too bad for him… we were watching closely."
The camera zooms out as the team sits in the office, another case solved.
FADE OUT.
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