7

Author's pov

Arvind had already left for the police station after receiving a call about Siddarth's location.

In the car behind him, Vihaan and Roohi were on their way as well. Roohi glanced at Vihaan, who seemed lost in thought.

"Vihaan, are you sure you want to get involved in this mess?" she asked.

Vihaan turned to her. "Yes, Roohi. After everything that happened, Siddarth isn't just your enemy anymore, he's mine too. I can't sit back and do nothing. I want to stand by you and help you deal with this."

Roohi gave him a small smile. "Thank you, Vihaan. It means a lot to me."

When they reached the research place where all are tracking Siddarth, they got out of the car and walked inside together.

As they entered the meeting room, Arvind was standing at the head of the table, addressing his team.

"Listen up, everyone. From today onwards, Roohi Randhawa is officially a part of our team," he announced firmly.

The officers around the table nodded in agreement, some offering small smiles of welcome to Roohi.

Roohi and Vihaan took their seats at the table. The meeting began, focusing on their plan to track Siddarth.

One of the officers spoke up first. "We've received reports of him being spotted near the forest, but he's moving quickly. We'll need to narrow down his possible locations."

Another officer added, "We should check his known hideouts and any places where he has strong connections. If he's on the run, he might be relying on people he trusts."

Arvind nodded thoughtfully. "Good idea. Let's cross-reference his movements with recent activity in those areas. Roohi, you know Siddarth better than most of us. Do you have any idea on where he might go or who he might contact?"

Roohi leaned forward, her brows furrowed. "Siddarth is smart. He won't go somewhere obvious, but he does rely on a few loyal people. I'd suggest keeping an eye on his closest associates and checking any properties under their names. He might be using them to stay hidden."

Vihaan chimed in. "I can help with that. I've got some contacts who can dig into his recent communications. If he's made any calls or sent messages, we might find a lead."

Arvind nodded again, impressed by their input. "Good. Let's split up the tasks. We don't have much time, so I want everyone working with full energy".

■

In the middle of dense forest, Vikrant walked steadily, his gun held firmly in his hand. He stopped abruptly, raised his gun, and fired at a tree.

"I'm here, Siddarth," he said loudly, his voice echoing through the quiet woods.

From the shadows, Siddarth stepped out. "Why are you wasting bullets, Vikrant?" he asked, an amused smirk playing on his lips.

Vikrant lowered his gun slightly but kept his glare fixed on Siddarth. "Be thankful I didn't shoot you,".

Siddarth's smirk faded, replaced by a look of confusion. "What's wrong with you? Why are you talking like that?"

Vikrant let out a bitter laugh. "Guess who's back, Siddarth? Roohi. She's back, and now my dad's team is working with her. They're coming for you. They're determined to end this. I'd say they'll track you down soon enough."

Siddarth's eyes narrowed, and he took a step closer. "Roohi is back?" he asked.

Vikrant nodded, a humorless hum escaping his lips.

Siddarth tilted his head. "It's been such a long time since I've seen her. The last time I saw her... she was holding Kabir's body. She was still in her wedding lehenga, crying uncontrollably. God, I miss those days," he said.

Vikrant's jaw tightened as he snapped back. "Roohi doesn't seem like the kind of person who's going to back down, Siddarth. She's coming for revenge. And let me remind you, never underestimate a woman's revenge."

Siddarth raised an eyebrow, a sly smile curling on his lips. "Why are you talking so much about Roohi all of a sudden, Vikrant?"

Vikrant's face turned grim as his voice grew louder. "Because I heard her, Siddarth. I heard her when she talked about how you killed Kabir. How could you do that? You didn't even have the guts to face him. You had your guard shoot him in the back! That's not the rule. You didn't fight him like a man. You're nothing but an inhuman, cunning bastard!"

Vikrant's voice echoed through the forest, the words heavy with anger and disgust. Siddarth's smirk faded entirely, his expression hardening as he took in Vikrant's outburst.

Siddarth's eyes narrowed as he glared at Vikrant. "You're speaking against me now?" he asked, his voice sharp.

Vikrant stood his ground and replied firmly, "I should've done this a long time ago, Siddarth. You've been wrong too many times."

Siddarth's expression darkened, and his voice turned cold. "How dare you talk to me like that? Don't forget who I am. If I kill you here, no one will even find your body. So, don't test me."

Vikrant didn't back down, his silence speaking volumes.

Siddarth shook his head in frustration, his tone more forceful now. "Stop arguing and just help me get out of this place. We don't have time for your nonsense. Do you want them to catch both of us?"

■

Arvind, Vihaan, and Roohi were seated in a quiet corner of a calm café. The faint sound of coffee machines and the soft chatter of other patrons filled the air, but the three of them were focused entirely on their phones, working together to track Siddarth's location.

Suddenly, Arvind's phone buzzed. He answered quickly, pressing the phone to his ear. His expression shifted to serious as he listened to the person on the other end.

"What? Someone hacked into our system?" he said. "And they stole information and passed it to Siddarth?"

Vihaan and Roohi immediately looked up, their attention fixed on Arvind.

"Who could it be?" Arvind asked, his tone growing more frustrated. He listened for a few more moments before hanging up the call.

He turned to Vihaan and Roohi, his expression grim. "We've got a bigger problem now," he said. "Someone hacked into our system, stole information, and gave it to Siddarth."

Vihaan frowned deeply, leaning forward. "Who could have done this, Dad? Who had access to your cards or systems?"

Arvind hesitated, but before he could answer, Roohi spoke, her voice calm but firm. "It's Vikrant," she said, breaking the silence.

Vihaan looked at her in shock, his eyebrows shooting up. "What? No way. That's impossible," he said quickly. "Vikrant wouldn't, he couldn't do something like that."

Roohi's expression didn't change as she repeated herself. "It's Vikrant."

Arvind leaned back in his chair, visibly uncomfortable. "No, that's not true," he said, shaking his head. "I know my son isn't exactly reliable, but he's not capable of something like this. He wouldn't dare betray us. He's lazy, sure, but this? No."

Roohi let out a sigh, her gaze steady on Arvind. "That's where you're wrong," she said quietly. "Why do you think I chose your family for my mission? Do you think it's just because you're a police officer? Or because I wanted to be close to Vihaan because he's a good guy?"

Vihaan blinked, surprised. "Wait... what are you saying?" he asked.

Roohi didn't hesitate. "It's because Vikrant has been helping Siddarth for years," she said, her tone sharp and direct.

"What?" Arvind said, his voice rising in disbelief. "That's not possible. You're mistaken."

Roohi shook her head firmly. "I'm not mistaken. That's why it's been so hard for you to catch Siddarth all these years. Even before you could make a move, Vikrant was already helping him. Every step you tried to take against Siddarth, Vikrant made sure he was one step ahead."

Vihaan stared at Roohi, struggling to process what she was saying. "You've known this the whole time?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes," Roohi said simply. "I've known for a while. But I needed proof before saying anything. And now, with this hack, it's clear. Vikrant isn't just lazy or unreliable he's actively helping Siddarth."

Arvind slumped back in his chair, his mind racing as he tried to understand the revelation.

"If what you're saying is true, then we've been fighting the wrong battle all along," he said quietly.

Roohi nodded. "That's why we need to stop underestimating Siddarth. He's not just dangerous on his own he has someone feeding him everything he needs to stay ahead of us. And that someone is right here."

Arvind stood up suddenly. He grabbed his phone and dialed a number, speaking quickly and firmly. "I need everyone ready right now. No mistakes. We're moving on this immediately," he said, then hung up without waiting for a response.

He turned to Vihaan, his voice steady but urgent. "Vihaan, come with me. We have to get ready and take action. Roohi will stay here and continue tracking Siddarth's location."

Vihaan nodded, standing up from his chair, but before leaving, he glanced back at Roohi. She was already focused on her laptop, her fingers moving quickly over the keyboard as she analyzed the data.

"Roohi," Vihaan said, his tone softer now, "be careful, okay? Don't take any risks while we're gone. If something doesn't feel right, call me immediately."

Roohi looked up briefly, meeting his gaze with a small, reassuring smile. "I'll be fine, Vihaan. Don't worry about me."

Vihaan hesitated for a moment, clearly reluctant to leave her alone, but he knew she could handle herself. "Alright," he said finally, "just stay alert."

Arvind was already waiting by the door, looking impatient. "Let's go, Vihaan," he called, stepping outside.

Vihaan gave Roohi one last glance before following his father out of the café. As they left, the door swinging shut behind them, Roohi took a deep breath and returned her attention to the screen.

■

Vihaan and Arvind entered a large room filled with multiple screens, all tracking leads to Siddarth's location.

Arvind walked to the center of the room, looking around at his team. "Officers, how's the work going? Any updates?" he asked.

One of the officers turned to him, looking apologetic. "No luck yet, sir. We haven't found any clear leads on Siddarth's location."

Arvind let out a frustrated sigh, his hands resting on his hips. "We need to move faster. He's out there, and we're running out of time."

Turning to Vihaan, he said, "Vihaan, do one thing. Call Vikrant and talk to him casually. Try to get him to say something, anything that could give us a clue."

Vihaan nodded and took out his phone. He dialed Vikrant's number, letting it ring several times, but no one picked up. He frowned and tried again, but the result was the same.

"Dad, he's not answering," Vihaan said, sounding annoyed.

Before Arvind could respond, one of the officers at the far end of the room called out. "Sir! Over here!"

Arvind and Vihaan hurried to the officer. "What is it?" Arvind asked, leaning over the monitor.

"We found something in the system, sir. There's a new clue in the tracking data, but it's hidden behind a code name," the officer explained.

Arvind straightened up, his brow furrowed. "What's the code name?"

The officer typed quickly, trying to access the information. "It's encrypted, sir. Give me a moment to decrypt it."

Arvind and Vihaan waited, watching the officer work. After a few minutes, the officer looked up. "Sir, the code name is 'KM01.'"

"KM01?" Arvind repeated, his voice laced with confusion. "What does that mean?"

Everyone in the room looked puzzled. Arvind and Vihaan exchanged a glance, both trying to make sense of the code.

The team spent the next hour, but no one could figure out the meaning of 'KM01.' Exhausted, Vihaan sat down with a cup of coffee. He absentmindedly stared at the screens, thinking about the code.

Suddenly, a thought struck him. He sat up straight, calling out to his father. "Dad!"

Arvind, who was rubbing his temples in frustration, looked up. "What is it, Vihaan?"

"What's Kabir's full name?" Vihaan asked.

Arvind blinked, caught off guard by the question. "Kabir Malhotra. Why?"

Vihaan's words seemed to click in Arvind's mind. His eyes widened in shock as the realization hit him. "Km01, km means kabir Malhotra. That means... Kabir is alive."

Vihaan immediately reached for his phone and dialed Roohi, desperate to tell her what they'd discovered. But after a few rings, the call didn't connect. He tried again, only to hear the automated message: "The number you are trying to reach is currently switched off."

To be continued

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