Chapter 32 :

Anika's POV

"Ma'am this letter was found between the bouquets in your cabin this morning", spoke Ryle handing over a black envelope to me.

Taking it in my hand, I fixed my glasses on my nose bridge before taking a closer look. It wasn't a normal one we send to someone but had a red sapphire on it keeping it close while a golden cursive U letter was written at the top right corner of the back side of the envelope. I can clearly say it's golden ink and not some print ink. I let my forefinger graze over the initial before I took off the sapphire.

It was a real one.

There was a letter in it. But it wasn't alone, instead it was with a burnt paper.

Taking out the papers with a frown on my face, I extended my hand to pick up my phone. Trailing my gaze from the papers to my phone, I unlocked my phone and pressed a button there. A click sound echoed in the room before I finally took a look at the papers.

My eyes widened.

These were papers of my case. My rape case.

I gulped as a shiver ran down my spine because of all the haunting flashbacks running in front of my eyes. Shaking my head slightly, I breathed deep before reading the letter.

"This is just the beginning. Step down and hasten the dawn before the night deepens"

That's all that was written on the paper.

I exhaled in frustration. This shit seems deeper and widely spread than seen and found till now. He's not a man to work within a small group or engage with very few people. He's planning something big and is just showing what he wants to show. I need to dig deeper before things fall apart.

"Execute plan D but frame it as plan B", I spoke to Ryle as she nodded and left. I then again unlocked my phone before pressing the same button I had pressed a while ago.

My frustrated and tensed face was back to neutral. My inner soul was bubbling in anger thinking about the upcoming storms but I had to control. It wasn't the right time to show everything.

•

Arnav's POV

"Sir, we have found no data about Nishant Raichand. But there is a person with the same name but different surname", spoke Vincenzo through the screen of my tab.

I furrowed my brows.

"Are his details with you?", I asked.

"Yes sir. I have it. I've already mailed it to you. You can have a look", he replied as I nodded prior to opening my laptop.

My eyes ran over the black letters of his name. The following details matched with what Anika had told me about Nishant Raichand. He was a student of Harvard but later on went to University of Manchester. He's currently 31 years old and is a businessman. But he might be someone else. But something seems fishy. This mafia instinct of mine isn't sitting well with the given details.

"Why don't the details include his family and history?"

"Sir these details were kept under very tight security. It was beyond possible to hack the system and find it out. But we were able to do so after several tries. We are-" he stopped speaking as he turned around when someone called him.

"What happened?", I enquired.

"Sir he has a father and no mother. His father's name is Vijay Singh Rathore. He was a politician in India. But he disappeared right after a scandal. The scandal was about some black money and drugs", he finally spoke looking down at the file in his hands.

I hummed in response and nodded. This seems so familiarly unfamiliar. I know I never heard his name. But still there's something about the history.

I can't connect the dots because something in the middle is missing.

Someone is there who's sitting at the top and controlling everything.

"Okay that's good. Try finding the history of these two and try linking dots", I spoke before hanging up.

I need to find out the actual mind behind all these or else the way so easily these details were coming to me wouldn't have happened.

I smirked at the thoughts running in my mind.

I knew this was going to happen.

•

Anika's POV

"Ani, how're you?", asked Yuvraj Bhai over the call.

"I'm good bhai. Tell me about you and bhabhi", I spoke keeping the phone on loud speaker while I dried my hair looking at the mirror.

"I'm fine currently because your bhabhi happens to be happy for now", he replied. His tone was mischievous and somewhere admiring. Seeing his admiration for his wife even after five years of marriage was so nice. I had wished for the same.

I smiled in agony.

"Okay that's a good news. Good that she's happy or else I'd have killed you for upsetting her", I replied with a smile.

"Yeah whatever. By the way I have a surprise for you", he spoke.

I raised my brows as I enquired, "What's that?"

"Actually your bhabhi is having several mood swings. Her body and legs are hurting at times and she's somewhat dizzy. She asks for sour food in the middle of the night", he spoke as my eyes widened.

"Bhai you calm this a surprise? She's unwell. Why don't you-", and there it hit my mind, "Wait. Don't tell me that I'm-", he cut me off, "Yes. You're gonna be bua after eight months."

He finally dropped the bomb.

The towel fell from my hand as I squealed in happiness. I was very delighted to know that I was going to be a bua.

(Bua: father's sister)

I covered my mouth as I yelled in happiness. I didn't know how small things can make you so happy. It's been so long since I felt happy.

"Damn Bhai. I'm so happy. Give her my best wishes. Where's she?"

He handed over the phone to bhabhi as we both talked for an hour. I was extremely happy for her. I was happy that my bhai got the best life partner and a mother of his children. His family was going to complete very soon once the second child also comes. It was his wish to have two children. Mama and mami we also lucky to get a daughter-in-law like Shweta bhabhi. Sweet, bold and an independent professor-a perfect match for my professor bhai.

Atleast someone was happy and content with their married life.

After the call, I took out a white bottle from the drawer in my vanity prior to taking out two white pills. I gulped them down with some water and sat down on the bed.

Taking my laptop, I tapped on the email app as my gaze fell on the very first email.

ASR:

Meet me at Hotel Lunar Leaf on 9 September.

Time: 11:45 a.m.

Room No: 1499

My brows scrunched at his sudden appearance. He wants to meet me but after two months that too in Paris? Isn't that weird? If he had to meet me after so long then he could've sent the email after some weeks.

And he's meeting me in 1499 that too in this city. It's definitely the call I was waiting for. It was the call before the storm.