CHAPTER 6: Part 2 (HUKUM SA?)
Recap:
Chirag's loyalty to Mrityunjay was absolute. Little did Chirag know that his investigation was being subtly sabotaged?
Vikram AKA Karan, under the guise of a loyal employee, was quietly interfering with Chirag's inquiries.
After all, the girl Mrityunjay was so desperate to find was none other than Vikram's own younger sister, a secret he guarded fiercely.
~ AUTHOR (POV) ~
Vidyut, leaned forward, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Maybe Mrityunjay is smitten. Maybe he's fallen head over heels and wants to keep this girl a secret. A little rendezvous, you know? A forbidden romance."
A wave of horrified expressions swept across the faces of the other men in the room. Kartik Kashyap sputtered,
"Mrityunjay? In love? You've got to be joking, Vidyut. That ice-cold heart of his has probably never even felt a flutter. That ruthless killing machine he's more demon than man."
Agastya Singh Rajput, the most cynical of the group, chuckled darkly.
"Don't underestimate the power of the unexpected, Kartik. Besides, what else could explain this sudden obsession? It has to be something personal, some hidden agenda. Maybe it's revenge, a long-forgotten grudge. Perhaps this girl holds the key to some dark secret from Mrityunjay's past. Or maybe," he leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
"She's messing with him. Playing a dangerous game. Imagine, the mighty Mrityunjay, the man who once threatened to have my pet iguana stuffed and mounted on his office wall, smitten! The irony is delicious."
Chirag scoffed. "Revenge? Mrityunjay have a lot of enemies and he makes enemies where ever he goes. The possibility is not far off."
Karan felt a cold dread creep down his spine.
'What have you gotten yourself into now Ishika? I don't know how I'll protect you, if that monster comes after you.' Karan thought.
He had underestimated Vidyut. His playful banter had unintentionally touched upon a dangerous truth.
Mrityunjay, the ruthless mafia king, was not a man to be trifled with. If he believed someone was playing games with him, the consequences would be dire.
The thought of what Mrityunjay might do if he discovered the truth sent a shiver down Karan's spine.
~ ISHIKA (POV) ~
The fluorescent lights of my cubicle hummed overhead, making the already stuffy office feel even hotter.
My boss, Kamya Sahani, would probably have a heart attack if she knew how much I was dreading this project.
Honestly, the woman could use a serious chill pill. No offense.
I glanced at my phone, a notification blinking from the group chat with my friends. "Help," I typed.
"Kamya is breathing down my neck, and I'm drowning in a sea of microchips."
"Send help!" replied Mehak, always the dramatic one.
"Just breathe, Ishika," Anika advised, "You're stronger than any circuit board."
"Easier said than done," I muttered, tapping out a reply. "She's already hovering over my shoulder, muttering about deadlines and 'meeting expectations.'"
Suddenly, a voice boomed from behind me, "Ishika! A word, please."
Great. Just great. Here we go.
I turned around to face Kamya, plastering a smile on my face. "Yes, Kamya?"
"The deadline for the Sharma project is next week," she said, her voice sharp. "I expect to see tangible results by the end of the day. Understand?"
"Yes, Kamya," I replied, my voice a little too meek for my liking.
She nodded curtly and stalked away, leaving me to face the music.
I sighed, picking up the work where I left, trying to focus on the circuit diagram in front of me.
But all I could think about was my friends, we were best friends since school, and they always knew how to cheer me up.
"By the way," I typed in the group chat, "something really weird happened. All my records in the company system are messed up! My name is now listed as Ishika Jayshree instead of Ishika Jaiswal."
"WHAT?!" Mehak replied immediately. "That's a conspiracy! Someone's trying to steal your identity!"
"Calm down, Mehak," Anika chimed in. "It's probably just a glitch in the system. Happens all the time."
"But still," Mehak continued, "You never know. Maybe someone is trying to replace you with an imposter!"
"Oh please, Mehak," Saanvi scoffed, "You watch too many spy movies. It's probably just a simple data entry error. BTW everyone's coming to my Bhabhi's baby shower on Saturday, right?"
"Yeah, probably, and yes we are all coming" I agreed, trying to laugh it off. "But the name thing, it's still a little creepy."
"Just be careful, Ishika," Mehak warned. "And keep an eye on your coffee.
You never know when someone might try to slip something into it."
"Yeah," I rolled my eyes at Mehak's paranoia, but a shiver ran down my spine.
"Hey Ishika," a voice startled me.
It was Shivaay, a colleague who had been working in the same department as me since I joined the company.
Shivaay, with his easy smile and uncanny ability to fix any tech issues within minutes, was a reliable and cheerful presence in the otherwise monotonous office environment.
"You look like you could use a break. Coffee?"
"Thanks, Shivaay," I smiled gratefully. "That would be great."
"Don't worry," he winked, "I'll guard your workstation with my life. No more Kamya invasions."
I laughed, feeling a little lighter.
Shivaay, with his endless supply of jokes and cheerful demeanor, always managed to brighten my day.
We reached the coffee machine and started brewing our drinks.
As we waited I noticed how Shivaay, usually so energetic, seemed a little subdued.
"Something wrong?" I asked, concerned.
He shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. "Just thinking about that new project. It's a bit of a challenge."
Shivaay's gaze fixed on the swirling steam rising from the coffee pot, said quietly, "You know, I think Mr. Singhania is a bit... eccentric."
I chuckled. "Eccentric is an understatement. He's more like a character from a spy movie."
Shivaay chuckled, "You're not wrong. I wonder what goes on in that mind of his." He paused, then added.
"He seems to be quite interested in you, you know."
I felt a blush creeping up my neck. "Don't be silly, Shivaay.
Mr. Singhania is just... well, he's Atharva Singhania. The CEO. He probably doesn't even notice me."
Shivaay raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in his eyes. "Oh, I think he notices you, Ishika. Very much so."
I laughed, trying to brush off his comment. "You're just teasing me."
Shivaay smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "You never know, Ishika. Even the most ruthless of businessmen have a soft spot for something. Perhaps a particularly talented engineer?"
I rolled my eyes, "Don't flatter me, Shivaay. I'm just an average employee."
Shivaay grinned, "Average? With those brains? You're the best electronics engineer this company has."
I blushed, feeling a warmth spread through me.
Shivaay, with his unexpected compliments, always knew how to make me smile. He is a really good friend.
To Be Continued...