Priya's POV:

The door swung open and slammed shut again. I thought he would catch me. It made my blood run cold and it terrified the living daylights out of me. But I was glad that I was at least safe.

"He hurriedly went back, ma'am. However, I think he will return soon," Swati informed. I immediately fixed the camera and arranged everything back to its place. Karan strolled the moment I had settled into my chair.

'Perfect timing, Priya!'

"So, Ms. Rajana, I know who you are," he continued where he had left off. I gulped anxiously while maintaining a puzzled expression. I tried to mask my nervousness.

"Weren't you the girl in the red gown?" he asked.

Oh, that was what he'd meant. I nearly had a heart attack just a few moments ago. I was felt relieved that he was still unaware of my real identity. I nodded, and he smiled with undeniable charm. He began to comment on how lovely I looked and how disappointed he was to learn that I had a boyfriend. But then, I corrected Karan saying that he wasn't my boyfriend but rather, a date. Something in my chest squeezed as I said that.

Karan's eyes glowed as he heard that. He then informed me that I had been hired and could begin work the following day. My job would be to oversee the design department, which is in charge of giving the goods a final polish before they were exported. I thanked him and exited the office hurriedly.

Mission accomplished.

"That's great news, ma'am," Ajay exclaimed after I told my team that everything had gone just as planned and I was now an employee of the Ahuja Exports Company. They wanted to have a small dinner to celebrate our success, but I reminded them that this was not the end. The majority of it was still remaining. I saw Arjun standing silently in the corner. He looked lost and worried. 'What is wrong with him? Anyways, who cares.'

'You care,' my conscience pointed out smugly. I had to admit but I was getting attached to the obnoxious jerk of a co-worker of mine but in a strictly platonic way.

Liar.

When I noticed him standing alone, staring at the night sky, I decided to approach him.

"What happened, Arjun?" I asked softly. "Aren't you happy with the progress?"

"No, I am fine," he shrugged, avoiding eye contact. "Just be careful."

He walked away and I was left standing with curiosity and confusion tugging at me as I watched his broad silhouette vanish into the distance.

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I'd been working undercover in Karan's company for a few days now. We hadn't gotten anything significant up till now because Karan was mostly preoccupied with his exporting business. But he would occasionally stop by my desk and chat with me. He attempted to ask me out a few times but I was always making excuses. They had started getting petty at this point but I knew it had to go on. But his secretary never really interacted with me. He was in his mid-thirties I think and his eyes, whenever they looked at me, revealed suspicion. Anyway, my charm was working on Karan smoothly so I didn't have to be worried about his secretary's thoughts.

I was sitting on my desk and scroll down a random website when my phone rang abruptly.

"Hello?" a female voice said into my ear. "This is Swati."

"Yes, Swati?" I asked.

"I just overheard him discussing getting some items from somewhere. The call came from outside- not from an Indian phone number. When we hacked it, we discovered that the phone number belonged to a Russian drug dealer. I believe this is our chance," she explained briefly. Finally, we had something!

"Swati, you did an excellent job," I said proudly. "I'll put the tracker on him."

"Okay, ma'am. He's about to leave his office, so hurry," she warned.

I stood up and dashed towards the elevator. I entered the elevator and pressed the button to his floor. I was certain he'd take the elevator. My strategy was straightforward. When the elevator door opened, I'd collide with him and insert the tracker into his dress. Everything would look like an accident caused by the clumsy Ranjana.

"Is he waiting for the elevator, Swati?" I asked to avoid colliding with any random people.

"Yes, ma'am, he is waiting impatiently," she confirmed.

"OK, bye," I said and disconnected as I approached his floor.

Good luck, Priya. Go for it.

He strode impatiently into the elevator, only to collide with me. Meanwhile, I placed the tracker near his collar, which I held for support. I wanted to drag him to the station like that. But I resisted the urge. I ignored the heavy build of his body crashing into mine.

"I'm really sorry, Mr. Ahuja. I am so clumsy," I apologized like an utter fool.

"That's fine, Ms. Ranjana. Just be cautious," he breathed into my ear. I pulled away quickly. "Nobody will have a reflex, like mine, to catch you on time," he responded with a wink and cheeky grin which was quickly replaced with a serious one when his secretary cleared his throat. Then he excused himself, claiming that he had an urgent matter to attend to.

"Is it all right?" I asked after dialling Swati's number again.

"It's perfect, ma'am. I've linked your phone to the tracker. You can keep track of his movements," she said and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, good," I said, pleased. "Isn't Ajay and the team on their way?"

"Yes, Ma'am. They will come and pick you up," she assured.

"Perfect, and send twenty local cops as well. We don't know if he'll be armed or not," I said in a commanding voice. Swati gave a positive response. I hung up and waited for my team.

Soon my team arrived and we followed the directions and eventually arrived at an abandoned warehouse. It was amusing how the wealthy criminals refused to hold a meeting in the luxury of hotel conference rooms, private resorts, or guesthouses. They were too arrogant, believing that if they were in an obscure location, they wouldn't be tracked.

'We are the police, fuckers. We'll track you even if you're on bloody Saturn.'

"Do not stop in front of the warehouse," I told them. "Stop approximately 400 feet away. I'll get down there immediately. Ajay and the team accompany me. Satish and Kamle stay here to scout the area."

As I stepped out of the car, I placed my hand on my gun holster before walking towards the warehouse. Karan's car was parked near the front door. We could hear muffled voices from inside.

"Let's go through the back door," I told my team.

A look at the inside of the warehouse confirmed that it was not operational. The majority of the area was covered in dust and cobwebs.

"How much do you want for this?" Karan asked impatiently.

"3 million per packet," said another voice.

"Don't you think that's too much?" Karan asked in annoyance.

"No. The product is pure so the price will be high," the other voice said.

My team and I hid behind the enormous containers in the warehouse, a little further away from them.

"Take pictures and videos of them, and make sure you get clear pictures," I said through the headset.

"All right, ma'am."

The man then opened a wooden trunk, revealing a collection of white powder in large packets inside.

Drugs.

Karan appeared pleased and his secretary handed him a bag, which he handed to the man. The man opened it and rummaged through it, revealing massive bundles of Indian currency. Both shook hands and were leaving when I decided to intervene.

"Put your hands up, bastards," I yelled, pointing my gun at them. Karan's eyebrows shot up straight to his hairline in sheer shock and surprise. His lips parted and he looked as though he'd been sucker-punched. His secretary, on the other hand, looked livid.

"I told you! I told you she was a sketchy character, you said no. You didn't believe me," his secretary erupted in rage. Karan just stared at me. The shock in his eyes melted into anger and frustration.

"Let's have some fun, shall we?" I asked, smirking.

I had just locked them up in the lockup and was walking away from the scene when Karan finally spoke.

"You should end this investigation right here," he warned in a voice that would have shaken the very ground I was walking on. "Otherwise, your family will bear the cost."

"Mr. Ahuja, try something new," I snapped, annoyed as I whirled around to face him. "I've received many threats of this kind."

"But, I will make it a reality," he warned, raising a daring eyebrow at me in a warning. I had the faint feeling that if it had been anyone in my place, he wouldn't have even bothered giving a warning before doing something drastic. I saw the determination in his eyes and it made me apprehensive. But instead of showing it, I walked away.

"They've asked for lawyers, ma'am," a constable informed me. This early on?

I gave a nod. It was their right and I couldn't argue with them. But even their lawyer would be powerless this time. We had substantial evidence against them. Mr. Karan Ahuja was about to breathe prison air. Unless...he could bail his way out.

I met with my team to congratulate them on their accomplishments. They were all overjoyed. Arjun appeared to be content as well, a small, genuine smile decorating his face. Ramesh thanked us for ensuring that his sister had finally received the justice she deserved. We told him it was too soon to draw any conclusions but he insisted that Karan would not escape this time.

I returned to my office after celebrating with my team. A small part of me was worried as a result of Karan's threat. It did frighten me, considering how powerful his connections were. I called my parents and advised them to be cautious. I told them not to leave the house late at night. After talking to them my heart calmed down. I let out a sigh and buried my face in my palms.

I arrived at my parents' house around eight o'clock at night. I wanted to spend the night with them to ensure their safety. I only needed to be cautious tonight because tomorrow Karan would be sent to jail and he would never see the world outside the jail again.

I rang the bell and Ramu uncle opened the door with a gentle smile on his wrinkle stricken face. He'd been with us since I was a newborn. He had become like a member of our family to us.

I went inside and looked through all of the rooms. My parents and sister, however, were not present.

"Uncle, where are my parents and Ganga?" I asked Ramu uncle, who was busy in the kitchen making his special tea for me. My heart jolted as I took in the empty house once more.

"Oh, child, they went to see your relative," he explained as he poured tea into a glass.

I sipped the hot tea while making an O with my mouth. There was still time to act. It was only eight o'clock.

'They will be back soon,' I tried to quiet my racing heart.

Eight turned into ten and ten turned into twelve. They still hadn't returned.

"Where are they?"

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