Berlin Airport:

"So, where you headed now?" Asked Rachel

"Aah, a crappy motel room maybe" answered Nakul

"What about you?"

"A 3-star hotel I guess,

You know, we should catch up sometime. You could come over" said Rachel, while looking away shyly and playing with her hair

"Yeah, sure" replied Nakul, and gave her his phone number.

"See ya!" She said, waving frantically as Nakul made his way through the baggage claim. He smiled, looked back and waved in return. Her smile was so broad and warm, he thought.

He needed this kind of energy in his life.

Those emerald eyes, the smile, her accent, her sense of fashion and the way she walked.

For some odd reason, he couldn't stop thinking about her.

A fortnight later, Nakul woke up, stretched a little and put on a T-shirt. He put the kettle on the stove and checked his phone till the time the kettle shrieked. He poured the tea in a cup and began taking slow sips while checking the day plan for the third time. He finished his cup of tea and set to work. He studied a chart pinned to a shelf as he cut onions and tomatoes for an omelette. He got distracted by thinking about his team. He remembered each one of their missions. Their time spent together. He was always thinking about them. Except, except when he was with Rachel.

She walked gracefully inside the luminous interior of the Michelin restaurant they'd decided to meet in. A lovely black dress hugged her thin figure, ending just below her knees. Nakul stood up, straightening his cuffs, a diamond-studded cufflink glistening in the light. He greeted her and pulled her a chair, his hand resting on her back.

"How chivalrous of you," she said, laughing.

"What can I say? The lady deserves it," answered Nakul, throwing a subtle wink at her.

They ordered some of the finest dishes and a bottle of vintage wine. They talked about sports and politics, sometimes stealing glances. Nakul cracked a joke despite the rebuttal going on his mind and Rachel laughed freely, eliciting a whole smile from him. She placed her hand on his and he let it stay there, running circles on the back of his palm as they ate their dessert. Their dinner date had gone peacefully and Nakul had felt lighter and more at ease since the past few months. He'd rejoiced for the first time in a while. They stood outside the restaurant, Rachel waiting for the valet to bring her car around.

"I had a great time," said Nakul, lacing his finger in hers. She smiled at him, blushing a light shade of pink. Her jade eyes gleamed, which trapped Nakul whenever he looked into them. The car stopped in front of them and Rachel stepped down the stairs, holding Nakul's hand.

"You're not so bad yourself, Nakul," she chirped, making Nakul chuckle. Before leaving, she placed a small peck on his lips and walked to her car, leaving Nakul lost for words. As the sedan roared and disappeared in the night, he stood there, grinning slightly, letting the moment linger for a while. He remembered feeding her the same by-hearted fake story of his life and career, never once disclosing his true identity. It was the thumb rule of his profession.

He thought of her and how she had a calming effect on him. He felt happy just to with her energetic self. Even if they had met only a few times, he knew she was special. Deep in thought, Nakul nearly cut his finger, which brought him back to the present day. The ambrosial smell of the cooked egg spread in the room, letting him know the omelette was ready. He pulled a fork out of a drawer and started eating.

Time flew as he followed his daily routine. When he was done with dusting and sweeping the crappy tiny room, he did his usual work out that lasted for two hours. He read a book and went for a bath. He came out with a towel covering his bottom half. He didn't bother to comb or set his hair, putting on an olive green T-Shirt and casual blue jeans. He put on sports shoes and casually put a 9 mm gun in his right sock. He took a rather long suitcase and polished it one more time even though he had packed it just the night before.

The clock struck 8:30 and Nakul walked through the hotel door. He walked to a building named 'Morgen Stern', observing the people and their lifestyle on his way. He waited for a brief period and then walked into the elevator. A man with three armed blokes guiding him slid into the elevator with Nakul. Nakul took out a chip in his hand and his phone in the other. As he pressed his phone, the lift jerked and halted. Nakul took the opportunity and collided straight into Ravi Biswas, the head of Morgen Stern. He slipped the chip into Ravi's barrel pocket seconds before he was pulled back by one of the bodyguards.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Nakul, casually putting one hand behind his head and scratching it. Biswas completely ignored him. Nakul tapped another button on the phone and the lift started, surprising the bodyguard who was frantically crushing the alarm button for help.

Once out of the lift, Nakul came outside the building and walked across to the nearest skyscraper. He took the elevator and reached the roof. He opened his suitcase and set the sniper stand on the perfect angle. He placed his AWM on the stand and loaded it. He set his 8X scope and aimed the sniper on a glass slide at a fairly distant building. He held his hand up to check the wind and adjusted the error accordingly. He took in a heavy breath and slowly let it out. He clicked a button on his phone and a mini blast took place in the building he had his gun on. He saw Biswas, guided by five men jump on the slide, which was exactly what Nakul was hoping for. Ravi compacted his body and let go of himself on the emergency exit slide. As he slid down the slide at an astonishing rate, nearly 50 km/hr., a bullet collided straight in his head and blood splattered on the slide. A grin developed on Nakul's face. Ravi's emergency exit system had caused his downfall. Nakul had done his homework just right. He packed his sniper suitcase, feeling triumphant, and took the elevator.

He exited the building and halted, fear taking over his eyes. For two men stood in front of him with weapons drawn. Their sunglasses and the pattern of their shoelaces immediately struck Nakul as he identified them. R&AW's ally, the Israeli Intelligence, MOSSAD. And behind them was a familiar person, shocked and flabbergasted, with defiance in her eyes. Rachel.