Third Person POV:

Priya Bhonsle, the chief editor of Times Now, was shouting at the top of her lungs:

"A mysterious murder of Ananya Rajveer took place in her apartment where her body was severed. She was cut in the throat and shot right through her aorta later. The case is taken up by Rajiv Arya. What's interesting about this murder is that two days back the prime suspect of her rape did a prison break....". She was ranting about the history of the girl. They put up the childhood photo of Ananya, who was in a pink frock and a wide smile.

Robin turned towards Shreya when he saw she was already staring at him. He was shivering and sweating profusely. He didn't do anything. He was scared to death. He feared for what had happened. What if people get to know about that thing? Shit, i should have told everything to Shreya. OMG, I am going to be dead now. They have messed it up.

"Sh...Shrey...Shreya,.... I .. I don't know how...how this happened", Robin told fearing if she would hate him if he had told her the truth. He was scared what her reply would be. Shreya was staring at Robin and they way he was scared about this news as much as she was.

"Wait. Wasn't she your first girlfriend?", Shreya asked with her eyebrows raised.

"Yes. But trust me I don't have any contact with her anymore", Robin pleaded her to believe him.

"Okay. We'll see to it", not anymore trusting Robin. She had to take charge of this herself. He wasn't gong to do anything anymore. He gets scared of this itself. He is not of any use anymore.

Robin sat on the couch shaking his legs vigorously. He didn't know what to do. He looked frightened at Shreya. What if she gets to know about it?. He shook his head and turned his gaze away from her. She shouldn't know yet. I need to call him now itself.

Robin got up from the couch and walked up to the balcony. He had to calm his mind and channel it just like the waves in front of him did. He quickly picked his phone up and texted a few lines to someone. He turned back suspiciously to see if Shreya was overlooking him. She was busy making dinner for the night. Thank God, and sorry Shreya...

Shreya, from a distance was eyeing the unusual antics of Robin. It was time to call someone important into this plan.....

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Ananya's room was painted baby pink. She lived in Noida with her colleague. She was 25yrs old. She had remarkable looks. Her hair had red streakes and were coloured blue at the edges of her brownish hair. Her eyes were deep blue that resembled the waters of the Arabian Sea. Her skin was roses and cream. She had square, boyish shoulders and slender hips. She was a Virat Kohli enthusiast and her room was fully covered with posters of Virat. She had hand painted a Krishna poster on the side of her bed. Her study table was blue and divided into many racks that were adorned with her crafty ideas. The table also had her family photos and those with that of her friends. These all were eyed by the Joint Commissioner of Police, Rajiv Arya.

Rajiv Arya was born into a small family and was raised up by his widow mother. He had difficulties in studies in his early years. Although he got less ranks even in his degree, he was fascinated by the way people solve murders. So he decided in his 3rd year if Engineering to write the UPSC exam and secured the 7th rank all over India. He was given the posting of an Inspector. He then underwent vigorous training under the Indian Army in combat and shooting. He became one of the intellegencia too. He married a beautiful yong lawyer who he later divorced.

Rajiv had entered the room in which Ananya lived. He pictured the body that would have laid on the floor. Ananya was slit in the throat and her hands and legs were cut later. He felt pity for this pretty young girl. If only the person who did this can get into my hands.....

Something caught the attention of Rajiv. He noticed what everyone else didn't. After cleaning everything the previous day, people have left behind something. It was unusual to the place. It surely wasn't Ananya's.........

A cross hung from the handle of the cupboard that was near her blue cupboard. Wasn't Ananya a Hindu? Then why is this here? Was it a gift?. Rajiv was baffled. He saw somthing at the tips of the rosary beads. There were bloodstains on it. Dried bloodstains. It was surely Ananya's. But whose rosary beads were these? He wanted to find out the killer. He took out the gloves from his pocket and picked up the rosary beads from the handle. He was done for the day. He hoped that this rosary gave him a lead to the story.

*Beep beep* Rajiv's phone had a message notification. He opened up to check if his medical assistant got some news on the murder of Ananya... the way her throat was cut, the pool of blood that was near her head, every detailed explanation and post mortem. However, this was not the medical assistant, it was rather from a private number . He opened it to read the SMS. It read:

There, the writing's done, in blood
Like a mummy's inscription and a bat-wing tongue .

Well done Rajiv, I will tell you who I am when you get closer to me. Just know I am the M.A.S.K and you have identified the first clue towards me correctly. Way to go!

Rajiv couldn't comprehend the first two lines of the message. The other half of the message.......What was the clue?

A beep sounded from the rosary, exactly where there were bloodstains. There appeared a laser red light from the spot where the bloodstains and the next second, the bloodstains were gone as if there weren't any trace of it . Rajiv was taken aback. He couldn't comprehend what was happening!

WHO ARE YOU M.A.S.K?

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