The darkness is slowly engulfing the evening sky. The entire place is sailing through thick silence.
Moving in further we notice an abondoned factory like building crying in the darkness. It is surrounded by trees and shrubs on all its sides. It's walls are covered by network of creepers.
Entering inside, that old factory has no lights, except for some small bulbs here and there.
In that dark night, that factory somehow resembled a devil's house.
The factory overall resembled a puzzle, that we used to solve during our childhood. It has many turns, many curves and many more extensions. It seemed like it has no end.
At the farther end of an extension, there are some steps leading to a basement.
In the basement, after covering some similar turns and extensions, we enter an area which is filled with some series of small rooms.
Each room has a wooden door, with a small mesh like opening present on it.
All the rooms are empty, except for one.
Inside the room, we see a man lying on the floor, unconscious.
His hands are tied to his back. His legs are tied. His face has been masked with a black coloured cloth bag. His hands and legs are full of injuries. It seemed like he hadn't eaten anything since ages.
He lied there like a deadbody without any kind of movement, may be due to some drug he had been injected with.

..........................

She drove quickly through the narrow lanes, swiftly escaping the other vehicles coming her way.
She finally stopped infront of a small white washed house.
She opened the gate and entered inside. She examined the entire compound, trying if she could find someone.
All the doors are open and there's no one seen inside.
She slowly peeked inside and meanwhile,
"Who's that?", she heard a trembling, feeble male voice from behind and turned to face it.
An old man stood there with a question mark face.
"Hello, Sir! I am Anu, Vikrant Sir's daughter. He called you a day before, didn't he? Ahh.., he asked you for a flat..., do you remember? So, I have come to meet your new tenants. They are my friends."
The old man said nothing, but stood there, staring her with grim face.
She didn't understand what happened.
"Wh..at ha..ppened, Sir?", she sluttered.
"I have never met such people in my life. It's only because your father had told, that I agreed. Otherwise, I had no problem in leaving this house empty.", he said seriously and walked away from there.
She followed him behind and asked him worriedly,
"What happened, Sir?".
"They said they don't need the house.", he said in a complaining tone.
"They don't need it?", she asked shocked.
"Yeah! And do you know what, they didn't even enter the house. Mannerless!", he said angrily.
She understood that the old man is deeply hurt and started speaking,
"Sorry Sir, I am really very sorry! I am really sorry on their behalf. See, Sir, they are very good people. Please don't mistake them. They might have done it out of some emergency. Please, don't feel bad. Once again, I am very sorry Sir.", saying so she slowly turned to leave,
"Accha, listen!",
she turned to face him,
"They gave this and went", he handed her a small envelope.
She took it quickly and teared it open.
"998xxxx230, only message." It read.
"They gave this?!", she asked astonished. A kind of small happiness started playing on her face.

"Yes! They asked me to give this to that person who helped them find this house. I thought it must be you. By the way, what did they write? Did they write that the flat is not good?", he asked in a detective tone.
"No! This is something else.
Anyways, Thank you, Sir. I will leave now.", saying so, she turned to leave, but,
"Wait", the old man ordered.
She turned to face him.
"When they came, they covered their faces completely. Why did they do so? Are they some gangsters? What do they actually do?".
"Ah.., No! Pollution! You know the Mumbai's pollution, right? Actually, you should also try it. It's good for your health. OK? Take care. I will take your leave now. Bye.".
She quickly escaped from there, in order to avoid any other kind of questions.
.......................

"So, Mr.Tyagi! I wonder if you could tell me, what's wrong with my decision?", Chirag questioned one of his teammate, trying his best to establish his audacity as the Chief Investigating Officer.

"Sir! I am not saying that you are wrong, but.., how can we take Mr.Coehlo into our team? You know he was the head of that mission back then...", Tyagi was saying, but stopped abruptly, due to one angry glare from Chirag.
"He was leading the mission then and that's why I want him to be in the team. What can be more good than this?".
"See Chirag, I hope you remember our case well, don't you? Who knows, he might be involved in their plan as well. Moreover, we all know, the love Coehlo has for the ETF, don't we?", another senior officer said, somehow trying to make fun of Chirag's decision.
"Oh, Really! It's Coehlo Sir! Don't we all know how sincere he is? No matter how grave the situation is, he would never sacrifice his ethics. After all, this is not the credit we should be giving him after all these years of selfless service.", Chirag said angrily.
"But Chirag..",
"Look, Sir! I have made my decision very clear. Coehlo Sir will be a part of my team and if anyone is not okay with this, they may please leave...", he said indicating the exit.
That's all. None spoke anything. They understood he is not going to change his decision. So they heaved a sigh of defeat.
Therefore, Chirag got up contended and said,
"Fine! Let's wind up this here and I want all your findings by tomorrow. Thank you.".
He then gathered all his stuff and left from there.

......................

The dark clouds in front of his eyes started clearing slowly. His eye lids began fluttering. His entire body is drenched in sweat.
He in a daze, tried to wipe it away with his hands, but he somehow couldn't move his hands. He felt like something is holding his from back.
He even tried to move his legs, but
he couldn't.
Slowly and slowly, some flashes began coming into his mind.

"Bullet sounds."
"Screams."
"Sakshi! Sakshi! This way. Go into this room."
Then more bullets, more screams and more chaos.
"Ayesha! Try contacting Shree!"
"Chotu! Take care of Liza!"
The sounds of bullets reached their peaks.
Amidst all this chaos, a soft, trembling voice came into his mind.
"Arjun! No! I can't do this! I can't leave you all this way. Please, Arjun I can't!"
"No Sakshi! You have to this. Take these. Try to reach Sameer and Shree as soon as possible."
Sakshi began going away from him, with tears in her eyes.

A lone tear slid down his cheeks.

"Sakshi!"
"I Love You."
He gave a small peck on her forehead, with tears pooling up in his eyes.
"Be careful with the evidence."

Finally, his tears betrayed his eyes and began eloping with the sweat droplets on his face.
Those dark clouds that were earlier occupying his mind are finally down now.
His body and mind are coming back into their senses.
He is tied up, same as then, the last time he woke up. There's no change in his state.
His body sore in pain. His stomach began grumbling. He felt his body so heavy that he couldn't shift on his sides.
He doesn't know where he is. How many days it have been? He doesn't know where his teammates are? He doesn't remember the last time he ate something.
He tried shouting for some help, but nothing came out of his mouth except a groan. He understood he was gagged, same as the last time.
He is not able to understand anything. His mind is not working.
What do these people want? After all, the entire ETF team is in their captivity, isn't it? Then without killing them, what are they waiting for? Wait! Entire ETF team! Then, what about Sakshi? When was the last time he saw her? It was during that attack, wasn't it? He asked to take the evidence and run away from there. Then, did she manage to reach Sameer or Shree? Then why didn't anyone come to rescue them? Is Sakshi safe? What about others?
Suddenly he started feeling hell nauseous. He wondered as if what is left in his stomach so as to vomit. He wished it should not be his blood coming out this time.
Suddenly he heard the door open. He heard some footsteps entering inside.
Don't know why, a weird fear crept inside his heart, hearing those footsteps. May be the fear of blurting out everything, to these rascals.
The footsteps are commencing.
His heartbeat kept increasing.
All of a sudden, two men approached him, caught him by his shoulders and made him sit on his knees.
Arjun know what's going to happen. They will be asking some questions and when he doesn't answer, they would thrash him. Thrash him severly. But not as severe as he had thrashed his criminals.
He couldn't help but mentally smirk, for his thoughts even in that pathetic state.
His thoughts were interrupted, when his face mask was plucked off and a bright beam of yellow light fell on his face.
.........................

Anu was roaming all around the kitchen in a hurry, misplacing all the things that are coming her way. This is her daily routine, when it comes to cooking. Anyone seeing her this way can simply guess her motto during cooking,
"Work less, Destroy more!"
Her phone rang all of a sudden, while she was busy with her art of destruction.
Hearing the phone buzz, she immediately ran to it, hoping it might be a call from Sameer or Shree.
Well, she has already messaged them, but there's no reply yet.
When she reached her phone, it was her "Father".
She felt somewhat dissapointed and answered the call,
"Hello, Papa! It's the 8th time you are calling me today! If I had a boyfriend na, you would have broken his record also!".
"Correct! Boyfriend alert!!! Our Lioness is busy in fixing a boyfriend for you. Trust me, she almost found one. She might bring him as well, while we return.", her father said in an alerting tone.
"Oh my God! Dular is going to die!", she thought to herself and spoke,
"Papa, do something, Please!! Find some reason and reject him, Please!!!".
"No chance! He is perfect in all ways. Job, package, physique, complexion, everything."
"Everything! Papa! Papa! Please do something. I don't want to marry now. Convince our Lioness somehow.", she said in a panic mode.
"Arey, what can I..", her Father tried saying something, but was cut by her immediately.
"Shhhh..! Shhh! You are not saying anything now, just talk to Maa and stop her. Okay?".
"But...",
"Shhh! I said convince Maa somehow and that's all.",
she said closing the chapter forever.
"Hmm.., Okay, I will try doing something.", her Father said agreeing his defeat.
"Okay, then, You will all be coming back tomorrow, right?".

....................
"Tring!"
Someone is at the door.
A man in his late 50s got up from the sofa and went to answer the door.
"Hi Sir. Is Chirag there?", a man asked the old man.
"Yeah! You are?".
"I am Dustin Coehlo, DIG. Chirag wanted to meet, regarding some case.".
"Yeah! Please come in. I am his Father. Please come in.", the old man said giving way.
They both went inside and the old man lead him to Chirag's study room.
Inside Chirag was sitting in his chair and going through some book.
"Beta! Someone has come to meet you.", his father said indicating Coehlo.
Chirag immediately stood up and welcomed him inside and made him sit in an easy chair.
"Papa! You may go and eat, I have some work. So, you don't have to wait for me."
His father nodded and left.
Chirag then closed the door and came inside.
"Good Evening, Sir! You comfortable?", Chirag asked Coehlo.
"Hmm...., Yeah!", Coehlo said giving a nervous smile.
"Since this is an informal meet, do you mind if we have a drink", he asked moving towards his small bar counter.
Coehlo said nothing but only gave a small smile.
He came back with a Blender's Pride bottle in one hand and two glasses in another hand.
He sat in another easy chair opposite to Coehlo and placed the bottle on the small table in between them.
"Sir! I am sorry, despite knowing that you are my senior, I called you over to my place and drinking in front of you. Just don't mind me, this is just an informal meeting.", he said filling the glasses.

Mr. Coehlo said nothing, but again gave a small smile.
"Anyways, I am not as decent as your favourite students.", he said leaning over his chair, with one glass in his hand. Coehlo looked dumb founded at his statement.
That's when Coehlo actually noticed that Chirag was already drunk.
He let out a huge sigh and asked,
"You are already drunk, aren't you?".
Chirag let out a huge chuckle.
"Yes, I am. How do you care, Sir?", he sluttered slightly.
Coehlo understood where this conversation will be going in the next few minutes and decided its better to leave.
"Chirag, I think I will leave now.", he said getting up from his place.
"And why do you think so? Is this wrong?", he questioned sharply, indicating the glass in his hand.
Mr.Coehlo tried to cut him off but Chirag continued.
"Well, you may think this is wrong, because they don't drink, do they?",
"Is that why you chose them for this mission? To make what, Drug free India, right?", he scoffed.
Mr.Coehlo didn't know what he should be saying and remained silent for the next few seconds and then said,
"Chirag, let us meet tomorrow."
"Wait. Wait Sir, please! I am sorry.", he said cupping his face in embarssment.
"I am sorry. I didn't call you for this, Sir. Just give me 2 mins Sir. I am once again really sorry, Sir. Please sit down, Sir.", he said and went into the restroom.
He came out after few minutes, after washing his face, now more calm and serene.
......................

"What? 3 more days? Are you kidding or something Papa? Actually, you know what? Forget me. You guys adopt someone out there and stay there forever. Okay? You don't have to come back.", Anu said angrily, knowing that her family's tour is extended for 3 more days.
"Anu! It's not that way, Kanna! They requested us and we should stay.", her tried to explain her smoothly.
"Requested! So does that mean, even I should also fall at your feet and cry, for you to come back?", she questioned like a teenager.
"No, Kannamma...", her father continued to explain her.
Meanwhile,
"Papa, wait! There's another call coming. Just give me a second.", and when she saw the caller ID, it was from an unknown number, the same unknown number to  which she had called earlier. Her eyes widened in shock.
"Papa, I will call you later. Bye", she hurriedly cut her father's call and answered the unknown number hesitantly, with a bit of curiosity.
"He..llo..".
"Hello, Anu?", the caller on the other side spoke.
"Yes, who is this?", she asked.
"Anu! Shree here!", the caller on the side spoke rather hesistantly.
"Hey, Shree! How have you been?", she asked that question, but immediately bit her tongue.
"Ah.... Yeah I am okay! How are you doing?", she understood he asked it out of courtesy. She mentally decided that she will be keeping off from these how are you questions.
"Ah.. Anu! Sameer Sir wants to talk.", he said handing over the phone to him.
"Hi Anu! How are you?", he asked, well not hesitantly but confidently. After all, he was the chief, right?
"Yes, I am fine. How are you?".
"Yes, I am fine. So, what do you want to know, Anu?".
She was startled by that question. She didn't know what to say.
"Er.. meaning?I.. mean I... didn't get you?".
"Wow! Interesting, so you have no questions for me. I thought it in a complete opposite way.", he said letting out a chuckle. He was sitting on the bed and kept the phone on speaker, so that Shree who is now sitting beside him can hear their conversation.
"It's not that way! In reality there are so many questions, but I don't know where I should start from.", she said in a lost voice.
Silence prevailed between them for the next few seconds.
Then Anu spoke again,
"I shall not ask if all this they are saying is true or not, cause I know that's meaningless, but yes I will ask one thing defnitely,

"Will we ever be able to see them again?"

Sameer took few seconds before answering her question.
"Deep down my heart, even I don't have an answer to it, but what I say is just 'believe', that everything will be fine one day.".
"Sameer, Can I ask you something?".
"Yeah, sure. What is it?"
"Sameer, when and where did all this begin?"
Again silence prevailed between them.
Then Shree took a deep breathe and spoke,
"At Nandas".
"Nandas?", Anu asked confused.
"Yes. As you know, the Government of India started a drug free India campaign 2 years ago, in order to abolish some of the prospered drug dealers."
"In the very first phase of this campaign, Sikander and his empire has been abolished."
"Exactly, 3 months after this we got information about the
"Nanda Automobiles".
"It's an automobile company which manfactures the automobile spare parts besides running a chain of automobile showrooms."
"We got the information about their drug business through an informer."
.........................
"So, who is this 'informer'?", Chirag asked Coehlo.
"Ah.., he is an ex- employee of
Nandas. He had been supporting their drug business since many years. But at one point, his own son got addicted to drugs and commited sucide one day.", Coehlo said and took a break.
......................
"And that's all. It broke his heart. He gathered some information against them and mailed it to the department.", Sameer told Anu and a weird silence prevailed for few seconds.
"And then?", Anu asked slowly in a low voice.
"And then? He committed suicide.", Sameer replied.
"And  what's with this Nanda's history?" Anu asked.
......................
"Nandas? Well, the entire business is handled by only one person, that is 'Kailash Nanda'.
He is short tempered, cunning and ruthless. Runs the Nanda empire as a lone tiger. He has a son 'Prashant Nanda'. He never takes the trouble of using his brain. He is a womanizer. Care of address of all bad habits. Very much loved by his father. He is just a vagabond.", Coehlo told Chirag.
"Though the entire world knows the cunning and ruthless nature of Nandas, it doesn't know about their role in the drug empire.", Coehlo finished.
"So do you think Nandas have some hand behind these new circumstances taking place?", Chirag asked.
........................
"To say frankly, I am not sure if they are behind this. No one is sure. As far as the mission is concerned, the Nandas didn't know that they are being watched. At least, I think so. But who is actually behind this, no one knows.", Shree said.
"So, can't the Police investigate the Nandas? We might know something.", Anu asked.
"No, they can't do this. If they do it, the mission will be compromised. Moreover, we don't have any solid proof against them.", Sameer explained.
.....................

"If it's not Nanda, then who could it be?", Chirag questioned thoughtfully.

"No idea.", Coehlo replied dryly.
"Hmmm...", Chirag nodded, lost in a thought.
.......................
"Hmmm...", Anu nodded.
"By the way, why didn't you take that flat?", she asked, unable to hide her curiousity.
"Yeah, Anu! Sorry about that. I think by now all of you have understood that we both are on run. And that house is situated in an open and populous area. The Police wouldn't take much time to catch us. That's why....", Sameer's words trailed off.
"Oh! That's alright. By the way, why should you guys escape from the police?", she asked somewhat innocently.
"Ah..because..., Anu! I think I will hang up now. We have an important work. Take care. Bye.", Sameer stated helplessly and was about to hang up but,
"Sameer! One last question please.", she requested him.
"Yeah, tell me", Sameer said trying to be as calm as possible.
"If we assume that there is the hand of Nandas behind all this, then can we somehow expect that, these people will not end up harming the ETF?", she asked.
T

hey took a few seconds gap and answered,
"I wish I could say 'yes', but I am sorry."
He felt dejected.
Silence prevailed between them for the next few seconds.
"Anyways I will hang up now, Anu. I wil call you if there's anything. Don't save this number. Take care. Bye.", saying so he hung up.
Anu sat there, on the arm rest of her sofa, thinking. A weird feeling has occupied her body now.It's a mixture of happiness, fear, curiousity, confusion, anxiety and anger.
She sat there thinking of what she should be doing next.
Suddenly she came out of her trance hearing her cooker shout.
She immediately rushed to that side leaving her thoughts and phone there.

THE END.
......................................................

Hey guys😊
Hope you are all fine.
So, here's the next chapter.
I know I have been late this time.
That's because, I had to some more work for my story and also I was losing my interest and confidence in writing the story😔😔😔.

So guys this is a small request from my side to you all. Please do comment your views, suggestions and understandings after finishing it. It really encourages me. So, please share your views with me.

Hope you all like it💖💖💖

Take care😙😙😙
Bye😙😙😙