CHAPTER 69: Search missions
Anika, Arjun, and Prachi looked at each other as they stood outside the back gate of Oberoi Mansion….
During the night, the mansion grew still like a machine that has been powered down…. All the bright airiness of the day fades, darkness falls over it like a velvet blanket and all that’s left is the low emergency lighting throwing rays on the ground…. Security guards patrolling around the mansion in their regular shifts…. The only sound that could be heard was of the crickets chirping near the bushes…. There was a stillness covering the entire avenue…. A few rooms had their lights still on, but other than that there was complete darkness….
Arjun and Anika who had been frequent visitors to the mansion and had already thought about how they were going to sneak in and which routes they would follow….
Anika looked around, the darkness was haunting her but she composed herself…. She could not let her fear overcome her today, she would fight back…. She took a few deep breathes and made her mind….
Arjun: Annie, Prachi, we have to be very careful.
Prachi: Don’t worry Bhai, we’ll take care.
Anika: Okay, now let us get in before the guard comes back here again.
The three of them looked at each other and then nodded…. They covered their faces with masks and wore the gloves, even a slight mistake could not be afforded at Oberoi Mansion…. Black clothes would help them camouflage with the darkness…. Arjun had designed a route where there was the least number of CCTV cameras and they could dodge them easily…. Arjun started walking while Anika and Prachi followed his lead….
*****
It was past midnight but sleep was miles away from Shivaay’s eyes…. He was sitting in the study going through a file…. This was an important deal for the Oberois and he had to be sure that no mistakes happened…. Ranbir had checked the file twice and Shivaay knew it would have no mistakes but still, he wanted to be sure…. He did not know why but something was telling him that he should go through the file himself once….
*****
Om was sitting in his room working on the sculptor…. He could not sleep especially after the sangeet…. Every time he closed his eyes Ishana’s dance played in front of him and he could not stop thinking about her…. This feeling that had developed inside him the past months was making him mad and he did not know what he was supposed to do….
*****
Rudra was lying on his bed watching his favorite movie…. It was Saturday night and he was enjoying himself as it was a Sunday the next day and he did not have to worry about getting early for college…. He had even insisted on his brothers joining him for the movie, but the two of them had denied even after repeated requests…. Rudra who was in no mood to ruin his plan had stopped pestering them and decided to enjoy for himself…. He would definitely take his revenge someday….
*****
Arjun, Anika, and Prachi were now standing in the living room…. They looked around but there was only silence….
Arjun: I don’t think we have to search all rooms; Tia was not stupid to keep such important documents anywhere just like that. So there are few places in the mansion where they can be.
Anika: You are right Bhai, we should check the important places first, and then we can think about the other places.
Prachi: Yes, so I’ll check Tia’s room in the mansion and study, they are both on the first floor; it’ll be easier for me.
Anika: Ha, I’ll check the study and library that are downstairs.
Arjun: Ha, I’ll check Shivaay’s room and the storeroom on the second floor.
Prachi: Anika, take care of yourself, and if you feel anything wrong just call me.
Anika: Don’t worry guys, I’ll manage and waise bhi there are these dim lights, I won’t feel afraid.
The three wished each other and walked in their respective directions….
*****
Shivaay was busy going through the file when his phone started ringing and he picked up the call…. He stood up from his seat and walked towards the window…. He was talking on the phone….
Anika peeped into the study and was shocked seeing Shivaay standing near the window…. She quickly stood against the wall hiding in the darkness….
Anika: Oh God, Shivaay is here, how’ll I search the study if this Khadoos Singh Oberoi will stay here?
Anika walked a little away from the study, she was thinking of a way to make Shivaay go away from the study so that she could go there and search for the pieces of evidence…. An idea came to her mind, she was not sure if it would work or not but then she had to try…. She took out her phone and dialed Shivaay’s number….
Shivaay who was talking to Ranbir looked at the screen hearing the beep sound and was surprised to see Anika calling him…. Without a second thought, he told Ranbir that he would talk later and disconnected the call with him…. He immediately called her back….
Anika smiled to herself…. He still did care for her…. She picked up the call….
Shivaay: Anika, are you okay, why did you call me at this time?
Anika was surprised to hear that he did not call her Ms. Raichand….
Shivaay: Anika…. Anika…. Anika, are you listening?
Anika: Shivaay, woh….
Shivaay: Anika, what is wrong with you? Why are you not saying anything?
Anika: Sorry, I shouldn’t have called you, it….
Shivaay: Anika, what has happened?
Anika: Shivaay, I want to meet you, will you please come home?
Shivaay was surprised to hear her…. Why was Anika calling him at midnight asking him to meet her…. Was she is any problem…. Why would she call him at her house then….
Anika: Shivaay, will you come?
Shivaay: I’ll reach there in fifteen minutes.
Anika was surprised hearing him…. He disconnected the call…. Anika saw Shivaay going out of the study…. She felt sorry for lying to him….
Anika: Sorry Shivaay, I hope this is the last time I have to lie to you.
Anika quietly entered the study and started looking around the place….
*****
Prachi had searched Tia’s room properly but could not find anything…. She then walked towards the study that was in the opposite corner, since the study was near Tia’s room, there was a possibility that the pieces of evidence could be there…. She was walking towards the room when she saw Om walking in her direction…. He was looking at something on his phone…. Prachi was shocked seeing him but quickly hid near the other wall hoping Om would pass her without seeing him….
Prachi was standing there when her phone started vibrating and she did not know what to do, if Om heard her it won’t be good…. But what if Anika was calling her and she needed her help…. Prachi standing still tried looking at her phone screen, she was surprised to see Ranbir calling her, why was he calling her at this time…. She tried disconnecting the call but because of her hand movement she hit the vase kept on the table near her and it fell down making a sound…. Prachi stood there frozen at her place….
Om, who was walking from there, stopped hearing the sound and turned around…. He saw the fallen vase…. He walked towards the vase and looked around but could not see anyone….
Omkara: How did this fall?
Prachi who was hiding behind the door of the room there only prayed to God that Om did not wait much and walked away….
Om did not think much and kept the vase back…. He looked around once and walked away towards his room….
Prachi peeped through the door and sighed in relief seeing Om walking away…. She walked towards the study quickly, not wanting to have any encounter with any other person now….
She walked into the study and started searching around the place…. She looked through the files kept there…. She was looking around when a file fell down and she bent to pick it up…. She was picking the file when her eyes fell on the last drawer of the table…. It had keys attached to it, Prachi knew if it had keys now that means the drawer had important documents that were not supposed to be accessed by all…. She quickly opened the drawer and saw some files and some papers…. She opened the files and read the contents…. She was shocked seeing what was written…. She flipped through the other pages and was shocked…. She was reading the files when she heard footsteps coming towards the study…. She quickly took some papers from the file and closed the drawer back…. She hid under the table….
Tej entered the study and looked at the last drawer of the table…. He locked the drawer and removed the keys….
Tej: Thank God, I remembered forgetting the keys here, no one should find this.
He kept the keys in his pocket and walked out of the study….
*****
Arjun had searched Shivaay’s room and the storeroom but could not find anything…. He was going downstairs to look for Prachi and Anika when his phone vibrated…. He looked at the caller id and was surprised to see Dushyant’s name…. he hid under the staircase and picked up the call….
Arjun: What has happened Dushyant, did you guys find anything?
Dushyant: Yes Arjun, we found the pieces of evidence Tia had against the Malhotras.
Arjun: Great, this is good news. You both get out of there; I’ll inform Annie and Prachi.
Dushyant: Yes, we’ll meet you tomorrow in your office.
Arjun: Yes.
Arjun thanked God and disconnected the call…. He called Prachi and informed her the same and asked her to come out of Oberoi Mansion at the back gate…. He then called Anika and told her the same…. He walked towards the back door….
However, Arjun was unaware of the fact that despite him hiding someone had not only seen him but also heard his phone conversation with Dushyant….
Rudra who had come down to the kitchen was walking back to his room when he saw Arjun hiding under the stairs…. He was confused and surprised seeing Arjun’s behavior…. He walked towards Arjun and was about to ask him something when Arjun received a call and Rudra heard the conversation…. He was shocked hearing what Arjun said about finding pieces of evidence against the Malhotras…. Before Arjun could see him, Rudra hid and saw Arjun walking away….
*****
Prachi, who was hiding in the study, came out from under the table and looked at the papers in her hand….
Prachi: So Tej Sir is hiding so many things, I need to tell this to Anika and Arjun Bhai.
She was about to go when she received Arjun’s call and was glad to hear the news they had received…. She disconnected the call and quickly walked out of the room…. She closed the door and walked towards the staircase to go down and then to the back door….
Om, who had observed all of Prachi’s actions, was standing there surprised and confused…. He had also seen her taking some papers and was wondering what they were about…. He had to find out….
*****
Anika thanked God after receiving Arjun’s call…. She was about to walk out when her eyes fell on the file kept on Shivaay’s table…. Something made her walk towards the file, and she picked it up…. She started reading the contents of the file and was surprised reading some things…. She saw a notepad nearby and took a pen kept there…. She wrote something on the paper and kept it in the file…. She smiled and walked out of the study….
*****
Once Anika walked away from the study, Shivaay came inside…. He looked at her going away….
After receiving Anika’s call, Shivaay was about to go to Raichand Mansion…. He was walking in the corridor when he remembered that he had forgotten his car keys in the study itself…. Thinking he walked back towards his study…. He was about to enter when he saw Anika inside looking for something…. He was shocked…. He hid behind the door and observed her actions…. After some time Anika received a call and she walked out….
Shivaay wondered to himself what she was doing here when he saw the note kept on the file…. He picked it up and looked at the note surprised….
“There is a loophole in clause 5 of section 3A and a problem in section 4B – Your well-wisher”
He checked the two sections and was surprised…. How had he missed it…. He smiled to himself….
Shivaay: Thank you for this Anika. Also, I’ll definitely meet you soon, we have a lot to talk about.
*****
Hello everyone, I hope you all are doing well.
Here is the next chapter of the story, do share your views on the same.
So Dushyant and Mallika have found the evidence, will it help them prove Shaan’s crime and Pankhuri’s innocence? Arjun, Anika, and Prachi, all three of them have been seen by Rudra, Shivaay, and Om, will the Oberoi brothers find why the three had sneaked into Oberoi Mansion? Will Shivaay and Anika’s equation change in the coming days?
Keep reading and smiling!!!
Take care and stay safe!!!
The next chapter will have Shivika.