I still remember the moment I opened her case file for the first time.
Her name was Rani Sharma.
Age: 20.
Status: Missing.
Last seen: Two days ago, outside her college, stepping into a luxury car.
Her picture was clipped to the top corner—eyes full of life, a peaceful smile on her face. She looked… normal. The kind of girl you pass by and think, "She's got everything together." But life has a habit of proving otherwise.
This was my first assignment after joining S.O.U.L.Surveillance, Operations, Undercover & Logic. Not an easy name. Not an easy job. But I asked for it.
I sat alone in the office, reading the file over and over. I didn't want to miss a single detail. The pressure? It was real. My heart was racing, but I tried to control it.
Then it happened.
BANG!
The door swung open with a force that made me jump out of my chair.
"ARJUN!" a thunderous voice yelled.
My spine straightened like a ruler. "Y-Yes, sir!" I shouted, standing up and saluting without thinking.
There he was—Agent 2713. My superior. A legend in the department. Some said he'd solved cases that even ghosts were afraid of. And here he was, standing in my room, looking at me like a hawk inspecting its prey.
He walked in. Calm. Heavy boots hitting the floor like small earthquakes. His eyes scanned the room, then landed on the open file in front of me.
I didn't dare move.
"You have respect. That's good," he said, finally breaking the silence. "But don't panic. Ever. Not in this line of work. Panic is poison. We work with a calm mind and peaceful thoughts. That's what keeps us alive."
His voice wasn't angry. It was sharp. Like a blade of advice cutting through my nerves.
I nodded, trying to calm my breathing.
He turned and began to leave—but just before stepping out, he looked back at me.
"And hey… congratulations. First day, first case. But remember—never grow attached to the victims. No matter what you find out about them. No matter how real it feels."
He paused. Waiting.
I repeated the words like a student reciting his lesson. "Stay calm, peaceful. Never panic. And… never build emotional connections with the victims or the case."
He gave a faint smirk, saluted, and left without another word.
The door closed behind him.
I finally breathed out.
Man, I was sweating. But I smiled. Just a little. That was my first real conversation as an agent. My first step into something big.
I sat back down and stared at Rani's photo again. The girl who'd vanished without a trace.
Where did you go, Rani?
*The next morning, I wasn't alone.
Agent Rohit, a sharp-eyed analyst from S.O.U.L., joined me as we headed to Rani's college. We wanted to go straight to the roots—see who she was before she vanished.
The college was calm. Too calm, considering a student had been missing for two days.
We walked into the principal's office, badges out. He greeted us with nervous politeness and asked us to sit.
"She was a bright student," he said, flipping through old attendance records. "Always on time, well-dressed, never got into fights. Active in everything—academics, arts, volunteering. Honestly, one of the best we've had."
I nodded, absorbing the praise. "Do you think she had any enemies? Someone who disliked her? Fights, tension, rivalry?"
The principal leaned back in his chair and shook his head. "No… she wasn't that kind of girl. Everyone liked her. Quiet, respectful. If anything, she made people better around her."
Good student. Good behavior. No enemies.
It didn't line up.
We spoke to two teachers after that. Same story—smart, focused, warm.
Then came the important part—her classmates.
I gathered a group of them and started asking simple questions. Where she sat. Who she talked to. If anything felt off.
Then one of them—nervous eyes, fidgeting fingers—finally cracked.
"Sir… Surya," he whispered.
"Surya?" I asked.
Another classmate jumped in. "Yes, sir. He was acting weird… like angry. For months. Everyone knew he liked her, but after she started hanging out with Rakesh…"
"What about now?"
"He… he hasn't come to college either. Since the day after she went missing."
My eyes narrowed. "Where is he now?"
Shrugs. Silence.
"I'm asking again," I said calmly but firmly, "where do you think he might be?"
One finally broke under the pressure. "We don't know… but maybe his parents do. We can give you his number… and their number too."
I took them both. Surya's phone? Switched off.
I turned to Rohit. "Send a team to Surya's house. Talk to the parents. Quietly. Don't alert anyone outside the family."
"Got it," he replied, already texting.
With Surya's trail warming up, I turned my attention to another person missing from the scene—Rakesh, the rich boy.
We drove straight to R.V.R. Fans Company, the giant empire built by Ravindra Varma, his father.
He welcomed us in his sprawling glass office. "He's not in the city," Ravindra said. "Went to my cousin's son's wedding two days ago."
"And his phone?" I asked.
He smiled. "Left it in the car. My wife told me—it's parked about a kilometer from the wedding house. I think he's just caught up in the events. Lot of people, noise, functions."
"Can you give me the address of that function place?"
"Sure," he said and wrote it down for me.
190 kilometers. That's how far it was. A five to six-hour drive.
We hit the road immediately.
By the time I reached the wedding venue, the sky was already darkening with late evening clouds. Music and lights were everywhere—people dancing, laughing, completely unaware a girl was still missing.
I showed Rakesh's photo around.
"He's inside," someone finally said, pointing to a decorated room.
When I entered, he looked shocked.
"Officer…?" he said, standing up straight.
I motioned for him to sit. "Relax. I just want to talk."
We sat in a quiet room, far from the celebration.
"Where's Rani?" I asked.
"I don't know. I didn't even know she was missing," he said, eyes wide. "When I left, she was sad. But she told me to enjoy the wedding… and to call her after it was done. That's why I left my phone in the car. I didn't want to be tempted to call her. I was trying to respect her words."
I studied him. His voice was steady, his story lined up. But truth hides in the cracks.
My eyes drifted to the wedding invitation card on the table beside him.
"Nice design," I said, picking it up. "Mind if I take a photo?"
He blinked. "Uh… yeah, sure."
I clicked a few shots. Not just the design. The dates. The names. The place.
Everything could be a clue.
As I stood up, he reached out.
"Please… find her. I know I'm not perfect, but I care about her deeply."
I looked into his eyes. There was sincerity. But something felt… off. A slight hesitation earlier. A flicker in his voice.
"I will," I said. "I'll find her. And the one behind this."
As I turned to leave, I gave him a long, quiet look.
He looked away first.
To be continued...