"So, Vishal, how have you been this past year?" I called out, my voice carrying the excitement of seeing an old friend after a year of being separated because of that case.
"No calls, no messages?" I pressed, grinning. "Bro, you're the one who never replied to my texts! I messaged you so many times... Looks like you got busy with the case" Vishal raised an eyebrow.
"Agh... Is that so? You know I don't really check messages every day" I replied with a shrug, my tone casual but eyes twinkling with mischief.
"It's okay" He said, and relief washing over me. "At least you didn't forget me- that's what matters." He spoke.
I chuckled softly. "Fair enough."
I slung an arm around his shoulder as we walked toward the DIG's office. "Anyway, what's the case about?"
Vishal's expression darkened slightly. "A drug case... the kind of drug that can kill someone in three minutes." His voice carried a weight that made my stomach tighten.
"And people are misusing it for smuggling, abusing it for the wrong purposes... There are already multiple cases pending" he continued, his brow furrowed in frustration.
"What's the drug called?" I asked.
"Nitazens..." he replied.
"Nitazens? I think I've heard of it before.."
"Yes... it gained notoriety between 2019 and 2023 in the UK when several deaths occurred due to overdoses" he explained.
"So it's imported?" I questioned, curiosity piqued.
"Could be... or maybe not. It can also be synthesized in labs. I'm not entirely sure" he said with a sigh, shaking his head.
He gestured toward the cabin. "There you go"
"Alright, see you soon" I said, shaking his hand firmly. He left for work while I stood there, a mix of confidence and simmering anger fueling me. I had to meet the new DIG- and fast.
Why? Because I'm KayKay (KK) ! The Kunal Kundra. And no one talks to me like that on a call without facing consequences.
The echo of the DIG's words still rang in my ears- "You have to come for this case! It's an order! I've already made my decision."
I walked toward the door and knocked, my voice heavy. "May I?"
"Yes.." came the calm reply.
I entered... and froze. The sight before me drained my confidence entirely.
Mr. Arwant Kavir Vohra! my biological father. Suddenly, Vishal's words made sense- that why did he said that I got this case because of nepotism... I have told him about my father that how he left me... That he's DIG.. And how I secretly hates him.
But Did my father even know I was Kunal Kavir Vohra? Or did he only know me as Kunal Kundra?
"Mr. Kundra" he said, his tone professional, seemingly unaware of who I truly was. He had left my mother and me when I was just ten years old.
"Y-yes, sir" I stammered. His face hadn't changed much-still sharp, commanding- but there were now faint wrinkles around his eyes, and a thin white beard traced his jawline.
"Do you know why I hired you for this case?" he asked.
If I had known... I thought, but I didn't speak.
"Do you?" he prompted again, forcing me to focus.
I shook my head.
"Hmm... Well, I reviewed your record. This case is extremely challenging.. even for a genius like Vishal Veer Khanna. I hired you because I have high expectations. You're my wild card, Mr. Khanna. If you fail, the case goes to the CBI, and I don't want that. At least I can trust my team with you, right?" His words were professional, yet they ignited a storm of conflicting emotions in me.
How am I supposed to react? The man who abandoned my mother and me for some affair now sits in front of me as my senior officer, handing me a mission and claiming to trust me. My hands clenched into fists.
"Yes, sir" I replied, my voice steady even as my rage bubbled beneath the surface. I wanted to punch him, but restraint was essential. I needed a plan- one that would keep him out of my sight.
"If you need Vishal's assistance, you can reach out" he added calmly.
How can he be so composed? Just knowing I'd have to work under him had once made me change cities to avoid him. Ugh.
I saluted half-heartedly and walked out without another word.
Leave it, KK... leave it. He doesn't know you. He knows nothing about you, I whispered to myself.
"Sir... shall I introduce you to your team?" a constable asked. I hadn't even noticed him.
"Yeah, yeah" I said, drawing a deep breath, bracing myself for what came next.
He directed me to the hall- a spacious meeting room where a few officers were already seated, quietly reviewing files or typing on their laptops.
"Sir" the constable gestured toward the room.
"Come" Mr. Govind said, taking the floor as the temporary speaker.
I didn't look at him. My frustration with Arwant still simmered beneath my skin. I found an empty chair and plopped down, letting a heavy sigh escape.
"He's Kunal Kundra" Govind announced.
"Call me KayKay! That's what I like to hear from others" I interjected sharply, cutting him off. I set my phone down on the table with a little more force than necessary, my irritation obvious.
"Okay, Mr. KayKay. He's the SSP.. not new at headquarters, but new to our team" Govind continued, his words barely registering as I ignored him.
"Meet ASP Vishal Veer Khanna, the most intelligent in our team" he said, gesturing toward the man. My brain nearly short-circuited. Where the hell had Vishal been hiding? Didn't he say he was leaving? Ugh. FUDGE YOU, Arwant Vohra.
"And meet Rhea Sharma" Govind continued, pointing to a young woman sitting directly across from me. From my perspective, she looked barely twenty-three, twenty-four at most. She slid a file toward me, her expression professional yet calm.
I barely glanced at the file.
"He's Tanish Singh" Govind said, indicating a guy slouched in his chair, distractedly chatting on his phone, ignoring the speech entirely. My irritation spiked.
And then... what I did next shocked everyone.