I pushed my chair back and stood up, the sound scraping sharply against the silent room. Every pair of eyes turned to me as I strode toward Tanish-who was still hunched over his phone, thumbs flying across the screen, completely oblivious.
"Mr. Tanish" I said, my tone calm but cutting.
The chatter in the room ceased instantly. All attention locked on us. Tanish finally looked up, startled, his phone slipping slightly from his hand. I leaned closer, resting a firm hand on his shoulder, tightening my grip just enough for him to wince.
"When an important meeting is going on" I said quietly, my voice low and deliberate, "you do not use your phone. Everyone isn't dumb enough to break the rules, Mr. Tanish."
He let out a small gasp as I released him. His phone hit the table with a clatter, and he rubbed his shoulder, face pale with embarrassment.
"Not like your leader, Mr. Vishal Veer Khanna" I continued, scanning the room. "I'm Kunal Kundra! the KayKay. And I don't tolerate nonsense or disobedience. So you'd better do what I say."
The officers exchanged uneasy glances. I could feel their tension thick in the air. Ten of them in total, including Vishal, whom I'd somehow failed to notice earlier. My chest tightened as my thoughts briefly returned to Arwant. The ache of working under him still gnawed at me.
"Sir… shall I continue?" Govind asked carefully.
I glanced at him, shook my head, and started walking back to my chair. "No need. If they want to introduce themselves, they can meet me personally later. Otherwise, I'm not interested."
I picked up my phone and walked straight out of the room, my footsteps echoing against the marble floor.
"KayKay!" Vishal's voice called out behind me.
I turned around, watching as he closed the meeting room door before stepping closer.
"Are you acting weird because of Arwant?" he asked, searching my face.
"Vishal.." I said with a faint smirk, "you're my best friend. You should know this is just how I am. And about that Arwant thing! he's not even in my league. I don't care who or what he is. He doesn't know me, he doesn't recognize me, so it's better to treat him as a stranger. That's all he is to me now." My voice softened slightly at the end, though the sting behind the words remained.
"He doesn't recognize you?" Vishal frowned.
"Yeah. Could be possible..." I said. "The last time he saw me, I was ten. Sixteen years have passed. I don't even use his surname anymore."
He nodded slowly. "Hm… take care, dude." He placed a hand on my shoulder, his expression warm but concerned.
"You're the one who needs care" I shot back playfully. "Remember that bullet you almost caught for good last time?"
"Bruh" he sighed, rolling his eyes.
"Shut up" I chuckled, giving him a light push on the arm as we headed toward my cabin.
"Alright then" he said, dropping his hand from my shoulder.
"Send me the files related to the case" I ordered, tone returning to business.
"Okay, boss" he said with a grin.
I entered my cabin and shut the door behind me, the faint click echoing through the quiet room. The day had been rough- mentally exhausting, emotionally draining. I unstrapped my watch and placed it neatly on the desk before sinking into my chair, running a hand through my hair.
For a moment, I just sat there, leaning back and staring blankly at the ceiling, trying to gather my thoughts. Then, with a sigh, I opened the drawer and pulled out a small remote. The TV mounted on the wall in front of me flickered to life, casting a pale blue light across the room.
I flipped through a few channels before stopping on the news. My plan was simple- review the case files spread across my desk which were already placed before I stepped in my cabin while half-listening to the daily chaos. But that plan shattered the second I heard the anchor's voice.
"Breaking news!" the anchor's sharp tone pierced the silence. "In the city today, an unidentified man's dead body has been discovered. The body is in such a horrific condition that forensic experts are struggling to identify him. According to the reports, the victim's fingernails were plucked out, his vocal cords ruptured, skull fractured- and half of his face… burned by acid."
A chill ran down my spine. I froze, the file in my hands slipping slightly as my heartbeat quickened.
What the hell…
Just then, the door burst open without a knock.
"KayKay!" Vishal rushed in, breathless. "You heard the new-" He stopped mid-sentence as his eyes landed on the TV screen, which was still broadcasting the gruesome report.
"I got a call.." he said quietly, his voice tightening.
I turned to him sharply. "From where?"
His expression hardened. "From the crime scene." He paused, taking a deep breath. "They found traces of Nitazen in his body."
I stared at him, disbelief freezing my expression. "What?"
He nodded grimly. "And this isn't the first time. The same thing happened a week ago- while you were busy handling the other case in that city."
My mind began to race, replaying his earlier words in the meeting-many cases pending… people misusing Nitazen for the wrong reasons.
This wasn't just a random murder. Something darker, deeper, was crawling beneath the surface.
And I had a feeling… this case was about to get personal.