CASE…CASE WHERE ARE YOU?

“Rakesh, I need to tell you something,” Rashmi said, breaking the silence between them as they sat across from each other in a cozy, dimly lit café. Their fingers brushed lightly, and the warmth of the moment made Rakesh feel a bit more curious about her next words. They had been dating for a few months now, and things between them were beginning to feel more serious.

She hesitated for a moment, staring into his eyes with an intensity that made him wonder if she was trying to gauge his reaction. “I am going out of Delhi for a day,” she continued, her voice soft but firm. “I won’t be able to receive your calls, and I won’t be able to call you either.”

Rakesh raised an eyebrow, surprised by the suddenness of it all. “I’ll miss you,” he said with a reassuring smile, trying to make her feel at ease. “But it’s fine. Just call me before you leave. And you didn’t tell me when you’re going to invite me over to your house.”

Rashmi’s face flushed slightly, and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Um, actually, my dad’s a little bit strict,” she explained, hesitating with each word. “So you’ll have to come as a friend.”

Rakesh couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, so you were going to introduce me as your boyfriend?” His words were lighthearted, but there was a hint of curiosity in his voice.

Rashmi’s expression faltered for just a moment, but she smiled, her eyes betraying a hint of nervousness. “Well, something like that. He’s just… protective.”

“Yeah, I get it,” Rakesh replied, leaning back in his chair. “But don’t worry, I’ll be on my best behavior.” He winked, and they both shared a quiet laugh, the atmosphere between them feeling lighter once again.

As the conversation drifted to other topics, Rakesh’s mind wandered, though not entirely to Rashmi’s family. There was something else that had been bothering him for the past few days. He had been trying to track down a missing suitcase — one that held important information, something he couldn’t afford to lose. The suitcase had disappeared without a trace, and despite his best efforts, he had been unable to locate it. He knew it was somewhere in the building, but the store room was vast, and finding a single suitcase amidst so many other items was no easy task.

That night, as Rakesh lay in his bed, the quiet of the room pressed in around him, the thoughts of the missing suitcase swirling in his mind. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, that the case wasn’t just misplaced. It was deliberate. Someone had hidden it, and Rakesh needed to find out who.

At precisely 4:35 AM, he heard a soft knock on his room’s door. Rakesh sat up abruptly, his heart racing. Who could it be at this hour?

When he opened the door, he was greeted by two people — both of them standing at nearly the same height, their presence almost identical. One of them had a shadow of femininity about them, their silhouette sharp against the light from the hallway, while the other was obscured by a hoodie jacket, their face barely visible.

“Is he our teammate?” the two murmured to each other, their voices hushed, as if trying not to disturb the quiet of the night.

Rakesh blinked in confusion. “Wait a minute, agent 1 and agent 3?” he asked, still not fully understanding what was happening.

Before they could respond, Rakesh’s watch buzzed. He looked down and saw a message flash across the screen. “We’ve sent agent 1 and 3 for your help. Hope you will lead them in the right way.”

Rakesh’s mind was racing. “What? Am I a leader? I don’t need anyone for this job. I’m good enough on my own,” he protested, though he couldn’t deny that the situation was beginning to feel more complicated than he had anticipated.

“Well, you seem confident, but you can still call us whenever you need help,” the agents replied in unison, almost in a rehearsed manner. They handed him a USP revolver and a master key, and before Rakesh could ask any more questions, they disappeared down the hall.

The weight of the revolver in his hand felt unfamiliar, but Rakesh knew what he had to do. He had to find that suitcase, and he couldn’t afford to be caught off guard. Using the master key, he snuck through the halls of the building and into the store room. The darkness inside the room seemed to suffocate him as he tiptoed between shelves, searching for the elusive case.

His search was fruitless. Every corner he checked, every pile of items he sifted through, revealed nothing. The suitcase was nowhere to be found. Frustrated, he decided to leave a microphone behind in the room before retreating to his own quarters. He needed to listen to whatever conversations were taking place in the store room, hoping it would provide a clue.

Back in his room, Rakesh played back the recordings from the microphone. The static-filled silence was soon broken by voices — hushed, but clear enough to make out. “I told you, the suitcase is hidden,” one voice whispered. Rakesh recognized the voice as Jay’s, someone he had crossed paths with before.

“Yes, but where exactly?” the other voice, which Rakesh now recognized as Kulkarni’s, asked. “We can’t afford to make any mistakes.”

The conversation sent a chill down Rakesh’s spine. Jay and Kulkarni were discussing the missing suitcase — its contents, its hiding place. Rakesh’s heart pounded in his chest as he realized just how deep this went. He couldn’t afford to wait any longer. He had to confront Kulkarni.

Rakesh made a plan to visit Kulkarni’s mansion. It was a dangerous move, but he had no other choice. The mansion was heavily guarded, and Kulkarni was no ordinary man — he was well-connected and dangerous. But Rakesh wasn’t afraid. He had a job to do.

He arrived at Kulkarni’s mansion under the cover of night, slipping past the guards with ease. The security was tight, but Rakesh had learned how to move like a shadow. Inside, he made his way through the hallways, finally reaching Kulkarni’s bedroom. He took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

There, sitting on the edge of the bed, was Kulkarni — his expression one of surprise, but not fear. “What do you want, Rakesh?” he asked, his tone cold and dismissive.

Rakesh didn’t waste any time. He pulled out the revolver and pointed it directly at Kulkarni. “Where is the suitcase?” he demanded, his voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

Kulkarni’s eyes narrowed. “You think you can threaten me, boy?” His voice dripped with disdain. “You’re nothing. I don’t have time for orphans like you.”

Rakesh’s grip tightened on the gun, and the words cut through him like a knife. “I am not an orphan,” he spat, the anger rising inside him. He pointed the gun more firmly at Kulkarni. “Tell me where the suitcase is.”

Kulkarni leaned back, unconcerned. “If you pull that trigger, you won’t make it out of here alive. And don’t pretend you’re any different from the rest. You’re just like them — a shadow of your past. What are you going to do, huh? The son of a suicide bomber? An orphan? Answer me. Say it.”

The words stung, but Rakesh didn’t let his anger control him. He had a mission, and he couldn’t afford to lose focus now. “I’ve got a silencer,” he said, his voice low and dangerous.

Without another word, Rakesh pulled the trigger. The gunshot was barely audible, the silencer doing its job. Kulkarni’s body crumpled onto the bed, lifeless. Rakesh stood there, his heart hammering in his chest. He wasn’t sure what had just happened — whether it was relief or something else. The danger had been neutralized, but there were still questions to be answered.

As he walked toward the cupboard, a sense of unease crept over him. He hadn’t expected it to be this easy. His eyes fell on a picture frame resting on top of the cupboard. It was a family photo of Kulkarni — a reminder of a life Rakesh had never truly known.

His eyes widened as he whispered, “What the… Rashmi?”

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