BACKWARD RIDE

“If you really want to help us, we need to know what happened and how do you know everything that you are stating,” – Agent 3

“Listen”

Let’s take you 10 years back…

Detective Arjun Roy had once been a name synonymous with justice, brilliance, and an unwavering commitment to the truth. In his prime, he was never the kind of detective who relied on hunches or gut feelings. Every case he took was approached with methodical precision and a cool, analytical mind.

Arjun’s career began in the bustling city of Mumbai, where crime and corruption often went hand in hand. Fresh out of the police academy, he was assigned to the crime branch, where his skills quickly set him apart. He had a knack for reading people and situations, an ability to see patterns where others saw chaos. His excellence earned him a quick raise and transfer to Delhi. He solved plenty of cases before hand, but the one which let him down bad was the “Gaitonde’s Misguide”. After transfer he got to know about the doings of Gaitonde and the smuggling rackets he used to run.

Arjun had a theory that Gaitonde’s operation was far more complex than anyone had imagined, but he couldn’t pin it down. He needed evidence.

The breakthrough came when Arjun was going through old city maps in the dusty archives of the police department. Maps that were overlooked by most detectives, maps from the 17th century, depicting the original layout of the city before it became a sprawling metropolis. His eyes fell upon something that caught his attention: a series of tunnels beneath the city, marked but rarely mentioned in official documents. These tunnels, long forgotten by most, stretched for miles under the bustling streets, linking old buildings and warehouses.

With no time to waste, Arjun set out to investigate. He followed the clues that seemed to hint at hidden entrances to these tunnels, tucked away in the most unexpected locations, behind old warehouses, underneath abandoned buildings, and even in the basements of long-forgotten mansions.

“This is the place that we would find a entrance to the tunnel. Mukesh are you with me?” – Arjun while pointing a place on the map.

As they stood before the abandoned warehouse, its walls crumbling and windows boarded up, Arjun’s sharp eyes scanned the surroundings. His mind was already piecing together the puzzle. Gaitonde’s network had to be using these tunnels to move goods, people, and contraband, hidden right under the nose of the city. The idea of such an elaborate operation, running in the shadows beneath the city, was the kind of thing that made even the most hardened criminals nervous.

“Mukesh, I want you to cover the back. I’ll take the front.” Arjun’s voice was calm, calculated. He knew every step had to be precise, every move planned. As Mukesh took position at the rear, Arjun approached the dilapidated building with caution. His hand hovered near his gun, but he knew the real weapon here was his mind. The rest would follow. The front door creaked open as Arjun pushed it with a gentle hand. Inside, the air was thick with dust, the smell of decay wafting from the rotting beams and forgotten crates. But Arjun didn’t pause. His eyes were fixed on the floor, searching for any clue that might reveal an entrance to the tunnels.

He crouched by a stack of old barrels, inspecting the ground carefully. The floor was uneven, with patches of dirt that seemed freshly disturbed. His heart raced with anticipation as he saw it— a faint outline, barely visible to the untrained eye. It was a trapdoor, hidden beneath the rubble, designed to blend into its surroundings.

“Found it,” Arjun whispered to himself, lifting the trapdoor with surprising ease. Beneath it lay a narrow staircase, leading into the darkness below. The air was thick with the scent of mildew and forgotten history. Mukesh quickly joined him, and without hesitation, they descended into the unknown. The tunnels were cold, damp, and eerie, the walls lined with old stone and brick that seemed to echo the passage of time. The faint sounds of dripping water echoed through the corridors, and Arjun could hear his own breathing, sharp and focused, as they moved deeper.

“This place gives me the creeps,” Mukesh muttered, his flashlight casting long shadows on the walls. “It feels like we’re walking through the bowels of the city.”

Arjun didn’t respond immediately. His mind was working overtime, processing every detail. The layout of the tunnels was labyrinthine, and he could feel that they were being led deeper into a network that wasn’t just a smuggling route—it was the heart of something far more dangerous. After what felt like an eternity of winding corridors, they reached a large cavernous space. The tunnel opened up into a vast underground warehouse, larger than anything Arjun had ever imagined. It was filled with crates, barrels, and boxes stacked high against the walls, all marked with symbols and codes that Arjun immediately recognized. These were the same codes Gaitonde’s operation had used in intercepted shipments.

“This is it,” Arjun said softly, his voice filled with grim realization. “This is where it all ends.”

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