Destiny that planned their life

17. Untangling Clues and Memories

Drishti's POV

Our mission progressed smoothly, reaching its conclusion with the end of the wedding events yesterday. With that, our role as makeshift event management came to an end, bringing a wave of relief. We had been working tirelessly, almost non-stop, night and day. Thank goodness this isn't my actual job.

Lucky and I had gathered sufficient evidence against Mr.Rai, who we discovered was merely a pawn in a larger scheme.

"I had my doubts from the start that he wasn't the mastermind." I remarked, chewing on the end of my pen as I gestured towards the photo of the man in the flowchart we'd crafted to better understand the case.

"I had a hunch too. It would have simplified matters if he were the ringleader. Now, we must track him down as well." Lucky remarked, his tone tinged with frustration.

"Let's simplify things. That book you found in their storeroom? It's the proof that someone's pulling the strings behind Mr. Rai." Lucky declared, his finger tracing the flow chart with determination.

"And there's more to that book. Something we need to decode, something that could be crucial. It's good that Mr.Rai has the habit of writing diaries. And the recent entry is 6 days back." I added, my voice tinged with anticipation.

"Under the moon's veil, shadows dance to the hidden melody of secrets." I said it aloud, trying to unravel this encoded message.

"Their language is as cryptic as their deeds. I'm eager to uncover more of their coded communication. With all this creativity, I could become a poet." Lucky remarked with a grin. I nodded in agreement.

"Lucky, there's something else I haven't mentioned to you or Rajiv sir - I discovered a map hidden within the book. I hesitated to bring it up because the way it's drawn... it reminds me so much of how my brother used to mark down important details. It's as though he drew it during some investigation." I shared, passing him the map along with my brother's diary for him to examine.

I had to muster all my courage to search for the book in Rakesh Anna's room. Entering his room yesterday took a lot from me, emotionally. But I knew I had to do it, to figure out if those people were behind what happened to Anna and Bhabhi.

Lucky took the map and diary, his brows furrowing as he examined both.

"Could you tell me if you notice any resemblance to the diagrams in the diary?" I asked.
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My brother, ACP Rakesh Shetty, was more than just a dedicated officer to us; he was our guiding light. His and bhabhi's sudden departure last year tore a rift in our world, that we found ourselves lost, searching for direction in a suddenly dimmed existence. The reality that he's no longer with us, that his voice will never again fill the rooms of our home, is a truth my heart refuses to embrace, especially recalling our last conversation, moments before tragedy struck.

Flashback

"Hey Anna! Sneaking off for a romantic evening with Aditi bhabhi, huh?" I teased as I answered his call.

But his response was anything but light. "Drishti, listen to me very carefully. We don't have much time. You need to protect our family. You must make sure that they don't find out about our relation." He spoke rapidly, a tremor of urgency in his voice that instantly sobered me.

"Anna, what's happening? Are you in danger? Just give me your location. I have contacts in the media in that city; we can get help." I said, fear creeping in as I sensed danger.

"Aditi will send you our location. Stay put for the moment. I'm on it. My priority is finding a secure spot to keep Aditi safe, out of their reach. These people are ruthless." He said, his voice laden with tension.