The Hidden Diary

Chapter 6 - Unmasking the Killer

After a half-hour journey, they reached Dharavi. There, they asked some local people for directions and eventually arrived at Arvind Patil's office. Taking a seat in the nearby restaurant, Ravi spoke up, "Okay, guys, we're here. The office is open now. One of us should go inside and find this David." Daniel asked, "But how?"

Ravi then started explaining, "It's simple. Two of us will go into the office and ask what documents are required for an income certificate. In the meantime, look for the person; we'll have just a few seconds. One will try to extend the conversation for 30 seconds while the other looks for him." Without a second thought, Maya and Ismael volunteered.

So Maya and Ismael went to execute the plan. On their way, they decided that Maya would escalate the time and Ismael would find the person. They both entered Arvind Patil's office; tension was evident on each of their faces, but their steady determination paved their way. As soon as they entered the office, Maya began executing her part of the plan. She engaged one of the people in the office about the income certificate, while Ismael started looking for David.

He started scanning each person inside the office. After a minute, they returned to the restaurant. Daniel asked them, "Guys, did you find him?" Ismael and Maya were silent for a moment, and then Maya said, "Nope, Ismael tried but we couldn't find David." Faced with another setback, they all began to think about what to do next. That moment, Ravi said, "Let's just wait a bit longer. We will find him."

They waited for more than 2 hours in the restaurant, hoping to find him, but just like passing clouds, time was also slipping away. They couldn't see David anywhere nearby. After 2 long hours, night was about to engulf the day. Seeing that it was about 6 o'clock, Ravi said, "Guys, it is getting late. Let's come back tomorrow." To which Maya responded, "Ravi, let's wait for another hour." In reply, Ravi said, "Maya, we'll come tomorrow, don't worry. Besides, Aditya bro only told you to go home earlier."

Daniel responded, "Ravi, you and Maya go home. Ismael and I will wait here for some more time." Ravi was about to say something, but Ismael interrupted, "Ravi, you both go home. We will handle this." Ravi realized it would be a waste of time to argue with them, so he agreed. Both Ravi and Maya headed home, while Ismael and Daniel stayed at the restaurant.

As they watched the party office, a man about 6 feet tall entered. Their eyes widened for a moment, as the man resembled David. Daniel, in shock, exclaimed, "Ismael, that man!" Ismael was equally shocked. He responded, "Let's take a closer look." They both left the restaurant.

They both acted as if they were waiting for someone, but in reality, they were waiting for that person to leave the office. Eventually, the person exited the office, confirming to them that it was indeed David. They quickly relayed the message to Ravi and began following him, resembling a pair of wolves patiently waiting for the opportune moment to strike their prey. However, they were uncertain about what the outcome would be.

For 10 minutes, he led them through the streets of Dharavi until they reached a warehouse just outside the area. They both stopped there and waited for Ravi and Maya to catch up. After a few minutes, Ravi and Maya arrived. Ravi questioned, "Where did you go?" Ismael replied, "Inside, haven't come out." Ravi nodded and suggested, "Let's go in then."

As they entered the warehouse quietly, their eyes scanned the dimly lit interior, searching for any sign of David. However, the vast space seemed empty, with only shadows dancing in the corners. Ismael whispered to Daniel, "He must be here somewhere. Keep an eye out."

They searched every corner, finding only dust, steel pipes, a chair, and some broken tables. They noticed a second door besides the entrance and concluded that he could have escaped through it. At that moment, they heard footsteps. They all hid in the warehouse.