Trust in Shadows

Chapter 5: Discovery

For weeks, the team continued to work together smoothly, the tension that had once surrounded Vineet slowly fading. But the bond between Vineet and Abhijeet only deepened. They began spending more time together outside of work—late-night stakeouts, long hours in the office, and even the occasional quiet dinner after a particularly grueling day.

The others began to notice. Daya, ever observant, caught the subtle glances exchanged between the two, the way they seemed to understand each other without speaking. Freddy made a few offhand jokes about how close they’d become, but Vineet and Abhijeet brushed it off, keeping their growing feelings hidden from the rest of the team.

But secrets have a way of coming to light.

It was during a particularly difficult case—a high-stakes drug bust—that everything unraveled. The team had been working around the clock, tensions running high as they closed in on the criminals. After a long and dangerous operation, they finally managed to apprehend the suspects, but not without a few close calls.

That night, back at the office, as the team debriefed and wrapped up the case, Vineet and Abhijeet found themselves alone in one of the interrogation rooms. The door was closed, the dim light casting long shadows on the walls as they talked quietly, both exhausted from the day’s events.

“You handled yourself well out there,” Abhijeet said, his voice soft, but there was a warmth in his eyes that hadn’t been there before.

Vineet smiled, the tension of the day finally beginning to ease. “I had good backup Sir,” he replied, his eyes locking with Abhijeet’s.

For a moment, the room felt charged with something electric, something that neither of them had acknowledged before but had always been there, simmering beneath the surface. Without thinking, without hesitation, Vineet stepped closer, his heart racing as he reached for Abhijeet’s hand.

Abhijeet didn’t pull away. Instead, he closed the distance between them to press his lips against Vineet.

After a moment the older officer pulled away but his face was only inches from Vineet's own so Vineet could stare into the dark eyes all he wanted.

His own eyes propped Abhijeet's eyes in search of something, anything to suggest that this wasn't merely some kind of prank. Abhijeet allowed him, allowing Vineet as his hand kept the younger officer's chin steady.

"I thought that a kiss on the cheek would be sufficient as well." Vineet carefully ventured.

He could see Abhijeet's eyes hardened and for a moment he feared he had made a mistake but he had to know, to really know if it wasn't a prank. "Well, are you complaining I kissed you upon the lips?" Abhijeet asked with a lift of the eyebrows.

Vineet suddenly felt like smiling. "No, not at all Sir ."

"Good, then why are we wasting breath speaking?" And Abhijeet moved closer.

"I don't know." Vineet answered as Abhijeet's lips met his again. This time, Abhijeet didn't break away but deepened their kiss and as Vineet felt the arms encircle him and press him forward, his eyes darkening with an emotion that had been building for far too long.

But before anything more could happen, the door to the interrogation room swung open. Daya stood in the doorway, his eyes widening in shock as he took in the scene before him.

“What the—”

Vineet and Abhijeet jerked apart, their faces flushing with guilt and panic. For a long, tense moment, no one spoke. The silence was deafening.

Finally, Daya broke the silence, his voice a mixture of disbelief and confusion. “What’s going on here?”

Vineet’s heart pounded in his chest as he searched for words. Abhijeet, usually calm and collected, was momentarily at a loss. The weight of the secret they had been carrying suddenly felt too heavy, and now, it was out in the open, exposed before the last person they wanted to see.

Abhijeet, ever the seasoned investigator, was the first to regain his composure. He took a step forward, his expression serious but calm.

“Daya, listen,” Abhijeet began, his tone firm yet measured. “This isn’t what you think. It’s complicated, but you deserve the truth.”

Daya’s eyes flickered between them, still reeling from what he had witnessed. “The truth? What truth, Abhijeet? What’s going on between you two?”

Vineet, who had been standing silently until now, spoke up, his voice trembling slightly. “We’ve… been seeing each other, Daya Sir. It wasn’t planned, and we didn’t mean for anyone to find out this way, but—”

“You’ve been *seeing* each other?” Daya repeated, his voice rising with disbelief. He took a step back, running a hand through his hair as he tried to process the revelation. “How long has this been going on?”

Vineet glanced at Abhijeet, seeking guidance, but Abhijeet gave a subtle nod, signaling it was time for honesty. “A few months Sir,” Vineet admitted quietly. “We didn’t want to cause trouble for the team, or for you.”

Daya stared at them, his jaw tightening as he tried to make sense of the situation. He had always trusted Abhijeet implicitly, seen him as a mentor and a leader. This revelation shook that foundation, not because of the relationship itself, but because of the secrecy.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Daya asked, his voice softer now, laced with a hint of hurt. “We’re supposed to be a team. We trust each other with our lives every day. How can you keep something like this from us?”

Abhijeet sighed, the weight of the situation heavy on his shoulders. “Because we knew how it would look, Daya. I didn’t want to put Vineet in an even more difficult position than he already was. The team had just started to trust him, to accept him. I didn’t want to jeopardize that.”

Daya was silent for a moment, absorbing Abhijeet’s words. His anger seemed to be cooling, replaced by a sense of betrayal and confusion. “I get that things have been hard for Vineet, but… this is a lot, Abhijeet.”

Abhijeet nodded, his eyes steady as they met Daya’s. “I know. And I’m sorry we didn’t tell you sooner. But this doesn’t change who we are as a team. I’ve always had your back, Daya. That hasn’t changed.”

Daya exhaled slowly, rubbing his forehead as if trying to relieve the tension building there. “I need time to process this,” he said finally. “I don’t know what to think right now.”

Vineet, feeling the weight of Daya’s words, stepped forward. “Daya Sir, I understand if you’re upset with me, but I never wanted to betray the team’s trust. I respect all of you. I just… didn’t know how to navigate this.”

Daya looked at Vineet, his expression softening slightly. “I’m not upset with you, Vineet. It’s just… a lot to take in.” He paused, glancing at Abhijeet again before adding, “We’ll figure it out. But right now, I need some space.”

With that, Daya turned and left the room, leaving Vineet and Abhijeet standing there in silence, the weight of the moment still hanging heavily between them.