CHECKMATE : Game Of Shadows

3. the knight's move

Yuvika and Varun stepped out of the main building, the chill in the air matching the tension etched on their faces. Yuvika clenched her jaw, while Varun furrowed his brow, deep in thought.

"Do you think the killer is trying to prove something with that chess piece?" Varun glanced at her, searching for clarity.

Yuvika paused, considering. "Maybe. But what if it’s just a random piece? We don’t have many clues."

Varun squinted, a skeptical look crossing his face. "But there were no board games near the crime scene. Doesn’t that strike you as odd?"

"It is odd," she replied, her mind racing with possibilities.

As they walked, the weight of the case hung heavy in the air. The mysterious death of Bhavesh Sinha loomed large, especially with the chess piece—a white knight—lingering in their thoughts.

Meanwhile, back inside the office, the rest of their team was busy digging into Bhavesh Sinha’s past.

"The most famous textile businessman," Chhavi read from a recent article, her voice steady. "He’s known for his generous donations to NGOs, orphanages, and old age homes."

Bhuvan nodded, skepticism creeping into his tone. "He seems like an honest man."

Ritika leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "Businessman and honest don’t usually go hand in hand. There’s got to be more beneath the surface."

Chhavi glanced up, her brows knitted in concern. "What do you mean?"

Ritika shrugged. "Just saying, sometimes the facade can be deceiving."

Their conversation hung in the air, a mix of curiosity and suspicion. Just then, Samarth entered the cabin where the others were seated and were trying their own ways to decipher the clue behind the presence of the chess piece in the crime scene.

"Let's just wait till Yuvika and Varun find another clue," Samarth's voice reverberated through the cabin to which the others nodded in agreement.

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Yuvan’s feet tapped rhythmically on the wooden floor of his room, a staccato beat that mirrored his restless thoughts. The chemistry assignment sprawled before him, a jumble of equations that felt as distant as the stars. His mind kept drifting back to the case assigned to the Crime Branch, igniting his imagination with thrilling possibilities.

"Kitna accha hota agar mai bhi didi ki tarah case solve kar raha hota!" he mused aloud, raising his arms in a mock victory pose, the idea making him grin.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed, pulling him from his daydream. Seeing the name flash across the screen made his heart race.

"Hey, Vanshika!" he said, sinking back into his chair, trying to appear nonchalant while sneaking a glance in the mirror to adjust his hair.

“Did you solve the chemistry assignment?” she asked. Yuvan's focus faltered as he fiddled with his hair, barely catching her words.

“I’m working on it now. Need any help?” he replied, his voice tinged with hope.

“Could I come over? Is your sister at home?” Vanshika's question sent a jolt of excitement through him.

“Oh! Yes! My sister’s out! You can definitely come!” he stammered, his enthusiasm bubbling over.

"Alright then, I'll be there!" she replied and hung up the call while Yuvan sprang onto his bed, bouncing with glee.

“Oh my god! She’s actually coming!” he exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.