UNLIKELY PARTNERS( Smriti & Perry)

The Unraveling

Perry barely had time to wipe her tears when she heard a sharp knock at the door. Her heart raced. It had to be Harman. She opened the door to find harman standing there, flanked by a tall man in his early thirties with an intense gaze. His presence radiated a quiet confidence that somehow reassured her.

“Perry,” Harman said, stepping inside quickly, “we don’t have much time.”

Without a second thought, Perry’s tears started to flow again. “What is going on, Harman? How did you know? Where is Smriti? Is she safe?” Her voice cracked, and the sobs escaped her throat uncontrollably.

“Calm down,” Harman urged, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. “You need to help us get to her. Smriti needs us; we can’t be weak now.”

Perry nodded, wiping her face with trembling hands. “Yes, you’re right. Please, just tell me everything,” she pleaded, desperation clinging to her words.

Harman took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts. “When we were in Bangladesh for the tour over the last two weeks, Shruti Rana was dropped from the squad even after having an ok-ish domestic season. She was furious and spiraled into a dark place. She started taking drugs and one day called Smriti. Luckily, I was with her, and we cut the call, but Shruti kept calling. We didn’t pick up, so she sent a voice note. It was chilling.”

“What did she say?” Perry asked, her heart racing as she braced herself for the worst.

Harman’s voice grew serious. “She said it was all because of Smriti. That Smriti destroyed her career since she came into the Indian side and her life as well and that she is enjoying her life with some white girl—you, Perry. She said, ‘You and your lover both have to pay the price.’”

Perry’s heart shattered. Anger and fear coursed through her veins. “Why didn’t Smriti tell me? She went through all this alone?”

“Perry, she didn’t think it was serious,” Harman replied gently. “She thought Shruti was just high. But I was aware of how dangerous she could be. That’s why I called in Aryan.” He gestured to the man standing beside him. “He’s a private investigator. After that voice note, I sought his help to keep an eye on Shruti.”

Harman continued, his voice steady. “She was acting suspiciously—meeting known goons, making deals. Last week, she flew to Australia, and Aryan followed her here.”

Perry’s mind raced, her heart pounding in her chest. “and?”

Harman squeezed her hand tightly. “The reason for your father’s accident was Shruti. She planned that, knowing Smriti would come to Australia for you.”

Tears streamed down Perry’s cheeks, her heart aching for the pain Smriti had endured. Harman said"she had no idea about this Perry, and I didn't bother her because she has already gone through so much pain because of her in the past. She had no idea that she would try to harm your family, please don't be upset with her on this"
Perry says “I’m sorry, Harman, but I’m not upset with her. I’m just furious at Shruti. She’s dangerous, and we need to find her before it’s too late!”

Aryan stepped forward, his voice calm yet urgent. “I’ve been tracking Shruti’s movements for days. She went to several places, and I’ve documented all of them. I convinced the police that this is a VVIP case. My team is working on it right now. We’ll have a lead soon.”

“What do you need from me?” Perry asked, her determination rising.

“Did you see anyone’s face? Any detail about the van?” Aryan questioned, his eyes locked on her.

Perry shook her head. “No, they were all masked, and the van didn’t have a number plate. I can’t remember anything else. Wait… the right-side light of the van was broken.”

Aryan nodded, jotting down her words. “That’s important. I’ll forward that information.”

Minutes passed like hours as they exchanged tense glances, each one feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on them. Just as Perry thought she might burst from anxiety, Aryan’s phone buzzed, breaking the silence.

“Hold on,” he said, answering the call with a sense of urgency. “Put it on speaker.”

“Sir, I’ve spotted a black van,” the voice on the other end said, crackling through the speaker. “There’s no number plate, but…”

“What else can you describe about the van?” Aryan pressed.

“Sir, the right-side black light is broken. That’s all I can see,” the man replied.

Perry’s heart sank as the words hung in the air. Had they found Smriti? The gravity of the moment crashed over her like a tidal wave. She felt her knees weaken, but Harman’s grip steadied her.

“Perry, stay strong,” Harman urged. “We’ll get her back.”

“What do we do now?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper, filled with dread and hope intertwined.

“We need to move fast, I'll call the Police as well” Aryan instructed. “We’ll head to the location where the van was spotted. It could lead us to Smriti.”

Perry felt a flicker of hope ignite within her. “Then let’s go! We can’t waste any time!”

As they rushed out of her apartment, a surge of determination coursed through her. The world outside was a blur, but her focus remained crystal clear. All she could think about was Smriti, trapped and afraid, and the urgency of bringing her back to safety.

The drive was filled with tension, each second feeling like an eternity. Perry stared out the window, her heart racing with every thought of what could be happening to Smriti right now. Memories flooded her mind—Smriti’s laughter, her bright smile, the way she lit up any room.

“Hold on, Smriti,” she whispered to herself, clutching her phone tightly as if it were a lifeline.