The rain fell hard, beating down on the narrow lanes of Mumbai like a relentless drum. The dim streetlights flickered, casting long shadows on the crumbling walls of the old chawls. The city was alive with noise yet eerily quiet in this part of town.
Footsteps echoed in the distance.
A woman, barely visible under the glow of a far-off lamp, quickened her pace. Her dupatta fluttered in the wind as her sandals slapped against the wet pavement. She glanced over her shoulder, her breath coming in shallow bursts. She could feel it—someone was watching her.
"Koi hai?" she whispered, the words barely escaping her trembling lips.
No response. Only the sound of water dripping from the rooftops.
Suddenly, a figure appeared from the darkness, its face obscured by a shadowy hood. The woman's heart raced. She turned to run, but it was too late. A gloved hand clamped over her mouth, silencing her scream as she was dragged into the shadows.
Across the city, Sameer stared at his desk, the glow of his laptop the only light in his small apartment. Another murder. Another young woman. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, but his mind was elsewhere—on the pattern that was beginning to take shape.
The phone rang, jolting him back to reality. He picked it up.
"Sameer, yeh tumhare alawa aur koi nahi samajh sakta," came the voice of his friend, Naina, on the other end. "Police toh bas andhere mein teer chala rahi hai. Tumhe kuch mila?"
Sameer sighed. "Kuch toh hai... par abhi sab kuch dhundhla hai. Har murder ke beech kuch na kuch connection hai, lekin... I can't put my finger on it."
"Diwali ke din koi aur murder nahi hona chahiye," Naina's voice was firm. "Humein yeh rokna padega, Sameer. Bahut waqt ho chuka hai."
Sameer leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. "Shaitaan apna khel khel raha hai, Naina. Aur hum us chakravyuh mein phas rahe hain."
"Toh nikalna padega," she said quietly. "Isse pehle aur koi maa apni beti ko kho de."
Sameer looked out the window. The night was still, but somewhere out there, in the maze of Mumbai's streets, a killer was waiting. And they were running out of time.
The shadows deepened. The game had only just begun.
YOU ARE READING
"Chakravyuh: Shaitaan Ki Raat"
Mystery / ThrillerIn the heart of Mumbai, where the vibrant lights hide secrets and the streets whisper tales of danger, a sinister presence awakens as the city prepares for the Diwali festival. Young women are being brutally murdered, leaving the police baffled and...
