CHECKMATE : Game Of Shadows

7. tangled in doubt

The chaos in Vanshika's room was palpable. Papers were strewn everywhere, and the tension hung thick in the air as Vanshika and Yuvan watched Arjun and Yukta square off.

“Mujhe to samajh nahi aa raha ki iss chamkadad ko hamne plan mein liya kyun hai!” Yukta's frustration spilled over.

“Oh accha?! Don’t forget that you were the one who joined later!” Arjun shot back, his voice rising.

“Iss logic se to tujhe duniya mein hi nahi hona chahiye!” Yukta snapped, her eyes blazing.

Arjun widened his eyes, incredulous. “Abe tu thodi si pagal hai kya?!” he yelled. “Jis din chala gaya na, teri life mein se saara entertainment chala jayega!” His words hung in the air, leaving Yukta momentarily speechless. A flicker of fear crossed her face, and Vanshika caught it, her grin fading into concern.

Yukta's turmoil at that moment was a storm of conflicting emotions. The fear of losing Arjun gripped her, making her heart race. She felt a deep sense of anxiety, as if a crucial part of her life might vanish. The bickering, the unspoken memories—these elements formed a unique bond that she relied on, even if it was always laced with tension. She could not deny even though they were never on good terms, she never wished anything ill for him.

“Okay, stop it now! Tum dono ko ladne ke liye puri zindagi padi hai!” Yuvan announced, a teasing lilt in his voice. His voice made Yukta step out of her trance while Vanshika chuckled, knowing exactly what he meant, but Arjun and Yukta remained confused.

“Alright, focus! We all know that Bhavesh Sinha has been murdered by someone calling himself Cipher,” Yuvan declared, shifting the mood. Vanshika nodded in agreement.

Yukta was now distracted by her phone or we could say that she wanted to distract herself from the unsettling thoughts she was getting after what Arjun said. She started scrolling on her phone to avoid her inner turmoil.

“And we need to investigate Cipher and his motives without any casualties,” Yuvan continued, glancing at Yukta, who was completely absorbed in taking selfies.

Yukta was making different faces every time she took a selfie which did not go unnoticed by Arjun. Arjun had been staring at her in disbelief ever since.

"Itni serious discussion mein ise photos ki padi hai?" he muttered to himself and continued to look at Yukta who was absorbed in taking her own selfies. Just then, he noticed Yukta sticking out her tongue for the selfie but her funny yet cute gesture was able to put a slight smile on Arjun’s face which he didn't even realise.

“Our first step is hacking into the cameras outside Bhavesh Sinha's house to track any unusual activity,” Yuvan said, urgency creeping into his voice.

“Agreed. We need to hack into those cameras as soon as possible,” Vanshika added, her brow furrowed in determination.

Yukta, still absorbed in taking selfies, glanced up. “Iss filter mein meri photo acchi lag rahi hai kya?” she interjected, causing everyone to stare at her in disbelief. She looked at everyone and lowered her eyes quickly and again started scrolling on her phone. Arjun was already facepalming himself while Vanshika and Yuvan stared at her in surprise.

Just when Yukta was about to speak something else, her eyes widened in shock as something on the phone screen caught her eye.

"Cipher did it again," she said shortly while turning the phone screen towards the others who were equally shocked.

———————————————————

Yuvika and Varun stood at a distance from the crime scene, the chaos of police sirens and crime tape framing a car teetering on the edge of a cliff. Inside, the police had found the lifeless body of Uttkarsh Sharma, the famous journalist. The body had already been sent to the forensic department of the Crime Branch for examination.