Shadows Of The Stumps

Chapter - 60

As Ayan and Arya sat across from the assailant in the dim interrogation room, the atmosphere crackled with tension. The man remained impassive, his eyes cold and unwavering as Ayan leaned in, voice low and intense. "You want to make this easy on yourself? Start talking."

"Why would I?" the man replied, a smirk curling his lips. "You've already got me. Why not just lock me up and throw away the key?"

Ayan exchanged a glance with Arya, who was diligently reviewing the notes they had taken earlier. "Because we know there's more to this than just a random attack," she interjected, her voice steady. "You think we're not aware of the girl? The one who was with you when you came in?"

The man's expression shifted, just for a moment. A flicker of recognition crossed his face, but he quickly masked it. "I don't know what you're talking about. I came alone."

Ayan leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. "You're lying. We've got surveillance footage, and it shows you walking in with a girl just moments before you attacked Rahul."

The colonel had gone to meet Rahul, where Virat and Rohit were taking care of him, ensuring he was comfortable and receiving medical attention. Meera and Arjun were scanning through the CCTV footage, their eyes flitting from screen to screen. They rewound and replayed the moments leading up to the incident, searching for any clue that could connect the assailant to the mysterious girl who had slipped into the practice area.

"Look here," Arjun pointed at the screen. "Right before the attack, there's a figure that matches the girl's description lingering near the entrance with the man."

"Could she have been working with him?" Meera pondered aloud, her brow furrowed as she extracted every detail from the grainy footage. "If so, what was her purpose?"

"It may have been a distraction," Arjun theorized. "While the girl approached Rishabh and Shubman, he made his move toward Rahul. We need to find out what's in that bag she was carrying."

Just then, a guard entered the room, breathing heavily as if he'd just sprinted down the corridor. "We found the girl," he said, wiping his brow. "She was hiding in a corner room, still clutching that bag."

"Let's go," Meera ordered, adrenaline surging anew.

The guard opened the door, revealing a cramped, dimly lit space. Sitting on the floor, huddled against the wall, was the girl. She looked up as they entered, her eyes wide with fear. Clutched tightly in her small hands was the bag, its dark material taut and unyielding.

"Hey there, it's okay, you're safe," Arjun said softly, crouching down beside the girl. "My name is Arjun. What's yours?"

The girl hesitated, then whispered, "Aisha."

"Nice to meet you, Aisha. Why don't you put that bag down and come out," Arjun coaxed gently.

Slowly, Aisha set the bag aside and stood up on shaky legs. Arjun helped her walk out to Meera and the guard. As Meera leaned down to Aisha's level, she noticed the girl was trembling, her tee-shirt stained with sweat.

"Is there something you want to tell us, Aisha? Why did you come here today?" Meera asked kindly.

Aisha glanced at the men before answering, "It's... it's my older brother, Vivek. Vivek's been acting weird for days. This morning, he snuck me onto the field along with the officials, told me to walk to where the players were practicing. He said it was a game...I just wanted to help him."

Meera's eyes widened as the pieces clicked into place, a cold realization settling in the pit of her stomach. Rahul had been facing intense online hatred, far worse than the other players. And now a deranged fan, Vivek, had used his own sister to carry out his twisted scheme. This girl was carrying a bag full of sharp weapons and yet claimed to know nothing about the attack.