Falling from Grace

Chapter12: A New Threat

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The crisp London morning began like any other, with Ritika pouring tea into her favorite ceramic mug while Samaira colored at the dining table. Rohit sat nearby, hunched over his laptop, reviewing practice schedules for his coaching role. Their small apartment was bathed in a rare sliver of sunlight, and for a fleeting moment, it felt like life had settled.

That fragile peace shattered with a single notification.

Ritika's phone buzzed insistently on the counter. She wiped her hands on a towel and picked it up, her brow furrowing at the string of missed calls and unread messages from an unfamiliar number. Before she could think twice, the phone buzzed again, and she answered.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Sharma," an unfamiliar but firm voice said. "This is Detective Inspector Collins from the London Metropolitan Police. I need to speak with you and Mr. Sharma immediately. It concerns your family's safety."

Ritika's heart skipped a beat. "Our safety? What's going on?"

"I can't discuss this over the phone," the detective replied. "Can you and your husband meet me at your local station this afternoon?"

Ritika's hands trembled as she ended the call.

"Rohit," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "We need to go to the police station. Something's wrong."

At the station, Detective Inspector Collins ushered them into a private office. He was a tall, no-nonsense man in his early 50s, his piercing blue eyes scanning them with a mixture of sympathy and professionalism.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," Collins began, gesturing for them to sit. "I'll get straight to the point. We've received credible intelligence suggesting that your family may be the target of a coordinated smear campaign and potentially more."

Ritika's stomach churned. "What kind of campaign?"

Collins leaned forward. "The individuals behind this are exploiting online platforms to spread false narratives about your family. The goal seems to be to incite public anger and further damage your reputation. But what's more concerning are some of the threats we've intercepted—threats implying physical harm."

Rohit's jaw tightened. "Physical harm? To us? To our daughter?"

"Yes," Collins said bluntly. "While we've flagged the most serious threats and are monitoring them closely, we cannot guarantee they won't escalate. These kinds of attacks often start online but can spill into the real world."

Ritika felt like the air had been knocked out of her lungs. "Who's behind this?"

"We don't know yet," Collins admitted. "But given your recent legal battle and the high-profile nature of your situation, it's likely connected to individuals with a vested interest in keeping you under public scrutiny—or worse."

The days that followed were a blur of fear and frustration. Ritika and Rohit were advised to limit their public appearances and to refrain from sharing personal information online. Collins arranged for a security detail to patrol their neighborhood, but the sense of unease was impossible to shake.

Despite their best efforts to shield her, Samaira picked up on the tension.

"Mama, why are the police outside our house?" she asked one evening as they sat on the couch.