The Shadow of Retribution: A tale of vengeance and the price of justice.

Chapter 14

The present
20th November, 2025.
Pune, India.

I arrived at the office early today, hoping I'd find Abhir and maybe even get him interested in me. My plan was to charm him, do whatever it took to make him notice me. But, unexpectedly, I ended up making some genuine friends and even discovered that I was pretty good at my job. I was actually enjoying it. However, the moment Abhir walked in, that newfound happiness faded. Kj’s words replayed in my mind, "Jared was killed." His smile, which used to soften me, now left me feeling cold—a cold-hearted revenge seeker, driven to settle the score.

I was helping a friend with event arrangements when he arrived, looking dashing in a maroon and black suit, greeting everyone with that bright smile. "Bastard," I thought, hiding my resentment behind a fake smile. Sourab, my old mentor, had taught me well; he was the one who showed me how to mask emotions and fake sincerity—skills I'd learned too well.

“I need you to come to my office,” he called to me directly. For the first time, I felt a bit thrown off, but I maintained my composure and smiled. My plan was working. “Is there a problem, sir?” I asked.
“I need to have a word with you,” he replied.

I followed him into his office, where we sat in silence for a moment. I wondered what he wanted.

“Are you okay?” he asked, catching me off guard.
“Why do you ask?” I responded.
“After I left the bar last night, I had to return to grab an important file I’d forgotten. When I got back, I saw you sitting there alone, crying,” he said, his tone almost concerned. “And lately, I’ve noticed you’ve been talking a lot to that new guy who just joined the bar. Are you seeing him?” There was something possessive in his question, like he didn’t approve of me talking to him.

I smiled inwardly. "Sambhavi, you clever girl, your plan is working—he’s taking the bait."

“No, sir,” I answered. “We’re just from the same place, and it’s nice to chat with someone in Nepali amid a crowd that mostly speaks Hindi or English.”
“But why were you crying?” he pressed, unwilling to let it go.

I tilted my head and replied, “Some other time, sir. We’re not quite there yet,” and with that, I left his office.

What he didn’t know was that the “new guy” at the bar was actually Subhan, D’s best friend and a skilled hacker—my only real ally in this. Together, it was time to take down the second target of five.

Abhir Khurana, your days are numbered.