Spies & Spice (Completed)

Chapter 9

This girl!!! Victor fumed inwardly as he noticed one of his neighbours approach the lift on the ground floor. Victor hurried forward and easily overtook her in the corridor.

"The only person who comes in my dreams is my girlfriend, and even she isn't that desperate to break in to my apartment to see me!" He mocked. A sudden chill spread inside Misha.

"Girlfriend, really? Where is she? Does she she even exist? Other than in your imagination?" She sneered.

"I don't have to explain anything to you but if it makes you feel better, let me say it. She is a medical intern and she..." before he could complete, the lift door opened and their next door neighbour, Mr Vinay Sharma and his tired looking daughter came out.

"Arrey Misha!! What are you doing here at this hour? Is everything okay? Has Nani been taken ill again?" He asked anxiously.

"No Sharma Uncle, everything is fine. You guys carry on. Hi Neelu!! Were you on late shift again?" Misha greeted the girl, still in her Medical uniform.

"Yeah Misha, and Daddy insisted that he would pick me up as our hospital vehicle ran into problem.I told him I can take a cab, but would he ever listen?" Neelima complained.

"Of course, I had to come. Can anyone be safe in Delhi now a days, especially women, if they have to travel all alone in the night? Few more months and her internship would be complete, and hopefully these odd and long hours of shifts will come to end." Mr Sharma sighed.

"You are absolutely right Mr Sharma, young women are quite capable in many fields now, but in the city like ours, their safety is still a major concern for the family members. They should never travel alone at this hour. By the way, I am Victor, from the corner Apartment." Victor shook hands with Mr Sharma, who smiled hesitantly.

"My door got jammed and I couldn't get in. So I knocked on the door of Misha who kindly helped me to open the door, she got some nice little tools with her." Victor explained with a smile and signalled to Misha, who reluctantly took out the tools from her pocket and showed it to everyone.

Impressed, Mr Sharma patted on Misha's head.

"Good job beta, I must check  those tools myself, some other time. Good night to you all." After the father daughter began to walk towards their apartment, Victor turned to Misha with a smile.

"Thanks for the help Misha!! Good night and sweet dreams!" He gave her a mock salute and went back to his apartment, leaving Misha in a bad mood.

****

Victor woke up quite early next day, in spite of his midnight rendezvous. He skipped his daily morning weights and exercise session, and got into shower instead. He had a lot of things on his mind as he prepared his breakfast of three boiled eggs and cheese toast.

After breakfast, as he was getting ready to go out, he received a text from J P Nanda, his boss in Intelligence Bureau.

"Please come and see me at office before COB today."

Wondering what this was all about, Victor called his old friend and colleague  Kapil Verma at the headquarters to find out what was going on. But Kapil had no information to offer, except to say Nanda Sir looked serious and worried as he came into office just then.

Victor quickly finished off some shopping he had intended to do in preparation for his trip and reached IB headquarters close to noon. And as usual, he entered the building in a discreet way, away from the main lobby, with a new disguise this time. He had long wavy shoulder length hair, half of which he had tied in a tiny ponytail, thin but clear lens glasses in bright red colour frame, and a french beard. His leather jacket and dark denim pants completing the look of a geeky tech, as he walked in with a laptop bag and a backpack. The security officer at the back entrance was one of the few who knew Victor and his obsession for anonymity, and he scanned his swipe card and identity card before letting him in. Victor had earlier called Nanda Sir to make sure he was free to receive him, and entered his room shortly afterwards, with a mix of curiosity and apprehension.