The morning sun hung low, casting long shadows across the sprawling campus of Meera's college. Dust motes danced in the humid air as Praveen and Rishi approached the iron gates, their footsteps crunching on the gravel path.
The air was thick with tension, as though the college itself was holding its breath.
The watchman, a grizzled man with a weathered face and a faded uniform, stepped forward, his hand raised.
"Oi!
Who are you two?
What's your business here?"
His voice was gruff, but there was a tremor of uncertainty in it.
Praveen's lips curled into a smirk as he glanced at Rishi, who was already struggling to suppress a laugh, his shoulders shaking.
Praveen turned back to the watchman, his voice low and edged with menace.
"Do you know who you're stopping?"
The watchman blinked, his brow furrowing.
"Sir, I… I don't know. That's why I'm asking."
His eyes darted between the two men, searching for a clue.
Rishi let out a loud, theatrical laugh, slapping his thigh.
"Oh, this is rich!
Relax, my friend.
We're from the Education Department. Here to inspect the college.
You know, make sure everything's… up to code."
He winked, his tone dripping with mock authority.
The watchman's face softened, and he snapped to attention, offering a clumsy salute.
"Sorry, sir!
Please, go inside."
He hesitated, then looked at Praveen, who was still glaring.
"And… who's this, sir?"
Rishi grinned, leaning in conspiratorially.
"Him?
Oh, he's just my driver. Let him through."
Praveen's eyes narrowed, his fists clenching at his sides.
He stepped closer to the watchman, his voice a dangerous whisper.
"Yes, I'm the driver. Got a problem with that? One more question, and I'll have a word with your principal.
You'll be out of a job by sundown."
The watchman's face hardened, but he didn't back down.
"You can't do that, sir.
My daughter studies here.
If I lose this job, I can't pay her fees.
The principal knows that. He won't let me go."
Praveen and Rishi exchanged a glance, their expressions softening for a fleeting moment.
Rishi's lips twitched into a wry smile.
"Well, aren't you a devoted father?"
He clapped Praveen on the shoulder.
"Come on,
'driver.'
Let's get to work."
As they walked through the gates, Rishi's playful demeanor faded, replaced by a sharp, calculating focus.
His eyes scanned the campus—students lounging under trees, teachers hurrying between buildings, the glint of a CCTV camera perched on a lamppost.
Something's off here, he thought. This place is too quiet for a college. Like it's hiding something.
Praveen, meanwhile, was fuming.
"Driver?
Really, Rishi?
You're enjoying this way too much."
Rishi chuckled, but his tone was serious.
"Relax, partner. We need to blend in. The less they know about us, the better.
Besides, you're playing the bad cop perfectly."
Praveen muttered under his breath,
"Bad cop's gonna have a word with you later."
They approached a group of students loitering near a fountain. One boy, lean and arrogant with a sneer plastered on his face, caught their attention.
His uniform was slightly disheveled, and he carried himself like he owned the place. Praveen stepped forward.
"Hey, kid. Where's the principal's office?"
The boy sized them up, his eyes narrowing.
"Straight down the path, last room on the right."
His tone was dismissive, almost challenging.
He turned away, but not before Rishi caught a flicker of unease in his expression.
Interesting, Rishi thought, filing the boy's face away in his memory. He knows something.As they walked toward the principal's office, Rishi's monologue played in his head.
Meera's been missing for three days. No ransom, no body, no leads. The police are calling it a runaway case, but that's too convenient.
A top student doesn't just vanish into thin air. Someone here knows what happened. And I'm going to find them.
They reached the principal's office, a heavy wooden door with a polished brass nameplate: Dr. Malhotra, Principal.
Praveen knocked, his knuckles rapping sharply. A deep voice called from within,
"Come in."
Inside, Dr. Malhotra sat behind an imposing mahogany desk, his white hair gleaming under the fluorescent lights.
He was in his mid-sixties, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, his posture exuding authority.
But there was something else—a faint unease in his eyes, like a man who'd seen too much and said too little.
"Who are you?"
Malhotra asked, his voice calm but probing.
Praveen straightened, his tone clipped.
"We're from the police. Here to investigate Meera's disappearance."
Malhotra's eyebrows rose, and he leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers.
"Police?
Which station?
I wasn't informed of any investigation."
Rishi stepped forward, his voice smooth and reassuring.
"We're handling a sensitive case, sir. Meera's been missing for three days, and we need to speak with her friends. Just routine questions."
Malhotra's eyes flickered, and Rishi caught it—a momentary crack in his polished facade.
"Meera… such a bright girl.
Top of her class. I was devastated to hear she was missing.
But the police told me she left with someone. That it's not a missing persons case."
Rishi's gut twisted.
He's lying.
Or at least, he's not telling the whole truth. He leaned forward, his voice soft but laced with steel.
"You don't believe that, do you?
A girl like Meera doesn't just run off. She's not the type."
Malhotra met Rishi's gaze, and for a moment, the room felt charged, like a storm was brewing.
"No,"
the principal said slowly.
"She wouldn't do that. She was… exceptional."
"Then help us,"
Praveen interjected, his tone urgent.
"Call her friends. Let us talk to them."
Malhotra hesitated, then pressed a buzzer on his desk.
A ward boy appeared, a lanky teenager with nervous eyes.
"Fetch Meera's friends from second-year BTech," Malhotra ordered.
The boy nodded and scurried off.
Minutes later, three girls entered the room, their faces pale and drawn.
"Good morning, sir,"
they said in unison, their voices subdued.
They looked like they hadn't slept in days, their eyes red from crying.
Malhotra gestured toward Rishi and Praveen.
"These gentlemen are investigating Meera's disappearance. Answer their questions truthfully."
The girls nodded, but their body language screamed discomfort.
Renuka, the smallest of the three, was visibly trembling. Her friend Priya clutched her arm, as if holding her upright. The third, Anjali, stared at the floor, her lips pressed into a thin line.
Praveen took the lead, his voice gentle but firm.
"When did you find out Meera was missing?"
Renuka swallowed hard, her voice barely above a whisper.
"The next day… after the party."
"You were all at the party?" Rishi asked, his eyes scanning their faces for tells.
Priya nodded.
"Yes, sir.
We went together.
Had dinner, danced a bit, and left by 10:30.
We went straight home."
"And Meera?" Praveen pressed.
"What happened to her?"Renuka's eyes filled with tears, and she stepped forward, her voice breaking.
"She was with Charan.
They were supposed to go home together.
Around midnight, her father called us, asking where she was.
We told him she left with Charan. That's all we know."
She choked back a sob, burying her face in her hands.
Rishi's mind raced. Charan. First real lead. But why are these girls so scared? He softened his tone.
"It's okay, Renuka. Take a deep breath. Did you notice anything strange at the party?
Anyone watching Meera?
Anything out of the ordinary?"
Renuka froze, her eyes darting to the side.
"No, sir. Nothing like that."
Her voice was too quick, too rehearsed.Priya cut in, her words tumbling out in a panic.
"We don't know anything else, sir. Really.
Can we go?
We have an exam."
Rishi exchanged a glance with Praveen. They're hiding something.
He nodded.
"Alright, you can go. But if you remember anything—anything—call us."
He handed Renuka a business card, his eyes locking onto hers.
"Day or night."
Renuka took the card, her fingers trembling.
She slipped it into her pocket, her eyes flicking toward the corner of the room.
Rishi followed her gaze—there was no CCTV camera there.
She's checking for cameras. Why?
As the girls left, Praveen followed them out, his voice low.
"Stay safe, okay? And call if you need to."
Renuka nodded, but her expression was haunted.
Back in the office, Rishi turned to Malhotra, his tone casual but probing.
"You've got a lot of students here, sir. Ever notice anything… unusual?
Anyone who might've had a problem with Meera?"
Malhotra adjusted his glasses, his movements deliberate.
"We have thousands of students, Mr Netra"
"Rishi,"
Rishi said, testing the waters.
Malhotra's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he recovered.
"Mr. Rishi Netra, we can't monitor everyone.
But if I hear anything, I'll let you know."
He slid Rishi's business card into a drawer, his fingers lingering on the handle.Rishi's blood ran cold.
Netra. Only a handful of people know that name.
How does he?
He forced a smile.
"Thank you, sir. We'll be in touch."
As they left the office, Praveen leaned in, his voice a whisper.
"Did you catch that? He called you Netra."
"I caught it," Rishi said grimly.
"And I don't like it. Malhotra's hiding something.
Maybe he's involved, maybe he's just scared.
Either way, he knows more than he's letting on."
They stepped into the humid afternoon, the campus buzzing with activity.
Rishi's mind was a storm of questions.
What happened at that party?
And why does Malhotra know my alias?
He glanced at Praveen, his voice low.
"We're heading to the party venue next. If Meera's trail starts anywhere, it's there."
Praveen nodded, his expression grim.
"Let's find her, Rishi.
Before it's too late."
As they walked toward their car, Rishi's monologue echoed in his head. This isn't just a missing girl. It's a puzzle, and someone's already moved the pieces. But I'll find them. I always do.