In the conference hall with a bunch of interns, crew members and her best friends - Ali and Zeenat, Ananya was planning for the charity event. A fund raiser event that could in turn help to shape a better life for many. She had catered to each department individually, considering the requirements and ways to meet the same. The only department they were left with was security. A department she wouldn't dare to mess with. The security setup was to be handled by the four of them - Ali, Zeenat, Aman and Ananya.

As everyone dispersed, she spoke, "The security needs to be overlooked by the four of us. Aman would be monitoring the security cameras and all other high-tech security concerns along with the technical department."

She noted the areas of concern as she roughly sketched out the functioning of the event. "Volunteers can be put around for basic security. Maybe at the entrance gate, the parking and few scattered around the venue for obvious reasons," she rambled, while mentally calculating the head count she would need in the said team.

"The invitations need to be thoroughly checked and matched with the database before letting anyone in. Also, the reporters need not be entertained," she added firmly. "Keep them out," both Ali and Zeenat nodded their head in agreement.

"And what about the cops?" Ali pointed out. "Do we also throw them out?"

"You can try as much as you want to," their heads whipped into the direction of the voice. There stood ACP Neil Khanna leaning onto the door frame with his hands stuffed into his pant pockets while adorning a toothy smile. "But you will fail," he marched towards them and glared at Ali only to add, "miserably."

It had been almost half an hour since he stood behind the door, contemplating whether to enter the conference room when she is surrounded by crew members and volunteers. Once the said crowd left the conference room, he waited for the three of them to wrap up but they didn't. Instead, they were indulged in a discussion. Without having intended to, he heard her crisp voice laced with immense authority being shot at the other two. It was Ali's question that caught his attention. Determined to let them know that he wasn't easy to tackle, he declared the same.

"Excuse me," Zeenat narrowed her eyes at him. There wasn't a chance she would let her team be pulled down for being incapable. She didn't need anyone else to prove him how capable they were. "You have no right to barge in like this and interfere in the matters that is of no concern to you," she tried reminding him the rules in his own language. He didn't seem to take the message though.

Ali butted in, "you heard her, now leave," he bobbed his head towards the door but Neil chose to ignore him. Zeenat had pinned his fist onto the table, under her hold, restraining him from flying it across the cop's face. Ali's blazing eyes caught Ananya's attention.

"What brings you here, Officer?" Ananya stepped between the two and hopped into the conversation, ignoring the tiff that was about to take place. She was least interested to rectify either of the men.

"You," Neil replied in a beat. His eyes gazed into her puzzled ones. He gritted in annoyance, "What are you doing here?"

Her nose scrunched up in confusion but she chose to reply, "Work?" It reflected to be a question instead of an answer.

"Why?"

"That's a part of my job," she reasoned, adding to his fury.

"Is your life of no importance to you?" He spat those words in a quick retort. By now, both Ali and Zeenat understood the reason behind his uncalled visit. Even though, his presence was not to any of their likings, but the hint of concern for Ananya was. They both decided to take a backseat and not intervene.

In their own ways, they had tried to make her understand that she had to take proper rest. However, she being the epitome stubbornness, denied. The only explanation they ever received was that she had taken complete rest for a whole day which was sufficient enough, according to her. The concealed facts were not hidden from them though. They were well aware of her visit to the police station, precisely the ACP's cabin and her constant investigation along with working on the charity event.

"What if not," she rolled her eyes at his unnecessary interference and answered with boredom.

"I don't believe you," he raked his fingers through his hair, annoyed to reason her; "you have been shot. You could've been killed yesterday. Still you don't care. You should be at home, resting," his pitch raised.

"I don't play by anyone else's rule. I won't work as per that murderer or you," she pointed accusingly at him. Carelessly, she plopped back into her seat and tried to focus on her work. Neil hadn't stepped away, nor had he faltered his furious gaze away from her.

Unaware of the tense situation, Aman worriedly rushed in, "Di, do you know what that brainless cop did?" He stepped right in front of her with a tablet in his hand. Tilting the gadget in Ananya's sight, he annoyingly huffed. "I don't understand his moves," he whined.

However, annoyed with the way he was addressed, Neil pulled his lips while frowning at the young boy. Though, his attention was yet again dragged to something else. Di. Aman had always referred Ananya as 'Di' and it somehow didn't fit well. The way he addressed her was easy going and natural. As if, he had been doing that for years. Neil wouldn't have bothered much, if Zeenat was also referred similarly. While that was not the case. Ananya was an exception and he suspected why.

This was his next clue. He would have to dig deeper into Aman's history as well to find the missing pieces of Ananya's life. 

Ali and Zeenat turned their calculative gaze at the said culprit, while Ananya waited for detailed explanation from Aman. Aman wouldn't claim someone brainless just for name tagging sake. Certain things he had picked from his Di, Ananya Verma. Unlike him, he shook his head, muttering a few incoherent words which surely weren't the words to praise someone; he held the gadget to her. Utter confusion seeped into her veins; she tapped onto the play button that popped on the screen.

Ananya was stunned as the video played, bringing in a sight of ACP Neil Khanna and the voice-over declared, 'Breaking News!'

The expressions that crept across her face, the creasing on her forehead as her brows tucked together, the widening of her eyes, her fingers curling tightly onto the gadget as she went through the byte. All of her screamed 'mess'.

Muttering a few curses under her breath, she forced the tablet back into Aman's hand. That's when Aman realized the presence of another person in the room. But he ignored the fact and looked at the other two who held curiosity in their eyes. Zeenat and Ali took no time to sprint towards him, shifting their interest at the gadget and the piece of video that had Ananya burning like volcanic lava.

The visuals confused them and they heard the sharp, enthralling voice announcing, 'Breaking News!' The voiceover continued hiking up the interest of the viewers, 'ACP Neil Khanna who is currently hunting for the serial killer, the reason behind the fear and sleeplessness of the residents of the city, has found something.' Zeenat couldn't help but roll her eyes at the absurdity of the news reporters. Give them anything and they would turn a piece of shit into breaking news.

'Something related to the case; and through that he also has something that has caught his personal interest,' the reporter continued with the gibberish talks. 'Let's hear it from him,' that followed with Neil appearing on the screen. The nagging questions didn't bother them much but his answers shook them.

'Fuck, is this guy even real,' Zeenat thought. Ali, on the other hand, tried coming up with ideas to get rid of the cop. Aman's thought were no different.

The next thing they knew was that he had declared the most absurd thing, 'The serial killer can hide as much as it wants but that won't last for long.' A slow smirk crept across his face, tugging his lips and after a pause, his lips parted.

'There's more to his long speech?' Ali grunted looking at him through the screen.

'As smart as it might think of itself, it's not,' with that he stepped back. The reporter again chided moulding his words to its own benefit, 'Seems like ACP has gotten hold of some solid evidences to have said that. Maybe, the fear is about to be wiped out along with this serial killer,' the commentary continued and bits and pieces of Neil's interview were replayed. The special effects of zooming in and out along with the sound effects were nothing less than head being hammered.

On the other hand, Ananya's eyes red with fury held his unbelievingly calm ones. The man stood unaffected in front of her while she tried to suppress the boiling anger that she felt within. Standing a step away from him, her eyes fixated onto his. Brushing away the commotion that took place besides her, she concentrated on him. Her thoughts wandered to various directions, springing reasons for his actions but her mind refused to each one of them. She wasn't the one to come to conclusions on the basis of presumptions.

She failed to understand the reason for his calm demeanor. A pile of questions popped in her head as she looked closely at him. As mysterious as she kept her own personality to be, she was good enough at reading people. At least, that's what she thought. He, however, proved to be an exception. The difficulty to read and understand his behavior was nerve wrecking. It irked her. 

"Leave," her eyes refused to drift apart from his while she scoffed. It was his turn to sport a quizzed look. 

*

Breaking my own records, chapter after chapter I happen to be increasing the length of the chapters. Anyways, I am gonna hopefully compensate with the next chapter. I will try and make that short enough. And not long and boring.

I hope no one's drifted off to sleep while reading this because there were some detailed bits to this.

Thoughts please! :)