Chapter 1.

   𝘿𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙙𝙜𝙚 𝙖 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙗𝙮 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧.

- 𝙂𝙚𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚 𝙀𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙩.

***

   The pitter patter of the rain was one of her favourite sounds, people normally hated getting wet and cold but, she was counted as the odd one in the herd. You’d never see her behaving as a stereotypical Indian girl, just a strange and weird oddball who rolled on its own music, it didn’t know how to go with the flow. 

   She usually used a variety of fake names, like Seeta, Geeta, Mansi, etc. Maya Singh was her existing name. Jay suggested her to use this name this time because her profession needed it and also because he said it suited her and it literally described her, Maya; that’s what she was, an illusion. One would wonder why fake names? Then it was because Maya lived two lives, one, a life of a college student and second, a life of a cleaner.

   Maya was a girl in her early twenties and instead of wearing short dresses and flirt around with boys or gossip about other's lives, what she did was wear loose hoodies, oversized T-shirts and baggy trousers with simple shoes or sometimes combat boots. She was pretty much malnourished looking, her skinny form didn't make an appearance from her loose clothing, but her small narrow face and slim bony hands did give it away. At least people couldn't see her face clearly or they would've mistook her for a zombie. Despite her skinny appearance her muscles were the result of her intense training. She had deep black colored eyes with thick eyelashes and also dark bags under them as if she had not got any sleep for several nights. Her jet black shoulder length hair always stayed down covering her face, her long skater bangs always rested over the left side of her face reaching past her eyelashes, she was never bothered with them being long because they nearly covered half of her ghostly face and besides that, she liked them long.

   For the present, Maya was passing down the road with a chill in her bones because of the cold. Her body would seem weak and fragile if one saw her but beware looks could be deceiving and only judging a book by its cover never gave you any idea of what lied inside, just like herself.

   It was night time of 8, the Mumbai street, in the midst of the scampering crowd who weren’t silent mind you, the traffic, the heavy roaring wind and rain, many footsteps. Maya felt unusual. Her skin tingled and hair over her neck stood at the ends, making her highly aware of her surroundings. The feeling you have when you’re being watched. She had been having this feeling, it could be a paranoia but in her case it never turned out to be harm less, it was always something which was after her. The gaze of a predator on the skin of the prey as how he could feel it but the case could change immediately and the hunter could be hunted. 

   It was certainly not new to her but as she was getting away from the crowd she could clearly hear it now, their footsteps resonated around her as if proclaiming their presence. Breaths came out rugged and as heavy puffs of smoke as she further walked away from the lights of the traffic and the huddled crowd. The rain poured onto her, making her drenched and vulnerable to cold.

   Maya walked towards the silent road and focused her hearing, trying to catch her follower’s footsteps. 𝘛𝘰𝘬, 𝘵𝘰𝘬, 𝘵𝘰𝘬, the sound of their hard soled shoes tapping against the concrete was clear. But soon she was certain it wasn’t only one follower, there were three. She smirked as she started moving towards the dark alley where she could have a small and last conversation with them. Familiar feeling of excitement and thrill rushed through her veins and her blood pumped with anticipation of fresh hunt.

   Entering into the mouth of the alley she walked ahead to lead the three deeper enough for them to not get out of there, ever. The stench of the walls and the damp grimy puddles would be the last of what they’d have for their drifting souls to watch. Maya stopped as she reached the dead end, the place reeked of urine and rotting away rat or cat’s corpse, a perfect place for them. To describe in simpler words, Maya was an epitome of death and these three were going to witness it.

   "Hi." She greeted as they came to an abrupt stop in front of her. She grinned keeping her hood on, it hid her face from their view.

   "Show us your face." One manly voice demanded, she tilted her head up and let them have a look at her half face as the rest of it was hidden by her damp black fringes that matted towards the left of her face.

   "Nice to see you." She grinned, and one of them stepped ahead.

   "You are Maya, right?" He asked, she tilted her head to one side, observing and recognising the two familiar faces immediately. 

   "You followed me to ask me my name?" She asked.

   "Shut up!" He snapped, and she smiled up at him.

   "No need for shouting, I’m Maya. Who are you guys?" Shee asked casually.

   "CBI. Come with us."

   The answer made her scoff.

   "Why would I believe you are from CBI?" She asked, "You can be anyone, thugs, kidnappers or the killers,"

   "Do we look like kidnappers to you?" The second man shouted, and she shrugged her shoulders.

   "The kidnappers won’t come up to me and say that they’re kidnappers, they would most likely say what you said." She pointed out, and the person in front of her pulled out something black from his pocket.

   "Do you believe us now?" The closest one spoke, as he brandished his CBI officer ID, she leaned ahead to have a look at his name, "Now, come with us without any resistance."

   "Viraj Desai?" She read and then straightened up with a small pout on her lips.

   "Why are you taking an innocent person like me?" She asked making herself sound as childlike as possible and one of them scoffed.

   "Innocent person? Don’t make me laugh." The second one growled and she tilted her head to one side, letting her smile slip away and a terrified expression take over. Oh, you wouldn’t know how scared she was!

   "What? What are you saying?" She asked, shakiness evident in her voice.

   "Don’t try to fool us, you b*tch we know who you are, you better come with us quietly." The other one in the back spoke, with venom lacing his voice.

   "Who am I? I don’t know what you’re talking about, officers." She said, taking a step back away from them.

   "You are the serial killer whom we were searching. Finally, we managed to grab you." The second one said with slight pride in his voice. 

   𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳, 𝘩𝘶𝘩? 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩. 𝘏𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘦.

   "A-A serial killer? Me? You-You’re wrong, I’m just a-" she tried to speak as she took half a step ahead.

   "Don’t move!" The last one yelled, and she noticed he’d pointed his gun at her, soon other two were pointing guns at her too, she shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.

   "Please… please don’t kill me… I don’t know what you’re talking about," she pleaded as she fell over her knees, crying.

   Maya peeked at the nearest man who looked hesitant, he put his gun at his side, as he turned slightly back to his companions, keeping one of his eye firmly on her. The chance was about to come just one chance, just once chance.

   "Let’s take her to the headquarters." The second man said, and the nearest man Viraj nodded as he took his step close to her, one hand holding his gun, while other stretched towards her.

   "Get up, kid." He spoke, and she crouched further within trying to get away from his touch. The step taken back by a predator was never for retreat, these three were going to learn that in a very horrible way.

   "I’m not who you think I am… Please let me go. I don’t want to die," she was crying and wheezing as she spoke. 

   The man grew more hesitant as he neared her, he again turned back to look at his partners, big mistake. Excitement sparked over her skin and adrenaline hit her blood stream surging in her veins as her heart picked its pace in anticipation. It was time for hunt.

   Maya saw the opening over his hesitancy and shot ahead, her trustworthy knife in her hand, he flinched and rose his gun at her quickly. She swiped a clean cut at his arm and glided away from him keeping in mind about the two who had raised their guns at her too and started firing. 

   She grabbed Viraj and turned him using his body as her shield. She saw the flying drops of deep red as the bullet embedded in his collarbone near his throat and pushed him off as she heard the other two swearing. Viraj yelled in pain when he slammed into the wall as she let go of him. 

   Maya grabbed the nearest dustbin, and swirled a circle to gain a lot of momentum and force as she let go, it glided over a parabolic path and hit the third officer making him fall in the pile of black bags and damp cardboard boxes. Having enough opening she swiftly ran ahead towards the second officer, his brown hair fell over his dark face as he brought his gun up to her and fired. Maya moved away dodging the bullets with ease and slammed her knife in his abdomen and applied all her strength as it shoved inside through his lungs till his heart and gave a wicked twist. He grunted and howled in pain as he tried to hit her, she smirked and whipped the knife out running towards the third officer who managed to stumble on his feet, holding his head as he pointed his gun again at her. She shook her knife, making the officer’s blood slide off and dashed ahead keeping her eyes locked on her target. 

   Her heart jackhammered in her chest, as she closed in with great speed, her knife ready in her hand. She ducked as he shot and let her knife’s sharp edge kiss his forearm covered by the thin layer of grey fabric, she rushed to a stop and backhanded her knife and slammed it in his back. Its pointed narrow edge poked out of his chest coated in rich red blood that dripped down slowly and kissed the filthy surface. She stood still and a gurgled scream escaped the third officer’s lips as he tried to move she twisted the knife and he screamed in pain. His body twitched and his blood slid down her brown palms embellishing her with the deed of purging evil. 

   She grinned in triumph and pulled her knife back, the man fell limply ahead with a thud and the grimy water from the puddle splashed out, she looked at her red palms and a strange sense of void filled her insides. She heard a groan and her head lifted up to see Viraj moaning in pain and moving his limbs.

   𝘏𝘦'𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦.

   Maya walked up to him and crouched down beside his head, keeping her knees pressed to her chest. She hesitantly stretched her bloodied hand towards him and his half open blood shot eyes glared at her making her pull her hand back.

   "You- You have fun.." He winced, pressing the wound at his collar bone and she frowned, "…killing people, right? You don’t even think of… their families, their loved ones…" Again a wince and clenching of teeth, he was hurt yet, he was trying to get his lecture to her.

   "You… are simply… A monster… a heartless beast that… likes to see people suffer…" He moaned, and her stomach twisted as she smelled the stench mixing with his flowing blood.

   "Maybe I do like seeing people suffer," she spoke up, the coldness in her voice evident, and his eyes fixated on her face as his lips curled in a sneer.

   "Don’t give me that look, we all are the same, don’t forget I kill because these guys don't deserve to live." She smiled thinly. She could feel darkness creeping over her eyes making them devoid of any emotions. The icy coldness that embraced her soul to never let go of her.

   "Don't–" he clenched his teeth, "Don't deserve... to live? Us?" He asked and she shook her head making the few droplets from her hair fly.

   "No, not you. You just became a collateral damage because of them. You can blame them for your death." She said pointing at the two other dead officers and Viraj breathed loudly.

   "What do... you mean?"

   "Can't stop your investigation even after being a few steps away from death's doorstep?" She shook her head and he gave her a strained look.

   "Why? Why them?"

   "Didn’t you hear? It’s my job, I kill this kind of people for my living," she stated coldly.

   "What kind?... Those who... fight for justice. You may kill me now but… you’ll never ever find peace… by this way of life… The cries of the dead people will surely get you… you will… feel their pain… experience hell." He winced and she tilted her head to one side.

   The words flashed in her head and a majestic mythical story pushed forth and a thought popped in her brain. She looked down at half dead Viraj and grinned.

   “You won’t live in peace.” He gritted through his teeth.

   “I don’t mind you cursing me. I’m bonded with my duty for years.” She shrugged her shoulders, "Besides, my name? Who else knows it anyway?” She asked and he smiled weakly, his skin getting more and more paler.

   “You are lucky… we decided to keep… our research a secret from others… so, no one else except us knows... about you and your partner.” He hissed and she frowned.

   “You know about Jay too.” It wasn’t a question, if he came to know her name then how long would it take to suspect Jay who was practically her family. She was protected even after being almost caught.

   𝘋𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘰 𝘙𝘢𝘬𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘪 𝘙𝘢𝘬𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘩.

   The line crossed her mind and she smiled.

   "Well then, how about I give your companions a name to chase?" She smirked and his eyebrows furrowed.

   "Tell ‘em I’m called Kali." She announced and he groaned in pain.

   "And since you are going to die soon, let me tell you a secret about your friends." She said and pointed at the rest two officers, his eyes were red now. 

   She started giving a brief description of her work, and till the time she was approaching the end it seemed like he was close to passing out yet, forcing himself to stay awake. The shock and amazement was too much to take for a dying man.

   "… And you know what happens then?" She asked leaning ahead as he paid attention, she knew her face had gotten serious by now as she literally gave him the forbidden information.

   "That’s when I step in and then they are put to justice," she said in a grim voice and his eyes widened.

  "Who… Who? Are you from… RAW? Or some–" he asked in a dying voice, and she smiled.

   "That’s a secret that I can’t tell you." She said placing her finger over her lips and he coughed holding his wound, she looked at the flowing blood. 

   "You’ll live till you give them my message, don’t worry." She said and his breaths became shallow as his eyes slowly closed, his heart would beat temporarily till he delivered her message and she would have what she wanted tomorrow.

†**************************************†

• 𝙆𝙖𝙡𝙞 𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙨 𝙆ā𝙡𝙞.

• 𝘿𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙤 𝙍𝙖𝙠𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙞 𝙍𝙖𝙠𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙝: 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙖 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙖.

𝙈𝙖𝙝𝙖𝙗𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙖 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙪𝙨𝙢𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚 8.15.