ACP Bhosle was on the phone with his higher authority when his junior SI Rane barges in. His face is beaming with excitement. Bhosle glances at him and answers the person on the other side,

“Yes, Sir. He is under my scanner too. In fact, I am keeping my eyes on every member of his group. Especially Aryan Khurana. But Sir, I need some more information about their past. They all used to study at St Peter Convent School in Panchgani, and according to my investigation, all were quite notorious. Each of them has a past which is not very pleasant. In fact, one of them was convicted of a case of abetment of suicide. His name was Arjun Rathod. Even his death is quite mysterious.”

He pauses for a moment as Rane tries to get his attention again, but Bhosle shows him his palm, indicating to wait for a moment and continues the call.

“Trust me, Sir…their past will help us to explore their present more accurately. And without proper investigation and proof, we can’t seize them. Either it is Aditya Oberoi or his three friends…all are masters of dodging the law. Moreover, it is another country, and they are very influential.”

After some moments of silence, Bhosle ends the call with a positive response. As soon as he hangs up, SI Rane speaks up,

“Sir, Aditya Oberoi has joined Aryan Khurana’s Mafia business officially. Now, we can nab him with solid charges.”

He perhaps expected a shocked expression and reaction from Bhosle; but on the contrary, Bhosle composedly replies,

“That is exactly what he wants. Rane, this man always surprises me when it comes to his obsession with his wife. To guard her, he is even ready to make himself the target. But wait, Mr Oberoi; I am here not only to grab your neck but also to investigate the other angles of your life. Especially the secrets of your friends. They are not what they appear. At least to each other.”

Bhosle zones out while Rane enquires,

"Sir, do you have any suspicions about their involvement in betraying Aditya Oberoi in any way?"

“Rane, if you analyse their friendship, then you will notice that each of them is connected to each other through their pasts. And when the past is common and connected, then there is a scope to manipulate the present. We have already figured out that Dhawans are going through a great loss in their business, and Oberoi Group of Companies is risking its money on them. Is it a mere friendship, or Aditya has no other option? Similarly, Aryan…having Aditya beside him in his Mafia business is a huge gain for him. Hence, for these three friends, Aditya is a jackpot. You can say a friend with benefits. However, one of these friends has something more with Aditya Oberoi. And unfortunately, this something is not good. Aditya is in danger, and this time he is not able to guess the source of this peril. Because it is always deadly to have an enemy in a friend’s disguise.”

Bhosle utters with conviction. His lips curl in anticipation. Rane mutters quizzically,

“Sir, did you know the face behind this disguise?”

Bhosle walks towards the glass wall and looks through it. The city of Manhattan is beautiful with many secrets. His voice touches the lowest pitch.

“I can guess. That night I also followed Aditya and Nandana to their lake house. But at the last moment, I lost track and was forced to wait in the jungle. Thankfully, I did. Otherwise, I couldn’t see the person who was also tailing them. I couldn’t see his face, but after the bullet sound, when I rushed towards the source, he just whizzed past me. That time he muttered something which was enough for me to recognise him as one of Aditya’s friends.”

"May I know what he said, sir?"

Rane squirms in excitement.

“Mukti.”

Bhosle articulates the name with a flat tone. Rane repeats,

“Mukti? The girl who committed suicide because of Arjun Rathod!”

Bhosle turns on his heel. The corner of his lips curls in a half-smile. As if he found out a major segment of a puzzle, he mouths with tenet,

"I believe one of the main factors that led to the breakup of Notorious 5 was their complex history. That's why I suggested we delve into it, as a person's past can often shed light on their present circumstances. After all, secrets have a way of coming to light eventually."

His eyes flicker with expectation.

..................................

As Aliya bandaged Aarav’s hand freshly and got up to leave, he wrapped her slender body into his arms. A mischievous grin adorns his face.

“Are you upset?”

He mutters affectionately. Her face hardens in concentration.

“A bit, but not because you cut your hand, but because you never share your problems with me. Aarav, we have been together for almost one and a half years, but still, I can’t fathom your heart. You never tell me anything about your past, your childhood or even your feelings. I don’t even know what exactly you think about me. Sometimes I wonder if I am imposing this relationship on you. You actually are not happy with me. Just fulfilling my wish, as it was me who initiated this relationship.”

She quibbles but doesn’t try to move his hands from her. Aarav keeps on looking into her eyes. As if he wants to say something, but some barrier is obstructing his mind. Suddenly, grief clouds his eyes, and he withdraws his hands from her body. He steps back slowly and mouths in a worn-out tone,

“It’s wise to bury a bad past and cherish the present. Thank you for bringing me into this relationship. Or else, I would have never come out of the darkness. But don’t try to invade this darkness. Some people are not meant for it.”

He pauses for a second while Aliya’s eyes cloud with a strangled expression. Suddenly, Aarav grabs her wrist and pulls her towards the exit. With haste, he utters,

“Let me drop you. Otherwise, my rubbish will go on.”

As they come out of the room, Aliya’s eyes fall on the locked door adjacent to Aarav’s room. Although he is Aabir’s brother, they don’t stay together. As Aabir lives in his apartment, Aarav stays in this 5 BHK luxury flat. Aliya doesn’t know why he needs so many rooms when he only uses very few of them. Among all of them, this particular room always remains locked. She even asked about it many times but never got a proper answer from Aarav. Even though she asks again,

“Aarav, why do you always keep this room locked? Where is this inside?”

Aarav doesn’t stop and pulls her to get out of the apartment while muttering,

“Maybe my past…dark and buried.”

They reach the elevator, and it opens with a ding.

.................................

“Aditya…Aditya…”

Nandana strains her voice, searching for her annoying husband while breakfast remains ready. Aditya, their daughter, and Rishi have disappeared suddenly. Irritation lines her forehead as she thinks of taking Rishi to his speech therapist after breakfast. She wishes someone would appreciate the value of time. She yells once more.

“Aditya…Adi…”

Her words stop when her eyes fall on the gym room. Spark glints in her eyes. She steps in without further sound. Aditya is instructing Rishi for push-ups while Mini is sitting on Rishi’s back, giggling with her toothless mouth. The sight could have been adorable if Mini had had proper support. Here, the poor soul is balancing herself by grabbing Rishi’s vest, which is definitely not enough to protect her from a great fall. On the other hand, Aditya is running on the treadmill and from time to time guiding his bro-in-law. The view piqued Nandana instantly. With an annoyed cry, she storms to Rishi and Mini and picks her up on her lap.

“What the hell is going on? What if Mini fell? Aditya…do you have any sense? If you can’t take care, then why do you take responsibility? Or you just love to risk our lives?”

Without realising the impact of her words, she breaks into tears. Rishi stands up and looks at his Adi Bro with nervous eyes. His sister Nandu Di rarely gets angry, but when she does, things can get ugly. Mini starts crying loudly due to her mother's sudden outburst and high-pitched voice. Aditya stops the treadmill and walks over to her slowly, wiping his sweaty face with a towel. He approaches her with a pained expression in his eyes.

“So, now you feel risky to live with me? Sorry! I didn’t know it.”

He sounds damaged, and Nandana can fathom her mistake.

“Aditya…”

A meek request slips out of her mouth. Meanwhile, one of the servants calls from the open door,

“Sir, Mr Aryan wants to meet you.”