WHO IS NEXT?

"It's his 40th time just in a month, are you guys even investigating this case?" The captain was enraged with his team investigation.

Everything was going as per usual when 40 of the universities got hacked by certain person and they lost their data. This created a problem for the cybercrime unit as they weren't even able to get some clues on the criminal.

After a meticulous investigation of days they found that the target audience is a special sector and that is the students having a background of police and lawyers and the criminal is confident at this extent to leave his name on the screens of the computers hacked as the way of greeting his targets and the display name was "ACOLYTE".

"Sir that person is using different IP addresses and it is difficult to track him." A subordinate explained the difficulty faced by them.

"Sir we need cooperation with institutes to get him." A girl among them raised her head.

"What will happen then?" Captain asked clenching his fists.

"We will be able to track that person in real time procedure." She replied confidently locking her hands at her back.

"It is a good idea but it would be risky, we can give them a major loss." Captain raised his concern, scratching his forehead.

"But it seems impossible to act and gain evidence in dead environment and not today but tomorrow they will lose everything because of that person and probably they don't want that to happen." She explained the situation to the captain precisely.

"Okay let me talk to the higher ups."

"You are dismissed." Captain ordered and with it everyone headed off out of the room to their seats.

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"Sir may I come in?" Farris asked facing the floor.

Sir Haroon scanned his appearance all over from head to toe; clothes were wet, hairs were messed up. He was totally in rumple.

"You are late Farris and you know I don't tolerate this kind of behavior in my class and what have you been doing, look yourself in the mirror, is this the way you come to university, you are an adult now and ...…" The lecture continued and Farris was left standing at the doorstep of the room when the receptionist appeared from behind and Sir Haroon was called out.

"You aren't allowed to sit in my class today but will be standing here as warning for next time Farris." Sir Haroon warned him before going to hear out the receptionist. As they went to the office, Farris took a deep sigh and took a quick look at the surrounding, Sir and receptionist both were not present nearby, he immediately escaped to the cafeteria.

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Cafeteria was decorated with plain black round wooden tables and chairs which had a perfect contrast with white painted walls. There was a proper ordering system avoiding the crowd to be gathered at the counter and students were served according to their order number. The room was illuminated by golden lights and embellished with placement of flower pots at the corners.

As he pulled the door, he saw Taha, Fahama, Aariz and Harris were sitting around the table in the right corner having their breakfast.

Farris walked towards them with silent steps and hit the head of Harris.

"Ouch. What was it?" Harris yelped as the back of his head was hurt, he moved his face behind to know what it was, he was greeted with a smile by Farris.

"Why you always do that, your hand hits like it is made up of steel." Harris got huffy as he was distracted from his cellphone merely because of him.

"You drank it without me Brother so that was essential." Farris shrugged his shoulders after pointing on the half-filled cup of tea.

"We thought someone is dead so…" Harris was continuing the chatter when Fahama interrupted.

"Okay Okay, you guys wouldn't stop. Shall we discuss something important?"

Farris who already turned his hand into a fist intended to hit Harris, rest his back on the chair while Harris rolled his eyes on him and went back to doing what he always loved, being obsessed with his cellphone.

"What is it?" Farris questioned curiously.

"But wait, why your look is so messed up today?" Harris questioned him after analysing his whole look.

"Ah! don't get me started, bad start to such a beautiful day." His voice was weak.

"Actually Taha was waiting for you to tell something all of us together." Aariz explained.

"Is it another case?" Farris cut to the chase at which everyone got alert and turned their faces on to Taha.

"It's a threat with a deadline of 30 days Farris." Taha stated. He seems perturbed.

Well, it wasn't a new thing for all the boys. But everytime, Farris eyes sparkle after hearing case, whereas Fahama, Aariz were all ears. Harris was still engrossed in his work on cellphone.

"Who is it this time?" Fahama asked.

"It's me." Taha replied.

Farris, Fahama and Harris, all of them stared each other with bewildered look on their faces but Aariz didn't seem to be surprised as if he was expecting this.

"What do you mean Taha?" Farris was the first person to get back in normal state; he needed him to be precise.

"I got a weird, but no, actually a threat letter at my door, this morning." Taha delineated while clenching his fists.

"They are pushing us to make a mistake." Aariz explained confidently.

They all nodded to each other.

There was silence at the table.

"By the way, it is not that surprising." Aariz broke the ice at last.

"Yeah, but I wasn't expecting to be this soon." Farris commented.

"There is nothing to be worried about; we should go with the usual." Fahama tried to fade away the tense air surrounding them.

"Wait, shouldn't we first look at the letter he received?" Harris joined them too.

Everyone agreed.

"So, pass us the letter Taha." Aariz pulled his hand towards Taha to give him the letter.

Taha picked his bag from the floor and was searching pulling his books back and forth, it wasn't there.

"Where the hell it is?" Taha mumbled furiously.

"Calm down buddy, it isn't a love letter that you're so nervous about." Harris chuckled.

"You won't stop right?" Farris asked through raising his eyebrows towards Harris which were totally and clearly deciphered by him.

"No. Everyone is single in our group, how evilly cursed." Harris was glooming about their romantic lives but what everyone could do was to escape a sigh. It was true no one had a single relationship in all these 4 years of bachelor's life.

"There is it." Taha who was engrossed in searching of the envelope, ignored the comments made by Harris.

"HEY HEY! Hold on, is it really a love letter Taha?" Harris couldn't help himself from saying after he saw the envelope was beautifully covered with black and red ribbons.

"haha, I also can't deny the fact Taha! It really looks like someone is expressing her love for you." Farris contributed to Harris commentary.

Farris and Harris were laughing whole-heartedly where other boys like Fahama and Aariz merely smiled.

Taha made a face as long as a fiddle but couldn't disagree with them. The decoration was interpreting the same meaning because in the morning when letter appeared, he also took it as a confession. "How embarrassing!" Taha whispered to himself.

"Okay let's get back to the work." Farris called everyone to focus on their main goal.

"We are all ears boss!" Fahama winked.

Farris was always the man to lead in their group while Aariz and Fahama always acted like his right and left hand. Harris and Taha always managed the tech problems.

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"Hello girlss! What you guys doing at this hour?" Alizeh cheerfully entered the room at 2:00 am when everyone was probably sleeping at their floor.

Their dormitory was built up to 4 floors, comprising of 40 rooms having 10 rooms at each floor. Each room consisted of 4 person space. But the room in which these girls were living still had an empty space for one.

"Oh, you're alive?, we were just declaring you dead to the supervisor if you would have come an hour later." Sehrish sneered who was busy typing something on her laptop.

"My dear lady, I wouldn't mind to die for you." Alizeh replied making sheep eyes at Sehrish and pulled her cheek which was enough to infuriate her.

"F*** OFF flirty idiot, I was so tensed and your number was also switched off." Sehrish pushed her away and switched off her laptop, then turned to Alizeh who was now sitting at the chair near her study table.

"Haha , Sorry Sehr , My battery was dead." She explained shortly.

"She is already asleep?" Alizeh asked indicating towards Yusra, who was having a sound sleep covering her body from chin to toe with blanket.

Sehrish nodded.

"Well, I'm also tired so, Goodnight babe." Alizeh waved her and it was just, that after couple of minutes she was snoring lying on bed.

Sehrish smiled but she had some paperwork to complete so she was awake till 4:00 am, which was off beat for her.

Alizeh, Sehrish and Yusra, they were together as roommates and classmates since their beginning of bachelors in business management. Their group was lively, thanks to Alizeh for her playful personality but she had different sides to her personality too. Whereas Sehrish was a bookish and nerd girl but she was sharp-witted and Yusra, she was cute and simple minded girl with creative ideas.

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He was relaxing facing the window having a cup of coffee in his right hand. This person was wearing a hoodie which had a mixture of black and red color matched with red pajama under it perfectly.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in" He ordered.

A girl who seems to be about 18 to 19 years old entered wearing a brown frock. She had shiny black hair tied in a high pony tail touching her shoulders.

Room was painted white having a desk in the middle where his laptops were placed connected to each other with entangled wires.

"Sir, we have complied with your instructions successfully." She briefed with a low pitched voice. Her head was still facing the floor.

"Good work!" He took a pause.

"You can leave." Haider commanded.

"Have a good night sir." She replied and headed off outside the room.

"You did a mistake underestimating me Mr. Farris Hashmi!" Haider smiled and took the last sip of his coffee.