Chapter 24: Riya Mathur

The man's name was Laxman Sharma, who worked in a government tech company in Spain, but in reality, he was an Indian secret agent assisting Riya Mathur in her mission. He said that news of Charles' death would cause a sensation throughout France.

Riya said she would already be on a plane by the time news of Charles' death reached them. Indeed, she had already boarded a flight to India a short while later.

Two hours after leaving Charles' villa, the bodyguards still hadn't gone inside. Eventually, the leader of the bodyguards received a phone call from Charles, instructing him to check inside. When the bodyguard went to check, he found them all sleeping. Even after trying to wake Charles, who didn't respond, he checked his pulse, which was absent. After examining his neck and eyes, he realized Charles was dead.

He then attempted to wake the other girls, who were still sleeping. Realizing they were under the influence of sleeping pills, he noticed one girl was missing. Upon checking the backyard, he found a bodyguard unconscious. It became apparent to him that the missing girl had attacked and fled. He immediately reported this to his organization, and the photo of the girl began circulating widely. However, the girl in question didn't actually exist.

Meanwhile, Abhimanyu was getting free from school and practicing his military lessons in his room when Ammy entered.

Abhimanyu: "Why did you come to my room when you have a separate flat?"

Ammy: "I was getting bored in my room."

Abhimanyu: "Alright, let's do this. I'll teach you some moves, and you teach me some Scorpion techniques."

Ammy: "Or we could focus on romance."

Abhimanyu: "Then go back to your room."

Ammy: "Fine, I'll teach you the Scorpion techniques."

Ammy began by explaining that they need to make their bodies flexible through yoga and practice gymnastics before learning Scorpion techniques, which involve some deadly moves with weapons and nails. She mentioned that only girls are usually taught the nails technique since they contain dangerous toxins, and even a scratch can be fatal.

She showed Abhimanyu ten moves and asked him to practice them for the day.

Abhimanyu: "I need to master all the moves and techniques in one day for a Scorpion crash course."

Ammy: "Are you really that genius or trying to impress me?"

Ammy then shared everything she knew about the Scorpion family with Abhimanyu.

Saily: "I've analyzed everything and compiled all the data."

Abhimanyu: "Alright, now I'll practice these moves."

Abhimanyu was enthusiastic, but his gymnastics skills weren't as good, and his moves weren't as fluid as they should be. Nonetheless, he still looked like an action hero.

Abhimanyu also demonstrated some moves to Ammy and shared some more insights before suggesting she practice in her own flat.

Ammy immediately attacked Abhimanyu with his own techniques, but Abhimanyu swiftly countered with alternative moves, locking all her hands and legs to the ground.

Ammy: "Who attacks a girl like this?"

Abhimanyu: "I don't differentiate between genders."

Ammy: "Alright, are you planning to keep attacking me?"

Abhimanyu released her immediately, but as soon as Ammy got a chance, she attempted to attack Abhimanyu again. However, Abhimanyu dodged her once more and flipped her upside down on the ground.

Abhimanyu: "Rule number 2: Never drop your guard."

Ammy: "If you keep defeating me like this, I swear I'll fall in love with you and kiss you hard."

Abhimanyu immediately backed off and stood at a distance.

Abhimanyu also demonstrated some moves to Ammy and shared some more insights before suggesting she practice in her own flat.

Ammy immediately attacked Abhimanyu with his own techniques, but Abhimanyu swiftly countered with alternative moves, locking all her hands and legs to the ground.

Ammy said to Abhimanyu, "Who attacks a girl like this?"

Abhimanyu replied, "I don't differentiate between genders."

Ammy continued, "Alright, are you planning to keep attacking me?"

Abhimanyu released her immediately, but as soon as Ammy got a chance, she attempted to attack Abhimanyu again. However, Abhimanyu dodged her once more and flipped her upside down on the ground.

Abhimanyu then stated, "Rule number 2: Never drop your guard."

Ammy responded, "If you keep defeating me like this, I swear I'll fall in love with you and kiss you hard."

Abhimanyu immediately backed off and stood at a distance.

Ammy again attacked Abhimanyu using the moves he had taught her. Abhimanyu realized she wanted a practice match, so he also utilized Ammy's moves to counterattack. They continued their fighting until 7 pm, both becoming tired and lying on the ground.

Gradually, Ammy moved closer to Abhimanyu and said, "You've learned my moves very quickly."

Abhimanyu replied, "I've only learned the basics so far, but you've become quite skilled."

Ammy asked, "What do you call this technique of yours?"

Abhimanyu answered, "It's called the Demon Technique. Its origin is very ancient, and my grandfather taught it to me."

Ammy remarked, "You seem quite tired now."

Abhimanyu responded, "I'm not tired, just taking a little rest."

Ammy attempted one last move, but Abhimanyu blocked it again, holding onto both of her hands.

Exhausted, Ammy got up and went to her room to freshen up. Abhimanyu also went to shower and then started preparing dinner for three people.

Later, when Aakash arrived, all three of them had dinner together.

Aakash said, "It's possible I may have to go out for 2 to 3 months. Will you be able to manage yourself during that time?"

Abhimanyu replied, "Yes, there won't be any problem."

Abhimanyu asked, "By the way, where are you going and what about your training?"

Aakash replied, "I'll continue my training there. Apart from that, you can inform me about everything else together."

Abhimanyu agreed, "Alright, I'll send you the daily routine."

The next day, after dropping Abhimanyu and Ammy off at school, Aakash went to a military headquarters, which was Ramakant's headquarters. Upon reaching there, when he showed the guard his reason for coming and the letter, he was allowed inside and was instructed to wait in a corridor to the right. He was told to give an interview when called inside.

When Aakash arrived there, Bhawna was already sitting there. He went and sat beside her.

On the other side, in the headquarters, the Chief of the Intelligence Bureau, Yash Shrivastav, was having a meeting with Ramakant when Riya Mathur entered.

Riya Mathur saluted and said, "Good morning, sir."

IB Chief Yash Shrivastav replied, "A very good morning, Captain Riya Mathur."

Ramakant also greeted her, "A very good morning, Riya."

Despite being only 20 years old, Riya had already reached the rank of captain due to her missions and training. Before this, she had been the leader of Delhi's young soldiers.

IB Chief Shrivastav said, "I apologize, Riya. I know you've just returned from a mission, and I am assigning you a task."

Riya asked, "Yes, sir. Please tell me what to do."

IB Chief Shrivastav explained, "I need two new candidates for my team. I want you to train them to become the best officers of the Intelligence Bureau."

Riya responded, "But, sir, I myself am from the Intelligence Bureau."

IB Chief replied, "I have already spoken to your chief. Now tell me, what do you want to do? Teach them whatever you know. I know your department deals with international matters, but we also need the best officers for national matters. Moreover, those who have been called for selection here are already the best; they just need further refining. They won't need to work too hard."

Riya agreed, "Alright, but I'll personally select them."

Meanwhile, in the corridor, there were other candidates besides Aakash and Bhawna. After a while, one candidate was called inside and came out after 10 minutes. Similarly, a few more candidates arrived, and then it was Bhawna's turn. When Bhawna went inside, she was surprised to see only a 20-year-old girl sitting in the interviewer's place. However, she didn't judge her based on her age and stood there until Riya asked her to sit.

After Bhawna sat down, Riya said, "I will ask you only one question, and if you can answer it satisfactorily, you will be selected; otherwise, rejected."

Riya continued, "There is a closed room where a couple was sleeping, but when the husband woke up in the morning, he found his wife's body lying there. She had been stabbed to death, but the marks on the knife were not on her husband's hand but on her wife's fingers. Tell me, is this a murder or a suicide?"

Bhawna replied, "It could be both. Can I know about both of their professions?"

Riya explained, "The husband is a novel writer who writes crime stories, and the wife was a painter who had a passion for painting."

Bhawna asked, "Were there any signs of struggle or injury on her body?"

Riya replied, "No, there were no signs of struggle."

Bhawna concluded, "Then it is a murder."

Riya countered, "But we also have a recording in which she admitted to committing suicide."

Bhawna suggested, "Perhaps her husband recorded the confession to use it for a scene in his novel since he is a novel writer."

Riya decided, "Selected. Go to the next room."

After that, Bhawna went inside another room.

Next, Riya called in the next candidate and asked him the same question, but he said it was a suicide.

Riya inquired, "But why do you think so?"

The man explained, "Both their blood samples contained sleeping pills, and the bullet found in her food must have been prepared by his wife."

Aliya interjected, "But I didn't say that the food was prepared by his wife."

The man reasoned, "It's common sense."

Riya countered, "However, if we can determine who prepared the food, we can find out whether it was murder or suicide, right?"

The man acknowledged, "Correct. Despite being only 20 years old, you are quite intelligent."

Riya concluded, "Alright, you can go now."

The man got up and left, and then Aakash entered. He was the last candidate.

Riya asked him the same question.

Aakash's first question was whether there were indeed sleeping pills in both their blood samples.

Riya confirmed, "Yes."

Aakash concluded, "Then it is a murder, and the murder was committed by her husband."

Riya questioned, "But don't you see the possibility that someone else could be the murderer?"

Aakash responded, "It's possible that anyone could have killed her, but initially, suspicion will fall on her husband."

Riya asked, "But how can you be so sure that it's a murder?"

Aakash replied, "Because why would someone take sleeping pills and then stab themselves?"

Riya countered, "But when did I say that sleeping pills were found in their food?"

Aakash questioned, "So are you suggesting that someone could murder your spouse and leave while you're in deep sleep? That's only possible if you were given sleeping pills. But since she didn't want to suspect herself, she must have dissolved the pills in water, washed the glass, and kept it in a box, then went back to sleep. And she must have given the sleeping pills to her wife too, so she could easily kill her."

Riya argued, "But it's also possible that someone else drugged them both and left peacefully."

Aakash reasoned, "If someone had access to their house keys, they could have given them to someone else. Besides, if there's no secret passage to their room, then only her husband could have committed the murder. Perhaps her husband is a psycho who knows a lot about crimes. Maybe he's a serial killer or a criminal detective whose mind has gone astray, or even a novel writer who's an expert in crime stories."

Riya asked, "What do you have for breakfast?"

Aakash replied, "I usually eat fruits in the morning."

Riya said, "Alright, you're selected. Is there anyone left?"

Aakash replied, "No, I was the last one."

Riya said, "Okay, let's go inside then." They entered the room where Abhimanyu was already seated.

Riya informed them, "From now on, both of you are officers of the Intelligence Bureau. But before I proceed, let me tell you that you'll have to stay here for two months for training. Apart from being your trainer, I must also clarify that I'm not an officer of the Intelligence Bureau. I cannot reveal who I am, but know this, I am from the army, holding the rank of captain."

Bhawana, with surprise, asked, "Captain rank at such a young age?"

But Aakash wasn't surprised by this because his younger brother was already a Lieutenant.

Riya smiled and said, "You seem skeptical, but maybe your fellow mate has already put their trust in me."

Aakash replied confidently, "I trust you, ma'am."

Riya nodded and said, "Alright, your training starts today. If you need to talk to any relatives or anyone else, do it now because you'll be spending the next three months together in hell."

On the other side, after lunch, it was time for club activities at school.

Abhimanyu was playing a game on a computer there when Vayu said, "Bro, there's an eSports tournament starting from next week for a week. Will you participate in Battlefield?"

Abhimanyu replied, "I'll participate, but keep my name as a backup, as I might not be able to make it."

Vayu said, "Alright, just take the part."

Meanwhile, Abhimanyu was playing with full strategy. He was stuck inside a building, and there was still a full squad in the building, with only one round left in his gun, just 30 bullets, and one grenade. They were on the 1st and 2nd floors.

Vayu was closely watching the gameplay, and the other kids present there were also tensely observing Abhimanyu.

Abhimanyu went outside the building where there were some boxes stacked up, allowing him to jump up, but to get to the 2nd floor, he had to use the stairs inside.

Abhimanyu somehow climbed onto the boxes, where two players were aiming from the stairs. He saw them and knocked them both down, but he ran out of ammo, and there was no loot to replenish it. The area had become very small, and only that squad was left.

The two players were knocked down, so the other two players began shooting recklessly from below, but Abhimanyu had moved to the side of the window. They aimed at the stairs, shooting below, then took cover, and one player started reviving the others. Abhimanyu pulled the pin of a grenade and aimed it at them. When there were only 3 seconds left, he threw the grenade at them, causing all of them to be killed, and Abhimanyu won.

Vayu remarked, "That's what you call gameplay."

Abhimanyu received a message that he had been assigned a new mission to find their Principal, Shubham, who was hiding somewhere in Bahadurgarh. He had been spotted at a restaurant in the area but had changed his appearance. The police were also searching for him, but they hadn't found any leads.

Abhimanyu thought to himself, "So, I just have to find Shubham based on this one clue?"

Vayu suggested, "Let's play in squad mode now."

Abhimanyu started the game, but his focus was on his goggles. He asked Saily to show him the footage from the restaurant.

Abhimanyu watched the footage, seeing a man sitting alone eating. He wore a flower-print shirt, green half pants, and his skin appeared foreign. He had brown hair on his head, and a mustache and beard, giving him a tourist-like appearance.

Abhimanyu said, "That's definitely our principal."

Vayu asked, "Who?"

Abhimanyu replied, "No one, just talking about enemies."

Abhimanyu then said quietly, "Check all the cameras in Bahadurgarh and see if he appears elsewhere."

Saily accessed all the cameras in Bahadurgarh that she could and fast-forwarded through the footage, trying to find the man and his attire. After half an hour, a photo of his back appeared from a camera, indicating a small restaurant. However, there were no cameras inside the restaurant, but the man's back was visible. Saily confirmed that it was the same man, and the restaurant seemed nearby.

Abhimanyu asked, "Whose name is the restaurant under? Can you check?"

After searching for a while, Saily said, "The restaurant is owned by someone named Sandeep, and it's located near Bahadurgarh, with no criminal record."

Two hours later, they stood outside the restaurant, both having changed their appearance.They entered the Chinese restaurant and took a seat. It was just the two of them inside, with only one person working in the kitchen and an accountant sitting nearby.

Ammy asked, "Why did we come here in the end?"

Abhimanyu said, "I thought of taking you to a nice place for dinner."

Ammy replied, "So, that's why you brought me to a Chinese restaurant?"

Abhimanyu confirmed, "Yes."

Saily informed them that a computer was running underground, and she was trying to track it. After a while, she reported that there was also a camera attached to the computer, and she was opening it.

Through the audio, Abhimanyu realized that besides Shubham, there was another person there.

Upon seeing this, Abhimanyu stood up from the table and started to move towards the door to go downstairs. However, the owner stopped him, insisting that he couldn't go there.

Ignoring the owner's warning, Abhimanyu tried to enter the room, but the cook, who was not the usual one, attempted to stop him. However, Ammy intervened, grabbing the man's hand and causing him to fall with her legs.

Seeing this, the owner jumped over the counter to attack, but Ammy swiftly knocked him unconscious. The owner had a kitchen knife and a big ladle in his hands. He first tried to attack with the ladle, but Ammy dodged it. Then, he attempted to stab her with the knife, but Ammy dodged again with a backflip. The cook relentlessly continued his attack, but Ammy managed to evade his strikes and then delivered a powerful kick to his face, sending him staggering backward, and Ammy gracefully landed on the floor.