BETWEEN STRINGS AND SHADOWS

Chapter-8

Night had already fallen by the time Arjun gently guided Swathi into their home. His mother rushed forward, tears spilling down her cheeks as she embraced her daughter tightly. His father stood behind, shaken but relieved. Arjun watched them for a moment, silently promising himself that no one would ever lay a hand on his sister again.

After making sure Swathi was safe, cared for, and surrounded by her family, he turned and left — his jaw tight, his fists clenched. He still had unfinished business.

The cold white light in the interrogation room buzzed faintly above, casting sharp shadows across the bruised faces of the two men chained to the table. Arjun stood on the other side, arms crossed, his eyes locked on them with a fury that hadn't cooled since he found Swathi.

He slammed a file onto the table, making both men flinch.

“You kidnapped a seventeen-year-old girl. You left her tied up in a goddamn factory. You think staying quiet will protect you?”

The man on the left smirked through a split lip. “We’ve seen worse than you, officer.”

Arjun’s jaw clenched. “You won’t see much longer if you don’t start talking.”

The second man looked up, his mouth twitching with restrained laughter. “We don’t know names. We follow orders.”

“Whose orders?” Arjun snapped.

The man shrugged. “Does it matter? You’re already too late.”

Arjun slammed his hand down on the table. “WHO’S RUNNING THIS?” he shouted, voice echoing through the room.

A beat of silence.

Then one of them muttered under his breath, too low for the other to stop him in time, “Rekha Menon wouldn’t want her name in your report.”

The other man stiffened.

Arjun’s eyes narrowed. “What did you just say?”

The room went still.

“Who is Rekha Menon?” he asked, quieter this time, dangerous.

They looked away.

Arjun leaned in, grabbing one by the collar. “Who is she?!”

But they said nothing more. Just silence. Arrogance. That smirk again.

Something inside him snapped.

In one violent swing, Arjun’s fist landed hard against the man’s face. Blood splattered. The other man shouted, but Arjun grabbed him next. Chaos erupted — punches, screams, rage — until the officers outside burst in.

But by then… it was over.

Both men were dead.

—

Hours later, Arjun stood in front of his higher official’s desk, hands behind his back, blood still crusted on his knuckles.

The Commissioner — stern, controlled, grey hair slicked back — looked at him with thinly veiled disappointment.

“You crossed the line, Inspector,” he said coldly. “This isn’t justice. This is murder in uniform.”

“They kidnapped my sister,” Arjun replied, voice low. “They laughed in my face. You don’t know what that’s like.”

“I don’t care what they did,” the Commissioner said sharply. “We don’t get to decide who lives or dies. We follow the law.”

Arjun stepped forward, voice tightening. “The law wouldn’t have protected her. The law isn’t fast enough for people like them.”

“And now?” The Commissioner stood. “You just eliminated two of the only leads we had. And for what? Revenge?”

Silence.

The Commissioner sighed. “You’re suspended, effective immediately. Hand over your badge.”

Arjun didn’t flinch. He reached into his coat, removed the badge, and placed it on the desk.

“You’re off the case,” the Commissioner added. “Stay out of it.”

Arjun met his gaze. “I’m not done.”

Without another word, he turned and walked out.

His badge stayed on the table.

But his hunt had only just begun.

Arjun gripped the steering wheel tightly, the weight of his suspension pressing down on him like a stone. The road ahead was blurry in the late evening light, but his mind was elsewhere—filled with frustration, guilt, and the image of Swathi tied up in that factory.

Just as he took a sharp turn near a small tea stall, he saw a familiar figure walking along the roadside. Indu. Her head was down, earphones plugged in, lost in her own world.

Arjun slowed the car, debating whether to keep driving. But something in him couldn’t ignore the coincidence. He pulled over.

She looked up, surprised. “Arjun?”

He didn’t say anything for a beat, then nodded. “Need a lift?”

She smiled softly, jogging up to the car. “What are the odds? Thanks, I was just heading back home.”

The silence in the car was thick as she settled in. Indu, sensing the tension in Arjun’s body, tried to lighten the mood. “You look like someone who fought ten goons and still didn’t win.”

Arjun didn’t laugh. He just stared ahead and muttered, “Something like that.”

Her smile faded. She turned to him, puzzled. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” he replied, sharper than intended.

She paused, her fingers fiddling with her bag strap. She’d been thinking about this moment for days. Maybe now was the right time. Maybe she could cheer him up.

“Arjun,” she began carefully, “there’s something I wanted to tell you.”

He didn’t respond. Just kept driving.

“I like you,” she said suddenly. “I know this might be random, and maybe badly timed but—”

“Indu,” he snapped, stopping the car by the roadside, his voice clipped, “not now.”

She stared at him, startled. Her face fell.

“I’ve got too much going on. This… this is not the time.”

Without waiting for a response, Arjun stepped out, walked around, and opened her door.

She stepped out slowly, holding back her words. “Sorry… I didn’t mean to—”

He was already back in the car. The engine roared back to life, and in seconds, he was gone.

Indu stood there on the pavement, a mix of guilt and hurt swimming in her eyes, watching the red tail lights disappear into the distance.

Hope you like the chapter. Please feel free to let me know what you think about it...