Eye in the Net

Aargh!!

"Aargh...!! Four o'clock morning-not so soon again!" wailed Neil, as the alarm clock rang. It seemed to him that just a few moments ago, it was five in the evening the previous day, when he resigned to his cozy bed. He was simply opposed to the habit of getting up with the lark!

Neil swiftly started to prepare himself to get to the Assembly Hall. After half an hour, the official loudspeaker in his room cackled to life. "Neilavo Roychowdhury, everybody is in the Assembly, except you. You are ordered to arrive immediately. Commander Tandon out."

Commander Akshar Tandon- the legend whom Neil has never seen sleeping ever since Neil had entered RAW. What metal that man is forged with, nobody knows! No sleep marks below his eyes, but eyes which exhibited steely determination and flaming ambition, along with the appearance of Apollo, and a personality like Zeus. If anybody in RAW was feared by others, it was him. If anybody in RAW was highly respected by others, it was him. If anybody in RAW was looked upon by others as their role model, it was him. But Neil only feared him- goodness knows why!

Neil considered himself to be a social, amicable, and servile RAW agent- nothing more that will be wanted by a person who loves his job. By profession, he always wanted to be what he was now.

No, Neil did not have time enough to think about himself anymore. After getting ready, he sped towards the Assembly Hall.

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After Neil reached the Hall, he was detained by Commander Tandon, who gave him a last warning- Neil had previously already been late thrice. Then he was let off and allowed to join his colleagues.

As Neil sat in the front of his computer terminal, a voice came from behind, "Late again?" Neil knew the owner of the voice.

Radhika Basu.

Radhika Basu was not like a typical reticent Indian woman. Known for her smartness, she freely mixed with everyone. She was a great friend of Neil, and Neil was her buddy since childhood, and they were of the same age. Precisely, Radhika's birthday fell two days after Neil's.

"Yeah! What could I have done, I was cracking ciphers in my dreams, but that iron nut broke the nut cracker in my brain for today."

Radhika, feigning mock anger, asked him, "Should I tell the Commander what you are telling about him behind his back?"

Neil turned around, and signalled her not to tell about it to anyone. Then they jovially resumed their work.