Trust Tested
The abandoned railway tunnel outside Kolkata was silent except for the slow crunch of boots on gravel. Aarav's eyes darted across the darkness, fingers wrapped tight around the pistol Aryan had given him. Behind him, Meera walked silently, her hands shaking, heart pounding. Major Aryan was ahead—focused, alert, but unusually quiet.
Aarav noticed.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" he asked.
Major Aryan paused. "Because if I say what I'm thinking... you might turn around and run."
Meera's breath caught. "What do you mean?"
He turned to them slowly. "We've reached the edge of something far worse than any of us imagined. The real enemy… isn't behind us. He's been inside the system for decades."
Enemy in Disguise
A loud click echoed through the tunnel. Aarav spun—two armed men stood at the entrance.
"DROP YOUR WEAPONS!" one barked.
Aryan didn't flinch. Instead, he stepped forward slowly, pulling out an old ID badge—something even Aarav hadn't seen before.
It read:
Special Ops — Ghost Division
Codename: Rudra
The soldiers froze.
"Stand down," Aryan commanded.
And they did.
Aarav stared at him. "What is this? Who are you really?"
Aryan looked at him, no smile this time. "I wasn't just protecting your father's legacy, Aarav. I was part of it."
The Tape
They reached a small chamber inside the tunnel. On a rusted table sat a single cassette tape. Aryan pressed play.
Netaji's voice crackled through:
"If this message is found, then I am no more. But remember, India's freedom is not complete. A greater war is coming—one of minds, lies, and betrayal. And my army will rise again… Azad Hind will rise again."
Silence.
Meera whispered, "He knew everything…"
Aarav was frozen.
His father had spent his life chasing this tape. And now… here it was.
A Betrayer in the Ranks
Before they could speak, a loud explosion rocked the tunnel.
Smoke. Screams. Gunfire.
Aryan pushed Aarav and Meera behind a pillar.
"They found us. MOVE!"
A group of masked men stormed in—armed, trained, ruthless. One of them raised his hand.
"Leave Aryan Sen. Bring the boy alive."
Meera gasped. "They want you dead."
Aryan loaded his weapon. "Let them try."
What followed was chaos. Gunfire lit the shadows. Aryan moved like a machine, dropping enemies with precision. Aarav grabbed Meera's hand and ran deeper into the tunnel.
One bullet grazed his arm, but he didn't stop.
They had to survive.
One Name. One Monster.
As they escaped through a service hatch, Aarav clutched the tape tightly.
Aryan caught up, bleeding but alive. He leaned in close and whispered just one name:
"General Virat Sinha."
Aarav froze.
That was the current Chief of Defence.
The man honored by the government every Republic Day.
Meera shook her head. "No. It can't be him."
Aryan's voice was like steel. "He was part of the operation that killed Netaji. He leads the Council of Silence now. He controls everything."
Aarav felt the ground shift under him.
If what Aryan said was true… then the enemy had already won.
Unless they could bring the truth out.
Unless they could rise.
Unless they became what his father once was—
A flame that could not be silenced.