The hum of Saksham Industries' corporate tower was almost musical to Dushiant as he entered on the third day of his infiltration. As always, he moved with calculated ease—his suit immaculate, his expression neutral, his steps confident yet unhurried. Every moment in the building was a chance to observe, to infiltrate deeper not just into the infrastructure but into the human psychology of those who ran it.
Today's mission was simple: get closer to Ranjan Malhotra.
Dushiant had spent years understanding people—their words, their body language, their silences. Ranjan was no exception. A man in his late 40s with a sharp suit and sharper instincts, Ranjan had a habitual smirk that didn't quite reach his eyes. He was cordial but cold, careful but arrogant. A classic power player.
Dushiant, now officially an HR assistant under Ravi Tripathi, had observed that Ranjan maintained a private lounge on the 20th floor. Few employees dared to disturb him there unless summoned. Dushiant's plan was to create a valid reason to be summoned.
He began the day early, scanning Ravi's pending files. Ravi, as always, had arrived late and was already flirting with a junior intern near the breakroom. His behavior was becoming more erratic and openly sleazy.
Dushiant filed a mental note—more proof for his eventual exposure.
Instead, he focused on an HR policy review that was long overdue. The file contained data Ranjan had personally requested three weeks ago, but Ravi had never passed it on. Dushiant saw his chance.
He printed a clean copy, formatted the charts with visual clarity, and placed it inside a sleek black folder. Then, with deliberate timing, he asked the receptionist to inform Ranjan that "Parth Bhardwaj from HR" wished to personally deliver the updated review.
Ten minutes later, Ranjan's assistant escorted him to the executive floor. The hallway was carpeted in dark grey, the walls adorned with modernist art. A diffused scent of pinewood filled the air.
"Sir, Mr. Bhardwaj is here with the HR review."
Ranjan looked up from his tablet, the blue light casting sharp shadows across his cheekbones.
"Send him in."
Dushiant stepped in and offered the folder with a polite nod.
"I took the liberty of reformatting the data for clarity, sir. Some of the older figures were inconsistent with the recent payroll updates."
Ranjan raised an eyebrow. "Did Ravi ask you to do this?"
"No, sir," Dushiant replied. "But I noticed the inconsistency and thought it best to escalate."
Ranjan flipped through the pages, silent for a few moments. Then, to Dushiant's surprise, he chuckled.
"You know how many interns walk into this building with stars in their eyes and nothing in their heads?" he said. "But you seem... different."
"I try to be useful, sir. Efficient, if nothing else."
Ranjan closed the folder. "I like efficiency. It's a dying trait."
That was all the opening Dushiant needed. For the next fifteen minutes, he discussed minor HR irregularities, suggesting subtle ways to reduce redundancy and optimize onboarding processes—nothing major, just enough to catch attention.
As he left, Ranjan said, "Drop by again if you see something useful. I prefer initiative over obedience."
Mission accomplished.
---
Back at the HR department, Ravi was ranting to someone on the phone. "No, damn it, I said fifteen thousand per intern! These college kids are desperate—they'll pay up!"
He ended the call just as Dushiant entered.
"Where were you?" Ravi asked, eyeing him with irritation.
"Delivering the updated HR review to Mr. Malhotra. He seemed pleased with it."
Ravi scoffed. "Trying to impress the higher-ups? Tch. Just do your job and don't overstep."
"I'll keep that in mind, sir," Dushiant replied smoothly, hiding his smirk.
He noticed the computer on Ravi's desk was open, an email draft visible. On instinct, he made a mental note of the title: "Subject: Intern List for Interview Manipulation."
Interesting.
By lunchtime, Dushiant had collected three new stories from female interns about Ravi's behavior. One of them, a girl named Nisha, had almost quit after being told she'd get a permanent role if she joined him for dinner. Disgusting.
Dushiant had had enough.
---
In the evening, he returned to his rented apartment and set up a private server. He began compiling audio recordings—he had already planted a tiny voice recorder under Ravi's desk chair. Every slimy word was being cataloged.
He also pulled company CCTV footage from elevators and corridors using his backdoor scripts. Sure enough, Ravi was often seen hovering too close to interns, touching their backs, laughing too loud.
He created a new folder: "Operation Leech".
But tonight, he needed to review Ranjan's profile deeper. If Ranjan was really just a bait, he might still unknowingly lead Dushiant to bigger clues.
He scanned news archives, corporate articles, press releases. Ranjan had risen quickly in the company—faster than most. He was known for his ambition and close partnership with Pandey.
He also had a daughter studying in Canada—an important detail. That meant he was unlikely to be involved in violent activities. His motives would be power or money—not murder.
So why threaten Saksham?
That was a question Dushiant intended to answer in the coming days. But first—Ravi.
---
The next morning, Dushiant arrived even earlier than usual. He prepared an anonymous report detailing Ravi's unethical practices and harassment, backed with initial audio evidence and screenshots of suspicious transactions. He used an encrypted VPN to send the file to the internal complaints division and CC'd Aditi Sharma anonymously.
Then he waited.
By afternoon, whispers began circulating. HR heads were being called upstairs. Ravi looked increasingly agitated, pacing back and forth.
Around 3 PM, two internal security guards entered and asked Ravi to accompany them.
"What's going on?" Ravi barked.
"Internal inquiry, sir. Please cooperate."
Ravi threw a suspicious glare at everyone, his eyes narrowing at Dushiant, but the damage was done.
He was escorted out of the floor.
Later that day, Bhattacharya entered the HR office and looked around.
"Until further notice, Mr. Parth Bhardwaj will report directly to me."
Everyone stared. Dushiant just nodded.
The leech was gone. The path to Ranjan was clear.
And so, another day closed in the heart of Saksham Industries.
Dushiant was no longer just an intern.
He was the shadow rising.
To be continued....