Case Status : Closed

Some wounds don't bleed. They reload.

CASE STATUS: CLOSED

Victims: 23

Survivors: 1

Witness: Female. Age: 10

Statement: Incomplete.

Gunshots.

Blood everywhere.

A man wearing gloves-

a gold ring catching the dim light.

Everything appeared blurred. Faces. Walls. Screams.

Only the sound was sharp.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

Six shots.

Always six.

Flashbacks crashed violently.

A little girl hid in the narrow gap between the kitchen cupboard and the hall, her small body pressed tight, trembling as she watched death unfold through the slit. Even in her dreams, she never lost the count. She was murmuring in her sleep ...

One. ( pause )

Two. ( pause )

Three. ( pause)

Four . ( pause )

Five. ( pause )

Six. ( pause )

Her forehead was drenched in sweat. Tears pooled at the corners of her eyes. Her body burned, temperature rising, breaths uneven-

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

Her alarm rang.

Her eyes snapped open.

Her hand moved before her mind did-straight to the gun beneath her pillow.

BANG.

The alarm clock on the side table shattered into pieces.

Silence.

Her breathing steadied.

Ten seconds.

That was all it took for control to return.

This wasn't the first time.

And it wouldn't be the last.

◇•◇

Malhotra Strategic & Compliance Firm

11:00 A.M.

The office was alive.

Keyboards clacked. Phones rang. Interns complained about workload while secretly enjoying the prestige of being here.

Articleship was mandatory for professional exams-but getting it here was a dream few achieved.

After all it was India's No. 1 Strategic & Compliance Firm.

Built in just two years.

By a 23-year-old CA.

Aarohi Malhotra.

Near the coffee station, a group of interns huddled together-

Vivaan, Renu, Kirti, Keshav, and Tanishq.

"Has anyone actually seen her?" Kirti whispered.

"She's like a ghost," Tanishq replied. "Everyone knows her name. No one knows her face."

Vivaan smirked. "The manager just arrived. Let's ask her."

He nudged Renu. "You go."

Renu frowned. "Why me?"

Keshav grinned teasingly. "Because you can convince a bald man to buy a comb."

Groans and laughter followed.

They walked toward the manager-who also happened to be her personal secretary.

Kavya Sharma.

Renu spoke eagerly, hands clasped.

"Good morning, ma'am. I'm Renu Gupta. I'm really honoured to work here-in Miss Aarohi Malhotra's firm."

Kavya smiled politely. "Good morning, Renu. I hope you live up to our expectations."

Renu hesitated, then asked, " It will be my pleasure Ma'am... I was wondering If we could meet Miss Aarohi?"

Kavya's smile stiffened.

"Miss Renu... even we don't meet her often."

Vivaan opened his mouth. "But ma'am-"

Before he could finish-

A wine-coloured BMW rolled to a stop at the gate.

The engine fell silent.

The door opened.

One leg stepped out-Louboutin heels touching the ground with quiet authority.

Then she emerged.

All black.

A perfectly tailored suit hugging her frame. A belt with a golden infinity symbol gleamed at her waist. Sunglasses hid her eyes. Wavy brown hair brushed her collarbone. An expensive watch adorned her wrist.

A ring-simple, old-on her index finger.

At 5'6", heels sharpening her presence, slim and commanding, she walked like the ground belonged to her.

She handed her keys to the gatekeeper without a word and entered.

Silence swallowed the firm.

Fear. Awe. Shock.

A new intern choked on his coffee.

She walked past them-head high, back straight.

Not a single glance.

Straight to her cabin.

Her perfume lingered long after she disappeared.

Kriti , Eyes wide opened , murmered to herself in amused - barely audible " WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ?"

Vivaan whispered, "Oh my God... Keshav, did you see that?"

Keshav's jaw hung open. "I don't know. Pinch me."

Vivaan pinched him hard.

"Ow-Fuck off idiot !"

Renu turned slowly toward Kavya.

"Ma'am... who was she?"

Kavya swallowed, wiping sweat from her temple.

"That... was Miss Aarohi Malhotra."

Kirti whispered, "She's terrifying."

Tanishq murmured, "And unreal."

Kavya thought silently-

If she's here this early... something is wrong.

The phone on Kavya's desk rang.

She flinched.

In her rush, files slipped from her hands as she ran to answer.

"Y-yes, ma'am. I'm coming."

Aarohi's voice cut through the line-cold and lethal.

"Black coffee. And the client files whose audit hasn't been cleared yet."

"Yes, ma'am."

Before Kavya could hang up-

Aarohi spoke again.

"Is no one in this firm aware of the rules?"

Kavya froze. She hesitated, then murmured under in her thoughts

..

- She hears everything... doesn't she? What kind of rabbit ears does she even have? -

"They were new interns, ma'am. It won't happen again. I'm sorry."

A pause.

Then-

"I don't give second chances."

The call ended.

Inside her soundproof cabin, Aarohi Malhotra removed her sunglasses.

And the firm unknowingly breathed under the watch of a woman

who survived six bullets...

and learned how to fire back.

Kavya entered the cabin quietly.

She couldn't meet Aarohi's eyes.

Those almond eyes-lined sharp with black liner and mascara-were sirens now, burning with controlled anger.

Without a word, Kavya placed the coffee and files on the desk.

No greeting.

No apology.

Only obedience.

Aarohi leaned back into her queen-sized chair, her frame almost disappearing into it-yet somehow still commanding the entire room. One long leg crossed over the other as she flipped open the file, pages rustling softly in the heavy silence.

She scanned the documents once.

Twice.

Then her left brow lifted-slow, deliberate.

Dangerous.

Without lifting her eyes, she spoke, her voice calm enough to chill bone.

"Send Mr. Khanna," she paused, flipping a page, "and everyone associated with this client to my office."

Another page turned.

"Within five minutes."

Kavya swallowed.

"Yes, Miss."

She turned and left-quietly, efficiently-closing the door without a sound.

The moment the door sealed, the cabin returned to silence.

Only the hum of the air conditioner and the slow rhythm of Aarohi Malhotra's breathing remained.

Her fingers stopped on a particular page.

Audit discrepancies.

Overlooked figures.

A signature where there shouldn't have been one.

A slow, humourless smile curved her lips.

Sloppy.

Mr. Khanna had been with the firm since the beginning. A senior partner. Trusted. Respected.

And about to regret it.

Aarohi leaned back further, resting her elbow on the armrest, fingers brushing her temple.

Some people thought she built this empire with charm.

They were wrong.

She built it by not forgiving mistakes.

Outside, hurried footsteps echoed in the corridor.

Five minutes hadn't passed yet.

Good.

She liked efficiency.

Because in Aarohi Malhotra's world,

power didn't announce itself-

It summoned.

The door opened again.

Mr. Khanna walked in first-confident stride, practiced calm-followed by two associates. The room felt smaller the moment they stepped inside.

Aarohi didn't look up.She kept turning pages.

That silence did more damage than shouting ever could.

"Sit," she said finally.

They obeyed.

Mr. Khanna cleared his throat. "Miss Malhotra, I believe this meeting-"

She raised one finger.

He stopped mid-sentence.

Aarohi closed the file slowly and finally looked at them. Those almond eyes-lined sharp, dark, unreadable-cut through the room. The siren had teeth now.

"This audit," she said calmly, tapping the file, "was cleared without verification."

She slid the file across the desk.

"Explain."

One associate stammered. "M-Miss, Mr. Khanna supervised-"

"I didn't ask who supervised," Aarohi interrupted softly. "I asked why."

Mr. Khanna leaned back, irritation flashing across his face. "With due respect, Aarohi, I am a partner in this firm. Decisions-"

She smiled.

Just slightly.

That was his first mistake.

She pressed a button on the desk.

The screen behind them lit up.

Emails.

Signatures.

Timestamped approvals.

A hidden transfer routed through three shell accounts.

Silence fell like a blade.

Aarohi stood up.

Not rushed. Not dramatic.

Just inevitable.

"Partners," she said, voice icy, "protect the firm. They don't sell it."

Mr. Khanna's face drained of color.

"You have two options," she continued.

"Resign quietly... or I send this file to the board, the institute, and the enforcement wing before lunch."

His mouth opened. Closed.

The others couldn't even breathe.

Mr. Khanna stood abruptly. "You can't do this. I helped build this firm-"

She stepped closer.

Close enough that he had to look at her.

"You helped," she said, tone razor-thin, "but I own it."

A pause.

Then-

"I resign," he said hoarsely.

He swallowed hard. "I'm... sorry."

Aarohi turned away instantly.

"Leave," she ordered the others. "All of you."

They didn't hesitate.

The door shut.

Locked.

The silence that followed was heavier.

Mr. Khanna turned back. "Aarohi, this isn't necessary. We can-" He was about to grab her by shoulders

She moved.

Fast.

Decisive.

The sound echoed once-sharp, final.

Mr. Khanna cried out, collapsing back against the table, clutching his hand, she Broke his hand with one simple move , shock overtaking arrogance. Before he could recover, her fist connected-clean, controlled, calculated , just at his jaw which leads to bleeding of his lips.

Not rage.

Punishment.

She leaned in, voice low and deadly calm.

"Never," she said, "confuse position with power. NEVER EVER THINK OF GETTING CLOSE TO ME " Her words were cold and voice low still sharp enough to run through his spin , making him sweat ...

She straightened, composed already, adjusting her blazer like nothing had happened.

"Get medical help," she added coldly. "And pray I don't change my mind."

She unlocked the door.

Kavya stood frozen outside.

Aarohi walked past her without a glance.

"Clear my schedule," she said. "And inform the board."

"Yes, Miss," Kavya whispered.

As Aarohi returned to her chair, sinking into it like a throne reclaiming its queen, one truth echoed through the firm-

Aarohi Malhotra didn't raise her voice.

She ended people... A satisfing smirk soread over her face .