Location: Arjun's Apartment, Pune – Night
Back in Pune, Arjun rode in with the weight of silence on his shoulders. The wind on the highway did little to clear his head. That blurred photo of ROXX kept flashing in his mind like a warning light in a tunnel. What was that cargo? Why at night? And what was Sonal's role in all of this?
He reached home, parked his Bullet, and slumped into the couch. Just then, his phone buzzed.
> Sonal: "Hey, sorry… been super busy. Will call later."
Arjun stared at the message for a long moment. It felt cold, distant. Not the Sonal he knew. Or maybe, the Sonal he thought he knew.
He typed a reply… then deleted it. Twice. He finally put the phone aside, letting silence answer for him.
---
Scene 10: Reunion of Old Bonds
Next Morning – Arjun's Apartment
Arjun was still groggy from a restless night when his phone rang again — this time, an unknown number.
Arjun (answering, half-asleep): "Hello?"
Voice on the other end, vibrant and familiar:
"Guess who's back in India, you stubborn introvert!"
Arjun froze for a second. A spark lit in his weary eyes.
Arjun (jumping up): "Ravi?! You idiot! Where the hell have you been?!"
Ravi (laughing): "Landed in Mumbai last night. Met dad this morning — he told me you're working in Pune now. Bro, I had to call you!"
A rare grin spread across Arjun's face — the kind he hadn't worn in a long time. Ravi's voice felt like sunlight breaking through fog.
Ravi: "I'll be in Pune by afternoon. Meet me. We're catching up today. No excuses."
---
Scene 11: Cafe Skylight – Evening
It was almost sunset when Arjun entered Cafe Skylight, a cozy rooftop café nestled above the city's chaos. He spotted Ravi instantly — same confident smile, slightly mature now, but still carrying that mischievous spark.
The hug was tight — years dissolved in that one moment.
Ravi (teasing): "Still wearing the same boring shirts, huh?"
Arjun (grinning): "At least I don't look like a startup CEO trying to raise funding at a bar."
Laughter echoed. The conversation flowed effortlessly — from college memories to silly pranks, from old crushes to forgotten dreams. Somewhere between the laughter, Arjun opened up.
Arjun (softly):
"Life just… slowed down after Dada passed away. I kept working… but somewhere, I lost the fire I once had."
Ravi (serious now):
"Then maybe it's time to light it up again."
Arjun looked up.
Ravi:
"I've started my own company. A financial consultancy and investment firm — global scale. Expanding operations in India now. And I want you with me."
Arjun (stunned): "Me?"
Ravi (nodding): "As Director – Financial Audit & Compliance."
Arjun's smile faded into hesitation.
Arjun:
"Director? Ravi… I'm not an IIM guy. No MBA. Just a B.Com graduate who's been managing files and numbers."
Ravi leaned forward, voice firm.
"You're the most grounded, honest, analytical mind I know. I don't need someone with flashy degrees. I need someone I trust. That's you."
Arjun looked down, torn.
Ravi:
"Come home. Meet my dad. You'll understand."
---
Scene 12: A Door to a New World
Location: Ravi's Family Villa – Pune Outskirts – Night
The villa hadn't changed much. It was still warm, familiar — like a chapter Arjun never fully turned.
Ravi's father stepped out of his study and paused, eyes lighting up in surprise.
Ravi's Father:
"Arjun! You've become a man now."
They hugged — heartfelt and nostalgic. Over dinner, the old bond rekindled like a slow-burning ember.
Ravi's Father (with conviction):
"Experience doesn't come from titles. It comes from choices, loss, and responsibility. You've earned that."
That night, Arjun sat alone on the balcony. The stars blinked softly in the sky, as if listening.
> "Maybe it's time… to rise," he whispered.
But he wasn't ready to decide. Not yet.
---
Scene 13: Shadows in the Ledger
Location: Pune Office – Next Morning
Arjun sat at his desk, flipping through files. His mind wasn't in accounting mode — it was in detective mode.
He opened the factory project folder. Every line, every invoice, every log — he scanned them all. Especially the Goods Receipt Notes (GRNs). He checked timestamps. No record matched the timing of that late-night delivery.
Purchase orders – clean.
Vendor entries – standard.
Inventory logs – intact.
Nothing mentioned Roxx. Nothing looked suspicious. Too clean.
He tried to access surveillance footage — denied.
> "Access Restricted – Admin Authorization Required."
Arjun (murmuring):
"Why restrict surveillance from a senior accountant?"
---
Scene 14: The Silent Investigation Begins
That night, Arjun couldn't sleep again. He scribbled notes on a notepad, trying to piece together a timeline.
> "Truck at 11:00 PM. Scientists seen near the cargo. Armed guards. Boxes labeled 'ROXX'."
He began a silent investigation in parallel to his official job:
Checked vendor payment trails.
Analyzed electricity consumption at the Kolhapur site.
Tracked petty cash records, fuel receipts, night-shift driver logs.
Even interviewed casual workers over tea, fishing for clues.
One interesting detail emerged: unusual fuel expense vouchers between 10 PM – 2 AM, but no delivery logs matched those.
He cross-referenced security personnel payments — some names didn't match the company's official roster.
> "Truth hides between the lines," he reminded himself.
On his desk now was a hand-drawn timeline, photos, note tags, and a single clue highlighted in red:
> "ROXX – What is it?"
---
Scene 15: Dual Conflict Begins
Meanwhile, at the Kolhapur site, Sonal and Brian were getting closer — at least professionally. Arjun noticed subtle changes in Sonal's tone, her body language, the way she mentioned Brian in passing.
Brian, on the other hand, was overly confident. He wasn't just acting like a stakeholder; he was behaving like a silent owner.
Arjun's instincts screamed — something's not right. Who exactly is Brian Welling? Why is he operating so freely in a project that's technically still under Indian real estate development?
Was Sonal aware? Or was she just caught in the web unknowingly?
The heartbreak Arjun once felt now turned into suspicion.
He decided to visit Kolhapur again — but this time not as a company accountant, but as a silent observer. He told the team it was a file audit. But in truth, he wanted to trace the shadows behind ROXX.
And perhaps… the cracks behind Sonal's silence.
---
(To be continued…)