The Siege Begins
The walls trembled as another explosion shook the underground bunker.
Vikram and Aisha barely had time to process what was happening. The sound of gunfire echoed through the tunnels above them. Boots stormed the ground like a coordinated military operation.
Arun Bose remained eerily calm. He reached into a locked cabinet, pulling out an old leather satchel filled with documents.
"We need to move," he said. "Now."
Aisha grabbed Vikram's arm. "Who the hell are they?"
Bose's face darkened. "People who've waited decades to kill me."
Vikram's heart pounded. "Why?"
Bose swung open a hidden metal hatch in the floor. "Because I know something that can burn this country to the ground."
The Secret Tunnel
They climbed down a narrow ladder into an underground escape passage. The tunnel was damp, the air thick with dust and history.
Aisha's breathing was heavy. "Where does this lead?"
Bose didn't answer immediately. He reached into his satchel, pulling out an old, yellowed letter.
He handed it to Vikram.
Vikram unfolded it and read the first line.
'My final order. Burn this after reading. – S.C. Bose'
His blood ran cold.
Netaji's last order?
The Final Directive
Vikram read aloud:
'The war is not over. If you are reading this, it means I did not return. But India will be in danger again, from within. When that day comes, follow the Phoenix. Complete what I could not. Free India. For real this time.'
Aisha gasped. "What does that mean?"
Bose's expression hardened. "It means Netaji never stopped fighting. Even after 1945."
Another explosion ripped through the tunnel above them. The entrance collapsed, sealing them in darkness.
Bose didn't even flinch. He pulled out an old revolver, checked the ammunition, and kept walking.
"We're running out of time," he muttered.
Vikram gritted his teeth. They were in the middle of something much bigger than they had ever imagined.
The Betrayal
They reached the end of the tunnel—a rusted iron door leading to an old abandoned railway yard.
But as Bose reached for the handle—
A gunshot rang out.
The bullet ripped through his shoulder.
Bose staggered, cursing. Blood soaked through his sleeve.
Vikram and Aisha turned—only to see a familiar face emerge from the shadows.
It was Ajay Mehta.
The same intelligence officer who had warned Vikram to stay away.
And he was pointing a gun directly at them.
"Step away from the door," Ajay said, his voice ice-cold.
Vikram's stomach churned. "You… you're working with them?"
Ajay tilted his head. "Kid, you have no idea who 'them' is."
Bose staggered forward, gripping his wound. "Let me guess. RAW? IB? Or something even dirtier?"
Ajay didn't answer. Instead, he tossed a folder toward Vikram's feet.
"Open it," he said.
Vikram hesitated—then picked it up. His hands shook as he flipped through the pages.
His entire world collapsed.
The Classified Files
Inside were dozens of documents.
Old intelligence reports. Declassified Soviet files. Photographs from 1971.
And on the last page—
An official Indian government order.
'Subject: Operation Phoenix – Target: Arun Bose
Objective: Termination at all costs.
Status: Active.
Authorization: Prime Minister's Office.'
Vikram froze. His throat went dry.
Aisha whispered, "The government wants him dead?"
Bose wiped blood from his mouth and laughed bitterly. "What did I tell you? They've been hunting me for decades."
Ajay sighed. "It's not personal."
Bose snarled. "Like hell it isn't."
Ajay tightened his grip on the gun. "You're too dangerous. You know too much."
Vikram felt his mind spinning. The government had tried to erase Netaji. Now they were erasing the last man who knew the truth.
And they had walked straight into a trap.
The Stand-Off
Ajay cocked his gun. "Give me the files. Walk away."
Bose clenched his fists. "Not happening."
Aisha stepped forward, anger burning in her eyes.
"Tell us the truth," she said. "What's really happening?"
Ajay hesitated. Just for a second.
And in that second—
Bose moved.
He lunged forward, grabbing Ajay's arm and twisting it sharply. The gun fired—barely missing Vikram.
Ajay cursed, struggling, but Bose was stronger, faster. The gun clattered to the ground.
Vikram grabbed it.
Ajay froze.
Vikram's hands trembled as he aimed the weapon at Ajay's chest.
Bose wiped the blood from his lip. "The kid's got a choice to make."
Ajay's expression remained unreadable. "So what now? You're going to shoot me?"
Vikram's mind raced.
Everything was spiraling out of control.
He had been searching for the truth. And now he was holding a gun, standing between a traitor and a man who had been erased from history.
The Escape
Suddenly—sirens.
The sound of vehicles approaching.
Aisha grabbed Vikram's wrist. "We have to go."
Bose didn't hesitate. He shoved Ajay aside and kicked open the iron door.
Bright moonlight spilled into the tunnel.
"Move!" Bose shouted.
They ran.
Behind them, Ajay didn't fire.
Instead, he just stood there, watching them disappear into the night.
And as Vikram turned back for a final look—
Ajay smiled.
Not a smile of defeat.
A smile that said: 'You haven't won yet.'