Page 53 of The Pursuit
As we rejoined the festivities, my phone buzzed with another message from Krish. I couldn’t wait to share the details of our mischievous antics with him later, knowing he would find it both vexing and endearing. Such was the nature of our love—a perfect blend of playfulness, protectiveness, and an unbreakable bond that could weather any storm.
But the moment I opened the message, my heart skipped a beat. It was a red alert from Krish.
‘Code Red. Get Meher back to Shergill Mansion.’
The instant I read it, I alerted the guards to prepare the vehicles. What was wrong? Why did Krish send that kindof an urgent message? I dialled his number, but the call wouldn’t connect. Without creating chaos or drawing attention, I paced over to where Meher was chatting happily with her relatives and whispered that we had to leave immediately—it was a direct order from Krish himself.
Meher tensed beside me, but by now, she knew the protocol. She quickly informed her relatives about an urgency that had come up at home, and we would have to leave. I pulled her with me as the guards surrounded us, ushering us toward the cars.
“What happened?” Meher asked, panic lacing her voice. “Is Ayaan okay?”
“I don’t know anything,” I replied, my voice restless. “Just that Krish wants us back home. It’s code red.”
“What is code red?” she pressed as we hurried our pace to the parking area.
“Code red means a severe threat has been detected, and we need to evacuate immediately,” I explained, my heart pounding in my chest.
We reached the cars only to find the tyres of both vehicles had been slashed, rendering them useless. Someone had done it deliberately to prevent our escape. I groaned in frustration before ordering the guards to arrange another vehicle as soon as possible.
That’s when one of the guard’s phones rang with an incoming call from Krish. He quickly passed it to me, and I answered, “We have a situation. The tyres are flat, and it looks like someone did it on purpose to keep us from leaving.”
Krish’s voice was tense but controlled.
“Wait for a few minutes. I’m already on my way, and I’ve sent an additional backup that will reach you in five minutes. Stay with Meher, and don’t let her out of your sight.”
I clutched Meher’s arm tightly, scanning our surroundings for any potential threats as I disconnected the call. True to Krish’s word, a team of additional guards arrived within five minutes, providing an extra layer of security.
Just a few minutes later, Krish’s car pulled up, and he motioned for us to get in quickly. Meher slid into the backseat beside me, while one of the bodyguards took the front passenger seat beside Krish. Without wasting a second, he accelerated out of the parking lot, leaving the potential danger behind.
Once we were on the road and safe, I finally found my voice. “Krish, what’s going on? Why the code red?”
His eyes met mine in the rearview mirror, his expression grave. “The Bat gang has been monitoring the Shergills and Walias movements, and they saw an opportunity today. We received a direct threat call from Raghav a while ago, and he knew Meher was here, and that Ayaan’s father was at the Krida Udhyan attending the rally there to support Meher’s father’s campaign. Raghav might have planned a possible attack during the event there or here.”
Meher gasped, her hand tightening around mine. “But how? We had security in place.”
“They must have had inside information,” Krish replied grimly. “Someone leaked the details of our securityarrangements.”
A chill ran down my spine at the realisation that they were making us dance like puppets to the tune of their threats.
“Where is Ayaan?” Meher asked in worry.
“At the Krida Udhyan to bring Kailash uncle back. And he has also warned Vishnu to stay vigilant around your father there,” Krish replied, his jaw clenched.
The rest of the drive was filled with tense silence, with Krish manoeuvering the streets with expert precision, constantly vigilant for any potential threats. Finally, we arrived at the Shergill Mansion, where a team of GLEN agents was waiting to escort us inside.
It took a few more hours to handle the situation after reaching home safely. Ayaan had ensured his father’s security, and now he and Krish were busy discussing how to end the threats from Raghav and his father, the Bat gang, once and for all. I remained with Meher until then.
Finally, after everyone had dispersed to their respective rooms, I headed toward mine, still clad in the traditional lehenga choli, waiting to undress. It had been a hectic day, and dealing with Raghav’s mind games had been truly exhausting.
Before retiring, I decided to check on Krish first, as I really wanted to contribute in some way to the plan he and Ayaan had devised for their mission to capture the Bat gang. As an agent of GLEN, I wanted to be an active participant. Maybe if I showed enough interest, Krish might agree to let me join.
I made my way to his room and saw Ayaan coming out, carrying a file. Spotting me at the door, he smiled.
“Is Krish inside? I wanted to speak with him,” I asked.
“He’s in the bathroom,” Ayaan replied. “But you can wait for him.” He turned to leave but paused, adding, “Oh, and thanks for watching out for Meher today.”
I shrugged. “That’s my job.”
