(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
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A few streets away from the lodge, inside an unmarked police vehicle parked beneath the shadow of an old apartment complex, a man sat listening intently through a pair of headphones.
His name was Inspector C.I. Ashok.
A veteran investigator.
Persistent.
Suspicious.
And currently convinced he was on the verge of cracking a major criminal operation.
For the past several days, Ashok had been quietly monitoring Vibya's movements.
Ever since the incident involving Vedha.
The more he investigated, the less sense things made.
And that made him even more interested.
Because in his experience, when things stopped making sense, it usually meant someone was hiding something.
A small receiver sat connected to a laptop before him.
Through it, he listened to every word coming from the hidden listening device his team had planted earlier.
The voices of Vibya and Mapu echoed through his headphones.
"We have to leave."
"Right now."
"The enemy knows where I am."
Ashok slowly removed one side of the headphones.
His eyebrows furrowed.
Then he replayed the recording.
Again.
And again.
The more he listened—
The worse it sounded.
Ancient scriptures.
Secret messages.
Tracking devices.
Unknown enemies.
People moving between states.
Mysterious associates.
Constantly changing locations.
To someone aware of Astras, guardians, and Mahabir Lama, the conversation meant one thing.
But Ashok wasn't part of that world.
Not even remotely.
So his mind reached the only conclusion it could.
"This is organized crime."
He folded his arms.
"They're definitely hiding something."
One of the younger officers sitting nearby looked confused.
"Sir... are you sure?"
Ashok pointed at the laptop.
"Listen to them."
"They're talking about trackers."
"Moving locations."
"Enemies."
"Secret networks."
The officer hesitated.
"Could it be smuggling?"
Ashok's eyes narrowed.
"Possibly."
Another officer spoke.
"Drugs?"
Ashok slowly nodded.
"That's my leading theory."
In his mind, the entire situation suddenly fit together.
Vibya appeared from nowhere.
She repeatedly interfered with police investigations.
She helped Vedha escape custody.
She traveled constantly.
She met strange people.
And now she was speaking about enemies hunting her.
To Ashok, it sounded exactly like a criminal organization trying to stay ahead of law enforcement.
"Vedha is involved too."
Ashok tapped the desk.
"He may not be the boss."
"But he's definitely connected."
The officers around him nodded.
The theory seemed reasonable enough.
What Ashok didn't realize—
Was that he was unknowingly investigating a conflict involving ancient Astra guardians, hidden scriptures, and a man attempting to become a god.
Instead—
He believed he was hunting a drug syndicate.
The irony would have been hilarious.
Had it not been so dangerous.
Ashok stood up.
Decision made.
"No more waiting."
"We move."
Within minutes, messages were sent.
Phones rang.
Vehicles started.
Orders were issued.
Outside the lodge district, the situation began changing rapidly.
The once-empty streets slowly filled with activity.
Unmarked cars arrived one after another.
Motorcycles parked at intersections.
Men dressed in ordinary civilian clothes spread throughout the surrounding area.
Tea stalls.
Bus stops.
Side alleys.
Apartment entrances.
To anyone watching—Nothing seemed unusual.
Just ordinary people moving through the city.
But every single one of them was police.
Plainclothes officers.
Waiting.
Watching.
Listening.
Back inside his vehicle, Ashok studied the map of the area.
His finger tapped against the location of the lodge.
"If she's running..."
His eyes hardened.
"...then she's hiding something."
Outside, Hyderabad continued its nightly routine.
Traffic lights changed.
Shops prepared to close.
People headed home.
And amidst all of it—The trap was slowly closing.
Not because the police understood what was happening.
But because they completely misunderstood it.
Which, in many ways—Was even more dangerous.
The operation had been planned carefully.
Plainclothes officers surrounded the lodge from every direction.
Escape routes were covered.
Vehicles waited at nearby intersections.
Communication lines remained open.
From Inspector Ashok's perspective, this was simply the final stage of an investigation.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
Inside his vehicle, Ashok adjusted the radio attached to his shoulder.
"All units report."
One by one, confirmations came through.
"North entrance secured."
"Rear alley secured."
"Rooftop observation in position."
"South approach covered."
Ashok nodded.
Everything was proceeding exactly as planned.
The old lodge stood quietly beneath the streetlights.
Most of its guests were asleep.
A few lights remained visible through the windows.
Nothing seemed unusual.
Then—
Several black SUVs rolled into the street.
Fast.
Purposeful.
Without hesitation.
Ashok immediately frowned.
"Who are they?"
The vehicles stopped abruptly.
Doors opened.
Men stepped out.
One after another.
All dressed in long black leather coats despite the warm Hyderabad night.
Their movements were disciplined.
Organized.
Dangerously calm.
Ashok's instincts immediately screamed that something was wrong.
Very wrong.
"Unknown group approaching the target."
"Everyone stay alert."
The leader stepped forward.
A tall women with sharp features and cold eyes.
Her presence alone seemed to make the surrounding air heavier.
This was Yuca.
One of Mahabir Lama's most trusted followers.
The group entered the lodge lobby without asking permission.
The owner immediately stood up nervously.
"Gentlemen, can I help—"
Yuca cut him off.
"We are looking for someone."
The lodge owner swallowed.
"Who?"
"Vibya."
The name echoed through the lobby.
For a moment the owner froze.
Then he forced a nervous smile.
"I don't know anyone by that name."
Yuca stared at him silently.
"...."
The smile immediately vanished from the owner's face.
Outside—
Ashok listened through his earpiece.
His expression darkened.
"Move in."
The first officers entered through the front entrance.
Badges flashed.
Weapons ready.
"Police!"
"Nobody move!"
For a brief second—Everything stopped.
Then Yuca slowly turned her head toward them.
And smiled.
Ashok immediately felt something cold crawl down his spine.
Not fear.
Instinct.
The kind that tells a man he has made a terrible mistake.
"Sir..."
One officer whispered.
"Something's wrong."
The first attack happened so quickly that nobody understood what they had witnessed.
One moment an officer was raising his weapon.
The next—
A black blur crossed the room.
Blood splashed across the wall.
The officer collapsed.
Dead before he hit the floor.
Silence.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Then chaos exploded.
The followers of Mahabir moved.
Not like criminals.
Not like gangsters.
Like trained killers.
Like predators unleashed among prey.
Gunshots erupted.
Furniture shattered.
People screamed.
The lobby became a battlefield.
One officer fired repeatedly.
The bullets never reached their target.
A black-coated man appeared beside him.
A blade flashed.
The officer fell.
Another tried calling for backup.
He never finished the sentence.
Ashok's eyes widened in horror as reports flooded his radio.
"Officer down!"
"We have casualties!"
"What the hell are these people?!"
"Fall back!"
"FALL BACK!"
But it was already too late.
The followers of Mahabir cut through the police force with terrifying efficiency.
Years of police training meant nothing.
Numbers meant nothing.
Weapons meant nothing.
Because they weren't facing ordinary humans.
They were facing men who had spent years immersed in the hidden world of Astras and forbidden techniques.
Outside the lodge, screams echoed into the night.
Vehicles crashed.
Officers scrambled for cover.
The operation had collapsed within minutes.
Standing amidst the chaos, Yuca calmly stepped over a fallen officer.
Her black coat remained untouched by the panic around him.
Her eyes scanned the building.
Searching.
Hunting.
"Find her."
Her voice was calm.
Deadly.
Absolute.
Because unlike the police—
Yuca knew exactly what was at stake.
And Mahabir Lama had given only one order.
Find Vibya.
At any cost.
Above the city, storm clouds slowly gathered.
And somewhere else in Hyderabad—
Unaware that blood had already begun flowing—
Rudra's raven continued its search for Vedha Prajapati.
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(Author's POV)
(A/N):
Guys My New Fic name is:
-->Karuppan: King of Openings.
Check it out... I hope you will like it
Whats your thought's guys.
Thanks for reading the chapter!
Please give a review!!! And power stone too!!!
Guys it will motivate me more?