(London – Two Weeks Later)

Do hafte beet chuke the...

Lekin Atishay Kapoor ki search abhi bhi khatam nahi hui thi.

London ke har corner mein uske aadmi us mysterious girl ko dhoond rahe the.

Hotels...

Universities...

Private clubs...

Business events...

Har jagah ek hi sawaal poocha ja raha tha—

"Have you seen this woman?"

Lekin har baar jawab ek hi milta...

No.

───

(Kapoor Global Headquarters – Morning)

Atishay apne office mein khada tha.

Uske saamne ek massive screen par London ka map tha.

Map par dozens of locations mark ki hui thi.

Assistant ek ke baad ek reports table par rakh raha tha.

Assistant:

"Sir, first lead was a dead end."

Ek file table par rakhi jaati hai.

Assistant:

"Second lead was also false."

Dusri file.

Assistant:

"Third location par bhi koi information nahi mili."

Atishay chupchaap sab sun raha tha.

Assistant thoda hesitate karta hai.

Assistant:

"Sir... maybe we should stop."

Room mein achanak silence chha jaata hai.

Atishay dheere se uski taraf dekhta hai.

Atishay:

"Stop?"

Assistant chup ho jaata hai.

Atishay screen ki taraf dekhta hai.

Us screen par wahi mysterious girl's CCTV image thi.

Atishay:

"I've spent two weeks looking for one person."

Wo ek second rukta hai.

Atishay:

"And you think I'm going to stop now?"

Assistant dheere se sir hila deta hai.

Assistant:

"No, sir."

Atishay:

"Good."

───

(London – University District)

Atishay ke men different universities ke records check kar rahe the.

Event invitations...

Professor lists...

Guest registrations...

Faculty records...

Lekin har jagah problem wahi thi.

No exact match.

Ek security officer ek university ke administration office se bahar aata hai.

Uske haath mein file thi.

Officer:

"Sir, this university had several guests at the gala."

Assistant file check karta hai.

Assistant:

"Any female professors?"

Officer:

"Yes. Several."

Assistant photos check karta hai.

Ek-ek face...

Ek-ek profile...

Lekin...

Not her.

Assistant frustrated hokar file band kar deta hai.

Assistant:

"Keep searching."

───

(Three Days Later)

Raat ke 11 baj rahe the.

Atishay apne office mein akela baitha tha.

Uske saamne dozens of photographs padi thi.

Different women...

Different universities...

Different events...

Lekin koi bhi woh nahi thi.

Atishay ne ek photograph uthayi.

Kuch seconds tak dekha...

Phir side mein rakh di.

Dusri...

Third...

Fourth...

Har baar disappointment.

Usne aankhen band kar li.

Aur ek baar phir...

Uske dimaag mein wahi ballroom aa gaya.

Music...

Dance...

Uska haath...

Aur woh aankhen.

Atishay dheere se aankhen kholta hai.

Atishay:

"Where are you?"

───

(Next Morning)

Assistant almost running karte hue Atishay ke office mein enter karta hai.

Assistant:

"Sir!"

Atishay uski taraf dekhta hai.

Atishay:

"What happened?"

Assistant ke haath mein ek old invitation record tha.

Assistant:

"We found something."

Atishay turant khada ho jaata hai.

Atishay:

"What?"

Assistant file uske saamne rakhta hai.

Assistant:

"The invitation records from the gala weren't completely stored in the hotel's database."

Atishay file kholta hai.

Assistant:

"Some special invitations were handled directly by the event organizers."

Atishay ki aankhon mein interest aa jaata hai.

Atishay:

"And?"

Assistant ek document uske saamne rakhta hai.

Assistant:

"One invitation was issued to a university professor."

Atishay ki heartbeat jaise ek second ke liye ruk jaati hai.

Atishay:

"Name?"

Assistant document ko dekhta hai.

Uska expression suddenly confused ho jaata hai.

Assistant:

"That's the problem, sir."

Atishay ki eyebrows furrow hoti hain.

Assistant:

"The guest's name wasn't mentioned on the original request."

Atishay kuch seconds tak document ko dekhta rehta hai.

Atishay:

"Then what was mentioned?"

Assistant document ka next page kholta hai.

Assistant:

"Only the university's department."

Atishay dheere se poochta hai—

Atishay:

"Which department?"

Assistant naam padhta hai.

Atishay ki aankhon mein ek dangerous determination aa jaati hai.

Assistant:

"Professor invitation... from the Department of—"

Wo sentence complete nahi karta.

Atishay uski taraf dekhta hai.

Atishay:

"Get me the university."

Assistant:

"Yes, sir."

Atishay:

"And this time..."

Wo document uthata hai.

Atishay:

"...I want every professor's name."

Assistant sir jhuka deta hai.

Assistant:

"Understood."

Wo room se bahar chala jaata hai.

Atishay document ko dekhta rehta hai.

Pehli baar...

Do hafton ki dead ends ke baad...

Uske paas ek real lead thi.

Lekin abhi bhi...

Uske paas us ladki ka naam nahi tha.

Uski identity nahi thi.

Uska address nahi tha.

Sirf ek university...

Aur ek department.

Atishay ki lips par halki si smile aati hai.

Atishay:

"Finally..."

Wo dheere se photograph uthata hai.

Atishay:

"I found the first piece of the puzzle."

ONE STEP CLOSER...

To Be Continued... ❤️‍🔥