ARJUN SRINIVAS

Author's POV:

Valentine's Day At Night:

Darkness. Complete darkness.

Arjun's eyes were closed, his well-set hair was disheveled, few drops of blood dripping from his right-side lips. His body rigid with hands formed in a rock-tight fist.

Confined in the closed 4 walls of the jail, all he feels right now is anger, frustration ,not on anyone but himself. He opened his eyes which were blood red and again glanced at the jail bars, frustrated he again closed it shut allowing his mind to wander the cause of him being here.

Feb 6 at police headquarters, Mumbai...

A sleek black car with police emblem signage halts before the police headquarters.

Two men dressed in khaki shirt and trousers, a peaked cap and black formal shoes exited the car from either side.

The black leather belt shined with the IPS emblem and the medals rested on their shoulders accentuated their formal ethics.

The two entered the room of the DGP, with stiffness.

"Jai Hind, sir!" the two saluted their senior.

"Jai Hind, boys. Take your seats," the officer offered.

They took their respective seats.

"Here, after 3 months we finally got the lead from the drug dealer in our custody."

"He took so long," Officer 1, Varun Sinha, sighed.

The officer chuckled, "Yes, but finally, he spoke something..."

"What did he say, sir? I would have killed him that day when I got my hand on him for the first time if not for him........" 

Varun muttered the last, looking at the other officer Arjun, whose jaw clenched so tightly with rage taking a toll on him.

Arjun can't control the urge to complete this case and kill those rascals who dared to supply drugs to the innocent school and college kids, leading to destroying various lives.

His thoughts were broken when the officer speaks,

"Well, we got to know that the biggest drug dealing is going to happen soon. When, we don't know..." he paused.

Arjun, who was listening, requested,

"Sir, let me in for just 5 minutes. I will get the information required."

"Oh, I can't let you go there. He has been unconscious for like 2 weeks since the time you both arrested him. I don't want my officers to get in any problem."

Arjun sighed.

"But yes, we ran few researches and got to know two places where high possibilities are there... and I want you two to go there undercover and find out the truth and catch the dealers red-handed."

"Where, sir?" Varun asked.

"Chennai and Delhi. You both can decide who wants to go where..."

As soon as the officer completed, they both said in unison,
"DELHI."

The officer raised his brows and said, 

"One for each..."

"I will go to Delhi, you can go to Chennai, Varun," Arjun tried to convince his friend.

"For f... God's sake, Arjun, you are much more exposed to Chennai than me, so you have to be the one best for Chennai..." Varun reasoned.

"Exactly, Varun! My family is there, I can't risk them."

"Oh, don't fool me. You are not going there because you are afraid of your mom."

"No, I am not... and what is your problem in going to Chennai..."

"Same, what is YOUR problem to go there..."

"You are not getti-"

"STOP IT, BOTH OF YOU!" DGP glared at them.

"I thought you both are sensible and responsible ones, here you both arguing on deciding a place. I don't know how you both work together though..."

"Well, Varun, you will go to Delhi and Arjun will handle Chennai."

The officer announced, making Varun grin and Arjun scoff.

"YES, SIR!" came two different voices with different enthusiasm.

"And about the protection of the family, I will take care of it. It won't be a problem," he said, eyeing Arjun.

"Ok, sir."

"All the best, boys."

They both saluted him and were about to exit the cabin when sir stopped them,

"And yes, one more thing...... Bring them alive."

They both glanced at each other and then at the officer.

"We will try, sir..." they replied in unison.

"Crazy boys..." the officer muttered and chuckled to himself.

Once inside the car, Arjun held Varun's collar and shot him a death glare.

"What's your problem with Chennai?"

"Oh that... hm-hmm," he stuttered.

"What hm-umm, tell me clearly..." Arjun yelled at him.

"The last time I went there, I got food poisoning, yes yes, food poisoning, that's why..."
Varun tried to lie...

But Arjun caught him,

"TRUTH," he demanded.

"Yaar! I know a girl there, she just can't let me live in peace. I don't want to be around in her vicinity at all..." his answer made Arjun curious.

"Who's that?"

"I will tell you some other day..."

"ok" Arjun nodded in response, and both went back to their respective houses and flew to their destinations.

Chennai

Once landed in Chennai, Arjun directly hailed a cab to the rented apartment which was booked for him. It's in the opposite direction of where his home is, so he thought he wouldn't run into his family.

He arranged the things in his apartment and called Varun,

"Hey Varun. Reached Delhi?" he queried.

"Hmm," was his blank reply.

"What's wrong, man?" Arjun asked, irritated with his reply.

Arjun is a type of person who hates blank replies like "hmm" or curt nods. He always expects others to reply in words.

Varun sighed and replied,

"Sorry yaar! Just a little stressed. And yes, I have reached Delhi and settled here."

"Ok. Then let's discuss the case..." Arjun demanded.

Varun was not in a mood to discuss anything right now, still knowing Arjun, he took his necessary files...

"I am switching to video call..." Arjun turned to video call, which Varun accepted.

"What happened?" Arjun asked again, noticing the detached behaviour of Varun.

"Nothing man, let's talk work," Varun said, clearly not up for any personal conversation.

Arjun knew something was off with Varun, but didn't drag the matter and started off with his theories for Varun to review.

"Well I was thinking, if they wanted to execute some big plan, they will do it on a day that is most celebrated, like keeping the bomb in the middle of a crowded place..."

"So, let's mark all the big days that are coming. It's Feb 6 and there are no government holidays at all in this month..." Arjun searched for the big days where they can execute their plan.

"O single man, Feb 14, you forget about it..." Varun shared as a matter of fact.

Arjun stilled for a moment... Varun, noticing the stillness, immediately said,

"Drink water!"

Arjun sipped a few drops of water and replied.

"Yes, you are right. That day is definitely the best day for them to execute their plan. They can get hold of various young couples, college students, and even school students.
Gifts are distributed freely and not to forget the other things," Arjun shared his theory.

"But how will we be able to know where they will attack? School or college or parks..." Varun wondered aloud.

"There is a big possibility they will attack the college students," Arjun told Varun.

"And how?" came Varun's puzzled reply.
"See,

1. Mostly the young couples will be spending their day either in their house or doing party. And it would be mostly isolated or with fewer friends circle. Exception to this may be any common Valentine's Day party for all the couples in the city... which is not happening. So the criminals can't sell much of the drugs.

2. School, mostly all the schools are conducting board exam practicals and all those stuff. Not all the schools will allow students to celebrate Valentines day freely..........."

"Wait a sec... if schools don't allow them to celebrate freely, then they can sneak in around anywhere to buy drugs..." Varun asked his query.

"Yes, but you are forgetting, most of the schools impose strict security in schools on these days......." Arjun reasoned.

"Yes, but there are some schools which won't......" Varun again asked.

"Exactly Varun. Only some schools won't impose strict security...... but there are only some colleges which will impose strict rules on those days..." Arjun's point made some sense to Varun.

"Now if they have planned a big attack, they need to know more about who will use the drugs and who will not and every single detail about the student racket..."

"If you want to know about someone what will you do?" Arjun asked...

"Simple ,Will spend time with that person..." Varun replied, getting what Arjun wants to convey.

"OH GOD! Then they will disguise themselves as students to know more about them," Varun wondered...

"Not only students, even teachers..."

"Then we have to check the entire college students' and teachers' background..." Varun sighed.

"Let's make it short. They won't disguise themselves for long term. It's been 3 months since we arrested that rascal and seized many of their drugs. 

They all were there at that time..... so if they had any plans, they would have made it in these 3 months after our raid..... no colleges will take students in when there is barely 3 months for the semester to end..... even if they get students enrolled, we just have to check those students' background. 

And as far as teachers, we have to do the same,... Let's get in the work... allot our whole team to find things..." Arjun.

"Yeah, I will do it right away."
They hung up the call.

"I won't let you all win this time...."

After few researches, Arjun and team found the matches in AMR college with their fake ids and reasons , which is in both Chennai and Delhi...

(AMR is a fictional college, I don't even know if there is any college named so in any city. It's purely imagination...)

Two professors in Chennai AMR – Manik and Raj.
One professor in Delhi AMR – Basker.
One student in Delhi AMR – Kundhan.

AMR is known for its liberty. They celebrate Valentine's Day grandly and what more than that could the criminals want?

Arjun and Varun quickly disguised themselves and applied for jobs in AMR.

Arjun as Aarnav got in as a history professor and Varun as Karthik, a chemistry professor.

Varun was not at all happy with this role, he hates chemistry...

"Hey man. All set?" Arjun asked, hiding his gun.

"What set man? There is no set in chemistry, wait... is it there?" Varun asked, keeping the chemistry book away to pick up another.

"WTH are you doing Varun?"

"I am working a little on my chemistry. You know right, I barely managed to pass in chemistry in school, here going to teach the students chemistry... I fear I might get caught red-handed. Just imagine if I mixed some other chemicals and they reacted opposite... Oh God! My handsome face... what will happ..."

"SHUT UP Varun. You are there for a mission, not to actually teach them. Free advice , don't attend any class, it's a matter of few days..." Arjun advised his friend.

"If someone asks anything, just google it," Arjun added casually.

"It's not that easy... well, I have reached the dead' quarters - sorry, head quarters, I mean college head's office. Ufff.... I have never feared entering a battlefield like I am today... God save me! All the best for me. BYE..." Varun rambled to himself and hung up...

"Crazy fellow..." Arjun shook his head, chuckling.

His thoughts were broken by the police officer, who yanked him upwards and dragged him out of the cell.

"Sit here... we need to put them in," he says, pointing to the criminal group.

Arjun sighed as he sat there...

Another criminal who was sitting beside him asked,

"O fake police, now stop sulking, I have an offer for you. I will get out from here soon, then I will make arrangements to take you too. But you have to work for me. Will you?"

Arjun was stunned to get an offer from a criminal.

"Wow! What a day! A bloody criminal is giving me - 'The IPS Officer Arjun Srinivas' - an offer to work under him.... your stars definitely f**ked somewhere today..."arjun thought.

"Why are you here..?" Arjun asked.

"Oh, two days back I just snatched a chain from an old woman, but got caught today... I don't know how they caught me..."

"I should have knocked off that woman, but I never kill anyone, that's not my work ethics you know..."

The criminal stated, making Arjun roll his eyes...

Nowadays even criminals have work ethics...

His eyes widened the next second seeing the familiar figure talking outside with the inspector.

"WTH is he doing here?" he wondered aloud.