His name would make her blood rush to her head and remember his each and every small gestures.

The way he would raise his brows in amusement. His shy smile. His nose scrunch at the weirdness of his students. The way he would tilt his glasses up that would slide down his glossy nose.

His stride was the most alluring for her who would just feel the aura emit to her limbs melting them.

His warm touch whenever he would pat her on the back for her hard work to learn the notes.

But alas!

He was engaged and about to get married to his girlfriend – Ramya. Lucky girl!

Mrunal thought that her life would only have his thoughts but never his existence.

She would suffice with that as long as he is happy and always smiling.

She shrugged her thoughts and readied herself to practice her missed session to be not schooled by her mother again.

In the evening,

Dhiraj had called from his military camp to have his regular chat with his parents. He was under rigorous training for the upcoming military inspection which would be the pivotal part of his career.

Arjun was immensely proud of his son who had managed to get promotion twice ever since his entry in the military. He wanted him to take some time off from his busy schedule and suggested his son to join the family for the summer vacations. Dhiraj told them that he would try after his selection process.

Deepika reminded him of the friends get together for the Menon’s grandchildren’s 6^th birthday bash in the mansion, to which Arjun creased his brows.

After Dhiraj signed off and promised to get back for the summer fiesta, Mrunal went to have her dinner happy on hearing her ‘Anna’ coming after a period of 2 years.

(*Anna – sweet call for elder brother in some south Indian regions)

Nair mansion

Vinay entered the premises stressed out with the ongoing meeting schedules. So, when he could escape to his safe haven he ordered Dan to take him home to rest.

It was safe to say that even in his early 60s, Vinay was strong as a mountain holding his family and business together.

It was all because of his supportive and lovely family that he was able to sustain the mental and physical stress with much ease.

“…Mala…get the food ready!...” Sonia sat beside her husband who rested his head on the couch headrest humming a deep sigh.

“…why don’t you take a day off tomorrow?...we will go for walk in the park…maybe shop a little, hm?...” Sonia suggested as she brushed her fingers in his hairs making him smile.

Vinay shaked his head as a no replying “…no Nia…I have to meet up with the team in the headquarters for the…you know…”

“…*tsk*… give it a break, Vinay!...don’t tire yourself like this…please…I worry for you!!!...” Sonia could only crease her brows at the diminishing health of her husband who had dark circles under his eyes.

The sleepless nights till last month had the entire family worried at the turn of events that had made them scarred for life.

The one event that made them realise each other’s worth and love that they had for one and another.

They almost lost their kids who were…

Sonia rested her head on his shoulders who caressed her arms and replied “…just this one mission…I will then take the rest that you want…please honey…”

Sonia hummed in response half-heartedly but she knew his tension for the mission which had forced him to include most of his family members to safeguard them from the enemies which were closing in by the hour.

Ping!

‘…El Rey! Amelia has cracked it and wants to have a meet up at 2…send the signal…for a go!!’ Vinay smiled the way his ace card was working her head off for the mission. He was proud of her attempt to not leave any stone unturned with her wittiness. She was indeed the Ravana of his team – Mili.

The headquarters send the signal to their members who gave their green signal for the crucial meeting.

“…who is Amelia?!...” Sonia questioned the man who raised his brow answering that she was the new member of their elite group – not to be named. Sonia could only nod her head in doubt but knew that she could trust her husband when it came to the family.

After a few days,

Sanal was waiting outside the school to pick his twins in the afternoon.

Tring! Tring!

“…Hellooo…Sweeties…Oh I missed you guys…” Sanal took his twins in his arms cradling them getting their sweet kisses on his cheeks.

As he drove them home, Preethi asked about her mom who would be the one to pick them always. So, Sanal coming out of the blue was little doubtful for the 6-year-old smart kid.

“…um…she is busy…honey…Amma is…um…chopping vegetables for your favourite soup….” He just blurted out whatever came to his mind to pacify the kid who reflected his wife.

Preethi pouted at the words and questioned “…broccoli soup?!!.... yuck! I hate it!...let me call her and tell her to make me the rasam with rice…I don’t want to eat some sticky yucky soup!! Belch!!!”

Sanal chuckled at the 100 expressions that his daughter was giving, even making Sanjay nod his head at the audacity of their mother to cook some non-south Indian foods. She knew exactly that her twins had a hardcore liking to the south Indian foods and hated any other foods.

Same time

The dungeon

“…”

The Nibbler huffed breathing heavily not able to take the stubbornness of the captive who was laughing like a maniac.

“…. spits what?!! Tired already?!!!...*chuckles*….” The captive was bleeding from her mouth and snickering at the woman who could only spare her life cause of the order to keep the captive alive.

“…where is she?!!!....” Amelia walked in with her vanity bag and kept it on the table alongside the weapons being used on the captives. She sat on the chair with her legs apart and kept her hands on her legs.

“…*scoff*…really?!! Well, ok…so you don’t wanna spill, huh?...*inhales deeply*…fine…” Amelia then took out her phone and started snapping pics of the injured woman concentrating on her almost bare body, confusing the people around.

The woman closed her eyes not able to take the flash of the camera. The Nibbler took a moment to understand what her associate was trying to do and smiled at the way El Rey trusted only her to deal with psychos.

“…I do hope your clients are privy of your other bodily features, hm?...coz you know they don’t want to wake up next to a eunuch…the other time you will continue your pleasure giving business, Madam Z?...” Amelia spoke with utmost clarity to get a scared look from the captive who was the call girl for most of her clients. The Tigris Associate did her research before coming to interrogate the captive while shopping for her Gucci bag.

The captive knew the risk that she might carry if at all her captors would change her gender which would risk her main business. Being in the flesh trading business would require her to maintain her stature as the madam for her clients. She still had some crucial youth days in her career for such a major change.

Curse the day, she thought to join the flesh trading business, on the pretext of earning the extra loot alongwith the luxury of a glam life.

But the Tigris had their eye on her and were waiting to capture her at the right moment.

“…*scoff*…you will only be doing a favour to me…the duality is one of the perks in this business…stupid girl!!!...” The captive laughed at the naïve girl to be unaware of the worldly demands that were ever changing in the so-called luxurious white collared world ruled by their kind.

Amelia closed in her whispering “…what if there is nothing left to enjoy, hm?...what will you do?...coz even chicken biryani without the pieces…don’t taste the same…*chuckles*…think about it…you are still young…what 5 more years?…and then you can continue your little brothel in the corner of the street…hm?...trust me…you don’t want to lose those final years in the dumps…”

As she backed, the captive looked down comprehending the words of her captor and finally agreed to give the details of her main clients, making the Nibbler take down the details in the recorder.

At the end of the interrogation, Amelia told the Nibbler to give her medical assistant confusing her again.

As both of them neared the exit, away from the captive Amelia glanced over the bodyguard whispering “…check the details…if it’s true, dump her*…if not, call me back again…bring the black scorpion this time…I don’t want to waste my time with this one, again…” The Nibbler looked back at the captive who was whining at the antiseptic being applied on her wounds and thought ‘…weird captive…more weirder captor…’ shuddering at the mention of black scorpion group.

(*Dump her – drown her in the deep sea with legs tied by weights.)