Vishal sir..." Rhea called from the doorway, her voice soft but steady.
"Yes?" I replied without looking up.
"DIG called everyone to the meeting room."
Her tone was calm, too calm. The previous DIG never dragged us into meetings every two days. This new one, Arwant Vohra, acted like gatherings were some kind of spiritual hobby. If he weren't the biological father of my friend, I would've...
"Sir... are you coming?" Rhea asked again.
"Yeah. Do I look like I have a choice?" I muttered, closing my files.
I headed toward the meeting room. The DIG was already standing there, hands behind his back, chin raised like he'd been waiting for us for years. The rest of the team gathered around him, except the one person who was always late.
Kunal Kundra, obviously missing. Lab to meeting room isn't even far, but that man behaves like time bends around him.
I scanned the room. Tanish-present. Rhea-present. Karanvir-present. Shruti-present.
Then my eyes stopped on someone I'd never seen before.
She sat like the entire meeting room was just blurry background and she was the center frame. A black tshirt, and jeans, a leather jacket draped effortlessly over her shoulders, legs crossed with a kind of confidence nobody teaches. She was scrolling on her phone, completely disconnected from the noise around her. The overhead lights caught the strands of her dark hair, forming soft highlights that made it impossible not to look twice.
Her sunglasses rested just low enough on her nose to give a glimpse of her eyes, a tease more than a reveal. Even the small habit of tucking a strand of hair behind her ear felt intentional, like she controlled the air around her.
And I hated how fast that hit me. Crushing? Seriously? I'd never felt something this stupidly sudden before, and it only made me feel desperate.
The door slammed open.
I jerked my eyes away from her. Kunal walked in, then froze like he'd accidentally barged into the wrong room.
"KK, sit. We were waiting for you," the DIG said, breaking the silence.
Kunal didn't move at first. His eyes were fixed in one direction. I followed his gaze.
He was staring at her.
But it wasn't admiration. It wasn't curiosity. His expression was something else entirely-fear. His face looked tight, unsettled. I'd never seen him like that.
He finally moved and sat beside me.
"So, shall we start?" the DIG said. The girl gave a small nod, barely lifting her head.
The DIG pointed at her. "Meet your new SP, Jennifer Fonseca. Tech genius."
She slid off her sunglasses. Her eyes were... they felt like I'd just looked straight into a universe. Or maybe just mine.
"She'll assist with tech-related cases. Like the one you mentioned, Mr. Vishal... what was his name?"
"Kishi Vaitarna" I answered.
"Yes, that."
I turned toward Kunal again. His expression still hadn't changed. He looked like he'd seen a ghost.
"Meeting over. Vishal, show her the lab and her cabin." The DIG straightened his coat and walked toward the exit. "And yes, Mr. Kaykay... try to respect her."
That last line felt weirdly pointed.
Jennifer stood and walked toward me. "Lab and cabin?" she asked, her voice calm, steady, almost melodic.
"Yes. Come, Ms. Fonseca" I said.
"Call me Jenny. That's what others call me."
"Alright" I replied.
We stepped out of the meeting room. I led her through the corridor.
"So, you're the new SP..." I said.
"Are you doubting?" she replied instantly.
Her accent was different. Clean, smooth, and honestly reminded me of a certain actress.
"No, I meant-"
"My accent and my facial features?" She raised an eyebrow.
I stopped walking and looked at her properly.
"Well, I'm half Portuguese" she said before I could speak. "My father was a businessman in Portugal. A big one. My mom is Indian-Goan. After my dad passed, she brought me here."
"Oh... I'm sorry about your father."
"It's fine. It happened when I was seventeen."
She continued walking, and I had to pick up my pace to keep up.
"Right" I said, guiding her toward her cabin.
We entered her new space.
"Thanks, Mr..." She stared at me, confused. I'd forgotten I wasn't wearing my badge.
"Vishal Veer Khanna. You can call me Vishal."
She smiled softly, a small, rare kind of smile. "Veer."
"No one calls me by my middle name."
"Maybe that's why I chose it" she replied, lifting her brows slightly. The smile stayed.
"I'll... check on the others" I said.
She waved casually and began settling into her chair.
I walked back to the meeting room. The atmosphere had changed completely.
Shruti looked pale. Like she'd seen a spirit.
Rhea looked like she'd forgotten how to breathe.
Tanish looked... normal. If anything, bored.
Then my eyes landed on Kunal.
He was sitting with his head lowered, staring at the floor. His expression wasn't fear anymore. It was something heavier, something almost painful.
"What's going on here?" I asked.
Rhea rushed toward me. She leaned close, too close, making me flinch.
She whispered, "Jenny... is Mr. Kaykay's ex."
My eyes widened.
WHAT THE...
I walked toward Kaykay, each step feeling heavier than the last.
He looked like a bomb that was seconds away from going off.
"Is it true?" I asked, tapping his shoulder.
Kunal finally lifted his head. His eyes met mine, and they were... tired. Not the usual overly-caffeinated scientist tired, but the kind that comes from emotional whiplash.
He took a breath, stood up, and faced the entire team.
"Listen, guys" he began.
Everyone went silent. Even Tanish, who reacts to nothing, actually blinked like he was preparing for a plot twist.
"My feelings are clear about her" he said. "I don't love her. We always had this weird enmity between us. Sometimes there were misunderstandings, but still... we had that kind of relationship where, no matter what, we kept coming back to each other. Again and again. Again and again. Every time."
He laughed once, but it sounded more like a crack than humor.
"Why? Do I want to die? Maybe. Or is she just that good, so good that I couldn't exist without her? Also possible. Anything's possible. If we knew what would happen, we wouldn't be human, right?"
He said all of it in one breath, like ripping open a wound just to prove it hadn't healed.
"Is he mad?" Rhea whispered in my ear.
I didn't answer. Mainly because I genuinely didn't know.
"Sir, I think you're overthinking," Shruti said, her voice small, unsure. "Just... let it go."
Kunal pressed his lips together, nodded to himself, and stepped back.
"Alright. I'm going to my cabin" he said, and walked out without another word.
The door clicked shut behind him.
Shruti suddenly lit up like someone plugged her into a charger. "Woah! I've never seen him like this! Whoever this Ms. Jennifer is, she must be something special if Mr. Kaykay is scared of her that much!"
"It's not a K-drama set" I said, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Go work on your files."
Everyone scattered, whispering and buzzing like school kids after a scandal.
And I just stood there, wondering if this case was going to solve itself... or if the real crime would be dealing with whatever drama Kaykay and his ex-SP just dragged in.