The exhaustion of a long day was clearly sits on the face of inspector Anil Mahajan's face. As he opened the door and stepped into the bathroom of his home, he felt a sense of relief.
Then He headed straight to the bathroom and stood under the warm spray of the shower.
The stream of water slowly started to ease the tension in his shoulders.
After a while ,
He stepped out of the bathroom, drying himself with a towel.
he checked his mobile and saw that he had five missed calls from Sub-Inspector Srivastava. There was also a message that simply read: "Nayak is escaped."
Instead of anger, a deep, heavy sense of disappointment settled upon the Inspector's face after reading the message.
He held the phone to his ear and immediately called Sub-Inspector Srivastava back.
As the call connected, Mahajan set aside his fatigue and irritation and spoke in a firm, level voice:
"I need 'him'. No matter what, Srivastava. No matter what! You know how important this is."
Anil Mahajan wasted no time after cutting the call. He quickly grabbed his slightly soiled and still damp uniform and hastily pulled it back onto his body. Lines of worry were clearly visible on his forehead.
His wife, Mamta, was standing at the bedroom door. Seeing the sudden stress on his face, she knew the matter was serious.
"Mamta," he said, turning, "I will be late."
His voice held more compulsion than exhaustion.
"Aayu... he was waiting for you," Mamta said softly.
Mahajan paused at the door for a moment, his face reflecting deep love for his son.
"Tell him, Papa will be very late today. And also tell him... that I will definitely keep his promise."
With that, Anil gave Mamta one last look, grabbed his cap, rushed out, jumped into his police car , and sped off into the dark night.
Nayak lay on the bed, groaning in pain, inside the room.
In that room There was a photograph on the wall showing the Old Lady and an Old Man surrounded by many small children.
In the hall,
the news was running on the old television. A female anchor was reading the bulletin in a serious tone:
"...and sources indicate that in a fierce altercation between the notorious 'Vayudal' gang and an unidentified traveler, that individual was severely wounded. The man is said to be only 21 years old and has absconded from the hospital. Furthermore, even the Vayudal gang leader is missing..."
Before the news could finish, an old woman rushed in and switched off the TV. An abrupt silence filled the room.
"Just watching TV all day! It's not auspicious," she snapped, telling the other three women (The three women were approximately 23, 24, and 25 years old.) to go to sleep.One of the women was holding a child in her arms who looked as if he had been born just a few days ago.
An elderly man in a wheelchair coughed and remarked, "Was this boy perhaps some kind of goon? Look at his wounds. He looks like a professional killer."
"Be quiet! John,You just keep talking nonsense!" the old woman scolded him, giving him a bad look.
Just then, a low voice of pain echoed from Nayak's room.
The old woman rushed into the room. Supporting Nayak, she said, "Calm down, son,Calm down. You are safe now; don't worry." She carefully helped him drink some water. She said
Nayak took a deep breath, as if pushing out the agony within him. In a weak voice, he asked, "Why did you help me?"
"Just rest now. I'll bring you some warm food," the old woman deflected his question.
Nayak lay back and stared up at the slowly rotating blades of the ceiling fan.
Nayak thought "has she gone to call the police?"
A short while after Nayak's question, the old lady returned to the room. In her hands was a large plate carrying a vessel (a patila, or cooking pot) filled with hot food. Fragrant steam, carrying the faint aroma of the warm meal, was rising from the vessel and mingling with the air in the room, instantly stirring one's appetite.
With a calm, motherly smile, the old lady said, "Here, child, this is for you.
Nayak stared intently at the plate of food. For that single moment, the aroma of the warm meal was so overpowering that he seemed to forget all his wounds and pain. His mouth began to water, and his hunger became uncontrollable. Ignoring his weakness, he devoured the food ravenously.
A deep thought suddenly crossed Nayak's mind while he was eating, and a shadow of profound sadness fell over his face.
The old lady asked, "Oh dear, what happened? You were so happy just a moment ago; why are you suddenly sad?"
Nayak avoided eye contact, deflecting, "I've never eaten such tasty food. I was just wondering if I'll ever get to eat this again. That's why I felt sad."
The old lady laughed. "Is that all?" She touched his forehead lovingly. "You can come here whenever you want. From now on, consider this your own home."
Surprise and gratitude showed on Nayak's face. He asked softly, "May I ask you something, if you don't mind?"
The old lady replied kindly, "Yes, ask, child."
"Why did you help me?"
The old lady thought for a few moments, then narrowed her eyes and countered, "Then I ask you the same question—why did you help me?"
Nayak frowned. "Me? When did I help you?"
The old lady then took out her mobile phone and showed him a CCTV footage where Nayak was seen placing money on her doorstep.
Seeing this, Nayak chuckled slightly and looked embarrassed, saying, "That... I just did that casually..."
The old lady asked again, "May I ask you something?"
Nayak replied, "Yes, please do."
"Did you steal that money?" she asked, looking him straight in the eye.
Nayak immediately refuted, "No! That money wasn't stolen. I earned it by fighting in an underground fight club."
The old lady said in shock, "Oh my God! Why did you take such a risk?"
Nayak explained in a low voice, "I made a mistake, which resulted in a large debt owed to a friend. That's why I had to do this."
The old lady took a deep breath. "Oh, I see."
Nayak nodded in agreement, "Yes."
"Alright, no more talking now," the old lady said gently. "Rest and get some sleep so your injuries can heal."
With that, she dimmed the room light and quietly left.
A masked figure with a strange smile on his face, long hair, and a broad build enters the Andheri Police Station late at night.
He wears iron bangles on one hand.
He has the symbol of 'The Ring of Fire' on the back of his neck.
He goes directly to the cell where the two other masked men, Bemaan and Apaar, are locked up. The police officers try to stop him, but in a matter of seconds, he brutally beats everyone present.
Dozens of p officers were strewn across the ground. They lay like corpses, but were moaning in fear—each groan was the painful evidence that they were still alive.
"He then crushes the locks with his bare hands.
Mysterious Masked Figure: "Come, the Boss has called you."
The two men look at him and reply, "As you command, Sultan."
When Pawan arrived at the given address, a man was waiting for him by a car.
The man handed Pawan a black blindfold.
"Put it on," he said.
Pawan put it on. After about a 20-minute drive, the blindfold was finally removed. He found himself in an office room.
In front of him, a man was sitting on a chair, looking out the window.
Pawan: "Why have I been called here?"
The man then turned the chair around. It was a huge 6 feet man with brown hair and glasses.
"Hello, Pawan? The name is Dante."
Pawan: "You don't look like a local person."
After a moment of silence, Dante replied, "Very good, what sharp eyes you have! I'm actually not fully Indian. My father is an Indian and my mother was an Italian, so that makes me half Indian and half Italian."
"Oh, I see."
Dante continued, "I am the CEO of an organization, You must have heard of my organization. The Flame Keepers ."
As soon as Pawan heard the name, he was startled.
"The Flame keeper Organization that owns the country's biggest fight club... what business could its CEO have with me?" He asked again, "Why have I been called here?"
"To hire you for some work."
"What kind of work is the Flame keeper Organization unable to do?"
Dante: "There are some jobs that only a few specific people can do.
Look, even though I wear specs, I have very sharp eyes, and these eyes can recognize talent from far away. And you, my friend, are that talent for me."
Pawan: "Okay, fine. What do I need to do?"
Dante: "Find Fight and Flight," Dante said. "And bring him to me."
Dante then showed him a photo. It was none other than Nayak.
The moment Pawan saw the photo, a storm of emotions—anger, hatred, and resentment—erupted within him.
Pawan thought to himself, "Why does everybody want him? What exactly did he do?"
Pawan: "I won't do it," Pawan stated flatly.
Dante: "Why?"
Pawan: "He is too strong. Even the stupid Ring of Fire members couldn't defeat him, so how can I?"
Dante: "That's why you are here. See, our organization is responsible for legal fights all around the country. But we also train people here."
Dante then pointed to CCTV monitors showing the building's basement.
Dante: "In the basement of this building is the world's largest fighting facility."
The monitors showed different individuals fighting each other, while others were engaged in intense weight training and cardio.
You must be wandering "Why am I showing all of this to you? Because, my friend, you are going into my underground facility to train yourself."
"What benefits will I get?" Pawan said.
Dante: "There are two. First, if you train here, you will get undeniably stronger.
Second, and perhaps more importantly, if you work underneath me, all the crime charges filed against you will be dropped. So tell me, how does that offer sound?"
Dante stood up from his chair, adjusted his off-white coat, and walked over to stand near Pawan. He extended his hand and asked, "Will you my friend"
"Will you accept this offer?"
"I am a goon," Pawan replied, a dark amusement in his voice. "I find your second offer—the one about clearing my name—worthless. But the first one, the promise of getting stronger, seems pleasing."
A deep, chilling smile spread across Pawan's face, and he clas....