Rain drizzled gently outside Nandini's apartment window as she prepared to face yet another strange twist in her life. It had only been a day since that bizarre police station incident with Ruhan and SHO Suhani, but the chaos wasn't done with her yet.
When the doorbell rang, she sighed heavily, expecting peace to be snatched away once again. As she opened the door, she wasn't surprised to see Ruhan and Suhani standing there—Suhani in casual clothes, not her police uniform, looking like a normal friend today.
"No. I'm not going. Don't even ask," Nandini said, folding her arms.
"Oh, come on, what's the big deal?" Suhani replied, flashing a wicked grin. "It's just a trip. A short one."
"Besides... think of Tommy," Ruhan smirked, crouching as Tommy the golden retriever trotted over, tail wagging.
"Wow! Where'd you get this beautiful golden retriever?" Suhani knelt to pet him.
"He's mine," Nandini muttered.
"Hey, no problem. If you won't come, then leave Tommy with me. I've always wanted a golden retriever puppy," Ruhan teased.
"Not a chance. Why Tommy? Leave him out of your madness," Nandini snapped.
"Come on, Nandini. Don't overthink it. Just a harmless getaway," Suhani coaxed.
Just then, Mrs. Meera Sharma—her nosy neighbor—popped in from the backyard.
"Nandini, beta, go! It's no big deal. Tommy will be fine; I can watch him. Besides, you're afraid Ruhan will try something? Please, he's a sweet boy. And Suhani here is SHO—what better protection do you need?" she grinned.
Suhani laughed. "Don't worry, if this idiot misbehaves, call me and I'll personally toss him into lockup."
"I can't win, can I?" Nandini muttered. She didn't have a real excuse. And when did Suhani become such a close friend, calling herself 'just Suhani,' not SHO?
Soon Suhani was helping her pack. Flight tickets pinged into her inbox. Before she knew it, she was at the airport, boarding the 4 AM flight to Goa with Ruhan and Suhani.
By afternoon, they reached Suhani's apartment—actually, a grand penthouse.
"Whoa… You're rich," Nandini whispered, shocked at the two male helpers, four maids, two security guards standing at attention.
"This is Goa, not a small town hut. Welcome to beachside luxury," Ruhan teased, dropping his bag in the giant walk-in closet.
"I don't see any beaches nearby," Nandini muttered, eyeing the view.
"Seriously? You think Swami's apartment would be miles away? The beach is a kilometer that way," Ruhan pointed lazily.
As Ruhan unpacked, he carefully removed a small key hidden in the wardrobe and unlocked a secret compartment—a steel locker. Inside: guns, knives, bullets, silencer pistols. He quickly stuffed his bag's contents into the locker, locked it, and hid the key back inside the closet seam.
"If you get hungry, ask the staff. They'll make you anything you want," he called casually and walked out of the apartment.
"Boring!" Nandini grumbled. "I thought Goa meant beaches, cocktails... not sitting in a luxury cage while Mr. Suspicious runs errands."
Meanwhile downstairs, Ruhan dialed a number.
"Send me the photo and address."
A message arrived instantly.
"Do it clean. Like Mr. Harshit Patel in Dehradun—only smoother this time," he texted back.
Upstairs, the maids approached.
"Ma'am, shall we prepare some lunch for you?" one asked politely.
"Stop calling me 'Ma'am'. Just Nandini, please," she sighed.
"As you wish, Nandini," the maid smiled.
A gentle breeze from the sea brushed into the room as Nandini stepped onto the balcony. Something didn't feel right. Ruhan's mysterious behavior, the secret locker… What was he hiding?
Her phone buzzed.
**Ruhan:** "Behaving like a queen in the palace yet?"
**Nandini:** "More like trapped princess in a tower."
**Ruhan:** "Relax. Enjoy the view. I'll take you to the beach later. Promise."
She frowned. Something about this felt off. He left too quickly. And that locker…
Nandini chewed her lip, glancing back at the closet. Should she?
Tommy whimpered softly beside her as if sensing her thoughts.
"Not now, boy," she whispered, petting him. "But soon."
Below, Ruhan met with a man near the black SUV.
"Target confirmed. Finish it quietly. No mistakes this time," Ruhan murmured, handing over a packet.
"Understood, boss. Just like Patel?"
"Cleaner. No loose ends."
Back in the apartment, Suhani strolled into the living room with shopping bags.
"Hey! Ready for the beach tomorrow?" she grinned.
"Suhani..." Nandini began carefully, "How well do you know Ruhan?"
"Better than anyone. Why?" Suhani asked, raising a brow.
"Nothing… just curious," Nandini lied.
But in her mind, a storm was brewing.
Something about this trip wasn't as innocent as it looked. And Nandini swore to find out what Ruhan Singh was truly up to—even if it meant risking everything.
To be continued…