Once Aryan had all the information Meera had requested, he knocked on her door.
Meera was dressed in a loose T shirt and denim shorts. Even in this casual outfit, she looked stunningly beautiful. Her confidence was making her glow.
She smiled on seeing Aryan and welcomed him inside.
"Care for a coffee?" she asked warmly.
"No, thanks," he said, "I'm good."
"So cold as always!" Meera sighed as she held his hand and led him to the couch gesturing him to sit down. Then she walked towards the coffee machine and said with a playful smile, "I don't know what your problem is Aryan, but you are in my house now and I order you to have a coffee with me. It'll warm your cold cold heart."
Aryan smiled back. "I'm a tea person Meera, but, if you insist, I'll have a coffee," he said with a smile.
Meera returned with two cups of coffee and placed them on the table before Aryan. Taking a sip from her cup, she asked, "So tell me what you've got."
"About Neil Pereira, age 38 years, he's the usual filthy rich guy. He lives with his wife Aditi and two daughters, Avni, age 8 years and Pihu, age 5 years. Parents both dead, no siblings.. He is an IT professional, working for a tech giant. He works from home most of the time though. He has enough riches to lead a comfortable life. Past looks clean, no criminal record, was quite the chocolate boy in college, a lot of girls were interested in him. He was known for a good singing voice and was a part of some band back in college days. But then he decided to marry Aditi, his college sweetheart. She belongs to one of the city's most reputed business families, this guy just got richer after marriage. Overall impression is pretty clean," he said. He placed pictures of his wife and 2 daughters on the table before Meera.
"Any idea about the properties he owns?" Meera asked.
"One bungalow in Juhu, the same address on which his BMW is registered, and he has one villa he inherited, it is located at Vasai. He has 2 other cars, one Mercedes and one Jeep compass. These are the pictures and the registration numbers of his cars," Aryan said, placing more photos on the table, "And this is the picture of the villa. The address is written behind the picture."
"His friends?" Meera asked.
"This guy is pretty social and has a lot of friends, people from college or workplace, or from club memberships. He attends many social events. But apart from the usual stuff he has 3 other close friends, but there is something strange about them..." Aryan said, "These friends seem to be nowhere connected to his life, apart from the fact that they hang out together quite often. They are a group of 4 guys, from totally different professional backgrounds. Not only that, neither are their families connected, nor do they live close to one another, it is just strange that 4 random guys just met and got along really well. I'm still trying to find a common connection between these four, but their friendship appears quite old and has run strong for over 15 years."
"Those three are precisely the people I am interested in. Tell me about them," Meera said.
"Aarav Mehra, age 38 years" he said, placing a picture on the table, "He is a surgeon, working at the Healthcare Hospital. He is quite skilled at his job, and has a practice that runs pretty well. His wife Avantika is a housewife, son Kiaan, age 4. Seems like a regular doctor on the outside. His medical record is also pretty clean."
"Isn't this the same hospital where Mithila works?" Meera asked.
"Yes," Aryan confirmed.
"Reyansh Samarth," Aryan said, placing another picture on the table, "Age 35 years, graphics designer, single, and quite the reckless party animal. He is into booze, drugs, and women, a lot of women actually."
"And the fourth one?" Meera asked.
"Armaan Mathur," Aryan said, handing over his picture to Meera, "He is the eldest in the group. Age 41 years, he runs a construction business, and actually the shadiest among the four. He's got...connections, with politicians, police, and criminals. Maybe it is what his work requires, but the other three, they don't have these kinds of resources."
When Meera saw Armaan's picture, her expression darkened. Aryan could see it. She suddenly remembered the dreams in which she had seen Neil. The other man who appeared alongside Neil in her dreams was Armaan.
"He is the one, he is the one who sold me off to the trafficking gang!" Meera spoke with intense rage in her eyes, "Tell me more about this guy Aryan."
"He belongs to a business family. His father has married twice, and worked abroad and earned a fortune. Armaan lived with his mother for most of this early life, till one day she mysteriously disappeared. Armaan himself was married to a woman named Shalini, and had a daughter, Priya. The daughter died of leukemia and the wife died in an accident. He remained single for a long time. This guy is just shady, he is often seen dealing with influential men as well as criminals. His bungalow at Pali Hill is no less than a fortress. I mean the other three, their houses have a security CCTV camera at the most, but this guy has some high-tech security systems, his house is practically impenetrable. He has a thing for girls like...you, Meera, I mean, he is quite the sadist. There is a prostitute named Anya, she used to be his regular, and the sex used to be quite...rough. Few other women that he was seen with just disappeared and no one's ever heard from them again. Women just disappear around this man, or just meet with accidents. He has a very dark aura about him. And then one day, this girl entered his life..." Aryan said, showing her the picture of a young girl.
Meera took the picture and observed it carefully. She was a beautiful young girl, with dark innocent eyes and a dusky complexion.
"Her name is Pankhudi," Aryan said, "Age 27, she hails from Raigad village in Maharashtra. She's been living and working in Mumbai to support her family. Works as a receptionist by the day, and studies commerce in night college. She aspires to be a chartered accountant and has been preparing for her exams. I really don't know how Armaan and Pankhudi met, but they have been seen hanging out often. Armaan takes her to fancy places in his expensive cars, and invites her over to his bungalow at Pali Hill, but he also visits her humble apartment quite often. They've known each other for the last 3 years. I really don't know if they are in a relationship, they are just a very odd couple. He is like 13 years elder to her, and they come from such different backgrounds..."
"So...sugar daddy, huh?" Meera asked, taking a sip of coffee.
"Even I thought so for a while," Aryan said, "But this girl...she didn't get any richer after she met him. Her humble lifestyle continues, and she doesn't seem to accept any gifts. I mean, it is no big deal for Armaan to buy her a fancy car, but she still drives a second hand scooty that she most probably bought out of her own savings. I did a background check on her character as well. She is spotless and has never been seen with any man other than Armaan. And another notable thing is that Armaan is not interested in any other woman since he's been seeing her."
Meera looked at Pankhudi's picture again and smiled with a devilish spark in her eyes, "It looks like the big bad guy has fallen in love."
"Seems like it," Aryan said.
"Send me her address," Meera said, "I'm gonna have to meet this girl."
"Sure," Aryan said, "But, you know, these four, they have secrets, pretty dark secrets, I'm sure about it. Those secrets can be known only if we could infiltrate their personal lives, and get access to their devices, maybe read their messages..."
"Are you suggesting some kind of a honey trap?" Meera asked.
"Precisely," Aryan said, "And I think among the four, Reyansh is most susceptible. This guy, he is too proud of his looks, thinks of himself as some kind of chick magnet and can barely keep his dick in his pants."
"I'll speak to Adil, he'll have just the right person for the job," Meera said.
"Basically Meera," Aryan said, taking a sip of coffee, "These guys are unlike any you've encountered before. They are filthy rich sophisticated men from powerful families, and none of them have a criminal record. These guys play the game with different rules, they are intelligent and manipulative. You can't just deal with them with a couple of hitmen like the previous gang."
"I intend to do no such thing," Meera said with a smile, "I know these men, and I know how they play. And I am going to beat them in their own game. I've already met Neil and Armaan once. I know how crafty both of them are, and I am sure the other two are no less. Naina had mentioned Reyansh and Aarav in her diary. You know what these men have in common? All four of them are sick sadistic bastards! But they have no idea what nightmare is coming for them."
"I would never doubt what you are capable of Meera," Aryan said, giving her a hug.
"I am also capable of cooking dinner," she said, running her fingers through his hair, "And you are going to have dinner with me and spend the night. You are not accepting money for your awesome work, let me show you some hospitality. And it is not a request."
Aryan smiled at how authoritatively she ordered him to stay. He remembered the time when he had first seen her. She was a helpless girl who had managed to escape from her captors, just trying to survive under a poor shelter. And now she looked so much stronger, so much more confident.
"Come here," she said gently tugging on his arm, "I have a surprise for you."
He followed her into her bedroom and he ropes attached on all four corners.
"Meera.." he asked inquisitively, "What are you up to?"
Meera flashed him the brightest smile and pulled off his jacket and began to feel him. She hugged him, her hands feeling his back she reached for his belt. She found his gun and playfully pulled it out.
"You carry a gun to my house?" she said playfully aiming the firearm at him.
