The Eighth Night [Now published on Amazon]

Part 1

June 7, 2022

"Tonight is the night," said the burly man, eying the tall and voluptuous figure of the woman leaning against the wall. The corners of her lips danced their way to her ears as her downcast eyes traced the man at the door. The light from the flickering bulb bounced off her delighted features and unveiled the glint of triumphant glee in her hooded eyes.

The woman's eyes darted across the place where pictures were taped to the wall, arranged in a straight line. The first picture in the line was that of a woman bearing a glossy red cross. The stretch of the woman's lips quivered for a moment, and a blaze of blinding rage replaced her gleeful glimmer. She trained her gaze over the second image in the row. "Time for me to lure that little goat out."

"Are you sure it is safe for you to go out? I mean, everyone thinks you are—"

The woman's hand shot up, making his words die in the man's throat. He gulped the lump that formed at his throat. "You should know better than to question me, John. Don't you remember who I am? Or do you need a reminder?"

Her menacing tone made John's Adam's apple bob and a sheen of sweat formed on his forehead. "N-No, of course not. I'm sorry. I will make the arrangements for your travel right away."

A satisfied smirk replaced her frown and, with a nonchalant wave of her hand, she dismissed the man. The man closed the door behind him, leaving a restive silence in the dingy room.

She ambled across, her shoes resounding a gentle thud with each step. Her dainty fingers caressed the second image of a vibrant young woman, and her lips stretched further. "You love heroics, don't you, sweetheart? You may have never considered my aspirations, but today, I will give you the chance to live your dream of displaying your valour."

⨳ ⨳ ⨳

"Dr. Agarwal, may I have a minute with you?"

Dr. Prabhakar, the college Dean, gestured toward the police officers standing behind him. A tall man with an authoritative stance appeared to be of the highest post amongst them stood closest to the dean, towering over him, with his hands shoved inside the pockets of his black slacks.

Swadha nodded, signalling to Dr. Aditya—her companion assisting her for the day—to take over the routine of testing the vitals of the patients in the ward. She removed the stethoscope around her neck and placed it in the pocket of her apron. Prabhakar guided the group to the nearest duty doctors' room for privacy.

The threshold between the poorly lit and under-ventilated patients' ward and the doctors' room did not differ from a portal into a different world. The pristine white walls and large windows fell into stark contrast to the dull surfaces of the other room covered in several layers of stains. The irritable pungent smell of disinfectants replaced the putrid stench of bodily fluids from the ward, and the sudden silence contrasted with the wails and groans of those patients.

"Swadha, meet DSP Vikrant Arora." Prabhakar gestured to the man standing a head taller than her. "He has taken over the case of your missing friends. Mr. Arora, this is Dr. Swadha Agarwal, a good friend of the missing students. You can ask her the questions you have about them."

Swadha nodded at Vikrant with a weak smile. Prabhakar smiled at the two parties and excused himself when Swadha stopped him.

"Sir—just a request." Prabhakar turned to look at her. The other officers standing by the door pinned their eyes on her. She continued, "He can message me or call me anytime, but if they are visiting me in the wards or OPD, like now, it would be better to dress as a civilian instead of an officer. Don't you think?"

Vikrant's eyebrows furrowed as he glared down at her. "Why? Are you scared that it'll taint your character or something? Helping the police is an honourable task."