Arjun reached the police station at 3:52 p.m. He didn't rush. He didn't delay. He walked in like someone who had nothing to hide. The constable at the desk recognized him this time and didn't ask unnecessary questions. "Inside," he said, pointing toward the same room as before.
Inspector Rao was already seated. There was another chair placed opposite him. On the table, a laptop sat open. The atmosphere felt different today. Not tense. Focused.
"Sit, Mr. Arjun," the inspector said.
Arjun sat.
"You're aware Vikram has submitted material," the inspector said.
"Yes," Arjun replied.
Inspector Rao nodded and turned the laptop slightly toward him. "We received an audio recording."
Arjun didn't speak.
The inspector pressed play.
The audio started with background noise. A car engine. Faint traffic.
Then Vikram's voice.
"Are you sure this will work?"
Riya's voice answered.
"It worked before. It just needs clean paperwork."
Arjun's fingers tightened slightly on the armrest.
Vikram again: "What about him?"
Riya replied, calm and steady: "He won't question it. He trusts me."
The audio continued.
Vikram: "And if he finds out?"
Riya: "By then it won't matter."
The recording ended there.
The room went silent.
Inspector Rao watched Arjun's face carefully.
Arjun didn't react visibly.
"That's not the full recording," the inspector said.
"There's more?" Arjun asked.
"Yes."
The inspector pressed play again.
The next clip was clearer. Indoor setting. Maybe an apartment.
Riya's voice again.
"I just need his salary slip. He already sent it."
Vikram: "And the signature?"
Riya: "I've practiced."
There was a short pause in the audio.
Then Vikram laughed lightly. "You're dangerous."
Riya responded, "Only when I need to be."
The recording stopped.
Silence filled the room.
Inspector Rao closed the laptop slowly.
"This was submitted voluntarily," he said.
Arjun nodded once.
"He's claiming he warned her not to proceed," the inspector added.
Arjun's expression remained neutral.
"And did he?" Arjun asked.
Inspector Rao opened another file and read aloud.
"In a later part of the recording, he says, 'This could backfire.' She responds, 'Not if he stays quiet.'"
Arjun leaned back slightly.
Inspector Rao watched him carefully.
"You were not aware of any of this?" the inspector asked.
"No," Arjun replied.
"You never gave verbal consent?" the inspector pressed.
"No."
Inspector Rao nodded slowly.
"This changes the nature of the case," he said.
Arjun remained silent.
"Forgery and conspiracy are now on record," the inspector continued.
Arjun looked at him directly. "What happens next?"
"We issue notice to both," the inspector replied. "Formal statements. Possibly criminal charges."
Arjun didn't smile. Didn't show satisfaction.
He simply nodded.
"Do you wish to file your own complaint formally?" the inspector asked again.
Arjun paused for a second.
"Yes," he said.
Inspector Rao wrote something down.
"Very well."
Outside the station, Arjun stood still for a moment. His phone buzzed.
Neha.
"Did you hear it?" she asked immediately.
"Yes," Arjun replied.
"She's losing it," Neha said. "She didn't know he recorded."
"That's clear," Arjun replied.
"She thought he'd protect her," Neha added.
"He protected himself," Arjun said.
Neha exhaled slowly.
"They've suspended her officially," she said.
Arjun didn't respond.
"And Vikram?" he asked.
"On leave pending investigation," Neha replied.
Arjun nodded once.
The game had shifted completely.
At 7:18 p.m., Riya called.
He stared at the phone for three seconds before answering.
"You filed," she said immediately.
"Yes," he replied.
"You promised you wouldn't," she snapped.
"I never promised," he corrected.
"You're destroying me," she said.
"You recorded yourself planning fraud," he replied calmly.
"You don't understand," she said.
"Then explain," he replied.
Silence.
"He pressured me," she said suddenly.
"Pressure doesn't forge signatures," Arjun replied.
"You're choosing his side?" she demanded.
"I'm choosing evidence," he said.
She went quiet.
"You loved me," she whispered.
"That ended when you used my name," he replied.
Her breathing became uneven.
"If I go to jail," she said quietly, "it's because of you."
"If you go to jail," he replied calmly, "it's because of your actions."
Silence.
Then she disconnected.
The next morning, news spread faster than expected. Someone inside the company had leaked the suspension memo. It didn't mention criminal charges yet, but it hinted at document manipulation.
Arjun didn't comment on it.
He focused on work.
At 11:04 a.m., Sameer leaned against his desk.
"She's texting mutual friends," Sameer said.
"About?" Arjun asked.
"Saying you pushed her into it," Sameer replied.
Arjun nodded slowly.
"Do you want me to respond in the group?" Sameer asked.
"No," Arjun replied.
"Why not?" Sameer asked.
"Because proof is louder," Arjun said.
Sameer studied him carefully.
"You're different," he said.
Arjun didn't respond.
At 2:37 p.m., his lawyer called.
"We received confirmation," the lawyer said. "Police are registering FIR."
Arjun stayed silent for a moment.
"Against both?" he asked.
"Yes," the lawyer replied. "Forgery, criminal conspiracy."
Arjun exhaled slowly.
"There will be summons," the lawyer added.
"Understood," Arjun replied.
"Prepare for court statements," the lawyer said.
"I will," Arjun replied.
He ended the call and stared at the wall for a few seconds.
It was real now.
No longer internal drama.
Legal.
Official.
At 6:12 p.m., the unknown number messaged again.
Unknown:
You moved faster than she expected.
Arjun typed.
Arjun:
Who are you really?
There was a longer pause this time.
Then:
Unknown:
Someone who learned the hard way.
Arjun stared at the message.
He typed again.
Arjun:
Aditya?
Three dots appeared.
Stopped.
Then the reply came.
Unknown:
No.
Arjun felt a slight tension in his chest.
Arjun:
Then who?
The response didn't come immediately.
Instead, his phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
A male voice spoke.
"You don't know me," the voice said.
"Clearly," Arjun replied.
"I worked with her before Aditya," the voice continued.
Arjun's eyes narrowed slightly.
"She did the same thing to me," the man said.
Silence.
"She used my name for a rental guarantor," he added.
Arjun felt something click.
"What's your name?" Arjun asked.
"Rahul," the voice replied.
Arjun leaned back slowly.
"She said you were abusive," Rahul said quietly.
Arjun didn't respond.
"I believed her at first," Rahul added.
"Why contact me now?" Arjun asked.
"Because this time she got recorded," Rahul said. "And I recognized the pattern."
Arjun's grip tightened slightly.
"You've been the one messaging me?" he asked.
"Yes," Rahul replied.
Silence filled the call.
"You've been watching?" Arjun asked.
"I've been waiting," Rahul corrected.
"For what?" Arjun asked.
"For someone to not stay quiet," Rahul replied.
Arjun didn't respond immediately.
"You're not the first," Rahul said.
"And probably not the last," Arjun replied.
Rahul exhaled slowly.
"Be ready," he said.
"For what?" Arjun asked.
But the line disconnected.
At 9:45 p.m., Arjun received a notification.
Breaking news alert from a local digital blog.
Headline:
Corporate Employee Accused in Forgery Scandal.
He opened it.
The article didn't mention names.
But the details were obvious.
Rental agreement. Loan guarantor. Internal suspension.
Comments were already forming opinions.
Arjun closed the article.
His phone buzzed again.
Neha.
"It leaked," she said.
"Yes," Arjun replied.
"She's blaming you publicly now," Neha added.
Arjun opened Instagram again.
Riya had posted a statement.
Not a live.
A written post.
I made mistakes under pressure. But I was not alone. I was influenced, manipulated, and emotionally cornered.
No direct names.
But implication clear.
Arjun read it once.
Then locked his phone.
At 11:03 p.m., the unknown number messaged again.
Unknown:
She just contacted the media.
And this time, she's planning to name you directly.
Arjun stared at the message.
Because internal fights were one thing.
Police cases were another.
But media exposure—
Changed everything.