Chapter 29 — The Last Move
884 Words
The house no longer felt like a trap.
It felt like a crime scene.
Officers moved in and out of the study, photographing angles, dusting surfaces, bagging the tiny camera from the ceiling and the transmitter Meera had ripped from beneath the desk. Evidence tags fluttered like silent verdicts.
Aarav stood near the doorway, watching.
Not satisfied.
Not relieved.
Because he knew Rajeev too well.
A man who plans ten steps ahead never stops at step nine.
Kabir joined him. “Police have issued a notice. They’re going to his office.”
Aarav nodded slowly. “He won’t be there.”
Meera looked between them. “Then where is he?”
Aarav’s eyes darkened.
“Somewhere he thinks he still has control.”
Rajeev Khurana was not running.
He was sitting calmly inside a private lounge at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
A single leather bag beside him.
Phone in hand.
News channels playing silently on the wall-mounted screen.
His own face replaced by headlines accusing him.
He didn’t look angry.
He looked… thoughtful.
As if adjusting a plan.
His phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown encrypted contact.
Car is ready on the east exit.
Rajeev typed back:
Delay five minutes.
His eyes shifted to the TV again.
To Meera’s face frozen mid-sentence from the live stream replay.
He smiled faintly.
“The variable,” he murmured.
Back at the house, one of the officers approached Aarav.
“Sir, we’ve received intel that Rajeev Khurana may attempt to leave the city.”
Aarav’s head snapped up. “From where?”
“Possibly private aviation. We’re checking all airports.”
Aarav didn’t wait.
He turned to Kabir. “Keys.”
Meera stepped forward. “I’m coming.”
“No,” Aarav said instantly.
She met his eyes. “Don’t.”
A pause.
He nodded once. “Stay close.”
They left together.
The drive was fast and silent.
Mumbai’s late-night traffic parted under urgency as they sped toward Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
Kabir checked his phone constantly. “News says authorities are issuing a lookout notice.”
Aarav’s grip tightened on the steering wheel. “He’s still ahead.”
Meera’s mind was racing.
“He’s not running scared,” she said. “He’s running prepared.”
Aarav glanced at her briefly.
She was right.
Rajeev never ran without a backup.
Inside the airport lounge, Rajeev stood up calmly.
Picked up his bag.
Walked toward the exit reserved for private flyers.
His phone rang.
He answered without checking.
Aarav’s voice came through.
“Don’t board.”
Rajeev smiled slightly. “You made it out.”
“You’re done,” Aarav said.
Rajeev walked slowly as he replied. “No, Aarav. I’m adapting.”
A pause.
“You always were emotional. Predictable.”
Aarav’s voice hardened. “And you always underestimated me.”
Rajeev stopped walking.
“Did I?” he asked softly.
Then he said something that made Aarav’s blood freeze.
“Check the company servers.”
The call ended.
Kabir looked up from his phone immediately.
“Oh no…”
“What?” Meera asked.
Kabir’s face drained of color.
“He’s triggered a data purge.”
Aarav’s heart slammed.
“All financial records. Internal archives. Everything tied to the company servers—it’s being wiped remotely.”
Meera’s breath caught. “The evidence—”
Kabir nodded. “Gone if we don’t stop it.”
Aarav understood instantly.
This was Rajeev’s last move.
If he couldn’t win legally—
He would erase the battlefield.
They reached the airport drop-off.
Aarav turned to Kabir. “You two go to the office. Server room. Pull the main line before the wipe completes.”
Kabir nodded. “Come.”
Meera grabbed Aarav’s arm. “What about you?”
His eyes were locked on the entrance doors.
“I finish this.”
She didn’t argue.
She knew that look.
Kabir pulled her toward the car again. “We don’t have time.”
As they drove off toward the headquarters of Khurana Global Holdings, Meera looked back once.
Aarav was already walking into the airport.
Alone.
Rajeev reached the private exit corridor.
Security doors ahead.
Freedom just steps away.
Then a voice behind him said—
“Going somewhere?”
He stopped.
Closed his eyes briefly.
Then turned.
Aarav stood there.
Breathing hard. Eyes steady.
No fear. No hesitation.
Just finality.
Rajeev studied him for a long second.
“You chose emotion again,” he said calmly.
Aarav shook his head.
“No,” he replied.
“I chose truth.”
Security personnel began noticing the tension.
Watching.
Rajeev sighed. “You think this ends tonight?”
Aarav stepped closer.
“Yes.”
Rajeev smiled faintly. “You still don’t understand. Power isn’t in files or cameras.”
A pause.
“It’s in what people believe.”
Aarav’s voice dropped low.
“They’re starting to believe me.”
Sirens echoed faintly outside the terminal now.
Rajeev heard them.
So did Aarav.
Rajeev’s expression shifted slightly.
For the first time—
He looked cornered.
But not defeated.
He leaned slightly toward Aarav and whispered—
“Then let’s see what they believe when the servers go dark.”
Aarav’s jaw tightened.
Because right now—
Everything depended on whether Meera and Kabir reached the server room in time.
- Writer
