The Devil’s Pretty Bird

(Arohi's pov) The ground was soft tonight. Good. It made digging easier. I pushed the shovel into the mud, again and again, until my arms started to burn. The night was quiet—only the sound of metal cutting into the earth. When the hole was deep enough, I pulled the body in. No name. No face I wanted to remember. Just another job. Killing was never hard for me. People think it’s bloody and cruel, but for me, it’s work. Clean. Sharp. Final. I never feel sorry. If the day comes when I feel guilty, I’ll stop. But until then? This is who I am. I covered the grave, pressed my boot on the soil to make it flat. Neat. Perfect. Like nothing ever happened. That’s when my phone rang. An unknown number but I recognized it instantly. It was 'Ray'. Ray, a man no one had seen. A man who only works for the agency. A handler who works only in the shadows, giving the chosen ones missions. I answered. “Hello?” “Agent Arohi,” a deep voice said. Calm. Smooth, "The grave looks neat as always." My breath caught, I looked around me—no one then how did he know what I was doing? “You have a mission,” he said. His tone was steady, cold. “Your target: Kartik Malhotra.” The name hit me like a bullet. Kartik Malhotra—the untouchable mastermind. Ruthless. Clever. Dangerous. No one got close to him and lived to tell the story. Ray didn’t pause. “You won’t go directly. Use his stepbrother, Kunal Malhotra. He’s soft. He trusts easily. He will lead you where you need to be." “And the details?” I asked. “You’ll get a message,” he replied. Then the line went dead. I pulled the phone away and, as always, no number. No call log, everything disappeared like he had never called at all. The next morning, I became someone else. Avantika. New dress. New smile. A softer laugh. A girl who looked harmless but wasn’t. That’s when I saw him—Kunal Malhotra. Standing outside a bookstore, scrolling through his phone. Neat shirt, expensive watch, hair a little messy. He looked… normal. Nothing like Kartik. Perfect. I walked fast, timed my steps, and crashed into him, spilling hot coffee across his shirt. “Oh no!” I gasped, looking down at the stain. “I’m so clumsy. I’m so sorry!” He quickly reached for tissues. “No, no—it’s my fault.” I wasn’t looking. I gave him a nervous smile, tilting my head just enough. “I’m Avantika.” His eyes lifted to mine. He smiled, almost shy. “Kunal.” He is so predictable, I knew his next words before he said them. "If you don't mind, can I buy you a new coffee?" "Sure." I smiled just how he wanted me to. By the evening, I already knew he liked me. The way he asked questions, the way he laughed at things that weren’t even funny, the way he offered to walk me halfway home. Kunal was sweet. Too sweet. Too easy. Just how I like it. (Kartik's pov) The glass of whiskey felt warm in my hand as I sat back in the leather chair. Same old life—numbers, deals, shipments. Another day of running my empire. My assistant walked in quietly, holding a folder. He never spoke until I allowed him. I raised my eyebrow, and only then he started. “The docks are clear. Shipment came on time. No mistakes this week,” he said. I gave a short nod and took a sip. That’s how things should be. Perfect. But then he paused, his face a little tense. “There’s something else… a new girl. She was seen today… near your brother.” My hand stilled. I set the glass down slowly, my eyes narrowing. “As you told, we check every small detail about him every day,” he continued, stepping closer. “We found everything about this girl.” He placed the folder on my desk. The room went silent as I opened it. A photo looked up at me. A soft smile. A clean record. Too clean. I snapped the file shut, the sound sharp in the stillness. “It's to clean, no one is this perfect,” I muttered. A slow smirk curved on my lips. My fingers tapped the folder as I whispered, almost to myself— “Who is this pretty little bird?” The room stayed quiet. But in my mind, I could already hear the sound of a cage door closing.