A Name from the Past

Abhishek’s grip tightened around his phone as the message sank in.

"You should’ve never come back. You don’t belong here."

Meera noticed his change in expression immediately. "Abhi. What is it?"

He hesitated, his mind racing. If his gut was right, this wasn’t just some random stalker. This was personal.

Finally, he exhaled. "I think I know who it might be."

Meera’s eyes widened. "Who?"

Abhishek looked up, jaw clenched. "Aryan."

The name felt like a punch in the gut.

Meera frowned. "Wait—the Aryan? The guy you had that huge fallout with back in your old academy?"

Abhishek nodded, his chest tightening. "Yeah. And if he’s back, this is going to get messy."

Meera crossed her arms. "Start talking."

—

Flashback: Four Years Ago

Abhishek and Aryan had once been inseparable—two rising cricket stars, constantly pushing each other to be better. But everything changed during a crucial tournament.

Aryan had been accused of match-fixing. The scandal had rocked their academy. And when Abhishek refused to defend him—choosing integrity over loyalty—Aryan had been expelled.

Before leaving, he had said just one thing to Abhishek.

"You think you’re better than me? Watch your back, Sharma. This isn’t over."

At the time, Abhishek had brushed it off as empty words.

But now?

Now, he wasn’t so sure.

—

Present Day

Meera’s face darkened. "So you think Aryan’s behind all this? The messages? The stalking?"

Abhishek exhaled. "It makes sense. He had every reason to hate me. And if he’s back…"

Meera shook her head. "Then we’re not waiting for his next move. We find him first."

Abhishek met her eyes. "We?"

She raised an eyebrow. "What, you thought I was gonna let you handle this alone?"

Despite the tension, Abhishek felt a warmth spread through him. Meera wasn’t just his girlfriend—she was all in.

"Alright," he said. "Let’s end this."

—

The First Clue

The next day, Abhishek and Meera started digging.

Meera called in a favor from one of her contacts—a journalist who had covered the old scandal.

An hour later, she got a reply.

"You’re not going to believe this… but Aryan’s back in town. And he’s been asking about you."

Abhishek’s stomach dropped.

This wasn’t just about old grudges anymore.

Aryan was coming for him.

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Abhishek stared at the message on Meera’s phone, his heartbeat thundering in his ears.

"Aryan’s back in town. And he’s been asking about you."

Meera locked eyes with him. "This isn’t a coincidence. He’s been planning something."

Abhishek exhaled sharply. "Yeah, and now we know who we’re dealing with."

Virat, who had been silent up until now, finally spoke. "So what’s the plan? Wait for him to make a move?"

Meera scoffed. "Absolutely not. If he’s watching Abhi, he probably thinks he has the upper hand. Let’s change that."

Virat crossed his arms. "And how do you suggest we do that?"

Meera smirked. "Simple. We make him think we’re watching him."

—

Setting the Trap

After digging through social media, Meera’s journalist contact found something interesting—Aryan had recently been spotted at a sports bar in town. He was keeping a low profile, but someone had tagged him in the background of a photo.

Meera grinned. "Perfect. If he’s going out, we make sure he sees Abhi there, accidentally."

Abhishek raised an eyebrow. "You want me to just walk in and act like I don’t know he’s stalking me?"

"Exactly," she said. "Catch him off guard."

Virat, skeptical, added, "And if he doesn’t take the bait?"

Meera’s eyes glinted mischievously. "Then we improvise."

Abhishek sighed. "This is insane."

Meera shrugged. "You love me."

"That’s the only reason I’m going along with this," he muttered.

—

The Confrontation

That night, Abhishek walked into the bar, pretending to be casual. Meera and Virat sat a few tables away, acting like they weren’t watching.

Then, he spotted him.

Aryan.

Sitting in a dimly lit booth, alone, swirling a drink in his hand. He hadn’t seen Abhishek yet.

Abhishek’s blood ran cold. He hadn’t seen Aryan in years, but the smirk on his face was still the same.

Meera, in his earpiece, whispered, "He sees you."

Abhishek played it cool, ordering a drink and pretending not to notice.

But Aryan stood up. Walked straight over.

"Long time, Sharma."

Abhishek turned slowly. "Didn’t expect to see you here, Aryan."

Aryan chuckled. "Really? Because from where I’m standing, it kinda looks like you did."

Abhishek clenched his jaw. "What do you want?"

Aryan leaned in slightly, his voice lowering. "You ruined my career. Took everything from me. Did you really think I’d just let that go?"

Abhishek’s fingers curled into fists, but he forced himself to stay calm. "I didn’t ruin anything. You did that yourself."

Aryan’s smirk faded. "Well. I guess we’re gonna have to settle this a different way."

A long silence stretched between them.

Then, Aryan’s phone buzzed.

He glanced at it—then suddenly stiffened.

His face paled.

Without another word, he turned and walked out of the bar.

Meera rushed over. "What the hell just happened?"

Abhishek shook his head. "I don’t know… but something scared him."

Virat frowned. "And that means someone else is in this game."

Meera’s stomach churned. "If Aryan isn’t the mastermind… then who the hell is?"

And just as the thought settled in—

Abhishek’s phone buzzed again.

A new message.

"You have no idea who you’re really dealing with."

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Hope you like this update,

Happy reading people

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