Ayesha Arjun/Ariya OS: Case of the Heart

Case of the Heart

The usual crispness of the ETF office was tainted that morning by a peculiar scent — no, not coffee. Tension. Unspoken, oddly perfumed tension.

Rathore stood at the head of the table, laser pointer in hand, files stacked neatly beside him. “Ek aur murder. High-profile fashion show ke backstage pe. Model poison hui thi. Autopsy ne confirm kiya: snake venom.”

Liza adjusted her ponytail. “Matlab yeh koi aise hi nahi kar raha... this is ritualistic, pre-planned.”

Sameer nodded, voice clipped. “Exactly. Media pressure bhi hai. Case priority one hai.”

He turned slightly, locking eyes with his two best field agents. “Rawte, Ayesha — you both are going undercover. Fashion show ki security team ban ke infiltrate karoge.”

Arjun lifted an eyebrow. “Fashion show?” he asked, deadpan. “Main aur ye?” He tilted his chin toward Ayesha, who gave him a cool smile.

“Problem?” Rathore asked, not missing the sharpness in his tone.

“Nahi, sir,” Arjun answered quickly, jaw twitching.

Ayesha turned to Arjun with an overly sweet tone. “Aapko to kapde waise bhi pasand nahi. Soch lijiye, yeh case aapka wardrobe upgrade ban sakta hai.”

Arjun just scowled.

In the corner, Riya froze.

She had entered with her file just in time to hear “Rawte, Ayesha — you both are going undercover.”

She pretended to flip pages in her file as her stomach twisted. Chotu, catching her sudden stillness, raised an eyebrow but said nothing… yet.

Shree, however, leaned close and whispered dramatically, “Aur jealousy ka first dose diya jaaye… abhi ke abhi.”

***

Back at their desks, the chatter was on.

Liza leaned back on her chair with popcorn from the breakroom. “Main bas dekh rahi hoon kaun pehle jealous hone wala — Riya ya Arjun sir. 100 rupay Shree pe bet karti hoon.”

Shree, mock offended, said, “Arre! Main to neutral hoon. Main to bas innocent technical support hoon.”

Riya tried to ignore them, scrolling through the victim’s social media, but her eyes kept flickering toward the corridor where Ayesha and Arjun were checking their earpieces.

Ayesha laughed at something Arjun said — or maybe didn’t say. Arjun barely looked amused, but he didn’t pull away either.

Chotu whispered loudly, “Oye Riya… file ke andar Arjun sir ka chehra chhupa hai kya?”

Riya glared. “Shut up, Chotu!”

Shree added with mock sympathy, “It’s okay, Riya. Thoda sa jalna bhi zaroori hai. Relationships mein masala laata hai.”

Riya mumbled, “Koi jalan nahi hai yaar. Sirf case pe focus kar rahi hoon main.”

But her eyes betrayed her.

***

Backstage at the fashion show, chaos ruled.

Models ran in every direction, makeup artists barked instructions, and the scent of hairspray choked the air.

Ayesha, dressed in black with a sleek earpiece, looked every bit the head of security. Confident. Cool. Sharp.

Arjun walked beside her in a perfectly tailored suit — a rare sight — his brow furrowed with focus.

Ayesha gave him a sideways glance. “Black suits you.”

“Case solve karne aaye hain. Compliment lena band karo,” he said, annoyed.

“Arre, compliment dena bhi gunah ho gaya?”

Their banter was interrupted by a model screaming. They ran to the source — another attempted poisoning, caught just in time.

Ayesha bent beside the model, checking her pulse, while Arjun scanned the room.

Arjun muttered, “Yeh koi insider ka kaam lagta hai. Someone who knows the patterns.”

Back at ETF HQ, Riya watched the surveillance feed and bit the inside of her cheek.

The feed showed Arjun helping Ayesha up from where she was crouched — their hands touching for a moment too long.

She turned off the screen.

***

Riya stormed into the ETF breakroom, grabbed a coffee mug, and banged it harder than necessary.

Liza walked in behind her. “Someone’s acting spicy today.”

“Shut up, Liza.”

“Oh-ho! Case of the green-eyed Riya! Should we call Dr. Freud?”

“Main bas tired hoon,” Riya snapped.

Chotu entered just in time to hear that and added, “Tired of watching Arjun sir and Ayesha bonding over dead bodies?”

Riya growled. “Guys, seriously!”

They laughed.

Suddenly, Arjun walked in.

Everyone fell quiet. Riya turned away, pretending to read a notice board.

Arjun looked at the group, then at Riya’s stiff back, then at Chotu’s giggling face. “Kya chal raha hai?”

Shree chirped, “Kuch nahi, sir. Bas office gossip.”

Arjun narrowed his eyes. “Office mein kaam karo. Gossip ke liye social media hai.”

But as he left with his coffee, his eyes met Riya’s for a fleeting second. There was a flicker of something — guilt? Curiosity?

Riya didn’t flinch.

But her heart was thudding.

***

Liza was working late in the forensics lab. Riya dropped in, holding a file, but her eyes were shadowed.

Liza noticed. “Yeh file nahi… dil ka bojh hai. Bol do.”

Riya hesitated. Then softly, “Do you think… people change? I mean… if someone used to care… they don’t stop suddenly, right?”

Liza softened. “You mean Arjun sir?”

Riya said nothing.

Liza leaned closer. “Arjun sir ki aankhon mein jo tumhare liye hai na, woh kabhi Ayesha ke liye nahi ho sakta. You feel it, don’t you?”

Riya blinked hard. “Then why does it look like he’s letting her in?”

Liza smiled gently. “Because letting someone in doesn't mean they have your heart.”

***

At the final showdown, the ETF set a trap. Arjun and Ayesha played their part — she walked the ramp in disguise, and he guarded from backstage.

Riya monitored the room, and as the killer made their move — a poisoned lipstick in the dressing room — Arjun caught him just in time.

They all regrouped outside the building under the moonlight.

Rathore clapped Arjun’s shoulder. “Good job.”

Ayesha smiled. “Teamwork.”

Arjun gave a curt nod, but his eyes shifted behind Ayesha.

To Riya, who stood in the shadows, arms crossed.

He walked toward her slowly. “Tum theek ho?”

She looked away. “Haan.”

“Tumse baat karni thi,” he said, quieter now.

She shrugged. “Sab ke saamne to kaafi baat ho gayi aapki Ayesha ke saath.”

“Riya,” his voice firmed, “Tumhe lagta hai main kuch bhool gaya hoon?”

She finally looked at him.

Arjun stepped closer. “Tum samajhdar ho. To itna to samjho… agar main kisi aur ke saath hoon, to iska matlab yeh nahi ke mere dil mein koi aur hai.”

Riya’s lips parted slightly.

“Main confuse nahi hoon, Riya. Main bas… thoda cautious hoon. Lekin... tumse door rehna impossible ho gaya hai.”

Her breath hitched.

Before she could respond, Chotu yelled from behind, “Areee Riya! Sir ko kuch bol bhi do, ya bas dramatic hawa mein ghurti rahogi?”

Everyone laughed.

Even Rathore sighed, half-amused. “ETF ya soap opera?”

***

Back at the office, Shree opened a bag of chips. “Toh bhaiyo aur behno, jealousy ka case solved. Arjun sir aur Riya ka rishta confirmed.”

Liza added, “Aur Ayesha? She knew. She played wingwoman.”

Ayesha smirked. “Let the girl fight for what’s hers.”

Riya rolled her eyes but smiled — the honest, wide one she rarely let slip.

Arjun, sipping tea beside her, leaned in and whispered, “Ab to tumhe jalne ki zarurat nahi.”

She replied, “Jalne mein bhi maza aata hai… jab samne aap ho.”

He choked on his tea.

Everyone burst out laughing.

THE END

“Case closed… par dil ke case kabhi simple nahi hote.”