Shadow Case: Vishal Chronicles

The locker files lay open on Vishal's desk like confessions caught on paper.

Shilpa flipped through one labeled "Mandovi Power – Land Scam", eyes wide. "This isn't just corruption… This is multi-state manipulation. Rakesh was the key planner for these illegal constructions."

Vishal nodded, eyes fixed on the note mentioning his brother. "If he got cold feet, someone made sure he disappeared. But why leave a clue behind?"

"That note he left for his wife—'don't trust even the nice ones'—what if that wasn't about Manek or Vani?"

Vishal's eyes narrowed. "You think he meant Rajesh?"

Silence.

Shilpa spoke carefully. "He is the only one in uniform among us. And you said it yourself — some of these files are internal affairs level. Maybe someone's feeding him wrong info... or maybe he's involved."

Vishal didn't reply.

He just picked up his phone.

 Phone Call – Vishal to Rajesh

"Bro," Vishal said casually, "I need a favor. Can you pull the Aurangabad 2020 case list, under transport and arms division?"

Rajesh paused. "That's... random. Why?"

"Just curious. There's a name that keeps showing up. My brother."

Another pause.

Then Rajesh replied, "Come to the station. I'll show you myself."

Vishal didn't go.

Instead, he sent Shilpa to the station with a camera pen and a mic in her notebook — saying he had "landlord issues," but really, he wanted Rajesh to talk freely.

While Shilpa was gone, Vishal did something rare.

He opened the Vishal Reddy — Overview file again and forced himself to read every line.

"Operates with unusual autonomy."

"Solves crimes instinctively, not by the book."

"Keeps everyone close, but nothing personal ever leaks."

"Suspect is either exceptionally honest or trained to appear that way."

He stared at that last line.

Was that how his brother saw him?

 Back at the Police Station

Shilpa kept her questions casual — pretended she was gathering data for her "fictional police procedural."

Rajesh, proud as ever, gave her access to the 2020 archives.

She watched his fingers pause over a folder, then slide it away like nothing.

She memorized the case ID: 38-TK-AUR-044.

Later, in the hallway, he asked suddenly, "So... how's Vishal holding up?"

Shilpa raised a brow. "With what?"

"With this whole... Raghunandan thing. He takes things personally."

Her answer was quiet. "That's what makes him better than the rest of us."

That night, back in the office, they opened Case 38-TK-AUR-044.

It was thin.

Too thin.

Two pages. A one-line summary.

"Illegal weapons transport intercepted. Suspects fled. Case closed due to insufficient evidence."

No photos. No signatures. No arrests. No Vishal.

Just a scribbled name under "Leads":

Reddy.

His brother.

Shilpa's voice cracked the silence.

"They erased the case."

Vishal stood still, jaw clenched.

"But left just enough... to gaslight anyone who goes digging," he muttered. "This wasn't mishandling. This was surgical deletion."

Then he said something even he hadn't admitted before.

"I think I was there.

I just don't remember it."