#tumblr story series

[ahamasmiyodhah]

Chapter 2: Day 2

𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘: SHAKTI- Song of Revenge

𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒: Gargi Singhal and Isha Desai run against time to catch a murderer on loose— and Goddess Durga comes on Earth for Navratri to bless her devotees, and Punish the Wrongdoers.

𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆: the book contains disturbing themes as blood and gore, murders, mentions of rape and sexual assault. Read at your own risk.

𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗣𝗔𝗚𝗘

Gargi was sitting in her cabin, her fingers rubbing her head as she thought about the Case of Siddhant Guleria. She had seen the body. The body was brutalised in such a way that it had given a young intern who just joined them nightmares for sure.

Her fingers drummed on the tabletop as she thought. Her mind was consumed by the note she had found on Siddhant Guleria’s body. The cryptic message had sparked more questions than answers. Who were these nine souls mentioned in the note? Was there a connection between Siddhant and the others, or was he just the first in a twisted countdown?

Her eyes scanned the autopsy report for the hundredth time, but nothing new seemed to surface. Every detail of Siddhant's murder felt deliberate, as though the killer had carefully orchestrated each element. Yet, something about the whole thing gnawed at her—a missing piece she couldn't put her finger on. Was it personal, or purely symbolic? She let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing her temples as the weight of the investigation pressed down on her.

Just as she began to piece together a theory in her mind, the door to her cabin swung open, breaking the fragile silence. Rajat Mehra, her lead interrogator, stood in the doorway, his face tense with urgency.

"Gargi Mam," he began, stepping inside, "we have another body."

Her heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t expected the next victim so soon. “Who?” she asked, sitting up straighter.

"Deepankar Mishra, the Dean of SM Medical College," Rajat said grimly. "Found murdered in his own home."

The name hit Gargi hard. Deepankar was a well-known figure in the city’s elite circles, someone with immense power and influence. Her mind raced—this couldn’t be a coincidence. There had to be a link between Siddhant’s death and Deepankar’s murder. The clock was ticking faster than she had anticipated.

.

21 Hours earlier,

SM Medical College

The AC was on full blow, but still it couldn't dry the wet sweat on the thick neck of the man who had his head thrown back as small puffs of breaths escaped his mouth. His eyes were closed, hand tightening on the mop of hairs as he pushed the head down on his manhood.

The person who was kneeling in front of him was a Doctor intern, her hairs which were tied in a beautiful braid now ruffled as the man roughly grabbed her head and pushed it down, groaning loudly. Tears stained her cheeks as she fought back futilely, knowing that she wouldn't be able to overpower the man.

He was Dean of the college where she studied.

The man groaned and pushed her away, wearing his clothes and straightening the folds that happened. He looked at the broken Girl on the floor. "Same time tomorrow, or else you won't pass. Despite how hard you work." He threatened her. "Now wipe it off sweetheart." He said giving her a tissue.

The Girl whimpered as she took the tissue, and wiped the semen on her face. Once he went out, she stood up somehow and staggered to the bathroom, her legs jelly due to shock and pain, and threw up. Looking at her face in the mirror, she burst into tears, sobs wrecking out of her body.

Outside, everyone wore white and celebrated the revered Goddess Brahmacharini, who signifies the importance of Knowledge, self-discipline and ability to endure challenges with grace while remaining committed to higher purposes.

.

10 hours Later..

Deepankar Mishra snored aloud as he slept peacefully. He had done his worship of Mata Bhadrakali a few hours ago, and had prayed- which was more of him being sure- that he won't be killed like Siddhant Guleria.

Suddenly the lights of his house went off, making the AC stop. Groaning at the heat in his room, he woke up with a groan. "Ugh, Arre Magan! Why did the lights go off?" He called and when no answer came, he went out.

"Aye Magan! Where are you?! Or Madhu?! Where are you all?" He callrd out as he moved to step down, suddenly slipping off the stairs. Yelling out loud in pain, he fell on his back with a thud. As he held his throbbing head, his eyes fell on the pair of heeled boots in front of him. Trailing his eyes up, he saw a silhouette of a person- man or woman? He didn't knew.

"Who are—" The loud thud made his head spin more than before, and he felt something wet in his head. His eyes blurred as his vision faltered. Another hit, this time on his hip, and he screamed in pain.

"Pelvic bone." It was a woman's voice. "One of the strongest bones in a body." She said and again hit the bone, making him howl in pain. Pulling a steel chair towards him, the perpetrator sat on it. "That's what you taught in your class, right?" They asked.

"W-who are you? What- what do you want from me?!" Deepankar asked as he tried sitting up. The perpetrator calmly grabbed a bag on their side and opened the zip, taking out different types of weapons. "Hmm… this looks good." She said and took out a Sickle, sitting in front of Deepankar.

"You are very fond of making innocent girls the victims of your lust, aren't you?" They asked in a quiet tone. "W-w-what nonsense are you talking about? Who are you? And why are you hitting me like this?" Deepankar stammered.

The other person scoffed. "My name is Kaali. And I annihilate demons like you." She said and jabbed the sickle right where his manhood was, blood seeping out and he howled in pain loudly. Grabbing another dagger by her other hand, she dagger upwards into Deepankar's mouth in such a way that the upper pointed corner of the dagger came out of his head.

"Filth." She heard someone over her earpiece and immediately packed her things, going out. Meanwhile, in the dark sitting in a house, the laptop illuminated the screen as multiple Cameras showing the Perpetrator's entry, killing and exit were shown. With a click on 'Enter', they deleted the footage and logged out of the Hacked Security System.

.

Isha stood beside the cold, sterile examination table where the body of Deepankar Mishra lay, her gloved hands clasped in front of her as she spoke to Gargi Singhal. The tension in the air was almost suffocating as the two women faced the grim reality of the situation. The forensic lab was dimly lit, amplifying the weight of the discovery they were about to discuss.

Gargi crossed her arms, her brows furrowed in concern, her eyes fixed on Isha. "What have you found?" she asked, though a part of her dreaded the answer.

Isha took a deep breath before speaking, her voice professional yet tinged with unease. "The cause of death was exasanguination, but it’s what I found in his body that’s more disturbing. There are traces of multiple acids—hydrochloric, sulfuric, and formic—used in a calculated manner. The acids weren’t intended to kill him instantly, but rather to cause prolonged, excruciating pain. The killer wanted him to suffer."

Gargi’s eyes widened, and for a moment, she didn’t respond. Acid torture wasn’t a method typically associated with swift, revenge-driven murders. This was something else. Something far more sadistic. “They tortured him,” she murmured, almost to herself. “The killer didn’t just want him dead. They wanted him to feel every moment of agony.”

Isha nodded grimly. “Exactly. The acids were applied over a span of time—perhaps hours. Deepankar was subjected to unimaginable pain before he finally died from blood loss.”

Gargi's mind raced. The second body in two days. They were only on the second day of Navratri, and another high-profile figure had been found murdered, with traces of ritualistic brutality. First Siddhant Guleria, now Deepankar Mishra. Two men from vastly different professions, but both highly connected. Both well-known, powerful men.

"This isn't random," Gargi said, her voice tightening as she thought out loud. "There has to be a connection. Siddhant and Deepankar… they must have crossed paths somehow."

Isha, still focused on the forensic aspects, added, "The killer—or killers—are clearly following a pattern. The fact that both victims were high-profile individuals suggests this is more than personal vendetta. It’s methodical."

Gargi nodded, but her mind was now spiraling into darker possibilities. The note found on Siddhant’s body had warned them: nine days, nine punishments. If the killer was targeting someone each day during Navratri, they only had seven days left to catch them. And with the level of precision and torture involved, this was no ordinary serial killer. This was someone seeking to deliver retribution in the most violent way possible.

"Do we have any leads on how they could be connected? Anything from Deepankar’s phone records, emails, anything that ties him to Siddhant?" Gargi asked, her voice sharp, almost urgent.

Isha shook her head. "Nothing concrete yet. We’re still going through his digital footprint, but so far, nothing stands out."

Gargi turned away, pacing the length of the room, her mind churning with possibilities. Two days, two bodies. The killer was working at a pace that felt impossible to match. But the inclusion of acid torture, the brutality of it, told her that this wasn’t just about killing—it was about making the victims pay for something. Some crime they had committed in the past.

"Navratri," Gargi whispered to herself, thinking of the goddess Durga, known for her wrath against evil. The murders weren’t just random. They were symbolic. A twisted form of justice, or at least, the killer’s version of it.

She stopped and faced Isha. "We need to find out what these men were involved in. Something they’ve kept hidden. Some crime they committed together, something that connects them all."

Isha’s expression softened, realizing how deeply the case was affecting Gargi. "I’ll keep digging into the forensics and background checks, but Gargi… this killer is moving fast. We need to act even faster."

Gargi nodded, her jaw clenched. "We will. Before the next body shows up."