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BISHOP
Somewhere in the serene suburbs of Mumbai…
He takes a puff of his luxury cigar, standing by the meticulously designed outdoor space of his recently acquired extravagant mansion. A cigar aficionado, his penchant for premium cigars is evident in his collection, with each cigar band exclusively designed with his signature bat tattoo logo. Taking another puff, he looks at the expansive garden that stretches out before him in a mesmerising chess-themed layout, enhancing its allure. The garden itself is a canvas of lush greenery with a giant traditional setup of a chessboard featuring sculpted chess pieces strategically placed on alternating squares, the shade of white and dark polished stone. The moonlight casts shadows of the chess pieces on the ground, making them look even more impressive.
The large and intricately carved rooks are placed at the corners of the board, their stone bases blending seamlessly with the garden’s landscape. The noble knights, whose forms are frozen in mid-gallop, add a sense of motion to the display. The imposing bishops add an aura of mystique to the whole setup. But at the heart of this chessboard stand the regal king and queen, commanding attention with their grandeur. The King, an epitome of authority and strength, presides at one end, while the Queen, exuding elegance and allure, graces the other.
This garden of strategic beauty of the chess pieces is definitely the highlight of this opulent residence in Mumbai, which he recently procured for his stay here. Whoever designed this mansion must have had a special affinity towards the game.
Chess—a game of smart moves and a quiet dance of strategy, where each step showcases your brainpower and ultimately tests your brilliance. Any man who can conquer this game, who understands the art of orchestrating these chess pieces shrewdly, is an unbeatable force in every contest of life.
Putting off the cigar in the ashtray nearby, he massages his fingers over his nape to stretch his muscles. The distinctive bat tattoo on the back of his palm glistens in the moonlight as he ponders over the past few decades of his life.Tej Khurana, a man who operates in the shadows of the underworld and runs an illegal empire that deals in the production of arms and ammunition, was once outcasted from his very own home country. Now, he has returned to seek vengeance against those who had compelled him to flee and leave his land.
But that’s not the only reason he is here in India. He is also here to fulfil a huge arms and ammunition deal with his new client,Rana, who is paying Tej millions of dollars for the delivery, which is scheduled for next month in Mumbai. Elections are just around the corner, and Rana probably has bigger motives for wanting the delivery at this time. Since it is a risky affair, Tej has decided to oversee the delivery himself to ensure everything goes smoothly.
Tej started his business as a local arms dealer, but over the last thirty years, he has expanded his network to span across continents. He now caters to gangs, mobsters and low-level criminals around the globe, supplying them with weapons and ammunition to spread chaos and turmoil in their respective countries. He revels in the power he holds, knowing that his actions are destabilising nations and feeding the flames of conflict.
The international criminal community acknowledges him as themastermindand the head of the Bat Syndicate (gang), a title he wears like a badge of honour. He operates his sprawling criminal empire behind layers of secrecy and false identities while leading a double life. On one hand, his criminal empire flourishes with his illegal deals, while on the other, Tej is a respected diamond merchant conducting legitimate business deals in South Africa, projecting an image of affluence and law-abiding citizenship. This dual life enables him to maintain a facade of respectability while indulging in his darker pursuits. It also allows him to bask in the admiration of those who are oblivious to his criminal activities.
He finds satisfaction in his ability to manipulate the world stage and relishes the fact that he has managed to remain just beyond the reach of law enforcement agencies worldwide, who have been relentlessly pursuing him as the most wanted criminal. Although these agencies are aware of the Bat Syndicate, they do not know he is the mastermind behind it. His cunning strategy of portraying himself as a legitimate businessman has diverted attention away from his true identity, leaving the authorities clueless about his pivotal role in the infamous Bat Syndicate, which deals with arms and has illegal supply chains of ammunition around the world.
Tej’s chain of thoughts is interrupted as a black vintage sedan speeds past the gates of the mansion and parks with a loud screech. Raghav emerges from the car, and Tej’s eyes beam with pride as he watches Raghav toss the car keys to one of the guards before stepping towards him. Although Tej Khurana doesn’t even trust his own shadow, he knows one thing for sure. If there is anyone apart from him who can finish his job, it is him.Raghav!
Raghav knows that too. Yet he takes no pride or relief in Tej’s acknowledgement of his abilities. After all, in a world where trust factor changes in every tick of the second and lives are traded for money and power, even the greatest appreciation of your skills and abilities feels meaningless.
“The gifts have reached their respective owners,” Raghav informs, entering the garden and slipping out from his custom-made navy blue suit.
Tej gives him a satisfied smile before strolling over the sprawled chessboard, carefully observing the placement of every chess piece on it.
“Good.” He takes a deep breath. “Did the King and the Queen like my gifts?”
“You should have seen their faces when they opened their gifts,” Raghav replies, making himself a drink at the open bar situated in the corner of the garden.
An evil grin spreads across Tej’s face as he admires the majestic black King chess piece standing with his Queen at the centre of the chessboard. Raghav takes a swig of his drink and observes Tej as the latter strategically examines the chess pieces as if contemplating his next move. An eerie silence stretches and spreads in the air. It’s difficult to gauge the joy and excitement that Tej feels as he returns to his homeland, or rather gets closer to the Shergills and Walias again. Months of strategising, planning intricate moves and calculating gambits have finally brought them closer to their goal.
“The Queen’s reaction was as expected, but the King—” Raghav continues, stepping ahead and standing beside the King’s chess piece on the chessboard. “His world was turned upside down when he inspected the gift. Shock and bewilderment were evident on his face.”
Tej smirks proudly as he takes two steps towards the white Bishop and places it on a square diagonal to the King, effectively blocking all his moves.
“Now that’s what I call a trueCheckmate,” Tej laughs maniacally.
Raghav lights a cigarette and takes a puff, staring at Tej’s rejoice. Tej Khurana is the Bishop with the power to turn this entire game in his favour. His checkmate to the King is not just a move; it serves as a reminder to those who hold the crown that even the most subtle moves can bring down the mightiest.Finally, it’s time for the King to be dethroned and renounce control of a kingdom that was never truly his.
CHAPTER 1
AYAAN
My instincts have never failed me, and today’s bizarre occurrence only reinforces that fact. Everything in my life was falling perfectly into place. Dad had come out of his seemingly endless coma, the misunderstandings between Meher and me were disappearing, and our wedding went off without a hitch. It was all coming together seamlessly until, out of the blue, a mysterious man named Raghav showed up at our wedding reception, gifting me something completely unexpected and life-changing.
The wedding reception ended an hour ago, and everyone has left, including the Walias and other guests at the Shergill Mansion. I am currently in the monitoring room, supervising the CCTV cameras that recorded every moment of the event. My fingers clutch the sketch of a man, a portrait that was drawn by one of our sketch artists based on the description given by a young boy who was bribed to hide Pratap Walia’s Audi car in his shed in a remote village. The same car was used in Dad’s accident and is now in my possession as evidence of Pratap Walia’s involvement in the accident.
The sketch artist took several weeks to create an accurate image based on the details provided by the boy regarding the appearance of the man who had hidden Pratap Walia’s damaged Audi in the shed. We might have already caught the man responsible for my father’s accident if we had received this sketch before my wedding reception. However, Krish received the final sketch almost at the same time as the arrival of the mystery man, Raghav. Surprisingly, the description given by the boy and the sketch created by the artist confirms that Raghav, the man who had shown up at my wedding reception unexpectedly, is the same person who is responsible for my father’s tragic accident in the Mahabalipur ghats.
I pace around the room, frustration and anger coursing through me. I yank off my suit jacket and toss it on the couch in anger. The fact that this man, Raghav, managed to get so close to Dad and the rest of my family today is infuriating.
“How did he even get in here?” I scowl, directing my frustration at Krish, who has been engrossed in making some urgent calls related to the incident.
“That’s my concern, too,” he replies, his voice tinged with guilt.
