Love Behind The Badge. by Arshi sarun at Inkitt

Step Into the Game.

New Delhi.

Police Headquarters.

7:30 AM.

The atmosphere inside the conference hall was heavy. Senior officers sat in silence when the door opened.

DSP Arnav Singh Raizada.

Sharp uniform. Cold expression. Commanding aura.

He saluted firmly. “Good morning, sir.”

"Sit down, DSP" The Police Commissioner leaned back in his chair.

A confidential file was placed before him.

“Code Name: Shadow King.” Arnav’s eyes scanned the file.

• Illegal arms supply

• Drug routes across states

• Politicians involved

• 4 officers missing

• No identity. No face. No fingerprints

Arnav’s eyes moved to the next page. A new line was written in bold red ink.

• Suspected Serial Killer

• 11 confirmed murders

• Victims: Informers, undercover officers, political rivals

• Kills with precision, no witnesses left alive.

• Targets anyone who comes close to his identity.

Arnav’s jaw tightened.

“Sir, who is he?” Arnav asked.

The Commissioner’s voice turned serious.

“If we knew that, DSP… this meeting wouldn’t be happening. This is not just a case. This is a war.”

Arnav’s eyes darkened.

“Yes, sir.”

“But remember,” the Commissioner continued, voice grave, “this man is always one step ahead. The last officer who got close to him… disappeared.”

Arnav closed the file slowly. “I don’t lose wars, sir.”

He walked out.

But outside the building… A black car was parked across the road. Inside it, a man watched Arnav’s exit through binoculars.

“Welcome to the game, DSP.” A faint smile appeared on his lips.

........

Arnav entered his cabin at the Crime Branch headquarters. He removed his cap and placed it on the table. His face was calm… but his mind was already ten steps ahead.

He pressed the intercom.

“Aman. My cabin. Now.”

Within seconds, Inspector Aman knocked and entered.

“Yes, sir.”

Arnav stood near the window, looking at the city below.

“This city is bleeding,” he said quietly. “And someone is controlling it from the shadows.”

Aman nodded. “Sir, we’re ready for your orders.”

Arnav turned around.

“Shadow King doesn’t operate randomly. He uses small dealers. Small suppliers. Small carriers.”

Arnav walked back to his desk and opened the file again.

He spread the crime scene photographs across the table.

“Look closely,” he said.

Aman stepped forward.

Every victim. Different locations. Different backgrounds. But one similarity.

Arnav tapped one photograph with his finger.

“Here.”

Near the wrist. A small carved mark. A crown.

“He doesn’t just kill,” Arnav said calmly. “He performs.”

Aman swallowed. “Sir… forensic reports say the carving was done post-mortem.”

Arnav shook his head slightly.

“Not all of them.”

He picked another report.

“In three cases, the victim was alive when the mark was made. Low blood loss pattern. Controlled incision.”

Aman’s face hardened. “Psychological torture.”

“Exactly...”

"Aman"

"Yes, sir..."

He looked at Aman sharply.

“I want every team member in civilian clothes.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Spread them across the city. Markets. Pubs. College campuses. Warehouse zones. Slum areas. Transport hubs.”

He continued firmly “No police vehicles. No uniforms. No sirens. We blend in.”

Aman quickly took notes. “And sir… if we spot activity?”

Arnav’s voice turned cold. “Don’t arrest immediately.”

Aman looked surprised. “Sir?”

“We follow them. We track the chain. I don’t want street dealers.”

“I want the man sitting on the throne.”

Aman understood.

“Yes, Sir”

Arnav leaned on the table. “And Aman…”

“Yes, sir?”

“Shadow King is intelligent. He will test us. Be careful. Nobody works alone.”

Aman nodded seriously. “Understood, sir.”

As Aman left the cabin, Arnav stared at the city again.

Arnav’s reflection in the glass looked back at him calm, controlled, unreadable. But inside… a storm had already begun.

He picked up the file once more.

Shadow King. No name. No photograph. No history.

Just destruction. His phone buzzed. A private number.

He answered without hesitation. “DSP Arnav Singh Raizada.”

A distorted voice replied, smooth and slow.

“You accepted the assignment quickly.”

Arnav’s expression didn’t change. “Who is this?”

A soft chuckle.

“They call me many things. But you’re looking for Shadow King… aren’t you?”

Aman’s words from earlier echoed in his mind.

He will test us.

Arnav walked toward his desk calmly and pressed a silent trace signal button under it.

“If you’re Shadow King,” Arnav said evenly, “you just made your first mistake.”

“Did I?” The voice sounded amused. “Four officers before you thought the same.”

Arnav’s jaw tightened slightly. “You like hiding.”

“And you like chasing,” the voice replied.

“Let’s see how long your confidence survives.”

The line went dead.

Arnav immediately looked at his system screen.

Trace: Failed.

His eyes darkened.

“Smart,” He murmured.

....

Meanwhile…

Inside the same black car parked a few streets away, the man lowered his burner phone.

His face remained unseen in the shadows.

On the dashboard, several photographs were spread out.

Crime scenes. Police movements. And one new photo was placed carefully in the centre.

Arnav Singh Raizada.

The man tapped Arnav’s photo lightly.

“Strong. Disciplined. Predictable,” he whispered.

The engine started. The game had officially begun.

........

Back at Crime Branch Headquarters.

Aman rushed into Arnav’s cabin.

“Sir! One of our informers from Chandni Market reported suspicious warehouse activity last night.”

Arnav grabbed his cap. “Location?”

“Old textile warehouse near the river dock.”

Arnav’s steps were fast and precise. “Call Team Alpha and Beta. Civilian clothes. Move separately.”

“Yes, sir!”

Within minutes, two unmarked vehicles left the headquarters silently.

.....

Warehouse Area. 10:15 AM. The building looked abandoned. Broken windows. Rusted gates. Too silent.

Arnav signalled the team to split. Two officers moved to the back entrance.

Aman stayed beside Arnav.

“Sir… something feels off.”

Arnav’s instincts were already screaming.

“Stay alert.”

They entered.

Dust in the air. Empty crates were scattered.

Then... Footsteps.

Aman turned sharply. Three masked men appeared from behind the crates and started running toward the back exit.

“Stop!” Aman shouted.

But Arnav didn’t chase immediately.

He noticed something else. A small red blinking light is fixed under a metal shelf.

His eyes widened. “Everyone out! NOW!”

Within seconds, the officers rushed outside.

BOOM!

The warehouse exploded behind them.

Heat and debris shot into the air. Smoke filled the sky.

Arnav stood still, jaw tight, eyes burning. No injuries. But no arrests.

Aman coughed slightly. “Sir… it was a trap.”

Arnav didn’t respond immediately. He looked at the burning building. Then slowly… he noticed something fluttering down from the smoke. A piece of paper.

It landed near his feet.

He picked it up. Three words written in bold black ink:

“One Step Ahead.”

Arnav crushed the paper in his fist.

His voice was low.

“Good.”

Aman looked confused. “Sir?”

Arnav’s eyes were no longer just cold.

They were dangerous.

“He wants a war.”

A faint, controlled smile appeared on his lips. “He just got one.”

And somewhere in the city… Shadow King watched the news flash about the warehouse explosion. He leaned back in his chair.

“Let’s see how long your discipline survives, DSP…”

His gaze shifted to another file on his desk.

A college event brochure. A smiling girl’s photo printed on it, with bright eyes, an innocent smile, unaware of the darkness circling her world.

Shadow King tapped the photo lightly.

.........

Night.

The Raizada house was calm.

Arnav entered quietly after a long day. He removed his shoes near the door and walked into the living room.

His father, Arvind was reading the newspaper. His mother Ratna was in the kitchen.

Arvind looked up. “How was your day, Arnav?”

Arnav loosened his collar. “Full busy, Dad. Operation started.”

Arvind nodded knowingly. “Be careful.”

Arnav gave a small smile.

“Where’s Meera?”

Ratna came there ang give him water. “She’s sleeping. She waited for you…"

Arnav’s expression softened. Meera was His little sister. His responsibility. He went to her room quietly.

She was sleeping peacefully, holding a teddy bear.

He adjusted her blanket gently and he walked out closing the door behind him.

.....

He walked back to his room, closing the door behind him. The silence of the Raizada house was comforting… but his mind was still inside that burning warehouse. He removed his holster and placed it carefully on the table.

His phone buzzed.

Aman.

“Sir, we checked the warehouse records. It was rented under a fake name. Payment done in cash. CCTV nearby? All disabled.”

Arnav leaned back in his chair. “Of course.”

“And sir… media is already calling it a ‘gas cylinder blast.’”

“Good,” Arnav replied calmly. “Let them think that.”

“Sir… this man knew we were coming.”

Arnav’s voice dropped lower. “He didn’t just know. He wanted us there.”

Silence filled the call.

“Aman,” Arnav continued, “double the surveillance teams. And I want background checks on everyone in Crime Branch. Even support staff.”

There was a pause.

“Sir… you think there’s a leak?”