in the abandoned warehouse in thick silence, broken only by the slow spinning of an old ceiling fan and the faint buzz of a tube light hanging dangerously above their heads.
Ravi Mohan sat in the center, leaning back on a rusted chair, his fingers tapping slowly against the armrest, his sharp eyes fixed on his men.
Around him stood five figures — thieves, extortionists, predators — waiting for their next hunt.
Raviohan breaks the silence first
"So, what's our first plan? "
One of them stepped forward, nervous yet excited.
"Boss… we got a solid plan."
Ravi Mohan lifted his gaze.
"Explain."
The man swallowed.
"There's a big marriage reception happening tomorrow night… open-air, heavy decoration, rich family… gold everywhere."
Another gangster smirked.
"Crowded place… perfect chaos."
The first man continued, his voice lowering.
"They'll use smoke machine an AC inside the hall to make luxury."
Ravi Mohan narrowed his eyes slightly.
"That alone won't knock people out."
The man smiled.
"That's why we'll mix it with a chemical."
He paused for effect.
"Chloromorph-X."
Silence fell.
Ravi Mohan straightened slowly.
"What does it do?"
"Once it enters the AC ventilation (OUTDOOR) and the smoke machine mixes with the smoke, everyone inside will become unconscious within seconds… dizziness… blackout… total control."
One of the men laughed.
"By the time they wake up, gold, cash, phones — everything will be gone."
Ravi Mohan's lips curved into a cold smile.
"Good."
He leaned forward.
"Where's the reception?"
The man hesitated for a second.
"Boss…"
Ravi Mohan's tapping stopped.
"Which area?"
"…near an old temple."
A strange tension entered the air.
Ravi Mohan's eyes sharpened.
"Temple name."
The man took a breath.
"Kalapashana Samadhi."
The moment those words left his mouth — Ravi Mohan froze.
The fan's sound suddenly felt louder.
His heartbeat thundered inside his chest.
A sharp pain shot through his head.
Flashes.
Dark corridors.
Burning symbols.
A stone gate sealed with ancient marks.
And a whisper…
"Don't open it."
Ravi Mohan clenched his fist.
His breath turned uneven.
One of the men stepped closer.
"Boss… what happened?"
Ravi Mohan slowly lifted his head.
"This Thing I keep getting a dream."
Silence.
"The same place… the same darkness… the same fear… again and again and day by day."
His eyes darkened.
"And … after you saying this name carved in stone."
"Kalapashana Samadhi."
A chill passed through the room.
One gangster laughed nervously.
"Just a coincidence."
Ravi Mohan stood up.
The chair scraped harshly against the floor.
"No."
He turned toward the darkness outside.
"This isn't coincidence."
The wind rolled in the distance.
Meanwhile...
The police station stood silent in the early morning, its walls cold, its air heavy, as Shiva walked inside with restless steps, his heart pounding harder with every second.
His eyes searched desperately until they found the warden, and with a trembling voice, he said he wanted to meet his father, Thangadurai.
The warden studied Shiva for a moment, then slowly nodded, unlocking the iron gate that led into the depths of the cells.
Before stepping inside, Shiva took out his phone and made a video call, his fingers slightly shaking as the screen lit up with his mother's face.
"Mom… are you ready?"
She swallowed, her eyes already filled with tears, and whispered, "Yes… show him."
The cell door creaked open, revealing a narrow room where a man sat alone on the cold floor, his back against the wall, his face worn down by years of quiet suffering.
Shiva stepped inside slowly.
For a moment he simply stood there, staring at the stranger who was supposed to be his father. His chest tightened with emotions he couldn't understand.
Finally, he spoke.
"Appa…"
Thangadurai slowly lifted his head.
His tired eyes blinked in confusion as he looked at the young man standing in front of him.
"Who… who are you?"
Shiva didn't step back. Instead, he walked closer and held out his phone.
On the screen was a video call. A woman appeared, her eyes wet with tears.
"Thangadurai…" she said softly. "It's our son… our second child… Shiva."
Thangadurai froze.
His breath caught in his throat as he stared at the screen.
"Our… son?"
His fingers trembled as he touched the phone gently, as if afraid the image might vanish.
"You went to jail before he was born," the woman continued. "You never saw him… but he grew up waiting for you."
Tears rolled down Thangadurai's cheeks.
Slowly, he lifted his eyes toward Shiva.
"You… are my son?"
Shiva nodded quietly.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
"Thank God…" Thangadurai whispered.
He slowly stood up, his legs stiff from years of confinement, and studied Shiva's face carefully.
"You look just like your mother," he said softly. "But… you have my eyes."
Shiva let out a small awkward laugh.
"That's what everyone says."
The two of them stood there, unsure how to act around each other.
Finally Shiva spoke again.
"Amma told me everything."
Thangadurai lowered his eyes.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I'm sorry you had to grow up without me."
Shiva leaned against the cold wall.
"I used to ask about you all the time when I was a kid," he said.
"What did she say?" Thangadurai asked.
Shiva smiled faintly.
"She said you were brave."
Thangadurai blinked in surprise.
"Brave?"
"She never called you a criminal."
The older man's eyes filled with tears again.
"I don't deserve that."
Shiva's expression turned serious.
"Did you really kill those men?"
The question hung in the air.
Thangadurai took a deep breath.
"I was in rage at that time… because of what they did to your sister."
Shiva nodded slowly.
"But if you did it for her…" he said carefully, "why didn't you go to the police? Why didn't you seek justice?"
Thangadurai suddenly looked up.
Something changed in his expression.
For a moment he stayed silent.
Then he said quietly,
"Actually...I…I didn't kill them."
Shiva froze.
"What?"
"I didn't kill those gang members," Thangadurai repeated.
Shiva stared at him in shock.
"Then how are you in prison for it?"
Thangadurai sighed deeply and leaned back against the wall.
"That night… I was going to kill them."
His voice became distant as memories returned.
"I took a machete and went looking for them. I was furious… I couldn't think straight. All I wanted was revenge."
His eyes drifted to the floor.
"But before I could even reach them… something happened."
Shiva listened carefully.
"A van… an old Omni van… suddenly came speeding down the road. It hit me before I could move."
Thangadurai closed his eyes, remembering.
"My head hit the ground. My vision went blurry. I could barely see anything… but I remember hearing shouting."
Shiva's eyebrows tightened.
"What?"
"I heard fighting," Thangadurai continued slowly.
His hands clenched slightly.
"When my vision cleared for a moment, I saw someone standing there."
Shiva leaned forward.
"Who?"
"A young man," Thangadurai said. "Maybe a teenager at that time."
"He had taken the machete from my hand."
Shiva felt a chill run down his spine.
"I couldn't move. My body wouldn't listen. But I saw his face for a second before everything went dark."
"What happened next?" Shiva asked.
"When I woke up… the police were already there. The gang members were dead. The machete was beside me."
Thangadurai let out a bitter laugh.
"And the rest… you already know."
Shiva's fists clenched.
"You're saying someone else killed them?"
Thangadurai nodded slowly.
"I only remember his face."
"What's his name?" Shiva demanded.
Thangadurai hesitated.
"I heard someone shout it while I was lying there
And Also, He's also in the same prison he was, but he left."
Shiva leaned forward.
"Tell me."
Thangadurai opened his mouth.
"His name was...Ravi—"
Suddenly a loud voice echoed down the corridor.
"TIME'S UP!"
A policeman slammed his baton against the bars.
Shiva flinched at the sudden shout.
The officer stepped forward.
"Visit is over. Move."
Shiva turned back to his father quickly.
"Fine," he said nervously. "We'll talk about this later, appa."
Thangadurai nodded.
"Yes… come back, please."
Shiva gave one last look before stepping out of the cell.
Behind him, Thangadurai stood gripping the bars, watching his son walk away.
And somewhere in Shiva's mind, one name echoed again and again.
Ravi.
Outside, the morning sun felt cruelly bright as Shiva glanced at his digital watch.
7:45 AM.
The students would be leaving the hotel any minute now.
He clenched his jaw, pulled on his gloves, and started his bike in one sharp motion.
The engine roared to life, matching the storm inside his chest.
And with a burst of speed, Shiva disappeared down the road.