2

"Good evening, I'm here to see the safe," She tried to keep her voice as clear as possible.

Mallishka walked her over to it. It worked perfectly on the first try. She shrugged, "Perhaps you just have the magical touch Mishti girl." Mishti didn't know exactly what she was playing at but she needed to leave before she felt the urge to do something stupid. The woman had wasted her time for some unknown reason.

Mishti smiled tightly, "If that is all madam..."

Mallishka shook her head looking serioIndia all of a sudden, "I would like you to get something to your friend Shakti at the embassy." She walked to her nightstand and opened the drawer to retrieve a thin file. She handed it to Mishti.

"I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with this," Mishti stuttered. She didn't want to look inside unsure of what this mysterioIndia woman was playing at with her. "Look, I've only seen the man a few times. Maybe you should go to see him if you know so much-,"

"No!" Mallishka interrupted. She was mildly panicked for a moment then composed herself. A woman so used to wearing masks she didn't realize when one slipped off her. But now Mishti saw her true face. She was afraid.

"Look, I did something very risky getting these documents. If it all goes to shit then I am toast. I am begging you to please get these to Shakti Arora. Make sure no one else sets eyes on these apart from him. Tell him it's a matter of national security," Mallishka begged. It was so daunting to see. She did not strike Mishti as the sort of woman who begged for anything. She wasn't sure what made her give in, the pleading look or her innate curiosity. National security sounded too important to be given to just anything. If it was real then playing courier would have been worth it. At worst, Shakti would be slightly annoyed by her for giving him useless information.

"Why me?" She questioned.

Mallishka sighed, "I've been debating with myself whether to turn this in or not. When I recognized you from the party I guess it felt like fate telling me to do something good for once in my life. This needs to get out to trusting eyes. Especially since I'm sure something might happen to me soon." She had a look of reluctant acceptance.

Slowly, Mishti took the file from her hand.

Mallishka gave her a grateful look, "Thank you."

Mishti left not quite sure what to say to her. The whole situation was ridiculous, she thought on the bus back to her apartment. The file was tucked safely in her bag. She tossed it on the couch once she got home ignoring it while she took a shower and warmed up some takeaway. Licking the spicy curry from her fingers, she stole a glance at it.

Curiosity got the best of her. She went to the kitchen to wash her hands before grabbing it to read.

Her eyes widened at what she saw.

Understanding accounting and finance was not her thing. Mishti knew she was mathematically challenged and accepted it but even she could make out the words that were staring her right in the face. A company named Maltese ltd had paid a hundred million dollars for a truck full of an armory. Detailed were different types of guns and even some bombs. Guns that sounded far too dangerous to be written on ink.

The company selling them was called Trident International. A quick Google search told her that Trident was a subsidiary under the Grey conglomerate. The same one is owned by Ronobir Chatterjee. Nothing came up on Maltese.

On their website, Trident was shown to deal solely in home electronics. Recently they'd decided to open a factory in Bangalore, India. The Indian Times praised them for the jobs they would bring to help their economy.

The worst man in the world, Mallishka had called him.

No one needed to tell her how illegal it all was. No electronics company had a hundred million dollars worth of guns just lying about it. How had Mallishka gotten a hold of this? Mishti was plagued with so many thoughts and unsure of what choice to make next. The documents felt like a heavy log on her lap keeping her trapped in place.

After a moment of heavy breathing, she reached for her cell phone and called Manish. He didn't answer so she shot him a quick text asking to get Shakti's number. She kept the file in a small suitcase and locked it with a tiny padlock keeping the key in her cell phone case before heading to bed to try and get some rest.

Rest never really came.

Mishti tossed and turned before falling into dreamless slumber around 3 am. When she woke up around noon, her phone was blasting with messages. Manish had sent the number to her and asked her to call him back. Avery and her boss had both been calling her which caused a frown. Her shift didn't start for a few hours.

She decided to play it safe and call Avery first.

"Mishti! Where are you?" She asked frantically.

"I'm at home. My shift doesn't start until 4 pm today. What's the matter?" Mishti yawned.

"A guest is dead," She jumped out of bed, "What?! Who?"

"Mallishka Sherawat. The Indian lady from yesterday. The police say it was a mugging-," Her heart dropped from her chest. For a moment she blacked out unable to hear anything Avery was saying. It had just been a few hours since she last saw the woman and took the incriminating file from her. Now she was dead. It couldn't be a coincidence. What exactly had she gotten herself into?

The police asked all the staff to come in for questioning. Mishti had answered everything as truthfully as she could but left out what Mallishka said to her and the file. Their boss was cooperative in hopes that it wouldn't scare off the other guests. Mallishka was mugged near a nightclub. They took her phone and purse. At least that was the official story. Mishti wasn't sure what to make of it especially when the woman had practically predicted that something would happen to her.

Later that evening she was behind her desk when she saw a black Bentley zoom into the entrance. The driver got out and opened the door. Out walked Ronobir Chatterjee. Her hand froze over the intercom she was about to dial.

He looked taller in person and unfortunately, more handsome. He wore a black suit fitted underneath an expensive dark coat that cost more than her salary. His eyes piercing and sharp, surveying everything within their path. Two men walked beside him both taller and menacing. She guessed they were his bodyguards. His eyes reached her briefly and she couldn't help but hold her breath. His gaze felt a laser penetrating deep under her skin. Goosebumps made her shudder.

Mallishka's voice came again. The worst man in the world.

He walked closer to her until he reached the front desk. Mishti screamed at herself internally to stay calm. Plaster that award-winning smile.

"Good evening," He greeted in a crisp British accent. "I'm looking for Richard Onslow. I have an appointment with him."

"Of course sir. Let me just call him," Mishti answered the weight of her smile almost too much to bear. Richard was her boss. She called him over the intercom and he came barreling out instantly leading Ronobir to his office and sucking up in every manner possible. He gave her one last glance before heading away. She let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

Avery appeared not too long after eyes wide at the sight, "Was that Ronobir Chatterjee? Isn't he that hot billionaire guy?"

And potential murderer "Yes," Mishti muttered wanting to ignore everything that just happened.

"Lucky you."

Luck had shit all to do with it.