11-11-2026, 10:45 PM
The formal recognition came on a Tuesday morning.
Ajay stood in the main conference hall of the central headquarters while the Director’s office read out the citation. The language was careful and official—commendation for exceptional fieldwork, successful disruption of a major financial network, and demonstration of initiative under pressure. A few senior officers clapped. Others only nodded. Cameras from the internal communications team took the required photographs.
Srinivasan sat in the second row. His face showed the correct amount of approval and nothing more. When the short ceremony ended he was the first to leave the hall, already speaking into his phone.
Subroto waited until the crowd thinned, then walked over and placed a hand on Ajay’s shoulder.
“Walk with me.”
They went to Subroto’s cabin. The door closed with a soft click. Subroto did not sit behind the desk. He leaned against the edge of it, arms folded, and studied Ajay for a moment.
“You did clean work on the last operation,” he said. “Cleaner than most people expected. That is why I asked for you today.”
Ajay waited.
Subroto picked up a slim folder and held it without opening it.
“There is a man named Devdutt. Sitting MLA. On paper he is a real-estate developer with interests in three states. In reality he runs one of the more efficient hawala corridors we have left on the western coast. Money moves through his construction projects, through shell companies registered in quieter names, and—when the sums become too large—through uncut diamonds that never see a customs declaration. We have pieces. We do not have the full map.”
He opened the folder and turned it so Ajay could see.
Photographs. Property records. A few intercepted transaction lists. One image showed a younger man standing beside Devdutt at a public function.
“That is Abhay Dutt. Legitimate son. Twenty-eight. Educated, ambitious, and already learning the business. He handles the more visible real-estate side and keeps the political relationships warm. The son is careful. The father is still the one who decides where the real money goes.”
Subroto closed the folder.
“I need the financial spine—accounts, routing, the offshore layers, and whatever secondary vault they use when the usual channels are watched. The only practical way in is undercover. We have prepared a legend: a tax consultant with a quietly dirty history. Someone who has helped politicians and businessmen move money before, someone who is now looking for a larger, more permanent arrangement. The story has already been seeded in the right circles. What I need is a man I trust to step into that role and stay there long enough to bring the details out.”
He looked directly at Ajay.
“I want you.”
Ajay felt the familiar sharpening of attention that always came before a serious operation.
“You will go with the name Sanjay. The rest of the background is already built. You will be introduced through existing contacts as someone who can solve certain tax and structuring problems. Once you are inside, your job is simple in description and difficult in practice—map the money, identify the key ledgers, and get out with proof that will stand in court.”
Subroto’s voice remained even.
“This stays close. You report to me. Raghav knows the outline. Srinivasan has been given only the minimum necessary. I do not want this leaking into the usual channels.”
Ajay nodded once.
“When do I begin?”
Subroto almost smiled.
“You already have, the moment you walked inside office , he laughed . The first introduction is being arranged. Be ready to leave the city on short notice. And Ajay—” he paused—“this one is not like the last. Devdutt’s people are slower to trust and quicker to remove problems. Move carefully.”
Ajay left the cabin with the folder under his arm. In the corridor he passed Srinivasan again. The Deputy Director’s eyes flicked to the folder, then to Ajay’s face, and moved away without comment.
Ajay said sir if he was so involved why did not we arrested him before. He responded that's the thing Ajay, Devdutt always figured out who investigated him and often investigation ends either officer meets with accident or officers go silent on investigation. He pays everyone well many honest officers fell to his trap. His network is very strong you cannot enter easily. You want to know a secret even our legendary Raghav couldn't break it so I took it as a challenge. Raghav stopped pursuing after Devdutt after a year so I took pieces and continued. There was pride on his eyes for outdoing than the legendary Raghav.
Ajay stood in the main conference hall of the central headquarters while the Director’s office read out the citation. The language was careful and official—commendation for exceptional fieldwork, successful disruption of a major financial network, and demonstration of initiative under pressure. A few senior officers clapped. Others only nodded. Cameras from the internal communications team took the required photographs.
Srinivasan sat in the second row. His face showed the correct amount of approval and nothing more. When the short ceremony ended he was the first to leave the hall, already speaking into his phone.
Subroto waited until the crowd thinned, then walked over and placed a hand on Ajay’s shoulder.
“Walk with me.”
They went to Subroto’s cabin. The door closed with a soft click. Subroto did not sit behind the desk. He leaned against the edge of it, arms folded, and studied Ajay for a moment.
“You did clean work on the last operation,” he said. “Cleaner than most people expected. That is why I asked for you today.”
Ajay waited.
Subroto picked up a slim folder and held it without opening it.
“There is a man named Devdutt. Sitting MLA. On paper he is a real-estate developer with interests in three states. In reality he runs one of the more efficient hawala corridors we have left on the western coast. Money moves through his construction projects, through shell companies registered in quieter names, and—when the sums become too large—through uncut diamonds that never see a customs declaration. We have pieces. We do not have the full map.”
He opened the folder and turned it so Ajay could see.
Photographs. Property records. A few intercepted transaction lists. One image showed a younger man standing beside Devdutt at a public function.
“That is Abhay Dutt. Legitimate son. Twenty-eight. Educated, ambitious, and already learning the business. He handles the more visible real-estate side and keeps the political relationships warm. The son is careful. The father is still the one who decides where the real money goes.”
Subroto closed the folder.
“I need the financial spine—accounts, routing, the offshore layers, and whatever secondary vault they use when the usual channels are watched. The only practical way in is undercover. We have prepared a legend: a tax consultant with a quietly dirty history. Someone who has helped politicians and businessmen move money before, someone who is now looking for a larger, more permanent arrangement. The story has already been seeded in the right circles. What I need is a man I trust to step into that role and stay there long enough to bring the details out.”
He looked directly at Ajay.
“I want you.”
Ajay felt the familiar sharpening of attention that always came before a serious operation.
“You will go with the name Sanjay. The rest of the background is already built. You will be introduced through existing contacts as someone who can solve certain tax and structuring problems. Once you are inside, your job is simple in description and difficult in practice—map the money, identify the key ledgers, and get out with proof that will stand in court.”
Subroto’s voice remained even.
“This stays close. You report to me. Raghav knows the outline. Srinivasan has been given only the minimum necessary. I do not want this leaking into the usual channels.”
Ajay nodded once.
“When do I begin?”
Subroto almost smiled.
“You already have, the moment you walked inside office , he laughed . The first introduction is being arranged. Be ready to leave the city on short notice. And Ajay—” he paused—“this one is not like the last. Devdutt’s people are slower to trust and quicker to remove problems. Move carefully.”
Ajay left the cabin with the folder under his arm. In the corridor he passed Srinivasan again. The Deputy Director’s eyes flicked to the folder, then to Ajay’s face, and moved away without comment.
Ajay said sir if he was so involved why did not we arrested him before. He responded that's the thing Ajay, Devdutt always figured out who investigated him and often investigation ends either officer meets with accident or officers go silent on investigation. He pays everyone well many honest officers fell to his trap. His network is very strong you cannot enter easily. You want to know a secret even our legendary Raghav couldn't break it so I took it as a challenge. Raghav stopped pursuing after Devdutt after a year so I took pieces and continued. There was pride on his eyes for outdoing than the legendary Raghav.
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