About the Book
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A murder. An invisible killer. A burnt out detective.
It’s a game of brain and brawn, and the killer has made the first move.
Her nemesis will go to any lengths to hide the truth. Will Aarya be ready to pay the price for it?
Will she be able to outwit and overpower her enemies and rip apart the intricately crafted mesh of deceit and treachery?
Read The Crimson Party to find out what happens when you don’t give up on your friends even when everyone else around you does.
Excerpt
Aarya had barely reached halfway to the door when she heard
a loud and clear BANG! Undoubtedly a gunshot.
Aarya ran forward, taking advantage of the shock that had
momentarily crippled the guests, and pushed her way through. From the corner of
her eyes, she could see Sid and Roshni rushing toward the door too.
“Move,” she shouted to the people standing by the exit.
Confusion and fear were evident in the whispers that had now begun permeating
the room.
A small corridor extended in front of her with two rooms on
either side. She noticed the entrance to the last room was the only one that
was open. She sprinted ahead and flew inside the room.
It was empty. It looked like a study room, probably used as
a home office. She heard a slight movement from the adjoining room and ran to
it.
She pushed open the door and was greeted by the sight of
Rohan’s fallen body in the centre of the room. Blood flowed profusely from his
chest, painting his white shirt a deep crimson. He seemed to have been walking
to the safe to the right side of the room when he was shot. She heard someone
running up a staircase. There was a door to her left, which was slightly ajar,
and she could see stairs behind it. She bolted to the door just as Sid and
Roshni entered the room, followed by a group of people.
“Rohan,” shrieked Roshni running to the body on the floor.
“Oh my God,” Sid exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock.
“Handle it,” Aarya told Sid before going through the door
and up the stairs. She knew Sid hated the sight of blood, but there was no
option. She glanced up and saw a silhouette disappearing into one of the rooms
on the first floor. Climbing two stairs at a time, she followed the silhouette
into the room.
There was no sign of anybody using the room – no clothes, no
glasses, and nothing on the side tables by the bed. Even the windows were shut.
The crunch of dry leaves caught her attention. She ran to
the window and pushed it open. A rope was dangling from the adjoining window,
probably the bathroom window. Then she saw him – a masked man running across
the backyard toward the garden wall. Without a moment’s hesitation, Aarya
jumped out of the window onto the ground. Her lithe body landed lightly on the
grass below, and she raced after the man.
He had already reached the boundary wall and was trying to
climb over it. Just as he put his right foot on the top of the wall, Aarya
leapt at him like a tigress pouncing on its prey. Before he could pull himself
up, she caught hold of his left foot. She crashed on the ground, still clinging
to the man’s foot, pulling down his body hard, and making him slide down the
wall.
The man kicked hard, hitting Aarya in the chest. The pain
made her loosen her grip. The man was up on his feet again, but Aarya crouched
down before pushing with her feet for maximum momentum and flung herself up in
the air. With a loud cry, she kicked him under the chin and punched him hard.
Holding him by his neck, she pushed him against the wall.
The man flailed around vigorously, trying to free himself from her torturous
grip, which only tightened further the more he struggled. Finally, realising
that struggle was futile, his limbs let go of the fight like a wilted leaf.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t do anything. Let me go,” he cried.
Aarya pulled down his mask; his nose was bleeding, and he
was gasping for breath.
“Are you serious? A man was shot dead. I saw you run away
from the crime scene. How do you expect me to believe you are innocent?” she
huffed, staring at him right in the eyes.
Tears streamed down the man’s dirt-covered bloody face, and
he joined his hands and gaped at Aarya with pleading eyes.
“Who are you? Tell me the truth. Lie to me, and you’ll be sorry you ever met me.” Aarya brought her face within an inch of the man. She could almost smell the fear, the sweat, and the tears sapping away all remnants of his desire to resist.
About the Author
Born amidst the picturesque Himalayas in the quaint town of Nainital, she spent a blissful childhood among the mountains. The people she has met and the places she has visited find their place in her stories.
She holds a Bachelor of Technology degree in Computer Science and an MBA degree from IIM Indore, one of the prestigious institutions in India. She spent over a decade working in the corporate sector as a finance, strategy and planning professional before deciding to pursue her dream of being an author.
She also frequently shares her parenting experience as a
mother of a young boy and as an education sector professional on www.intelligentparent.com.
intriguing
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