The next day I attended my morning classes, trying to focus on the lectures, but my mind kept drifting back to the mission. As much as I wanted to leave it behind, it was hard to shake off the adrenaline.
By lunchtime, I was ready for a break. I grabbed my meal and found a spot in the cafeteria, enjoying the brief moment of peace. But that didn't last long.
Just as I was about to take a bite, I heard raised voices from across the room. I looked up, curious, and saw a small crowd gathering around two people who seemed to be in a heated argument. Something about it caught my attention.
I got up and walked over, weaving through the crowd until I saw who it was. Maya, Ria's little sister, was standing there, red-faced and clearly upset. Opposite her was a boy, probably a year or two older, looking equally frustrated.
"How could you do this to me?" Maya's voice trembled with anger. "I trusted you!"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" the boy shot back, looking genuinely confused. "I never asked for any money!"
Maya's fists clenched as she replied, "You did! I sent you thousands for the gaming equipment! You said you'd get it for me at a discount, but now you're acting like it never happened!"
The pieces started to fall into place in my mind. It sounded like Maya had been tricked, but the boy in front of her didn't seem like the type to pull a scam. Something wasn't adding up.
I stepped forward, placing a hand on Maya's shoulder. "Maya, calm down for a second. Let's think this through."
She looked at me, eyes still blazing. "But, Devika, he—"
"Just hear me out," I interrupted gently. "Are you sure it was him you were talking to? Or could it have been someone pretending to be him?"
Maya blinked, her anger wavering as she considered my words. "But... it was his profile, his name..."
The boy chimed in, "I swear, I never asked for any money. Someone must have used my name or created a fake profile. I'm not a scammer!"
It all started to make sense. Someone had likely impersonated the boy to scam Maya out of her money. I could see the realization dawning on her face too.
I took a deep breath, already thinking ahead. "Maya, I think you might have been targeted by someone pretending to be him. Let's check the messages and see if we can find any clues."
Maya nodded slowly, her anger turning into confusion and worry. "I... I never thought of that. What should I do?"
"First, we'll go through the messages and see if we can figure out who did this," I said, trying to reassure her. "Then we'll report it. Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this."
The boy, relieved that the situation was starting to escalate, added, "I'll help too. I'm really sorry this happened, but I swear, I didn't know."
We all sat down, and I began guiding Maya through her messages, searching for any inconsistencies.
Just as we were starting to piece things together, Ria appeared, her expression a mix of shock and anger. She pushed through the small crowd and stood in front of Maya, arms crossed.
"Maya, what were you thinking?!" Ria's voice was sharp, laced with frustration. "That money was for your studies! How could you just send it to some random person online?"
Maya looked down, guilt replacing the earlier anger. "I... I thought I was helping a friend..."
Ria's frustration was palpable. "Helping a friend? By sending thousands of rupees that were meant for your education? Maya, you can't be this naive!"
I stepped in quickly, placing myself between the sisters before things escalated further. "Ria, I understand you're upset, but let's take a breath. Yelling at her won't solve anything right now."
Ria closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm herself. "I just can't believe she did this, Devika. What do we do now?"
I nodded, understanding both of their perspectives. "First, we need to get all the details. Maya, I know this is tough, but can you walk us through what happened? How did this start? How much money did you send?"
Maya hesitated but then began explaining. "It started a few weeks ago... I saw a post online about gaming equipment at a discounted price. The profile looked legit, and when I checked, it matched this guy's name and photo. I thought it was him."
She glanced at the boy, who still looked bewildered. "We started chatting, and he seemed friendly. He said he could get the equipment for cheaper because he had connections. I trusted him, so I transferred the money."
I listened carefully, piecing together the situation. It was a classic scam—someone had created a fake profile, preying on Maya's trust. "How much did you send, Maya?"
Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Around fifty thousand rupees..."
Ria looked like she was about to explode again, but I quickly placed a hand on her arm. "Ria, I know this is hard, but we need to stay focused. The best thing we can do right now is report this to the cybercrime department. The sooner we do that, the better our chances of recovering the money."
Ria took a deep breath, nodding reluctantly. "Okay. But we need to move fast."
I turned to Maya, trying to reassure her. "We'll handle this together. Let's go to the cybercrime department and file a complaint. We'll explain everything, and they'll start an investigation. It's not too late."
Maya nodded, still looking shaken but grateful for the support. "Thank you, Devika. I don't know what I would've done without you."
With that, we gathered our things and headed out, determined to fix the situation before it got any worse.
After leaving the cafeteria, the four of us—Maya, Ria, boy and I—made our way to the cybercrime department. The tension in the air was thick, but we were all focused on one goal: recovering the money and catching the person responsible for the scam.
When we arrived at the cybercrime office, we were directed to a small, cluttered room where an officer greeted us with a nod. He looked like he had seen cases like this far too often, his weary expression giving away his experience.
The officer motioned for us to sit and asked Maya to explain the situation. She hesitated for a moment, then recounted the entire ordeal, her voice trembling as she detailed the fake profile, the messages, and the money transfer. Ria clenched her fists, her anger barely contained, but she stayed quiet, letting Maya finish.
The officer listened attentively, taking notes. When Maya was done, he leaned back in his chair, nodding slowly. "This is a classic case of online fraud. Unfortunately, it's becoming more common. But you did the right thing by coming here quickly. We'll do our best to track down the scammer."
He asked for the transaction details, the fake profile link, and any messages Maya had exchanged with the scammer. I helped Maya pull up everything on her phone, making sure the officer had all the information he needed.
Once the complaint was filed, the officer assured us that they would begin investigating immediately. "It may take some time, but we have ways of tracing the money and identifying the person behind this. I can't make any promises, but we've had success in similar cases."
Maya seemed slightly relieved, though the worry didn't leave her face. Ria finally spoke up, her voice firm. "Please do whatever you can. This money is important for her future."
The officer nodded. "We will. In the meantime, be cautious with online interactions. It's easy to get tricked, especially when someone is using a fake profile."
As we were finalizing the complaint, a man appeared at the entrance of the cybercrime office. He seemed to be in his mid-20s, with a casual yet sharp appearance that caught my attention. His tousled dark hair gave him an effortlessly cool look, and his stubble added a hint of ruggedness to his clean-cut features. He wore a simple grey t-shirt that highlighted his athletic build, paired with dark jeans and sneakers that suggested he was comfortable yet stylish.
His eyes were a deep shade of brown, sharp and observant, as if he was taking in every detail around him. Despite his casual attire, there was a certain confidence in the way he carried himself—like someone who was used to being in control. As he approached the reception desk, I couldn't help but wonder who he was and what had brought him here.
As the officer was finalizing our complaint, the man who had just entered approached the desk. His confident stride and sharp eyes hinted at someone used to being in control. The officer immediately straightened up upon seeing him.
"Sir," the officer greeted him with a respectful nod. "We're currently handling a case of online fraud."
The man, now closer, looked over the documents on the desk before addressing the officer. "What's the situation?" he asked in a calm, authoritative tone.
"One of the victims here," the officer began, gesturing towards Maya, "transferred a significant amount of money to a scammer who posed as someone she knew. We've gathered all the relevant details, and I've started the investigation."
The man nodded thoughtfully, his gaze shifting to Maya, then to me. "It's a growing issue. We'll need to expedite this one."
I felt a sense of surprise and curiosity rise within me. Who was this man, and why did the officer address him with such respect? My questions were answered moments later when the officer introduced him.
"Ms. Devika, Ms. Maya, this is Dhruv Gupta, our police in charge at this station. He'll be overseeing your case."
Dhruv Gupta. The name carried weight, and it was clear why. His presence alone commanded attention, and I could sense that he was someone who took his responsibilities seriously.
Dhruv turned his attention fully to us now, his expression softening slightly. "Don't worry. We'll do everything we can to track down the culprit. In the meantime, stay cautious with any further online interactions. If anything seems off, report it immediately."
Maya nodded, still looking a bit overwhelmed, but there was a glimmer of relief in her eyes. I felt reassured too—knowing that someone like Dhruv was handling the case made me believe that things would be okay.
"Thank you, sir," I said, stepping in. "We appreciate your help."
*****