The road to Mangaluru wasn't smooth — literally or emotionally. Nawaz had been quiet the whole ride, fingers tapping against the door, jaw clenched like he was chewing his own thoughts. Balraj knew better than to poke him when he was like this. The Scorpio's engine growled through the night as they entered the coastal city under a fading moon.
It was 2:36 AM when they reached Old Bunder Port — a place that reeked of salt, sweat, and secrets. The ocean wind whipped their faces as they parked behind a rusted container, black Scorpio half-hidden.
Balraj (loading his gun): "Bhai, mujhe Goa ki fish fry chahiye thi, tu le aaya Mangaluru ke bhoot bangla mein."
(Bro, I wanted Goa's fish fry, but you brought me to Mangaluru's haunted harbour.)
Nawaz: "Yeh bhooton ka khel hai, aur hum Shaitaan hain. Tyaar reh."
(This is a game of ghosts, and we're the Devils. Stay ready.)
The port was a maze of shadows and stacked cargo. Somewhere beyond them, secrets crawled like rats under crates. Then, a man in a black cap waved silently from behind a pile of fishing nets.
Nawaz nodded. They followed.
The man's voice was hushed and firm: "Boss ka order hai. Tum dono ko andar le jaana hai. Chup chaap, samjhe?"
(Boss's orders. Gotta take you both in. Quietly, got it?)
Balraj scoffed. "Hum koi item song nahi jo chup ho jaaye. Lekin chalo, dikha raasta."
(We're not a damn item song to stay quiet. But fine, lead the way.)
They were led through broken corridors of an abandoned warehouse. At the back, under a single flickering light, sat a man on a chair — crisp shirt, leather slippers, paan in mouth — clearly not a thug. Too calm. Too clean.
He looked at them and grinned.
"Toh yeh hai Mumbai ke Shaitaan… Nawaz aur Sher Punjab."
(So these are the Devils of Mumbai… Nawaz and Sher Punjab.)
Nawaz didn't blink.
"Naam se khelna hai ya kaam se?"
(Wanna play with names or get down to business?)
The man chuckled.
Then he pointed to the corner — and out stepped someone else. Young, thin, hoodie pulled up, eyes sharp like a crowbar in moonlight.
"Yeh hai Nathan. Kaam chhota hai par dimaag bada."
(This is Nathan. Small in size, big in brains.)
Nathan: "Aapke jaise log normally mujhe bhada lete hain, par is baar main khud aaya hoon."
(Guys like you usually hire me, but this time I came myself.)
Balraj raised an eyebrow. "Kya hai tu? Hacker ya salesman?"
(What are you, a hacker or a salesman?)
Nathan smirked.
"Main woh hoon jiske laptop pe police bhi password maangti hai."
(I'm the guy whose laptop even the cops ask passwords from.)
Nawaz took a step closer.
"Tu jaanta hai woh banda kaun hai jiske baare mein mujhe call aaya tha?"
(Do you know who the guy is they mentioned in that call?)
Nathan's smirk faded.
"Zinda hai woh. Par tumhe seedha nahi milne denge. Bohot logon ko chubta hai woh aadmi. Isiliye aaj raat ka milan dangerous hai."
(He's alive. But they won't let you meet him directly. That man pricks too many nerves. Which is why tonight's meet is dangerous.)
Balraj (arms crossed):
"Hum jaake usko uthaa lete hain. Seedha. Bullet se ya baat se, dekha jaayega."
(We'll go grab him ourselves. Whether by bullet or talk, we'll see.)
Nathan raised his hand.
"Usse milne se pehle ek cheez chahiye... mujhe tumhare phones chahiye."
(Before that, I need your phones.)
Nawaz: "Tere baap ki property hai kya? Kyu chahiye?"
(This your dad's property? Why do you need them?)
Nathan (serious): "Tum dono trace ho rahe ho. Woh hotel shootout ke baad network pe tumhara naam circulate ho raha hai. Ek Goan politician ne contract dala hai."
(You both are being tracked. After that hotel shootout, your names are circulating in the network. A Goan politician has put out a hit.)
Nawaz clenched his fists.
Nathan added: "Par us politician ke peeche bhi koi aur hai. Aur woh mujhe bhi nahi dikhta… abhi tak."
(But someone's above that politician too. And even I can't see who… yet.)
They all went silent.
Then, Balraj, breaking the tension: "Chalo bhai, Goa mein chutiyon ne hamla kiya, Mangaluru mein boss se milna hai, aur beech mein yeh chhota C.I.D. hacker mila."
(So bro, we got attacked in Goa, gotta meet a boss in Mangaluru, and between all that we meet this mini C.I.D. hacker.)
Nathan chuckled,
"Baat toh sach hai, lekin baat hai risky."
(It's true, but it's risky business.)
Nawaz nodded slowly.
"Risk toh naam hai zindagi ka. Jisne Shaitaan ko chheda… uski kahani kabhi happy end nahi hoti."
(Risk is the name of this life. Whoever messes with the Devil… their story never ends well.)
They looked out at the dark water — silent, deep, dangerous.
Like their lives.
Tomorrow, the truth would rise with the tide.
And someone…
was going to drown.