The journey to Mumbai took an entire week.
Our household belongings were loaded into large trucks driven by professional truck drivers. The trucks carried everything we owned—furniture, kitchen appliances, boxes of books, clothes, and countless other things collected over the years.
Behind the trucks traveled our car.
Neelam Maa and I shared most of the driving. Whenever one of us became tired, we would pull over at the next safe stop and exchange seats. After seven days on the road, this routine had become second nature.
Neelam Maa handled most of the difficult stretches. Long highways, crowded city roads, and unexpected traffic jams never seemed to bother her. I took over whenever she needed rest, gradually covering more distance as the journey continued.
If anyone had been told that a thirteen-year-old boy was helping drive a car across half the country, they probably would have dismissed it as a joke. Fortunately, the highway wasn't interested in anyone's opinions.
The trucks remained in front of us throughout most of the journey, their massive silhouettes visible against the endless road. Our job was simple—follow them, keep contact with the drivers, and make sure our belongings reached Mumbai safely.
Days blurred together.
Drive.
Eat at roadside dhabas.
Rest for a few hours.
Drive again.
By the seventh day, exhaustion had settled deep into our bodies. Even getting out of the car felt like a challenge. Yet there was also a sense of satisfaction.
Every kilometer brought us closer to our new home.
During one of my driving shifts, a familiar blue screen suddenly appeared in front of my eyes.
New Skill Unlocked: Drive
You can operate vehicles within your current skill tier.
Current Level: Intermediate
Requirement Completed: 100 Kilometers Driven
I stared at the notification and couldn't help laughing.
Most people learned driving from instructors.
I apparently learned it by spending a week chasing moving trucks across the country.
During the journey, we stopped at roadside dhabas, small hotels, and dharamshalas whenever we needed food or rest. Day after day, the highway stretched endlessly before us.
Fortunately, we didn't encounter any highway robbers.
At least, not directly.
On the fourth day, while eating lunch at a crowded dhaba, we heard disturbing news.
Three transport trucks heading toward Mumbai had been robbed during the past week.
The drivers had been stopped on isolated stretches of road during the night. The thieves had vanished before the police arrived.
Our luck suddenly seemed much better than I had originally thought.
On the fifth day, we encountered a police patrol jeep making rounds on the highway.
The officer stopped several vehicles, including ours, and issued a warning.
"Stay alert. Avoid driving at night if possible. The robbery gang is still active."
Neelam Ma'am thanked the officer while Shilpa Maa listened carefully.
I watched the police jeep drive away.
A thought immediately formed in my mind.
This could be my first real case.
Sooner or later, I would have to begin entering and leaving the NIA training facility and eventually participate in actual field operations.
If I wanted to become a capable investigator, I couldn't spend my entire life solving simulated cases.
The question was...
How would I solve this without any official authority or police support?
I began mentally reviewing the limited information we had.
Three trucks.
Same route.
Night robberies.
Possibly the same gang.
Possibly an insider providing information.
The possibilities continued to multiply inside my head.
Beside me, Shilpa Maa noticed my unusually serious expression.
"Vijay, what are you thinking about?" she asked.
I blinked and looked at her.
She smiled.
"We'll reach Mumbai in two more days. You don't need to worry so much."
Then she pointed toward the highway ahead.
"And with police patrols increasing, I doubt there will be another robbery anytime soon. So stop overthinking and either drive properly or enjoy the view."
I laughed softly.
"Okay."
She clearly had no idea what was actually going through my mind.
I nodded and focused on the road again.
Whenever a police patrol appeared nearby, I quickly exchanged seats with either Neelam Ma'am or Shilpa Maa. Explaining why a thirteen-year-old was driving a transport truck would create far more problems than it was worth.
The remaining journey passed peacefully.
Kilometer after kilometer disappeared beneath our wheels.
Then, on the evening of the seventh day, the skyline finally appeared on the horizon.
Towering buildings.
Countless lights.
Endless traffic.
Mumbai.
Our new home.
After a week of highways, dust, and exhaustion, we had finally reached our destination.
As our trucks entered the city, I looked up at the massive residential building standing before us.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
A completely new chapter of our lives was about to begin.