Chapter 4: The Ghost of Pragya Mehta

Chapter 4: The Ghost of Pragya Mehta

Aarav Sinha's mind raced. Pragya Mehta. A name he hadn't heard in years. A name that should not exist within Netrakar's system. And yet, here it was—hiding, evolving, and speaking to him.

He leaned forward, his fingers tightening into a fist. "Vidyut, analyze the Pragya_M-01 program. Find out when it was first installed."

A pause. Then, Vidyut's voice responded, "The program has existed since the foundation of Netrakar. It was part of the original framework."

Aarav's breath caught in his throat. How? Netrakar was developed entirely under government supervision. It had gone through countless security checks. There was no way an unauthorized program could have remained hidden for so long.

Unless…

Unless Netrakar itself had been built on top of something else—something older.

He stood up abruptly, his heartbeat hammering in his ears. "Who has access to this program?"

"Netrakar's highest security level," Vidyut answered. "Restricted to system architects and government elite."

Aarav clenched his jaw. He was among the highest-ranking officials, yet he had never heard of this. That meant someone above him—someone even more powerful—had kept it hidden.

The screen flickered again, and another message appeared:

"I am not dead."

Aarav's blood ran cold. Pragya Mehta had died years ago. The official reports were clear—she had been executed as a traitor. But if this program carried her consciousness…

No. That was impossible. AI couldn't hold a human mind. Could it?

He needed answers. Now.

"Vidyut, connect me to the Prime Minister. Immediate priority."

"Connection denied."

Aarav's heart skipped a beat. "Denied? On whose authority?"

"Netrakar's internal security protocol."

Aarav's hands clenched into fists. This was bigger than he had imagined. He had always believed in absolute control, in the perfection of the system. But now, the system was moving without him.

And somewhere inside it, Pragya Mehta was watching.