Posted:
The story moved alright...
But the suspense increased... 😛
Superb Gisel... 👍🏼
Thanks for the PM too...
Do update soon... Waiting... 😉
Not a great chapter, but the story progresses a little.
I have decided to opt for tanglish for dialogues.Dubai dialogues are in English though.If it has to be in English, just tell me.
*****
Chapter 6
He was about to text her, when she placed a hand over his to stop him.
Was their phone bugged?
Common sense dictated they talk in a place where no one could see them. That's why Arjun drove them in silence to the self car washing station.
And when they were inside the soaped car, he gestured her asking if someone was watching or if she had a mike on her.
"Theriyala...and no I'm not miked...aana, he is up-to-date with information."
"Phone a bug panirukangala?"
"Aama..."
"Eppo kanama pona?"
"Innaiku morning blanket la pillows vechirunthanga...Ena pannanumnu theriyama ungaluku phone pannen, odana avangaluku redirect aiduchu."
Arjun frowned. That was not possible. That much expertise is only possible for police. Did that mean it was an inside job?
"Ena demands?"
"Stop your marriage by all means."
He frowned. Who would want that?
"I'm sorry. I had no other choice," she said slowly.
He didn't answer but just stared at her.
"He still says he will not let go of Pooja."
"Exact a ena sonnan?"
"Antha Action King a kalyanam pana safenu nenachituya? Avain kita ethavuthu sonna, Pooja uyiroda irukamata," she said, her trembling evident.
Action King. That was his nickname during his police training days.
Everything dictated the culprit was a fellow policeman.
Was it possible?
"Ok! Car a vitu erangum pothu, "Vidunganu" kathanum, ok va?"
She simply nodded.
*****
As planned she struggled as he pulled her into his office, with all policemen and culprits watching.
"Sir, ena achu? Inga kutitu vanthirukeinga?"
The speaker was the Inspector. He was at the wedding, so he probably knew the happenings.
"Ena ketalum vaiya theraka mateingira. Oru informationmum vanga mudiyala. Apdi pakatha, enakum avalukum entha samanthamum illa. Your job is to find about her. She was staying at Hotel Chola and nethu nightu thaan she came from Dubai. I want the report in 20 minutes. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir."
He looked around. Satisfied that everyone had heard him, he entered his office.
*****
She sat with the inspector giving him as little as information as she could.
She didn't know how much she should tell him.
Once she was done, she allowed herself to observe the station as she sat in a bench. This was a place where honest and dishonest people were sheltered, with just jail bars to separate them.
She saw a bunch of ladies snickering at her and she couldn't help but feel as if snakes were crawling on her.
Just then Arjun came out.
He was about to exit when he saw her and the surroundings.
"Sit inside the room," he said quietly.
She nodded and obliged.
She heard him tell a constable to get food for her, before he exited the office.
*****
"Hello ACP Jai?"
"Arjun? Ein phone boothla irunthu call panureinga?"
"Ein phone a yaro tamper panirkanga."
"That's not possible. Only a police can do it."
"Theriyum. Athaan una call panuren. Naan konjam phone numbers tharein. Athu yaru name la register aiyurukunu pathu sollu."
"Ok!"
He gave him the phone numbers he had noted from Priya's phone.
*****
When he came back, he was in his kakki pants and a crisp white shirt untucked, with his sunglasses on and the inspector was already waiting to give him information.
"Sir, Peru Priya Unnikrishnan. Profession. Doctor. NRI from UAE. Unmarried. Aana oru ponnu iruka, 6 years old, peru Pooja..."
Arjun got a little distracted after that. She wasn't married? And why did he feel a somersault in his stomach? Weird!
"Aama...oru ponnu...maranthai poiten, where is she?"
"Avunga aatha pathi ethuvum sollala."
"Anything else?"
"Avunga phone la international sim matum thaan iruku."
"Frequent log elam check panengala?"
"Expert team check panitanga. Nothing unusual."
"Anything else?"
"Hotel ku constables a annupanuma?"
"Yes. Tell them to get her things to my house."
"Ok sir."
Arjun knew he was taking a great risk, never the less, he said, "Enaku ena vo avunga ponna kadathirukanganu thoonuthu. NRInu sollura, oru veila kasukaga irukumo?"
He grimaced at the silence the whole police station provided.
"Maybe sir. Is she really your lover?"
Arjun glared at him, "Stay within your limits."
"Sorry, sir," he saluted him and left.
Arjun entered his cubicle and saw that Priya sat in the guest couch without touching the food packet brought for her.
As soon as he entered, she looked up to him.
"Sir?"
"Sapada la?"
"Pooja saptrupalanu theriyala," she said looking away.
"Avala meet pananum pothu, ungaluku strength venum, sapdunga," he said walking over to her.
She still didn't oblige.
He took the pack and opened it.
"Vera ethumai kidaikalanu idly a vangitu vanthirukaan? Velila poi sapadalam," he said going to close it again.
Priya stopped him, "No, it's ok."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," she said, opening the sambar pack.
In a jerk, it spilled, some of it finding way to his eyes.
"Oh God! Sorry," she said placing the packets down.
"It's ok," he said, rubbing his eyes to ease the sting.
"Kasakatheinga. Enum mosam aidum," she said, pulling his hands away.
And then without warning, she rose on her tip toes and held his eye lids open and blew into it gently.
The sting in his eyes eased and he looked at her properly. She wasn't that pretty...well...maybe a little...hm...maybe more...ok fine, she was pretty...his heart battled with his mind.
There was something about her proximity that felt perfectly comforting.
They broke apart at the clearing of a throat and turned to see the inspector.
He was looking at them with a smirk and suddenly Arjun felt the colour in his cheeks rise, as he realized what their position might have looked like from behind. Even then he kept his cool.
"Sir, madam phoneku call," he said giving the phone to her, before leaving.
She immediately took the phone and answered it,
"Hello?"
*gap* She frowned.
"Ok! But, I need some time to arrange the money."
*gap*
"Today is the first day of the holiday there. I can transfer the funds only on Monday."
*gap*
"Please can I talk to her?" she asked, letting her tears fall.
*gap*
"Please? Hello? Hello?"
She looked at the phone longingly before turning to Arjun.
"10 latcham venumam. Unga kita sonnalum onnum illayan. I'm really scared," she said holding her phone closer to her heart.
To Priya's shock, Arjun smiled.
"What?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
Without answering he walked to the fish tank by his side table and then catching a fish with a net, he said, "Kavalapada theinga Priya. Meen vanthu thaana valaila matikichu."
(To be continued)
*****
comment:
p_commentcount