Pride vs Prejudice

Chapter 20

"You can let go off me now."

Ria gently opened her eyes and looked around. Shiv had turned his head a bit giving her an amused expression. Ria glared back at him.

"If you want to keep hugging me, you should have said that plainly."

Ria let go of her tight grip on his jacket. "Please! I have no interest in touching you." She got off the bike, holding on to it discreetly to steady her. Her feet felt like jelly. "I wouldn't have had to hold on to you if you knew how to drive!"

Shiv smirked. "Is that why you were holding on to me long after we reached here?"

"That's how bad a driver you are!" Ria took off her helmet and shoved it in his hands.

Shiv rolled his eyes and got off the bike putting both the helmets away. "Right! It has nothing to do with you being a scared kitten in reality, pretending to be lioness."

Ria widened her eyes. "Scared kitten! And me! I will show you scared kitten!" Ria clenched her fist.

"Ohhh! I am scared!"

"You will be. Soon!"

Shiv raised his eyebrow, looking at her with a bored expression. "If you are done with your theatrics can we get on with why we came here?"

"Fine!"

Shiv shook his head but walked into the building they had parked near. Ria followed. They got off on the 6th floor. Shiv buzzed the doorbell for one of the flats. Ria read the name at the front–Urmila Ahuja.

The door was opened by a maid. She saw Shiv and let them in. Ria guessed he must have come here often.

"Ma'am is in her room. I will tell her." She left them to get comfortable.

Shiv fell onto the three seater stretching his legs across it. Ria rolled her eyes. No manners! She sat down tentatively in one of the single chairs taking the room in.

"Wow! His highness has decided to grace me with his presence!"

Ria turned around to find a girl around their age standing behind her. She was short; she had a pixie haircut and wore a nose ring. She was dressed in harem pants and a kurti. She looked slight but her attitude seemed to be anything but that.

Somehow, she wasn't the type of girl Ria would have pictured Shiv with. She is the detective? Ria was feeling unsure about the entire plan now.

"Frodo!" Shiv said, with a bright smile, sitting up.

"Don't call me that!" the girl warned. "You are an ass!"

"At least someone else agrees with me," Ria muttered, feeling slightly impressed with the girl.

"Excuse me!" Urmila shot at Ria. "Just because I call him that doesn't mean someone else has the right to! Only I am allowed to call him that." Urmila looked Ria once over. "And who the hell are you?"

Has to be his girlfriend! They are perfect for each other. Annoying and obnoxious! Ria thought to herself. "I am Ria Khanna." Her voice was firm and blunt. She wasn't going to take crap from Shiv's friends or his girlfriends!

Urmila gave her an amused expression. "Ohhh! So you are the great Ria Khanna!"

What was that supposed to mean! Ria narrowed her eyes looking at Shiv. He was smiling brightly. Idiot!

"I don't know if I want her looking into this!" Ria told Shiv.

"She is the only one who can help us."