A motorbike rider dressed in full leather outfit and helmet, rammed through the opening in the barricade towards the stage, and shot at Pratap Chaudhary with a revolver.
ACP Ajay Singh Rathore chased the bike rider on his motorbike, hell bent on cat...
Vidya exited an Auto in front of an old 2 story building with a dull and dusty board that read: Zonal Police Headquarters, Gandhi Road.
As she entered she could see that it was quite busy - even at this hour. Most of the furniture was quite old, and in dire need of repair or even replacement, with files piled upon them in a haphazard manner.
As Vidya entered Ajay's room in the corner, she couldn't help but notice that everything in his room was spick and span and arranged in neat fashion, wholly juxtaposing the aesthetic of the station.
Ajay was seated behind his desk and looking at a report just handed in by his junior colleague, Sub Inspector Sarang. He looked rugged and tired with a thick stubble, making him look all the more handsome in her eyes and much younger than his 27 years.
He looked straight up at her and her heart skipped a beat.
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"Hi Chiku" she greeted him extra cheerfully as a way of covering her nervousness, and sat in the empty chair opposite to his desk.
Inspector Sarang chuckled and greeted Vidya cordially, but after looking at Ajay's stern face, he murmured his excuses and left.
"How many times have I told you not to call me by my nickname, especially in front of my colleagues" Ajay hissed.
He immediately regretted his outburst as he noticed her sorrowful face.
"Sorry Ajay. But I am so used to calling you like that I -I sometimes forget" Vidya whispered apologetically.
Ajay smiled back at her "I didn't mean to snap at you. You know how touchy I am about my nickname. For goodness sake, I am 27 and you are 23 Vidya!! And here in the Police Station, I have a reputation to maintain you know... But tell me, how would you feel, if I walked into your hospital ward calling you choti?" he asked jokingly with a smile, hoping he hadn't upset her too much. A smile - soon, but slowly - appeared on Vidya's face as her uneasiness began to subside.
"In my opinion there should be a law to decree all nicknames to be banned, with breakers of that law to be brought to jail, so none of us would have to deal with this" he declared sarcastically.
Vidya giggled "you haven't asked me why I am here now?"
"I have been taught never to ask such questions when young, beautiful girls walk in to my room." Ajay continued in the same mocking tone, before placing his chin in his hand and smirking at his fiancé.
"Achcha! How many young girls walk in here to meet you every day Mr. Ajay Singh Rathore? " demanded Vidya.
Just then the chaiwala brought two cups of tea, an interruption allowing Ajay to steer the conversation in a different direction, which secretly relieved him.
"So, are you all packed and ready to go tomorrow night? Remember the train is at 10pm" he reminded her.
"I wish you too could come with me on the same train, we could talk so much and it would be so much fun! I just can't believe you have to work such long hours. I mean, look at you - it looks like you haven't had a proper meal in a long time! Please come with me tomorrow. Why do you have to wait two more days to come home?" Vidya went on as if she had been meaning to ask these questions for a long time.
Ajay chuckled whilst rubbing his nose and looked down. He wondered how different things are between him and Vidya now.
He still had to remind himself that she was now his fiancée - and he would be marrying her in a year - because he still couldn't believe this new reality to some extent.
He had known her since she was a kid; therefore he always felt very protective about her and cared for her. But this new, demanding, complaining Vidya was someone he had to get used to.
"I told you before; I need to look after security arrangements for some events and handover some last minute jobs before starting my leave. I will be home as soon as that is completed." He promised whilst smiling weakly, in response to her resigned face.
He was ashamed to admit to himself that he was not yet ready for all those long talks Vidya craved on that train journey.
"OK then as compensation, you have to treat me today! Let's go to a movie or have a dinner at a nice restaurant - or do both! What do you say?" she asked excitedly.
"Huh... movie and dinner? I have some urgent work quite early tomorrow. I promise I will take you to a 4 course dinner next month. For now, why don't we buy some burgers and go to the movie, please?" Ajay suggested hoping she would agree to the movie. At least he didn't need to make long conversation with her while watching the movie...
"Okay! Let's go. But I am choosing which movie to go to. That Sci Fi movie you took me to last time was so boring" chirped Vidya and got up from the chair.
***
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This is a short chapter and I realised that some of the content
got mixed up with chapter 1 as well. I have rectified this now.
Now that all the preliminary characters are established, the story
will move forward with the first major incident in the next chapter
which lays the foundation for everything that follows.
Please let me know what you make of the story so far and dont
