Vishnu stood outside the interview room, looking through the glass panel which showed Pranav sitting silently, his hands restricted by cuffs. He let out a frustrated huff, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to interrogate him.
Ram came inside the room and handed him a file, "His file, sir. Grew up in the slums, aparam somehow got involved with a Hyderabadi drug ring. They mainly trade in cocaine. It's a huge ring. Custom officers, local police, politicians nu neraiya peru are corrupted and involved."
Vishnu nodded, "Me and Karthik, we worked on their case a few years ago. So there's no wonder he knew about them."
Ram shifted his weight and asked, "Eppadi sir interrogate panna poringa?"
Vishnu studied Pranav for a moment, "Paakalam. Flow la enna varutho."
Ram blinked at him and Vishnu said, "Naa follow koodkarthuku nee support pannu."
Ram nodded, and both of them entered the interrogation box. Pranav didn't look up when they came in, and stayed eerily quiet.
"Pranav Reddy," Vishnu said, sitting down on the chair opposite to him. "Chinna vayasilraibthe romba busy ah irunthirkinga. Drug trafficking, extortion, racketeering, theft."
Pranav was silent.
Vishnu raised his eyebrows, "Oh. So silence thana? That's okay. We'll just review your case meanwhile, enna Ram?"
"Huh?," Ram blinked. "Yes sir of course."
Vishnu got up and sat on the table and he said to Ram, "So Pranav oda room lenthu we've extracted small amounts of cocaine."
"Yes sir."
Vishnu hummed and asked, "Considering the amount, athuku oru 4 years ulla ponuma?".
Ram nodded, "Yes sir. Aparam vanthu, CWC contestants vantha text messages oda burner phone avar kitta than iruku. So plausible suspect also sir."
Vishnu could feel Pranav get tensed behind him, "Oh okay okay. Atha thavira, we have a statement from one of the contestants that he tried to harm them, right?".
Ram nodded, "Yes sir, maybe athuku oru 2 years ulla ponum."
Vishnu heard Pranav shift uncomfortably behind him, the metal cuffs clanging. "Atha thavira he would be investigated for aiding and abetting murder. Trafficking drugs. Ellam sethu atleast oru 15 years jail time varathu?"
Ram nodded, "Kandipa sir. Athuku mellayum vara chance iruku. Ithuku munnadi nadantha kolaikum ivara investiga-"
"No!," Pranav shouted. Vishnu turned around to look at him, who had a frustrated expression on his face.
"Stop it. Ennaku antha kolaigaal pathi theriyathu, Karthik enkitta atha pathi solala-"
"Oh," Vishnu interrupted. "Appo intha kolaiya pathi unnaku theriyum appadinu othukara?"
Silence filled the room as Pranav realised he had veen baited into spilling it himself.
Vishnu leaned forward and said, "Look Pranav. Inimel marachu, there's no use. Confess."
Pranav stared at him defeated. He was silent for a moment before he gave in and said, "I first met Karthik in jail."
"When was this?"
"About two years ago. Naanga jail la irukum bothu, we were cell mates. Because he was from Tamil Nadu and previous police officer, jail la irukaara ella inmates um avan potu adipanga," Pranav said.
Ram was scribbling notes and Vishnu was listening intently. Pranav continued, "Appadi oru naal avanku seriyana adi. Appo than enkitta sonna, avan Chennai la irukum bothu moonu kola panirkanu. First, naa nambala. But he started telling me details of how he killed them."
Pranav sighed and said, "Aparam parole la naa veliya vanthuten. Few months later, en gang oru shipment kaga Andhra border ku ponum. Anga paatha antha shipment ah erkunathe Karthik than. He told me he escaped from jail. We found that he was working as a petty distributor of drugs in the outskirts of Hyderabad."
"Then he joined our gang. He only taught us how to evade the custom officers, how and who to bribe. He was a star. Takkunu he became an important part of the gang."
"Oru naal naa avan kitta ketten, yen avan jail lenthu appo thappichanu. I mean, yen avan atha munadiya panala. He told him, he forgot the meaning of revenge and he was recently reminded of it."
"Few months ago, he told me he wanted me to kidnap someone in Tamil Nadu. Naa first mudiyathu nu sonen. But he told me, it would make me really rich and that it was a celebrity."
"Aparam thaan theriya vanthutu, it was Sivaangi."
Vishnu was trying to absorb all this information when he asked, "Yen Karthik eh kidnap panna varla?"
Pranav shrugged and said, "CWC la ellarukum avan theriyum sonnan. So they'll immediately find out."
Vishnu shook his head and said, "I'm confused. Why did you kill that boy when you were supposed to kidnap Sivaangi?"
Pranav let out a deep breath, "A few days before I was supposed to kidnap Sivaangi, Karthk called me. He told me he just didn't want to kidnap her but he wanted to kill her."
Pranav shook his head, "He again said the same thing about them being celebrities, and everything so I was convinced. So he said he wanted to create panic, make sure everyone is vulnerable. Antha aala kola panathunala than, ellarum anga stuck aaitanga. Apadi illaana, everybody would've left it in two days."
Vishnu slowly nodded and Pranav said, "Everything was going as planned. Except for one thing. Sivaangi. I thought she would be more open to me. Aana ava etho oru paiyan nyabagathula enna kandukave illa."
Vishnu was deep in thought. "What triggered Karthik?"
"What do you mean?"
"You said avanoda original plan Sivaangi ah kidnap pandrathu than. But thidirunu he said he wanted to kill her. Why? En antha Change?"
Pranav shrugged, "I don't know."
For some reason, Vishnu couldn't take his mind off that. Why did he suddenly want to kill her? Was there something more to his agenda than what he thought?
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"Ashwin, where are you taking me?"
It was mid day and she was pulled out of her comfy bed by Ashwin and she was being dragged away somewhere.
After everything that had happened yesterday, they both came to a silent agreement that they would wait until Karthik was caught and they had time to think before taking any further step. Although Sivaangi wasn't sure that would happen.
They entered some kind of large hall, that was mostly empty, and Sivaangi turned to look at Ashwin
"Ethuku enna inga kootitu vathurkinga."
"I want you to learn self defence."
Sivaangi's eyes widened, "What?"
Ashwin nodded and pushed some chairs out of the way to make space.
"Ippo ethuku, ennaku than adika theriyuthula."
Ashwin looked at her deadpanned, "Nee yaaryachum adicha avungaluku valikartha vida unnaku than valikudhu."
Sivaangi cleared her throat, "Athunala enna? Adika therinja pothum."
Ashwin sighed and looked at her and gave her that expression.
"No," she said. "Don't pull that face on me. You know I can't say no."
"Then don't say no."
"Ashwineyy!."
Ashwin let out a breath, "Ennakaga okay va? I'll just feel better if I knew you know how to take care of yourself."
Sivaangi's shoulders sagged and she let out a defeated sigh, "Fine. Okay."
Ashwin smiled and rubbed his hands together, "Great. First things first, I'll show you how to punch."
He taught her the right position, how to keep her hands. "Thumbs are always tucked in. Aparam un kai than valikum," he said as he fixed her hands.
Few minutes went like that and he said, "Okay, how to get out of a chokehold."
Sivaangi raised an eyebrow, "Unagluke konjam overa theriyala. Antha alavuku ellam unnum aaguthu Ashwineyy."
Ashwin shook his head vehemently, "I'm not taking any more risks."
Sivaangi looked at him exasperated. Ashwin didn't pay heed to her, and simply made her stand infront of him. He put an arm around her neck, like a chokehold.
"Now, if you're like this, know that a women's center of gravity is lower than a man's. Use that to your advantage,"
Ashwin lifted her hands and placed them on his arm, "Ippadi kai pudichu, kick me around the ankles. And just flip me around."
Sivaangi looked at him in disbelief, "Enna dosa thirupi podra mathiri, flip me nu solringa."
Ashwin clicked his tongue, "Easy than."
Sivaangi was bewildered, "Ashwin, how the hell am I supposed to flip you?_
"Athellam illa. Once you make me lose my balance, it'll be easy to do." Sivaangi was silent.
"Just oru thadava try pannu."
Sivaangi sighed and complied She kicked the back of his ankle, making him lose his balance and and with all the might she had flipped him over. He fell to the ground with a thud and Sivaangi gasped and rushed to his side.
"Oh my god. Sorry. Naana panna? Are you okay?"
Ashwin lifted his head to look at her panicked expression and started laughing. Sivaangi relaxed and slapped his arm, "Ashwin! Are you okay?"
Ashwin sat up, trying to catch his breath from laughing so hard. "I'm fine ma, aana nee panatha vida un expression than.." and he burst into a fit of laughter again.
Sivaangi stared at him annoyed, "Inga oruthi patharritu iruken, siripa?"
Ashwin held back his laughter once he saw her annoyed expression and said, "Sorry ma. Control panna mudiyala."
Sivaangi huffed and muttered under her breath, "Ethalam control pana koodatho athellam control panunga. Ethellam control pannaumo atha control panuga."
"Enna sonna?"
Sivaangi got up, and said, "Unnum illa. Innaiku intha class pothum."
Ashwin smirked lightly and said, "Practical class pudikalaya?"
Sivaangi ignored her blush and said, "Ungaluku theory thana varum?"
Ashwin rasied an eyebrow, "Oh, appo innum strong aana practical class venuma?"
"Ippo ennaku defence vera soli koduthrkinga. Paathu," she said.
Ashwin laughed and said, "Soli kodukara ennaku seiya theriyatha?"
Sivaangi averted his gaze so that he couldn't see her blush. She sneaked a glance at him, to find him already looking at her intently. She let out a whine, "Aiyoo pothum."
Ashwin laughed and said, "Okay, pothum."
Sivaangi tried her best to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. Ashwin said, "Adutha class varuvingala?"
A teasing smile appeared on her face, "Matten."
Ashwin got up and got infront of her, "Oh, avalothan?"
Sivaangi put on her most firm face, "Avalothan."
"Oh okay. Appo naa vera ethavathu studentku kathu thar-"
Sivaangi delivered a sharp blow to his arm, "Konuduven."
Ashwin looked into her eyes, "Athan neenga vara mattenu soningale."
"Sonna? Avalothana?"
Ashwin couldn't help but smile and Sivaangi let out an annoyed sigh. He always managed to make her say things that she thought but didn't want to say.
"Appo adutha class varuvala?"
"Ashwin!!!"
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hi hi makkale!
I know this is a very weird chapter, engayo arambichu engeyo mudinjuchu. 😂😂
hope you guys enjoyed the romance 😁
leave a comment if you liked it and thank you so much for reading!
love,
sai