Chance Encounter ( PriVeer SS) Completed - Page 10

PART 3

Priyanka Singh Oberoi stood before him. He took in her dark eyes, further darkened by those dilated pupils. His glance traversed across her heaving chest, her fingers clawing at the wallpaper, her trembling legs and came back to rest on her face. He had seen her before in the mansion, pretending to be the petite princess of the family, lips trembling, eyes downcast, voice quivering as she answered his routine questions. But he had guessed that she was playing a role, that of the delicate darling of the family. And today he was proved right once again. Here she stood before him, high on drugs in broad daylight when she should be in college! These rich kids really had it easy. As he watched her step back from him and stumble into the wall, he wanted to reach out and shake her. He really ought to put her behind bars for drug use. A routine drug test should be enough to bring out a charge sheet against her. These wealthy brats should be showed that they couldn't take the law for a joke.

He stifled the irritation rising in him. He was here on a different job at present and needed to stay focused. Miss Oberoi will have to look after herself. Randhawa turned his sight to the entrance again. Pawar could come in anytime. In fact, his men might already be around here, keeping a lookout. He turned his attention to the faces in the crowd.

"You are the inspect--"

Her voice reached him over the noise of the crowd. He whipped around with a speed that would have scared anyone in a normal frame of mind. Priyanka felt like she was staring into hell as he now stood towering over her. His enraged face seemed to twist into monstrous images in her mind. Her words got swallowed up and felt like bile in her mouth.

"Can I help you, Miss Oberoi?" he gritted out. He wanted to throttle her at that moment. Not only was she here, ready to make a spectacle of herself, but she was about to disclose his identity for anyone to hear. However, he knew that he needed to be tactful. She could have taken anything and if she started screaming or behaving wildly, they'd only attract more attention and he couldn't allow that to happen. He tried to calm himself down and said, "Miss Oberoi, are you alright?"

A voice swept through the noise and colours that swirled inside her head. Amidst the chaos that threatened to drown her, she felt the voice reach out to her, like a lifeline. She followed it as if her very survival depended on following that voice that would take her out of this world that seemed to have suddenly gone mad. "Are you alright?" it said. And she wanted to say that she wasn't alright. She had never been alright. She had to tell the voice that her soul was about to drown in an excess of light and noise.

"I...want...to...home." she stuttered. The woman was looking at him with a dread-filled fixity but on the brighter side of things, she seemed to have calmed down a bit and didn't appear to be on the verge of screaming. He knew that the slightest wrong movement would have her running from him. He spoke again, "I think you are not feeling well."

She gave a slight nod. He went on, "Do you want me to take you out of here?"

She licked her lips and spoke once more, "Too...much...noise." She closed her eyes. Randhawa couldn't help but admire the effect of those long lashes against her skin or the glistening lips. This was a pretty woman and he suddenly felt like a bird catcher trying to entrap some exotic bird.

Annoyed at his own reaction, he continued in a gruff tone, "Come with me. I'll get you out of here."

"Can't...walk...straight." She opened her eyes and gulped before reaching out a hand, "Now." she said.

Randhawa looked at the hand and then took it. She pressed down with surprising strength. He moved and she followed him with faltering steps. He used his free hand to guide her out. No one noticed him leading her out, no one came to stop him. He wondered what kind of friends would leave her like this to fend for herself in this state. She could have fallen into the hands of anybody, been mugged, run over, kidnapped, killed. He tried to stifle the anger that seemed to rise in him like a tidal wave. Anyway, he had her. They made their way towards the entrance. When they were almost there, Miss Oberoi stumbled and knocked into a man who had just come in. Randhawa looked into his face and froze. Pawar himself stood there, his collar turned up, his hair gelled back and smelling of expensive cologne. However, Pawar's eyes were busy admiring the lady in question.

"Sorry Madam." Pawar said as he leered at the woman. Someone from behind sniggered. Randhawa tried to reign in his rage. This was not the time to pick battles. If he played his cards right, he'll soon have this worm squirming in the darkest cell.

They somehow left the place. Randhawa had parked his car opposite the restaurant. This wasn't the police car but his own private vehicle. He put his hand around the woman and ushered her towards the edge of the pavement.

Instead of coming along, she stopped and turned to him. She asked him, "You know pineapples?"

Having just seen Pawar enter the place cool as a cucumber, Ranveer didn't think he had the patience to deal with her ramblings now. "Miss Oberoi, I don't know if you are aware but you are high on drugs. What have you taken?"

This was not the right question apparently as her eyes went wide in shock and she let go of his hand with a jerk.

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ACP Randhawa watched a relatively calm Priyanka Singh Oberoi settle into the seat of his car and rubbed his face. Making this woman cross a street had not been an easy task. No. Never again will he try to be a knight in shining armour. It didn't suit him. He wasn't cut out for it. In any case, this was hardly a damsel in distress. Yes, she had been shocked to hear that she was high but that didn't make her an innocent. Anything and everything went on in the circles this woman moved in. During his two years of probationary service, he had been part of enough drug busts to know about the life these rich brats lived.

Anyway once he had asked her what she had taken, she had truly lost it. Her tremblings and shiverings simply wouldn't stop. But somehow he discovered that his voice helped in calming her down. So he told her to close her eyes, and he will get her home. This had produced something close to a panic attack. So he had said, he'll be with her until she was feeling better. She had strangely calmed down after that and started talking about pineapples again.

Now that he had her with him, his path was clear. He would make her take a drug test and then have the Oberois answer for her actions. He couldn't wait to see the scandal blow up. It would make it easier for him to pursue his investigations in the Gayatri Gawli murder case and get arrest warrants when it was proved that someone within this prestigious business family had committed murder. Yes, this girl will help him smoothen his path to success in this case. He gave a grim smile. This was turning out to be a good day. On one hand, he had confirmed the report from his informer about Pawar and could set the plans rolling to arrest the bas***d. On the other hand, he had the perfect weapon to prod his way into the Oberoi stronghold sitting in his car.

As Randhawa was about to get in the driver's seat, his phone rang.

"Sahab!" It was the voice of Nabil, his informer.

"Bol" he said.

"Sahab, abhi information mila ke Pawar uski girlfriend ke ssath aaj underground jaane waaley hai. Ek baar woh chhup jayengey toh..."

"Thik hai" he barked out cutting Nabil short. This fresh information meant he needed to act fast if he wanted to nab that mobster. Randhawa turned to the backseat where the woman now sat counting invisible pineapples on the floor of the car. He gave a sigh before picking up his mobile again and dialing a number. He needed back up.

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