PriVeer Story Circle- Season 2 (Last Updated 07.07.17) - Page 38

Originally posted by: dimaag

Since I had a hectic day with my car getting breakdown and all, I think it's better if u can post the full one tomorrow. I will gladly accept it. So good night ladies! 😉

Alright then, good night! 😳

Sarce, so glad to hear you've got a large part of it written! I would prefer to read the entire update as you had planned it whenever you are ready with it.

Originally posted by: twerping

Sarce, so glad to hear you've got a large part of it written! I would prefer to read the entire update as you had planned it whenever you are ready with it.

And dimaag, car breakdown sounds bad. Have a good night's rest now.

Goodnight lovelies!🤗

Wokay, then I shall continue to write till I'm done. Hopefully, will post the update in the wee hours of the morning. Good night! 🤗

Happy writing! Bit do get your dose of sleep! Monday tomorrow so I take it you have work!🤗

Originally posted by: twerping

Happy writing! Bit do get your dose of sleep! Monday tomorrow so I take it you have work!🤗

Thank you. 😳 Thing is, if I don't finish this today, I don't know how much I'll end up delaying it once the week starts. And yep, Monday tomorrow so work beckons. But will remember to heed your advice. ❤️

I hate weekdays for interrupting our fangirling...

Originally posted by: emerald39

Tahiti! Welcome back! Looking forward to you joining us soon, girl!🤗

I am glad to be back!!!
I will pitch in eventually 🤗
Right now I am enjoying your updates. You guys are too good!

P.S: I think we should call ourselves "Pagol/Pagal PriVeerians" 😆
We actually kept the integrity of the characters intact. Unlike *cough* "certain someone" *cough*

"How is our friend doing?" Randhawa asked as he walked back into the interrogation room.

A quick look towards Shinde was returned with an almost indiscernible shrug, his eyes conveying the irritation he felt at the man's stupidity. Dev was refusing to talk ever since he had regained consciousness, and with Randhawa out of the room, he had been trying to ease himself out of his current predicament.

"When will you let me go?" Dev asked, fidgeting with the ring on his right hand, exasperation lacing his tone.

"When you stop questioning and start answering," Randhawa replied as he came to stand before the chair that Dev occupied. Randhawa saw Dev sinking lower into the chair, uneasy due to his towering presence.

With a satisfied smirk, he continued, "Did Svetlana send you there to get the tapes?"

"Di has nothing to do with this, I told you!" Dev replied throwing his hands in the air.

"Fair. So this means that you're responsible for both - stealing the tapes and leaving the threat in Miss Priyanka Oberoi's phone," Randhawa replied coolly. "Oh, and also, knocking the security guard in the control room and leaving him to die in the back corner."

At that, the colour drained out of Dev's face.

"Tsk. Tsk, Mr. Chhabra! If you thought we wouldn't find out, you either think we're stupid or you're ridiculously naive," Randhawa stated, his voice sinisterly calm.

As Dev sat frozen in his chair, Randhawa turned to address Shinde. "Shinde, Mr. Chhabra is our guest tonight. Treat him well. After all, tomorrow will be an eventful day for him. It isn't everyday that a man's family pays him a visit at the police station. The media will be busy."

"Will do, Sir," Shinde replied.

Dev felt the panic rising within him. He couldn't have papa or mama hear any this. If the media caught wind of the story, there wouldn't be a peaceful day in his life for the foreseeable future. And di, he didn't want to think what she would do. Taking in large gulps of air, he called out, before Randhawa could walk out of the room once again.

"Wait!"

Randhawa turned, one eyebrow raised. I thought we were done, Mr. Chhabra," he replied feigning surprise.

"I wasn't speaking about this because even if I told you who asked me to steal the tapes, you wouldn't believe me," Dev said, shifting uneasily in his chair. He hoped he wasn't making a mistake by admitting what he was about to.

"Let me be the judge of that," Randhawa tossed back.

Dev nodded and after a moment's hesitation said, "Prinku - Priyanka Singh Oberoi."

To Dev's utter surprise and disappointment, Randhawa's face remained blank, devoid of any reaction. All he said was, "Because?"

Seeing the opening he wanted, Dev rushed with the explanation. "During the party today, she had received a note that said something about revealing her secrets and video leaks. She was distraught after seeing the note and begged me to help her. She wanted the tapes from her 18th birthday party, which had also taken place at the same venue as today's party. I tried to console her but she wouldn't listen. I couldn't see her cry and agreed to help."

"And now you're gifting her tears for a lifetime," Randhawa mocked, his eyes boring into Dev's.

If Dev was telling the truth and Priyanka had received two notes today, Randhawa wondered why she hadn't told him about the other one. And what could be so critical in the tapes that had Priyanka worried and desperate to seek Dev's help, of all people?

"But she didn't do anything!" Dev squirmed in his chair seeing the steely glint in Randhawa's eyes. His voice almost reduced to a whisper, he continued, "She was terrified when she received the note and needed help."

"Suppression and tampering of evidence is not nothing, Mr. Chhabra!" Randhawa slammed his hands on the arms of Dev's chair. The man flinched in response.

Despite the feeling of foreboding creeping over him, the words escaped him, "No wonder she didn't want you to know about the note. She was right, you would never understand her."

Randhawa straightened and folded his arms across his chest as he stared at Dev, unfazed.

His lack of reaction baffled Dev, making him wonder if the man even had a heart.

"Randhawa Sir?"

Randhawa turned to see one of his officers walk in.

"Yes, Salunke?"

The officer walked up to Randhawa and said, "Sir, while going through the tapes found with Mr. Chhabra, we have come across some evidence related to the Ipshita Singh murder case. You might want to take a look."

"Okay. I'll be there."

"Khan, get the paperwork sorted. Mr. Chabbra remains with us tonight."

"Bu-but I told you what you wanted to know!" Dev cried.

"Cooperate, and we keep the news under wraps. Act smart, and we unleash the media on you. Choose as you please," Randhawa stated coldly before walking out of the room with Shinde and Salunke.

***

Randhawa and Shinde walked into the computer room followed by Salunke. Two guards sat a computer station analysing the footage from the tapes that had been recovered from Dev, while a third, younger officer stood at an LCD screen, jotting down notes in a notepad.

"Akhtar?" Salunke addressed the younger officer and signalled him of their presence.

"Yes, sir. I have the footage ready," he replied gesturing towards the video paused on the LCD.

As the three officers gathered around the screen, Akhtar hit play.

The screen was filled with images of a party set at a venue that was familiar to not only Randhawa but also Shinde.

The Oberoi Grand Hotel

The party in the video was taking place at the poolside, the place teeming with youngsters while music played in the background and booze flowed aplenty. The video zoomed in on random groups of people dancing and having fun before panning to two people in conversation - one of them standing with her back to the camera. The one facing the camera was a very vivacious, very chirpy-looking 18-year old, Priyanka Singh Oberoi.

"Hah, I'm officially an adult now, Lana! I can do anything I want," Priyanka said haughtily.

"So you say. But they're mere words, chicken," the other woman drawled.

"I can act on my words," Priyanka said defiantly.

"I trust you, NOT!" Laughed the other woman.

"You dare me, Lana?"

"Tequila," the woman challenged in response.

"You know papa hates it," Priyanka sighed.

At the snap of the woman's fingers, a waiter stood beside them.

Priyanka glared at the woman but picked a glass and gulped it in one shot. The drink sent a burning trail of fire down her throat, making her gasp while the other woman laughed.

Determined, Priyanka picked up the remaining two glasses and chugged them down. A victorious glint now dancing in her eyes.

"Try sex on the beach!" the woman said next.

"Hawww! Lana! Shush now! Someone will hear! Priyanka giggled as she looked around her nervously.

The camera panned across the crowds and focused on the youngsters partying. Akhtar fast forwarded the party footage by a few minutes and then played the clip again. They camera suddenly swirled back to focus on the ladies.

"Drive!" They saw a totally tipsy Priyanka yell.

"Sshh," The woman shushed her.

"No, Lana, I am 18 now!"

The video blacked out and a few seconds later, the screen lit up to show a car driving through the woods. As the car approached closer, the camera zoomed to show an inebriated Priyanka behind the wheel while Omkara Oberoi sat in the passenger seat, engrossed in his phone. The car picked up speed as it flew through the woods. There was a muted conversation between the siblings and in the next instant, a horrified Priyanka lost control of the car and rammed into a figure. The camera zoomed on the road to focus on the figure of a girl lying in a pool of blood. A pair of hands turned the figure to reveal her face.

Ipshita Singh Randhawa

The screen went black.

Randhawa had never been one to let emotion cloud his judgement and that was why, Shinde, who was the only one in the department aware of Randhawa's relationship with Ipshita, did not see the effect of the video on his face. Though the appearance of this footage would change a lot of dynamics and also lead to the closure that they had been waiting for in the Ipshita Singh murder case, he wished that things hadn't turned out as they had. The lady had almost carved a place for herself in this tortured young man's heart. Now to think that she was the one responsible for causing the agony in the first place broke Shinde's heart. No man deserved this, and certainly, not Randhawa.

***

Priyanka was pacing back and forth in the garden, restlessly, waiting for Ranveer. He should have arrived by now. What was taking him so long when shehar explicitly told him that they needed to talk. Was he fine? On the heels of that thought, her mind procured the image of the threat she had received not long ago and she could feel fear slither down her spine.

...Not a word will you breathe of the secrets you keep,
Else in loverboy's grief, I may see you weep.

No! Nothing ccould happen to Ranveer. He could take care of himself. He would take care of himself. He was an officer, after all!

As her thoughts continued to wreck havoc on her mind and her heart continued to refuse the possibilities of an attack on Ranveer, she finally saw the man walking down the cobbled path in the garden, leading to the bench where she stood.

"Ranveer!" She gasped in relief on finally seeing him. "What took you so long?"

"Some developments in a case that I'm working on," he replied ambiguously. As he spoke, her gaze travelled over him, frantic in their scrutiny.

"You're... fine," she said.

"Shouldn't I be?" He queried.

"No, Aa-I mean, yes," she replied flustered. "Shivaay bhaiyya said that there had been an altercation between you and Dev."

"Yes, and he's been placed in custody," Ranveer replied, his tone quite matter-of-fact.

"You're going to arrest him?" The words escaped her in panic, unaware of the affect they would have on him.

Ranveer merely shrugged.

"You can't!"

His eyes narrowed, "Why not?"

"Please don't arrest him, Ranveer!" The plea in her voice annoyed him.

"What's wrong with you, Priyanka? Dev was found stealing the security tapes from the Oberoi Grand hotel and you - "

"What tapes?" She interrupted, the words coming out as a croak. The color drained from her face and she stood white as a sheet.

Ranveer folded his arms, his eyes pinning her. "I thought you would know."

"Ha-How would aa-I know?" She stammered.

"Are you sure?" He prodded. "Because Dev thinks otherwise."

She refused to meet his gaze and he saw sweat break out on her forehead despite the cool night. "I do-don't know wh-wha-what you're ta-talking about."

He held her by the shoulders and forced her to look at him. "Priyanka, what is the matter? Why are you suddenly so worried?"

She pushed away his hands and said, "Nothing is the matter. I'm fine."

"Did you receive more threats?"

"No. But you really should not arrest Dev," she said, no longer stammering but there was a slight quiver in her voice.

"Why? Why the sudden concern for Dev?" Asked Randhawa, his voice laced with irritation.

"Because I care about him," she simply replied.

"Your care doesn't exonerate him of his crime. He was found stealing security tapes from the hotel," Ranveer said, his voice hard.

"How can he steal what's his?" She asked incredulously.

At Ranveer's confused look, she continued, "He is the co-owner of the Oberoi Grand hotel along with me. It was our engagement gift from Papa. Shivaay bhaiyya isn't aware of it because he would never allow our alliance due to Dev's illegitimacy, but Papa saw how much Dev and I loved each other and so he has helped us keep our relationship under wraps for the moment."

"What about Neha Bhatia?"

"She's just a very good friend, and a foil to our relationship."

"Bravo! How interesting! Who knew Priyanka Singh Oberoi, the meek little mouse before the world, could take someone for such a royal ride!" He said, clapping his hands. "I'm impressed."

"Though let me tell you that the tapes Dev was trying to take are actually crucial evidence in a hit-and-run case. Tapes that show you, Priyanka Singh Oberoi, responsible for the hit-and-run," he said through gritted teeth.

"I have already told you that I didn't kill her!" She cried. "It was because of Svetlana!"

"You never told me that you were driving under the influence of alcohol. Nor did you tell me why Svetlana had anything to do with it. The way I see it, Papa's prodigal princess turned eighteen and thought she now owns the world," he sneered. "She kills one person, no problem! She can turn another into a scapegoat to create a sob story and save herself."

"That's not true! I did not kill that girl. It was Svetlana. I don't know why she did it, but she did," Priyanka tried to explain, the panic threatening to overtake her.

"That story has no truth in it," he snapped.

"You have to believe me, Ranveer. You saw the threat notes!"

"They're the perfect foil to put the investigation off your trail. I can't believe I almost fell for them," he replied, the disgust evident in his voice.

"I would never do that!" She sobbed.

"And Dev's sister would?"

It was Priyanka's turn to look confused.

"Svetlana is Dev's sister. Quite a love you have where your boyfriend's family is a secret that needs to be unravelled by outsiders," he mocked.

When Priyanka didn't respond, he continued, "If you're still insistent that Svetlana has a role to play in this case, bring me one evidence that points to the fact. If satisfactory, I will do the rest. If not, you will be arrested and charged for Ipshita Singh's murder based on the evidence in the tapes. You have until tomorrow afternoon."

With that, he turned and started walking away. However, a few blocks down, he halted and turning around called out, "And Miss Oberoi, this time don't dare to run away because you know how easy it is for me to find you."

***