Dil Bole Oberoi-The EARLY CHRONICLES-18th December (Chapter 3 Page 6) - Page 2

DIL BOLE OBEROI: THE EARLY CHRONICLES -- CHAMPA

CHAPTER TWO

ACP Ranveer Randewa was not interested in the Oberoi family-- at least not in anyone but the youngest Oberoi having dinner with him tonight. He watched Prinku, laughing as she clumsily ate with her fingers at their favorite thali joint. But tonight, as much as he delighted in his companion, even as he wiped her oily chin for her, the ACP was distracted. He was not, by nature, a sensitive man. But what he had accidentally seen at the Mansion, and what it meant, was bothering him tonight. He knew, of course, that Shivaay had married that girl, who had lied through her teeth for Shivaay at the start of the Gayatri case. But truthfully, other than knowing Anika as a lying witness and later on, as Prinku's friend, the ACP didn't know much about her life. She had not mattered at all, once his investigation had revealed Gayatri's killer to be Roop.

And Anika had not even featured in his sister's hit and run case, the one he had thought was Omkara's doing. But there, the culprit had turned out to be his sister's own abusive husband, who had confessed to tossing her dead body before Omkara's car that night. The two cases had both ended in clearing the Oberoi name. And while he interacted with all the Oberois as he investigated both deaths, it had ended with the ACP falling for the Oberoi daughter. After that--- well, these past incredible few months had happened. A time when he had truly learned what instant, cosmic attraction meant. These months, which he had spent unraveling the mystery of what a lady named Priyanka Singh Oberoi had actually come to mean to a certain, cynical, rude cop.

So no. the ACP hadn't really thought about Anika Singh Oberoi, all this time.

However, tonight during dinner, the ACP deftly led his pretty companion into talking about her best friend and new bhabhi. And slowly, by degrees, to revealing how a simple chawl girl had become the wife of the richest, most arrogant man in India--- and how that transition was actually working out for the poor girl.

The whole blackmailed-into-marriage story, while morbidly fascinating, did not hold the ACP's interest as much as Priyanka's wavering voice did, as she haltingly admitted that her friend was...unhappy. Unhappy not just because of the way she had been forced into marriage (though, maa kasam --If Ranveer Randewa had been Anika's brother, Shivaay Singh Oberoi would be dead and buried right now).

No, Anika had apparently loved the man before that moron had gone and made a mockery of her love and trust. Shivaay had used her little brother, denied her any rights as his wife after forcing her into all this. She had still stayed, god knew why. And when Tia Kapoor had been exposed because Dushyant had enough of the lies, Shivaay had simply refused to let Anika go. His entire family had refused to let her go. She was trapped, first by the man's literal blackmail, and then by his entire family's emotional blackmail.

So there she was, three months into a life sentence. The whole story made Ranveer a little sick.

Whatever he was in his professional world (and all her brothers would instantly say he was a horrible, manipulate asshole in that sphere), the ACP was actually a man of simple directness in his personal life. Directness had helped the ACP when he'd ignored five furious men and one smirking grandmother, and asked the Oberoi princess out on that first date.

In front of all of them.
Two months ago.

It seemed a lifetime, right now, as the ACP held Priyanka's soft hands, warmth turning his eyes into hazel crystal as they looked at the beautiful face in front of him. Only two months ago, he had showed up at Priyanka's house, almost as a dare to himself. At the conclusion of his investigation, which cleared Omkara and Shivaay, he'd reported the findings to the Oberois. Prinku had stood with the ladies, staring at him as Shivaay taunted him, as Omkara spoke of police harassment, as Tej threatened to get the ACP demoted or fired. The ACP had ignored the men, impulsively turned to Priyanka and -- apologizing for his timing -- he had asked her out to dinner. He liked her. He thought maybe she liked him, too. He wanted to give this thing between them a shot.

So how about it?
Dinner?

That day, he'd known there was an excellent chance he would be murdered before he got into his car. But the ACP always believed in taking risks when it came to getting what he wanted. And he'd wanted ...he'd needed Priyanka. Back then, he had not gone much further than accepting his burning need for her. He'd hoped that she would have the courage to say yes. He wasn't all that sure it would be anything more on Priyanka's side--- maybe just curiosity about spending a few evenings with someone so different from her rich society friends. The ACP had counted on Priyanka's need to explore whatever it was that shimmered between them. He believed she had more backbone and strength than she herself realized. However, he'd definitely known one thing, for damn sure -- not one person in that Mansion would be on their side.

While the ACP had a shrewd suspicion that Priyanka was quietly rebelling against her family's controlling love, he had not expected anything good from any of them. Him asking her out so publicly had been a warning shot. It was him, informing her family that he was here -- and that he was here for Priyanka. He thought, they better be aware of his intentions--- Ranveer Randewa didn't do anything on the sly. Not in his PERSONAL life, that is.

But he had assumed, of course, that the Oberois would hustle Prinku upstairs, lock her up and throw him out on his ass. Now, he remembered-- out of the entire family, that girl he'd accused of being a paid mistress to Shivaay Singh Oberoi had been the one to come up. To stand by Priyanka's side. That day, as Om had barely held onto Tej's arms, and Shivaay struggled to control Rudra, Prinku had looked at him, frozen. Not able to go against her heart and say "no," hesitating to say "yes," terrified of the reaction, if she did. That was when her twisting fingers had been gently taken by her Anika Bhabi.

Prinku had turned to Anika, and nodded, as tears streamed down her face. Back then, she didn't have the courage to say the words -- but hey, she'd nodded, to the one champion she had. Before the Oberois could react, Anika had acted. Looking at him, she had answered for Priyanka. Said the words Prinku, back then, could not make herself say.

The ACP knew that Anika herself hated him for what he'd done to her. He had exposed her to the press, to the ugliness of a sensational murder case. But he respected strength, loyalty and above all, he respected those few people in this world, who stood up for the weaker ones. Who put aside their own feelings, and helped others. "She would have made a damn fine cop," the ACP recalled thinking, as, glaring at him for putting Prinku in this position, Anika had thrown her arm around her friend. And he had marveled at her guts, when she'd said- "Priyanka will be ready, ACP. She accepts your kind invitation. When will you be coming to pick her up tomorrow?"

In the ensuing seconds of shocked silence, Prinku had finally, softly, thanked him. He had given some answer, and walked out, just as the room exploded into screaming all around the two girls. The ACP had left, and he had known, that no matter what was going on back at the Mansion, Anika would have Priyanka ready. She would help her friend get her chance. A chance to make her own decisions, maybe even to make her own mistakes. She would help Priyanka to have a say in her own life's path, to choose wherever that path led. And there was no reason to think, honestly, that that path even led to him. Or that being with him would lead Priyanka towards anything good. He was a monster, as far as the Oberois were concerned, as far as Anika herself was concerned.

But Anika had not trusted him. She had not needed to. She had trusted her friend, and her friend's right, to find out, for herself, what her future was. To explore for herself what he meant to her, if anything. Two months ago.

And look where they were, just two months later. His Princess's caress on his cheeks broke his thoughts, and the ACP ate the morsel she was holding up to his lips. He smiled as she confidently waved to a waiter, for a refill of her favorite lassi. The ACP thought about tonight. So many such nights, of so much discovery. So much..happiness. Tonight, as usual, they would go to his quarters at the Police Colony after dinner. To see Ayush, the baby nephew he was bringing up, who Prinku adored as much as he did. If it wasn't too late, the three of them would watch a movie as they cuddled on his old sofa.

A sofa she always insisted was the lumpiest thing she'd ever parked her aristocratic ass on. Which she flatly refused to let him replace, since it was where she'd received her first, non aristocratic kiss. Prinku would play with Ayush, teasing the ACP for being frustrated that his baby nephew was once again interrupting their precious make-out time. He would pretend to be mad, but she would laugh as she blew bubbles on Ayush's fat little belly.

Before driving her home, he would serve them both the one thing he was really proud of. He half suspected it was how he'd caught himself a fairy princess -- his really fantastic, creamy masala chai. He would stroke her hair and hold Prinku close on their drive back to the Oberoi Mansion. And that would be enough, for now, to make them both happy. And someday, there would be more. Once she was done with University...

Happy.

The ACP twisted the word around in his mind. Happy. They were happy. The princess and the policeman. Huh. How bloody odd. Who would have thought of such a thing? Who would risk the wrath of an entire household, and give this complete shocker of a relationship a chance? What were the damn odds, anyway? And who would risk so much, for a stranger? And he got his answer, from his memories.

Anika.

The ACP now thought about what he had seen tonight, how Shivaay was clearly living up to the ACP's original idea about him. Rich moron. SSO was being an arrogant, blind fool. He was doing the exact wrong thing. Complicating his straightforward case. Running away from the truth. Hiding what anyone who was NOT SSO could see was so obviously happening to him. The ACP didn't give a damn about SSO, really. Moron.

But back at that moron's Mansion, there was also-- that girl. The one who'd faced hell for supporting a once-hated cop and his once-terrified princess. Who was now encased in a hell of her own.

The ACP rubbed his lips with a contemplative finger. He asked about that odd stuff from tonight. Prinku now told him about the thing with Champa. This had been just the latest issue in a long line of fights. Those two were falling apart, slowly, breaking each other down, in a war with no winners. Shivaay, in his need to force Anika to accept him and their marriage, was constantly hurting her, making her feel tormented and small. She, in turn, was moving as far away from him as she could, to save herself. Which only made him more manic, more controlling. His love was burning him alive.

No one was stupid enough to believe this was a case of transportation, of car versus Champa. The ACP impatiently waved that aside. Of course it wasn't. Priyanka now told him how the entire house was unsure about what to DO about them.

The ACP frowned. Okay. So what had they all done, so far? It was terribly sad, Priyanka sighed. But what could they do, really? It was best to stay totally out of it. It was not really anyone's business, it was a private matter between them.

The ACP, lassi forgotten, now stared at his lady-love in shock. Sometimes, Prinku said these odd things, things that reminded him exactly how different their backgrounds were.

Rich folks were so weird! If they didn't help their own family, didn't interfere when they could see things were horribly wrong, who the hell was supposed to do it for them? These people! They kept themselves so far apart from those they were supposed to love, their bheja-ka-screws got unstuck! No wonder they were so many cases of madness, adultery, murder and plain crazy bullshit among the super-rich.

But it wasn't his princess's fault. Her heart was in the right place. Sometimes normal people like him needed to explain basic things to these rich nutcases. About how regular people operated. About how families worked. So, gently, as if talking to an idiotic five year old, ACP Ranveer Ranawat now explained, in detail exactly what Priyanka should do, to help her best friend, and why she should do it. NOW.

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