by M. V. Kasi
“Since we already have an idea of who the major players are, we just need to find that perfect opportunity to catch them red-handed.”
“If you know who they are, why aren’t you starting interrogations, yet?” Dhruv asked.
“When we interrogated a few people from the movie industry a few months ago, they made a huge racket in public. They demonized the police and made themselves seem like victims. Some of them even alleged that we were doing it for attention.”
A junior officer was outraged on the police department’s behalf. “As if we need or even seek attention by such means!”
Shilpa was annoyed at those accusations as well. “We caught most of them already. But most of them were just users, not peddlers. We couldn’t get to the key peddlers at that time. There were too many people involved, and most of them are quite slippery because they have political contacts or even contacts in the police department.”
“I see.” Dhruv didn’t seem surprised.
Shilpa held Dhruv’s gaze. “You cannot in any form let this discussion out.”
“Of course.”
“We’ll let Shiv and Viren know the basic details, only because they will accompany you to the club that night.”
Dhruv nodded grimly.
“And like I said before, this mission is risky,” Shilpa reminded. “Something your lawyers or your advisers would warn you against.”
“I know. But my reply is the same as before. I want to help.”
Chapter 17
One of the most irritating and toughest parts of the current mission seemed to be deciding what to wear for the club’s opening night. Shilpa was in the middle of sorting her clothes to see if there was anything appropriate when she heard the doorbell ring.
It was Gayatri.
“Is everything okay?” Shilpa asked the younger girl while letting her in.
“Yeah. Everything is fine. They are having another fight. I just wanted to get out of there.”
Gayatri’s parents fought quite often. Sometimes it was to the point that the police had to be called to stop them.
“He hit your mother again?”
“Yup.”
“Let me come with you and—”
“You know it’s of no use, Shilpa. We’ve been through this drill several times.”
It was true. The many times Shilpa intervened, Gayatri’s mother refused to file charges on her husband. Sometimes it was Gayatri’s mother who injured her husband in the loud and sometimes physical fights they often had.
Gayatri had begged both her parents to get a divorce or at least separate, but they refused to do it. Ironically, it was because they wanted to provide Gayatri with a complete family. Because apparently children were better off with two parents no matter what.
“Have you eaten?” Shilpa asked.
“Yeah. I grabbed something from the outside and just ate.”
Shilpa nodded and then went back to her room to resume sorting through her clothes.
“What are you doing?” Gayatri asked.
“Looking for something to wear for a club opening.”
There was shock in the younger girl’s face. “As in a nightclub?”
“Yes.”
“Are you meeting a man?”
Shilpa smiled. “Yes.”
“Is he hot?”
Shilpa thought about all the billboards, news articles, magazines, and even the commercials on television that featured Dhruv. Hell, most stores had his framed picture as part of their decor.
“Yes, he is hot.” Not just the others, even Shilpa found him hot. Too damn hot.
Gayatri looked excited. “I can help. Tell me what are you looking for?”
“I want something on the wilder and sexier side that brings attention to me.”
There was a stunned look on Gayatri’s face, and then excitement took over again. “Oh my God! That’s awesome. I can help! I doubt if we can get anything that matches that criteria in your wardrobe. Let’s go shopping!”
Shilpa knew Gayatri was right. And the young teen would know exactly what to pick.
Chapter 18
It was D-day. When Shilpa arrived at the location, the A-list parking lot was filled with luxury cars. There was a Bentley, a Maserati, a Ferrari, and an assortment of BMWs and Mercedes.
Shilpa didn’t know what car Dhruv would be using that day, but she knew he hadn’t arrived. Because before he arrived, he would be sending a signal to her team waiting inside a van and parked a street away from the club.
“Ready, Gina?” Shilpa asked her accomplice, a junior officer dressed similarly to her except Gina’s makeup was done in a deliberate manner to make her appear younger. Gina’s petite structure also helped.
“Yes, Madam Sir. I mean, I’m ready… Angel.”
Shilpa was going with the name Angel and Gina was Sweety.
As they walked toward the entrance, Shilpa resisted the urge to pull at the uncomfortable dress that clung to her like a second skin. A shimmering thin layer of transparent net covered her shoulders and legs, the rest was another thin layer of hot-red satin which clung to her body.
A heavy crowd filled mostly with teenagers thronged outside, hoping to be let in. But huge double doors at the sleek entrance stopped their entry. Along with the door, there were two black-suited, muscled bouncers also stopping the crowd from daring to sneak in uninvited.
Shilpa pulled out the small perfumed envelope from her clutch and held it out to them. “We have a pass,” she said.
One of the bouncers took the envelope, and his eyes ran over the passes. Then he ran his eyes over her and Gina. “Your friend,” he said. “She seems to be under eighteen.”
Shilpa smiled at the man and cocked her hip, accentuating her figure. “She’s my age. Look at our IDs.” She fished out two cards and gave them to him.
The other bouncers came closer and peeped in as well. The IDs obviously looked fake, but they didn’t comment. They stepped aside. “You can go in. Stay within the ground floor. The VIP section is off limits.”
Shilpa nodded giving them another smile before entering the dimly-lit nightclub. Later, she would have to have a stern talk with all the nightclub owners in the city regarding strictly checking the IDs.
DHRUV REACHED THE club at little after 9:00 p.m. Shiv dropped Viren and him at the entrance where special security was prepared for him beforehand.
The crowd waiting outside went wild as they spotted him. They screamed his name. He smiled and waved at them before he was escorted inside.
The faint music that could be heard from the outside began to get louder. It was pretty crowded on the main floor with barely any space for people to dance. Dhruv was led to the VIP section that overlooked the dance floor.
He waved away the offer for drinks. His eyes moved dispassionately over the people as they danced.
Soon the music changed. It was still thumping, but more sensual. Three women went up to the small stage that had three poles placed on it. They gyrated and swung around the poles.
The uncoordinated dance made it obvious they weren’t professional dancers.
Dhruv’s heart thumped along with the music as his eyes immediately latched on to the woman dancing at the center. She was wearing a shimmering, strapless red dress that barely covered her hips. A well-toned body was fully on display while she gyrated to the music in her high heels.
Dhruv was pretty sure that all the eyes—especially the men’s—were on her. He was tempted to burst on the stage and throw the woman over his shoulder like a caveman and carry her away from prying eyes.
But unfortunately, he couldn’t do that. So he continued to watch as the woman swayed sensually with the music. She was laughing and dancing while watching the audience. Then as though she felt his eyes, she looked up towards the VIP lounge, and her eyes met with his.
The laughter died on her face while she continued to dance. Her movements turned even more sensuous. A slow smile spread on her face as she twirled expertly around the
pole. Then with a laugh, she got off the stage when another woman asked to take her place.
Dhruv watched as the red-colored-dress woman headed away from the dance floor towards the VIP lounge. As she neared, he noticed that a very fine, transparent, and shimmering lace covered her shoulders and midriff. It only drew attention to her figure.
She was stopped by the security. She slowly smiled at them, causing the security to stare at her in uncertainty and awe. Then she told them something and pointed at him.
The security stared at her and then at him, not believing her while also unable to turn her away.
Dhruv raised a hand and crooked a finger towards him. Immediately, with a sensuous smile and swaying hips, the woman moved past the security who now allowed her to pass. She came closer to Dhruv, and then with a daring move, she sat on Dhruv’s lap.
Dhruv heard drunken laughter and cheers coming from the other tables in the VIP lounge.
“That’s quite bold of you, sweetheart. Do you know whose lap you just sat on?” someone shouted.
The woman kept her eyes locked on Dhruv’s face as she answered. “Of course, I do,” she said in a sultry, flirtatious tone. “A very, very lucky man’s lap.” She smiled coyly as though she knew very well who Dhruv was but wanted to play dumb.
She leaned closer to him until the tips of her breasts brushed against his chest and then she put her lips close to his ear.
Dhruv had been in similar situations, both on screen and in real life, and he knew very well it was part of an act, but unlike all the other times, his body came embarrassingly alive. His fingers tightened on the feminine hips.
“In thirty minutes,” she whispered. “I want you to call Shiv to pick you up from this place.” And then, as soon as she finished speaking, she pulled away and winked at him.
“I’ll do all that I promised only if you show me a good time first,” she said in an audible voice.
“What do you want?” he asked. His voice was husky, and he didn’t have to put on an act.
“Well…” She tapped a manicured finger on her glossy red-painted lips. “First drinks, then something more potent, and then I’ll show you a mind-blowing time.”
He deliberately frowned.
“Not convinced?” she asked with a giggle. And then, she did something that was not part of the script. She closed the distance between their lips.
Like their previous kiss, everything rational shut down in Dhruv’s mind and blind animal instinct took over. He wrapped an arm around her body and drove his other hand into her hair before pulling her even closer to kiss her deeply.
He didn’t know how much time had passed before he felt her pulling away from him. Her eyes held similar passion as his which was decidedly real. Her breath was coming out fast, and her chest rose and fell rapidly.
There were hoots and cheers from the other tables next to them.
“First the goods, then a good time,” she said.
With great difficulty, stifling his natural instincts, he frowned at the woman and shook his head. She simply shrugged and moved away from him and went towards another table within the VIP lounge.
Shilpa smiled at the group of men who were drinking.
“What’s your name?” a man asked.
“Angel,” she replied as she batted her eyelashes. There was laughter. With a coy smile, she picked up their glasses and took a sip from each of them. None of the men protested. They just smiled indulgently.
Ten minutes later, she turned when she saw Dhruv walking out from the VIP lounge.
“Good riddance. Didn’t know movie stars were so boring,” she said in a loud slur.
One of the men smiled. “You brushed off DJ to be with us?”
“Yeah. He’s a little too intense and boring for my taste. I came here to party. Party hard. That means you first have to give some goods to get goods in return.” She giggled. “You boys have anything stronger than alcohol?”
“We do,” one of them answered. “You’d have to join us in the VVIP lounge for that.”
“Rahul, you can’t just—” another man objected.
“She’s fine. You’ll be good, right, sweetheart? You won’t tell on us.”
She giggled again. And this time, she sniffed and swayed a little for effect. “I will tell only if you bore me. I just need a hit right now.”
An arm circled her waist and guided her to the back of the club. Her skin crawled, but she stayed put, continuing to giggle.
Soon, they entered a semi-dark room which was hazy as it was filled with smoke. She could smell marijuana apart from tobacco.
Her eyes took in the scene in front of her. Four leather couches were placed around a large square glass table. Empty scotch bottles and beer bottles lay around the couches. But what immediately caught her attention was the pile of white powder on the table, some of which was divided into thick lines.
She recognized a few men who were seated on the couches. Her team had been following them for a while, waiting to obtain enough proof regarding their involvement.
One of them was a character actor and supporting actor in most of the South Indian movies. There were two men who were considered celebrities because they frequented the social scene in the city. One was a son of an MP, and the other, the son of an industrialist.
“Who is she?” the actor asked. His eyes looked glassy even from a distance.
“New girl. Apparently, a socialite and a big party girl. She found DJ boring.”
The actor’s eyes lit up slightly. “You definitely have good taste,” he said.
Shilpa stared at the table with an excited look. “That looks potent. Is that the good stuff? Lately, I’ve had bad experiences.”
“Marijuana, LSD, MDMA, cocaine, opium… Take your pick. This stuff right here is the best quality you can find in the entire country,” a boastful reply came.
“Hmm. Is there more where this came from? I am willing to do anything for it.” She bit her lip and batted her eyelashes. It looked obviously fake, but the men took it as a desperate attempt by a drug addict.
“We have an unlimited supply, sweetheart. Snort to your heart’s content.” There was laughter around her.
She smiled back angelically. “I’m going to have so much fun tonight.” As soon as she said that, they could hear shouts from outside the room.
“What’s happening?” someone asked.
“Someone informed the police about what’s happening here tonight.”
“Who?”
They looked frustrated. “There’s no one new here apart from these girls.”
All the girls were drugged except for Shilpa.
“Her! The police must have planted her. Get her!”
One of the actors whipped out his gun and came towards Shilpa menacingly. He placed the gun against her forehead. “Speak, bitch! Was it you?” he demanded.
In fewer moves than it took her to get ready that night, Shilpa had the man lying on the floor with his nose bleeding and his arm wrenched behind his back. His gun was lying on the floor next to him, but no one dared to move.
“Stay right where you are. Police.” As soon as she said those words, the people trying to scramble out froze in their places.
Chapter 19
Shilpa and Gina sneaked out of the club. Even though many people saw their faces that night, she couldn’t blow their covers or even risk exposure to Dhruv. Despite her order, Dhruv was waiting outside in his vehicle at the back of the club when the police arrived. He offered to drop the undercover cops off.
Shilpa didn’t stop him. As soon as they dropped Gina home, Dhruv asked Shiv to stop midway which was near Dhruv’s penthouse. Dhruv offered to drive Shilpa home.
Shiv didn’t argue. He waited until Dhruv sat in the driver’s seat before heading away.
Shilpa didn’t make any comments or remarks about that either. In fact, her body hummed with anticipation as Dhruv drove them to her apartment. She didn’t know whether it was the adrenaline rush after a success
ful bust or the man sitting next to her, driving with an intense look. All she knew was that like him, she wanted to finish what they had started at the club.
“The next right,” she softly instructed.
Soon, they parked in the underground garage of her apartments. She got out of the car and hurried up towards the lifts. She didn’t have to look back to see whether he was following. His presence and the sexual tension between them felt like a living thing that had her completely under its control.
As soon as she unlocked the door to her apartment and stepped in, he followed her inside and shut the door. Then he pushed her towards the wall and crashed his mouth on top of hers.
She let out a moan. She felt his arms picking her up. She wrapped her legs around his hips as he carried her towards her room.
They didn’t stop kissing. She let out a gasp when her back hit the mattress as he dropped her on the bed. Before she could say anything, he ripped the gauzy net covering her legs and pulled her thin dress up along with her bra and enclosed his mouth around her breast. His hand crept down below her skirt.
She cried out softly, her fingers digging into his shoulders and her thighs parting to give his fingers better access.
“You want me,” he said in a husky tone against her breast. “I can feel just how much. Do you want me?” He followed his question by gently rubbing her sensitive nub.
Her body shuddered, and she squirmed, wanting him closer and wanting him to alleviate the desperate need inside her. “Tell me you want me,” he continued. “Tell me to rip the rest of our clothes off so we can do things to each other that we have wanted to do ever since we first met.”
Even in her sexual haze, she wanted to deny wanting him for so long, even though it was the truth. “No. You are so damn arrogant. I didn’t want you since… ohh!” She moaned, her back arching as he kept suckling her breast while his fingers wreaked havoc underneath the skirt.
“Tell me you want me,” he growled. His mouth and fingers continued to tease her and arouse her to a fevered pitch in a steady rhythm.