Dhruv's point of view

I check my wrist watch again. It's past 10:00 but he is still not here. I am waiting for him here on the footpath signal from half an hour and there is no clue of him. I hate waiting for someone and he is getting on my nerves. I have tried his phone two times but that idiot is not picking his calls. If he is not here in next five minutes I am going to call the taxi and head to home.

What Aditi said in morning still buzzing in my mind. She is not angry but she is upset. I have to do something before she make a decision to leave me but first of all I have to clear this misunderstanding between us which only create distance between us.

I have to make her believe that she is the only girl in my life. Sooner or later I am going to confess my love to her or maybe later I marry her with all the rituals.

But how?

I want to make Aditi's life normal. The life she has lived till now wasn't normal. It was fill with trauma, agony and hate. I want to make her believe that she could also lead the normal life like other normal girls. I want to fill her every dream she has seen from her open eyes. I want to give her the family love she always craved for.

I just want one chance from her.

A motorcycle stopped in-front of me and here is the person I was waiting for.

"You are late." My expressions are blank.

"Sorry bhayi. I had meeting with DIG sir." He said and I just nodded my head.

We both are in our casuals. We rarely went to bar in our formals.

It kills the mood.

That's why we both have pair of casual clothes in our offices.

I gestured him to move back. But he looked at me confusingly.

"I'll drive." I said.

"Oh! All yours. Anyways, I am too tired to drive." He moved back and I hopped on the bike. I kicked the bike and move to our typical desi daru ka aada. (bar)

******

"Wah bhayi, this is called the life. Two senior officers of this city boozing and smoking on the footpath and fucking hell no one know us. What a life." I chuckled hearing Raghav when I found him completely drunk.

I was no less I can feel the alcohol effect in my system. We already empty two bottles neat, our bike still parked on that local bar, and we both are sitting on the footpath in somewhere of the city with beer bottles in our one hand and cigarettes in another hand.

Typical bewda..

(Typical alcoholic)

You can call us, we don't mind.

"Bro, I don't know what will I do without you." He hugged me and I hugged him back.

I patted on his back and broke the hug.

I sip the beer and drag the puff from the cigarette thinking about my life and the girl I recently found out I love and now is my wife who hates me.

Sometimes a thought came into my mind, did she also feel rejected the way I am feeling now when she used to like me in childhood. I don't know why, but sometimes I feel like she also feels the same the way I feel for her.

She also loves me but too insecure to accept it in-front me as once I already broke her heart eight years ago.

I wish I could let go my insecurities that time, I wish Yash would be with me that time then Aditi would be mine long time ago. I would not let her suffer that much. She would have to gone through all this. We may have the grand wedding in-front of all our family members. Yash and Raghav would be the one to dance like crazy in my wedding, Divya would be the one who hide my shoes. I marry with Aditi with all rituals. She would be mine in all manner if I were let go of my insecurities.

I wish I could change the past.

"How's your married life going on?" I looked at Raghav when he asked me. He was facing the fly over in-front of us.

I also faced it and chuckled sarcastically.

"You mean my forceful marriage? Then it is fine." I said and sip my beer.

"Don't say that. You saved her life." He offended.

"She hates me." I said while sipping my beer.

"Neah..She is just upset with you. Give her some time. She will be fine." He shake his head.

"I still don't believe she was living with monsters." He has his eyes wide open.

"Do you know all of that?" He asked while looking at me and I nodded my head.

"Then why did you not do anything?" He asked.

"I tried but she fought with me and asked me for one year. She doesn't want me to help her till her graduation. Eventually I have to agree with her. I was helping her the least she allowed me but I forgot that one day those monsters con cross their limits." I said through my greeted teeth.

"Don't worry I am treating them well in cell." He said through his greeted teeth.

"You beat them in cell and I'll ruin them from outside." I said while glaring at the road.

I have blocked all there accounts, filed many fraud cases against them and created a situation that if they any how they came out from the jail they won't survive easily in this world.

My name is not Dhruv Malhotra if I will not made them beg on the roads.

"We are in this together brother." He also nodded his head.

I don't know if Raghav could take Yash's place in my life. But I know one thing they both are different. Yash was clam and cool yet Raghav was a calm storm. It will ruin you if you touch it. Raghav will never take Yash's place in my life and Yash will never take Raghav's place in my like. They both are special to me. I could not compare both of them. They both are unique in their own way and close to my heart.

"Love, it's a bitch emotion. If you don't have it you want it but when you want it it makes difficult to live without. It may makes your life beautiful but hell at the same time if your love leave you." He again started with his love philosophy.

"I don't need the love advice who already have the breakup." I said without looking at him and sip my bear.

"Trust me that breakup was the most toughest part of my life. It leaves you like the body without soul."

When I looked at him a fat tear drop down from his left eye which leave me in shock.

"Shit..I thought you were not serious about that relationship. I don't know that breakup hit you hard." I leave my beer and took him in a hug.

He stays like this for some time and then break the hug. He sniffed and wiped his tears.

"No one knows that. Not ever her whom I love more than my life and one day she came and tell me that she is going to marry someone because I have no future." His voice was heavy with emotions and again tear brim into his eyes.

"But the career you had choose needs time and hard work." I said.

"She know that too but still she left me." He took his lower lip between his teeth to control his tears.

"My life was all beautiful when she was with me but when she leave me everything become dull. Breakup is the thing, you know that you have to let go your love but still you want to keep it close to you. You want to shout to the person you love but at the same time you wanted to love him. Your mind stop processing and there was always a heavy stone put on your heart. You wanted to cry loudly you were ready to do anything to get back your love but you can't. It leaves you into depression."

This is the first time he was opening with me about his love life. Neither he brings that topic nor I asked him.

He bring the beer bottle to his lip and didn't leave it till his last drop. He wiped his tears angrily and glare the road in front of us. I gave him some time to compose himself. I know I am bad with comforting vulnerable person but the least I can do to stay quiet.

"But now I am the most happiest person in the world. Single and definitely ready to mingle." He threw the bottle and lye down on the footpath.

"I thought you have a thing for Divya. You should try to take her on date." I said while lighten up the mood.

"Ab sari utaregaa kya?" He asked lifted his head from the footpath. I chuckled and shake my head.

"But seriously, I thought you like her."

"Not me, but your sister did. Once I was her crush." He winked at me and smirk.

"Then what happened now?" I asked while lifting my one eyebrow.

"Time changed. She was never serious about me. Once she was crazy for me but now she looked at me like she wanted to eat me alive." He had his wise wide open and glaring at one place like he was imagining Divya pulling out his hair from his head. I laughed and shake my head.

I took a drag from my cigarette and looked at the bridge far away from us. If Raghav and Divya have slightest interest in each other I'll marry off Divya with Raghav because I know Divya won't get better person than Raghav.

*****

"I will always regret one thing?"

"What..?" I asked while sipping my beer.

We both walked away from where we were before, just know that we are still in the city, walking on roads, sipping our beers and talking baseless things.

"We both cleared the UPSC in same year. But you got the 1st rank and I got 158." He said in his boozy voice.

"Okay, suppose you got the 1st rank then what will you choose IAS or IPS?"

"IPS.." He smug.

"Then there is no point you got 158 rank or I got 1st rank. You are what you want to become." I said and sip on my bear. He took a little pause processing his mind what I said and then continue, "Point but I still wanted 1st rank. I am jealous dude."
He said while poking his finger on my biceps.

"Then I can't do anything. Suck it up Raghav Sharma."

"What...?"

He looked at me like I kicked on his ball.

"What...?" I asked.

"Raghav Sharma seriously?"

"Is there any problem in your name?"

"Who told you my name is Raghav Sharma?" He asked in shock.

"No one, I knew it from school. Nisha was your cousin. She was Sharma you both were relatives. So I thought you are Sharma too." I explained innocently.

"Dude she was my relative doesn't mean I am Sharma too." He said like he was explaining it was most important chapter for UPSC exam.

"Was Nisha not your cousin?" I asked while rolling my eyes.

"Yes, she is from my mother's side. My parents had the love marriage and I used the name from father's side."

"Cut the crap, what is your full name?" I asked irritated.

"Raghav Singh Rathore..." He said with a huge smug.

"..and why did you choose your father's name not your mother's name?" I asked.

I can feel the alcohol effect on me too. We both are arguing for his fricking surname.

" Because it suits well after my name." Again he had the same huge smug on his face.

"Whatever..." I shrugged and walked further.

He also joined me after sometime and again we both started walking on the empty roads.

We both reached a place where a statue was under construction but a horses of stone already built. It was under construction but still looks beautiful under the lights.

"Malhotra, take my pictures." I looked at Raghav in confusion and before I could stop him he climbed on the horse and make a pose.

"What are you doing? What if someone see us?" I asked while glaring at him.

"No worries. Tera bhayi police wala hai or tu bhi to yha ka collector hai." He said amusingly.

(No worries, your brother is in police and you are also a collector.)

He is right. Why I was being worried? He is IPS and I am IAS who's gonna touch us.

I smugged on my own thought and took out my mobile phone but damn to my luck it ran out of battery.

"Give me your phone. I don't have battery in my phone." I asked him his phone.

"Kya IAS banega re tu?" He gave me his phone and gave him a look for his language.

(What kind of IAS you are?)

I shake my head and open the camera of his phone. I took many pictures of him in different poses. Some of his poses are really funny. In one picture he was kissing the horse like baby an in another he was sitting on it like some Maharaj (king).

"Show me the pictures?" He asked his phone while sitting on the horse.

"Shit..." I gave it to him but it accidentally slip from my hand and hit on the heavy stone. When I picked it, it has a broken screen and it get switched off.

"I'm sorry, you have to buy a new phone." I said while looking at his broken phone.

"Malhotra, you are going to pay for it." He said looking at his phone from the horse.

"Hey, Kya ker rhe ho tum dono. Baap ka mal hai kya?" A police constable and a sub inspector shouted on us.

(Hey, what are you both doing? Do you think it's your father's property?)

I looked at Raghav and raised my both eyebrows.

"Rook tera bhayi hai na." He step down from the horse. I also followed him behind.

(Don't worry, I'll handle.)

"Inspector, I am ACP Raghav Singh Rathore and he is District Magistrate Dhruv Malhotra." He said while pointing towards me.

"Or mai Pradhaanmantri." He mocked him.

(..and I am Prime minister.)

"Bawla samjhe hai ke?" He shouted on us.

(Do you think I am fool?)

"Bhayi isne to bejati ker di." Raghav whispered in my ear while looking at the inspector.

"He is right. He is Acp and I am District Magistrate of this city." I took the matter in my hand.

"Dude he is right. Don't mess with him. He will suspend you." Raghav whispered in the inspector's ear.

"Sahab, lagta hai piye hue hai dono." The constable, who was standing beside the inspector said.

(Sir, I think they both are drunk.)

That inspector lean to us and sniffed.

"Pk jhut bol rhe ho." He said while hitting his stick on the road beside me.

"You don't believe us, wait, Dhruv show him your ID." Raghav asked me. I nodded my head and took out my wallet but fuck to my luck it wasn't there. I checked my pockets but they were also empty.

I closed my eyes and swear under my breath when I remember that I forgot my id on the nightstand.

I shake my head to Raghav.

"Wait I'll show mine." He said and started checking his pockets.

"Oh! I remember I have lost it last week. I sent the request for new Id but don't worry I have picture of my ID in my phone." He said while laughing to himself and I wanted to hit my head on the pole.

Why the fuck today I decided to get drunk with this idiot?

He took out his phone from his pocket and looked at it in confusion.

"Who broke it?" He asked while looking at his phone.

"Chaudhary, dal in dono ne car mai." He asked to his constable.

(Chaudhary, put them both inside the car.)

His constable handle the Raghav while he himself pushing me towards the car.

"But first listen to us." I tried talk to him but he keep pushing me towards the car.

"Bhot sun li tum dono ki ab chalo thane." He said while pushing me inside the car and closed the door.

(We listen enough both of you now it's time to go to the police station.)

*****

"I'm feeling like vomiting."

"..and I am feeling like punching you."

I glare at Raghav who was sitting on the one side of the lock-up facing to the wall trying to vomit while I was sitting on the other side shooting glares at him. We both stuck here all because of him.

If he doesn't climb on that horse we are not stuck in this situation.

"Have some sympathy Malhotra. I am feeling like a pregnant woman." He said while turning his face towards me.

"You sh..." Before I could say anything he vomited in the lock-up.

"Sahab ji, He vomited inside the lock-up." The same constable who arrested us informed the same inspector.

The inspector walked to us and make a disgusting face.
1
"Phle na bta saka. Ib kon saf karega ise."

(Didn't you tell us before. Who will clean it now.)

I stood up from my place and walked to him while Raghav keep vomiting.

"He needs to use washroom otherwise your lock-up has bad condition than this, trust me." I made an excuse and looked at Raghav who nodded his head like a baby.

"He is right." He said while going through another round of vomiting.

"Okay, Chaudhary, open it." The constable nodded his head and opened the lock-up.

I went to Raghav and put his one hand on my shoulder, took his whole wait on me and started walking.

"Dude, I am not injured. I just feel dizzy." He said while looking at me in confusion.

"Shut your fucking mouth. Let me handle this." I said through my greeted teeth while giving a tight smile to the inspector.

"Yes boss." He whispered in my ear.

I walked out the lock-up with Raghav.

"Where is the washroom?" I asked the constable and he pointed in a direction. I nodded my head and started walking in the same direction constable had pointed out.

"What days has come now I have to take permission in my own place." Raghav said while looking at the police station. It was pretty much empty except few police constables and criminals.

"We stuck in this condition because we both forgot our ID'S. Otherwise that inspector should be the one dropping us to our home." I said while opening the gate of the washroom.

A strong smell of urine hit my nose and I just wanted to walked away from there as soon as possible.

"Don't worry Malhotra. Agar maine isko 100 bar salute na karwa diya to mera naam bhi Raghav Singh Rathore nahi." He said while sitting on the stool.

(Don't worry Malhotra, if I didn't let him salute 100 times, my name is not Raghav Singh Rathore.)

"We will see. You stay here, I'll go and try to convince that inspector."

He showed me  thumbs-up. After nodding I walked out from there.

That inspector was having his tea and watching some comedy movie when I approached him.

"Are you the new transfer here?" I asked standing in-front of him.

"Tane ke lena. Kaam bol." He said in attitude.

(why do you want to know?)

"Nothing. I just wanted to call someone to bail us out." I tried to be calm as much as possible.

"Line cut hai." He shrugged it out and keep watching his movie.

I lift up the landline before he could stop me and as I expected he lied. The line was perfectly fine.

"Listen I know my rights. I am just asking one call." I tried again.

"Okay fine. But don't take too much time." He allowed me.

I just need five minutes and then I'll show this inspector his place.

I tried Nikhil's number. I am afraid he will pick up as he might sleep by now. The bell keep ringing and he did not pickup.

I don't know whom to call. The one I was expecting to save our asses did not pickup the call. I should try landline. Sometimes Divya watched late night movies. I could not call her on mobile phone as she would not pickup the unknown number.

I dialled the landline and before the second ring complete someone pickup the phone from the other side.

"Hello...."

I lifted my eyelids and looked at the wall when I heard the voice. I stopped breathing and my heart started beating faster.

It's her.

She was panting and I can sense the hope and worry in her voice.

She was waiting for me.

"Aditi..."

"Dhruv, where are you?" She asked. She was worried for me. I wish I could be there and took her in my arms while kissing her senselessly.

"I am in the police station."

"What..? Are you okay? What happened? "

"Don't worry, I am fine. I'll explain you later. Right now I need you to wakeup Nikhil and send him here with my ID card. It was on the nightstand."

"Okay.."

I explained her the address. She noted down and after that before I could ask her anything that inspector snatched the phone from my hand and hang up.