Bombay Romance ♡ COMPLETED

[ 28 ] I Think I Love You Too ■

'I want to meet Amar.' 

'You mean Amarnath Saab,' The constable growls from behind the gate railings. The Khaali-Peeli taxi which dropped off Gauri makes a U-turn and leaves.

'Amarnath Saab for you. He's Amar for me,' she pushes back her hair. 

'Then call ghar ka number.'

'I don't have it,' she mutters.

It was a great task to source the office number in the first place. She had to look at the huge telephone directory for fifteen minutes. The first number she found didn't exist anymore. It took her another half an hour to finally procure the number through some cranky telephone operator. She had called five times before someone decided to pick the phone up and inform her that DCP Saab was on leave.

Gauri left office at half-past five and is now standing in front of Amarnath's government-allotted house (it was no easy task to procure the address!), bargaining with the policemen to let her in.

The constable raises his eyebrows. 'You are Saab's close friend but you don't have his number?'

'Saab won't meet anyone today,' the second constable announces.

'Why not?'

'Come tomorrow.'

'I'm here now and I want to see him. Tell him Gauri is here.'

'You don't understand if I say once? He won't meet anyone.'

'Go now,' the constable waves his hand and settles down on the plastic chair lazily.

She looks at the constables and then at the house, pushes the wrought iron gate open and strides inside. The constables scramble from their chairs and block her way. 

'Stop!' one of them feigns to grab her hand.

'Watch out,' she says dangerously. 'I'll file a criminal complaint at the judicial magistrate's. Be ready for a court summons and a criminal trial after that.'

The constables back-off, hesitating. She makes a beeline towards the house. It is a white single-storey building with two leavy peepal trees on each side, shading the porch from the setting sun rays. Another two constables at the main door block her, simultaneously yelling abuses at the other two for letting her in. 'Saab is not well. He won't meet anyone now.'

'He's not keeping well?' Gauri repeats. 'Then I should see him,' she sits down on one of the cane chairs on the porch.

'Madam look, don't create nuisance. Nahi toh we'll have to arrest you.'

'Under which IPC section?' Gauri demands.

The constables stare at her. 

'For what offence, under which IPC Section? You'll need a female constable for that. Moreover, don't you know you can not arrest women after 6 pm? It's already 6:20 pm.'

'Lawyer I think,' one of them hushes.

'This loud-mouthed girl can't be Saab's friend. Where is he and where is this lady?' another whispers.

'Wait till Amar hears about all this,' Gauri says. The constables look at each other in alarm.

'Madam, please understand. We are just doing our duty,' he says in a calmer tone. 'We can't let anyone in.'

Gauri thinks for a long moment. They are telling the truth, after all.

'Do you know Amar's close friend, Murali?' she asks.

The constables nod at each other confidently. Of course, they know.

'Will you let me in if he says so?' she asks. 'You can call up Dharavi station and tell him I'm here.'