'Maar daluunga tereko ... chutiye!' Murali tries to strangle Amarnath as he handles the steering wheel of the semi-open police jeep with his right hand. 'Did I ask you? Did I ask you to transfer me, behenchod?!'
Amarnath shoves his hand away. 'Will you stop it? I didn't do anything!'
'I know it is you!'
'It's just from Dharavi station to the Crime branch. What is your problem?'
'You have taken an oath to not let me live in peace,' Murali sulks. 'I know you have recommended this transfer for me. I know.'
'Don't act like a film heroine. You are a Crime branch inspector now'
Murali swears.
'Actually, I should kill you. You don't have any sense?' Amarnath demands suddenly. 'Why did you allow her to come inside my house?'
'Who?'
Amarnath stares at an invisible point on the busy road ahead. 'Her.'
'Your girlfriend?' Murali mutters unintelligibly.
'What?' Amarnath demands hotly.
'Nothing. Ab kya hua?'
'She threatened the constables that she'd file a criminal complaint against them. What does she think of us?' Amarnath turns in his seat. 'That police are their servants, to listen to whatever they say? Arrogance. All this is because of the arrogance that she is a lawyer.'
'Also, because she likes you.'
Amarnath stiffens. 'Don't speak nonsense.'
'With what should I hit you? You are speaking nonsense. Just think how difficult it would have been to come to your house like that. She would have to convince the constables and get them to phone me. Do you think it would have been easy? That is how much she likes you. Put that inside your stupid head!'
They drive in silence for a while.
'Murali,' Amarnath starts hesitantly. 'What does this mean?' he takes the small notepad on the dashboard and draws something out.
It is the same shape as the piece of paper he found on the bedside table, the morning of the next day he was ill, with"Get well soon, from Gauri" written on it.
Murali takes a look at the paper. 'She gave this to you??!'
Amarnath looks at Murali with wide eyes. 'How do you know?'
Murali takes a deep breath looking at the road tragically.
'I was wrong that day, on the terrace,' he shakes his head. 'I should not ask you. I should ask her if she didn't find anyone else.'
'Do you know what this is or not?!' Amarnath barks.
'Idiot. It is a heart,' Murali halts the jeep in front of his chawl. The kids are playing below the arched entrance with a couple of broken tree twigs and thin cycle tyres.
Amarnath looks at the paper as if he is holding a live, beating heart.
'She loves you,' Murali gets off the jeep, cups his hands around his mouth and announces loudly to the sky. 'Gauri loves Amarnath!!'
YOU ARE READING
Bombay Romance ♡ COMPLETED
Romance1985. The City of dreams. Red double decker buses, khali-peeli taxis, radios, Doordarshan, video cassettes and rotary dial phones. DCP Amarnath arrives in Bombay with a mission, straight and clear: To tackle the notorious Crime Syndicates. As the c...