AvNeil: Chase Against Time

Chapter Seven

Neil shifted the gears and sped across the busy streets of Mumbai. Ananya had been intentionally annoying his team; and that in turn annoyed him. The conversation with one of the officers on the team had his own head spinning. Every morning, she leaves the house and tours around the city. She travels through various lanes and streets and gets to her destination. The problem was, she travelled to the NGO which was barely a fifteen minute drive during the peak hour but she chose to rather roam around the city for no reason. She wouldn't get down anywhere in between. She would start from home and get down at the NGO.

Enough, he inhaled while parking the car. He walked towards the entrance knowing exactly where she was. Obviously, he had asked his team for it.

She needs to learn a lesson, he thought.

Tipping his head at the receptionist in acknowledgement as he marched towards the cabin. Her cabin.

Bolting the door open, he found her shuffling through the bunch of files while she kept glancing back at her desktop. "Ananya," he gritted, shutting the door behind him.

Her head shot up and he held her gaze with his fuming eyes. The disinterested look in her eyes, ignited his fury. She rolled her eyes at him and looked back at her desktop. Shutting the files off, she got back at work. His presence completely ignored.

She is just trying to annoy me, he chanted in his head.

"Stop playing," he warned her. She looked unaffected as she spoke, "I am working," she spared challenging glare at him as she added further, "not playing."

"Don't try to annoy the shit out of me," he scowled at her, "You very well know, what I am talking about," his nostrils flared in anger.

"What," her voice was low but her eyes were set ablaze. "Tell me what do you know," she walked around the desk and stood right in front of him, challengingly. Her arms folded across her chest, while she pointedly looked into his eyes.

"Listen," he tried to compose himself before he could convince her. He had to be calm, if he wanted her to cooperate. "We are here to protect you. You are just making it difficult for us to do so. It's our duty and we want your cooperation."

"Were you able to save the lives earlier?" She asked, her voice soft but sharp enough to stab through his heart.

No.

"If not, then what makes you think, you will be able to save me?" Her lips twitched with a sarcastically at him. Her eyes danced to the inaudible sarcastic laugh that played along her words.

Doubt clouding his mind as she spoke.

She inched closer to him, gritting her teeth, she muttered, "You cops are good for nothing."

His eyes snapped back at her with rage replacing doubt, "You think so," he replied without stepping down. She stood barely two inches away from him with her face inched up to match his. "And, I will make sure, I prove you wrong," she shook her head slightly in disbelief.

"Let's test you now," she held his arms and even before he could process what was happening, he had his wrists locked at his back and was pushed against the desk. Her right foot slid forward blocking the movement of his legs.

The curves of her body flattened against his body as she held his wrists firmly. Her head dipped at the side of his head while her loose curls brushed against his face.

When he entered her cabin, he had a different version of the event that would take place in the enclosed cabin of hers. However, this was nowhere close. The events had turned upside down and so did his thoughts.

"Still think you can prove me wrong, Officer," her words held a smile of victory. He didn't want to wipe that off. Her hold was good and he wondered how. A bit of struggle was all that he would have needed to free himself and pin her against the desk. But he wouldn't.

Her grip loosened, "Are you still going to say, I need you?" He took the opportunity and took hold of her hand and drew her closer while tucking her arm at her back with his. She tried to push him with the other hand only to have it grabbed by him against his chest.

"Not really," he whispered softly against her skin, "but I need you," his eyes intently pinned hers. "It's not just about you but there are a lot more lives at stake. So I wish you would cooperate, not for me but for other innocent lives."

Embraced in deep thoughts, she bobbed her head in affirmation only to have witnessed a heartwarming smile crack across his thin lips.

"Thanks," he took a step back from her and found her engrossed in her own world of thoughts.

As he made his way out, he could smell the hint of flowers, mostly rose, with a citrisy note and a spicy punch lingering on him. The fragrance was as thrilling and mysterious as was the one who wore it; the one who bathed him in this fragrance; her fragrance - Ananya.