AvNeil: Chase Against Time

Chapter Nine

The music pumped in, blasting through the speakers as the DJ created his own magic with songs. The dim lighting at the dance floor of the open restro-bar was tempting. The music added a good element for the ones who love to shake a leg, irrespective of being a dancer or not; Ananya being one of them. She was never the kind to sit back while the music played.

She was at the bar counter, seated across her friend who stood at the other side. He jiggled the bottles while preparing a drink for her; her usual. Bestowed with a warm smile, he found her padding towards the dance after getting her drink handed over. He smiled in turn.

Cutting though the crowd, she moved towards the known faces. Her hips gently swayed at the beats as she enjoyed the music. The bitter-sweet drink left a tingling sensation as went down her throat. With a drink in one hand, she still managed to groove beautifully to the beats.

Having known that ignoring phone calls wasn't going to help her get away from the interrogation, she still chose to do so. She had decided to deal with Neil later.

I am not answerable to any Officer, she thought gruffly as his name ran across her mind. He was the one to have denied her simple wish. She wasn't obliged to ask for his permission to make decisions in her life. It was her friend's birthday and she was to celebrate it like every other year, irrespective of the circumstances. Expecting that Neil would agree to her, she had made the casual announcement of planning to attend the party. Irritated at the thought, she fumed in protest. Even after explaining that the venue had a tight security and she would be nothing but safe, he still held his ground. He was being ridiculously stubborn and the fact frustrated her further. The only thing he wasn't aware of was, she was and is equally stubborn, if not more. She smirked at the thought of his fuming, red face when he learns about her sneaking out.

Letting go off the thoughts, she let her body loose and sizzled at the dance floor. Unaware of the attentive she drew towards her, she danced. The glass she held barely had the last sip of her drink. Her long curls slashed across her face as she swung her head to either side. She felt a gaze pinned at her back but she neglected only to have her arm gripped by someone. Being pulled into a strong grip and colliding into a chiseled chest, she found her eyes mingling with the intense ones. Soon she found herself being dragged away from the dance floor.

Neil was trying hard to keep his cool. It was only when he found a guy hopping over the bar counter with his eyes trained at Ananya and Neil's hold at her wrist that he found his fingers dug into his palm as he fisted his other hand. The guy was lean yet well built with unmanageable curls at the top of his head. His advancing steps towards Ananya while she was led out by Neil, only had Neil's body humming in anger. He tried his best to not snap at the guy who was just a couple of steps away from him. It wasn't until the guy blocked his way that Neil's jaw ticked. 

"Excuse me," his eyes trailed past Neil's as he looked at Ananya and then back at Neil, "You can't crash my birthday party and drag my friend out."

Neil rolled his eyes while Ananya stepped besides him and took the charge, "No problem, Ali. Everything's under control, right Officer," she turned to glance at Neil and without waiting for a response she turned back at Ali. "Nothing that I can't handle," she passed a wink at him with her assuring words and a warm smile. "I have finished my drink," her lips rolled out in a pout and she continued, "mind making another one for me?" She asked only to be rewarded with a smile that indicated affirmation. "I will be back by the time it's ready."

She dragged Neil out towards the lobby, while he starred back at her in astonishment. "Didn't bother to introduce me to your friend there," his sarcastic words earned him another disinterested look from her. She rolled her eyes at him as she bluntly stated, "I don't feel the need, Officer." She looked at him dead in the eye.

*

Here's the next chapter.

Just a quick question, Is everyone receiving the notification for the new chapters? If not please let me know and I will have to look into it.

Apart from that, thoughts please! I would love to know, what you think might the murderer be doing right now? Sitting back and enjoying the show or planning his next move or maybe something else?