Rain tapped gently against the glass as Nandini leaned against her window, coffee in hand, watching the Dehradun sky drizzle like a scene from some tragic soap opera. Somewhere deep inside her, irritation brewed stronger than the coffee in her cup.
"It's been twenty days since Mr. Harshit Patel was murdered," the news anchor on TV droned, "and though his family performed all his last rites and the ceremonial 'Terwa', Dehradun Police is yet to identify the killer."
Great. As if she needed more unsolved mysteries in her life.
Tommy, her ever-loyal Golden Retriever, snored peacefully at her feet, oblivious to his human's simmering frustration.
Then—buzz. Her phone lit up.
Unknown Number.
Nandini frowned. She let it ring once, twice, thrice. The fourth time, she sighed and picked up.
"You could at least answer the damn phone when someone calls you five times," came an annoyingly familiar, cocky male voice.
"Unlike you, I have better things to do than entertain random idiots calling from unknown numbers," she replied flatly, not bothering to mask her disinterest.
It was him. Of course. Ruhan.
"Get your pretty self to the police station. Now."
She snorted. "What is it this time? Did they finally make 'Irritating People in Public' a punishable offense and arrest you? About time."
"Don't get too excited, Miss Sass. I'm not arrested. Yet. Just called for verification."
"Good for you. I'm not coming. Bye."
"Why not?" Ruhan mocked. "Busy staring dramatically out the window, coffee in hand, pretending you're in some Netflix thriller?"
She froze. "How the hell do you know that?"
"Because, darling, I have my spies everywhere."
"I swear, if you don't stop creeping me out, I'll come to the station and file an FIR myself—to get you locked up."
"Perfect! Then you're coming. See? I win either way. Now move. I don't do food delivery arguments over the phone; this needs an in-person performance."
He hung up.
"What the hell is he tangled in now ?" she muttered, eyeing Tommy. "Just when I think my life's going smooth... this disaster drops in. Again."
One hour later, Nandini stood inside the Dehradun Police Station, regretting her entire existence.
"Name?" asked the bored constable at the desk.
"Nandini. I'm here for someone named Ruhan Singh? I think he's been picked up by the police for... something ridiculous."
The constable gave her a knowing smile. "Ahh... Ruhan's girlfriend, huh? SHO Madam is expecting you. Go on inside."
"Girlfriend? In his dreams," she muttered, following the hallway to SHO Suhani Bhardwaj's cabin.
She peeked in. Suhani, an imposing woman in her early thirties with sharp eyes and sharper wit, was dunking a biscuit in her tea. Across her sat—who else—Ruhan, munching contentedly.
"Yes?" Suhani looked up. "You're Nandini?"
"Unfortunately, yes," Nandini sighed, entering. "Constable said you wanted to see me?"
"Take a seat. Want chai?" offered Suhani.
"No thanks. I don't take random hospitality from the police," Nandini quipped.
Ruhan grinned. "See? She drinks nothing but coffee. Pretends to be high-maintenance but secretly enjoys cheap thrills."
"Do you ever shut up, or is this a lifelong disease?" she shot back.
"Play nice, kids," Suhani said, hiding a smile. "Or I'll separate you two."
Nandini pointed at Ruhan. "Why is *he* here? Shouldn't he be in a holding cell or something?"
"What, you think I'm a criminal? That hurts," Ruhan clutched his heart dramatically.
"I know you're a walking offense."
"Relax, Nandini. This is all a misunderstanding... or rather, a bet," Suhani explained.
Nandini blinked. "A what?"
"A bet," Ruhan grinned wider. "I told Madam SHO here that if I called you—randomly, mysteriously—you'd show up without question. She said you wouldn't. Because no sensible woman runs to a stranger's call. I said... you're not sensible. You're curious. Like a cat."
"So this is your circus?" Nandini turned to Suhani, fuming. "You dragged me here for this nonsense?"
"Not nonsense. High stakes," Suhani smirked. "If I won, this idiot was going to wash my car, mop my floors, do my laundry for a week. No pay."
"A week of unpaid domestic labor? Kya punishment hai," Nandini mused. "I should've stayed home."
"If I won," Ruhan interjected, "I'd get her apartment keys in Goa. And her car. For a week."
"And what do I get out of this ridiculous drama?" she asked.
"Petrol money," Suhani replied casually, sliding a neat bundle of 500 rupee notes across the table.
"I was joking—" Nandini began.
"Take it. He never pays for anything. This is your only chance to profit off his stupidity."
"I'm not that cheap," Nandini glared at Ruhan.
"Could've fooled me," he winked. "All that drama, but here you are."
"I should've let the gangsters deal with you when I had the chance."
"Ouch. Love hurts."
"Okay, stop flirting in my office," Suhani cut in, amused. "I swear you two are like teenagers."
"By the way," Nandini crossed her arms. "When are you leaving Dehradun and going to Goa forever? The city could use the peace."
"Not forever. Just a week. But guess what? You're coming too."
"Excuse me? I don't remember signing up for this tragic vacation."
"But you're in the bet, babe," Ruhan smirked. "If you hadn't come today, I'd have lost. You're part of the deal."
"I have a life. And Tommy. Who'll take care of him?"
Suhani frowned. "Tommy?"
"My dog. Golden Retriever," Nandini muttered.
"Ah," Suhani relaxed. "For a second I thought you had a secret boyfriend named Tommy."
"Please. Like I'd name a man Tommy."
"Why not? Better than Ruhan," Suhani teased.
"Exactly!" Nandini said.
"Hey, I'm standing right here," Ruhan pouted.
"Tragically," Nandini said. "Can't you vanish for five minutes?"
"If I did, you'd miss me."
"In your dreams."
"Well," Suhani laughed, "looks like the two of you are going to Goa after all. Vacation or not."
"No. Way."
"Come on, live a little. Your dog can stay with my cousin. She loves animals," Ruhan offered.
"I don't trust your cousin to watch a rock, let alone my dog."
"She watches my fish. They're still alive."
"Miracle."
"Enough," Suhani interrupted. "Both of you—stop fighting like kindergarten kids. Either agree or I make this an official police matter."
Nandini groaned. "You can't be serious."
"Deadly," Suhani said with a grin.
Ruhan leaned in. "Say yes. Or I'll keep calling you every hour until you block me."
"Tempting. But blocking you sounds even better."
"You won't. You like the drama."
"I tolerate the drama. Big difference."
"So Goa?"
She sighed, glaring at both of them. "Fine. But only because I need a break from this madhouse. And if you annoy me there, I swear I'll push you into the sea."
"Deal," Ruhan grinned.
"Great. Can you two leave my office now? I actually have real criminals to handle," Suhani waved them off.
As they left, Nandini muttered, "I must be crazy agreeing to this."
"Crazy for me?" Ruhan teased.
"Crazy to not have you arrested. Yet."
He laughed. "Told you. You can't resist me."
And for the first time that day... Nandini smiled for real.
To be continued...