A/N : Thank you all for the encouragement. Though, I don't know whether this is up to the mark, as this is the first time I am trying real action.
Anyways, here I come with the second chapter. This is where the rescue operation starts..
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In an isolated part of the area to where the girls were heading, a man with deep scars and bruises all over his face shook his head flinching in pain. His hairs were completely messed up, with a few bangs falling in his eyes. "Aah!" He let out a soft cry, slowly trying to open his eyes, and screwed them shut the next instant as a sharp wave of pain shot through his head.
"M-my head! What's happening with me?" Abhijeet stuttered, swirling his head in an attempt to ease the pain, his bangs falling in his eyes as he did so. As he was about to pull his hands up towards his head to steady it, he suddenly realized he couldn't move them – or rather, he couldn't move a single part of his body.
Sense of panic instantly overtook the severe pain in his head, and he looked around, only to find himself being tied to a chair in a completely unfamiliar place. There was no one else around. "W-where am I? D-Daya? Rajat? Where are the others?" He thought to himself, casting a glance around the place for a way to free himself.
Just when he was thinking of a plan to sneak out of the place, while swishing his head occasionally, Abhijeet heard a voice coming from a distance, as though a door had been creaked open. "W-who is it?" He tried to scream in vain, as another wave of pain went up to his head. Struggling to keep his eyes open, he saw a familiar figure approaching towards him. "Sh-Shreya?" He looked at the figure with a questioning gaze, until his confusions were confirmed with the person's voice.
"Shush, Abhijeet Sir!" Shreya whispered, bending down to open the ropes. "We need to get out of here as fast as we can!" She spoke in a hushed tone, finally succeeding in freeing her senior. Helping him stand on his feet, Shreya tightly held his arm as he struggled to rise up from the chair.
"Hey you! Leave him alone!" A goon who had just appeared growled, running towards them, his gun tightly clutched in his hands, his fingers fixed on the trigger. Just when she analysed how close he had been standing, Shreya lifted her leg and, in a swift motion, gave a tight back-kick between his legs without looking back, and he fell to the ground howling in pain, while Abhijeet stared at her in disbelief, his mouth wide open.
"This is what you get for kidnapping the CID team, you filthy little pig!" Shreya snarled down at the goon, who was still flinching in pain, and holding Abhijeet's arm with both her hands, forced another kick right in the goon's stomach, and he was knocked unconscious in an instant.
"Where are the others?" Abhijeet asked, his voice now stable but weak. "We're taking care of them, Sir! Don't worry!" Shreya assured her senior, helping him out of the room.
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Somewhere not very far in the building, an elderly gentleman slowly flickered his eyes open, wincing painfully as his head throbbed. Trying to focus on the surroundings – which seemed rather unfamiliar – he struggled to look around only to find his vision blurred. His glasses were missing. He jerked his eyes open in alarm.
"Wh-What? M-my hands!" Dr. Salunkhe tried to shift, but his hands refused to budge. It took him a few seconds to realize they were being tied at the back to a hard object, what seemed like a circular pillar. Shaking his head vigorously, the forensic expert managed to get his senses back. He tried moving his hands, in an attempt to free them when they touched a thick cloth-like material.
Frowning, he tried to lace his fingers through the cloth when he saw a familiar hand from the corner of his eye, and the forensic doctor needed no further proof. The rings. The rings were a few of those things which Dr. Salunkhe could remember even in his sleep.
"Pradyuman!" He whispered in a ragged tone. "Pradyuman! Wake up!" He called out in a single breath, stretching his fingers towards his best friend's coat to awaken the latter.
The Assistant Commissioner, at the other end, had slowly started coming out of his comatose state, while his head was dropped down. "Uhh!" A silent whimper escaped his lips, and he moved his head a bit to steady himself. His big dark eyes slowly fluttered open, a deep frown forming on his forehead because of the pain.
He tried to pull his head in an upright position, banging it lightly on the pillar in the process. However, it was a very familiar voice – rather a plea – which helped him jerk back to his senses. "Pradyuman!" The forensic expert was still making desperate attempts to awaken the Assistant Commissioner, and this time his prayers were answered, for he heard a feeble voice coming from the other end of the pillar.
"Sa-Salunk-khe!" ACP Pradyuman managed to utter, and the doctor heaved an evident sigh of relief. "Salunkhe! What the-? What are we doing here?" The Assistant Commissioner spoke, his voice clearly desperate, as he realized the surroundings. Before the doctor could answer, his best friend spoke again, this time in a rather confused tone. "Wait. We were investigating. How did you land up here?" He wanted to know.
Dr. Salunkhe rolled his eyes and shook his head helplessly. "Long story! I was heading towards the DNA Lab, when someone knocked me down from behind, and everything went blank. Result? I end up being tied with you here!" He supplied, shrugging his shoulders a little amidst the ropes.
"Ok, Ok! We now have to figure out how to get out of here!" ACP Pradyuman frowned, and it took no time for him to get back into his typical boss-mode and he started fiddling with the ropes. "Did you try the ropes, Salunkhe?" He asked his best friend, who replied rather dryly. "What do you think, I musn't have? Of course I did! But, no luck. They're too thick." He sighed.
ACP Pradyuman gave a deep scowl, although, unfortunately for him, his best friend couldn't see it. "You are of no use, Salunkhe!" He growled irritatingly, and before his best friend could open his mouth to protest, he ploughed on. "Check whether we have any cutter or knife around!" He ordered, and the forensic doctor muttered something unflattering under his breath, as they started searching for a sharp object.
Suddenly, they heard the soft sound of footsteps approaching, and their senses instantly became alert. "Someone's coming!" ACP Pradyuman whispered, narrowing his eyes to concentrate in the direction where the footsteps were being heard.
Two shabby looking men walked towards the pillar, giving an evil grin to the elderly gentlemen. "Enjoying here, dear ACP? And ohh, how could we forget the I-know-it-all Dr. Salunkhe?" They spoke with bitter sarcasm, laughing dangerously, and ACP Pradyuman gave them a dirty look. "You think you'll be able to take us all down? You won't be able to even touch our hair, you scoundrel!" He spat, and the kidnappers shared a high-pitched laughter. "So much of overconfidence is not good for your health, ACP!" He sang a malevolent tune, eyeing the Assistant Commissioner pitifully.
Before ACP Pradyuman and Dr. Salunkhe could react, they heard a voice from a distance. "Ohh yeah! I'd love to get my health tested, if you don't mind!" The voice appeared a bit too powerful and confident than what the goons had expected.
As the figure approached, ACP Pradyuman and Dr. Salunkhe widened their eyes in disbelief. "Tasha!" They both let out at the same time. The sub-inspector gave them an assuring nod, before turning to the kidnappers. "You love playing with danger, huh? Try me!" She challenged, the conviction in her voice evidently seen on her face, as she gave them a highly dangerous look.
"You want to fight us? We're ready!" One of the goons grinned through the corner of his chapped lips, eyeing the sub-inspector dirtily. That didn't go unnoticed by ACP Pradyuman, and he snapped. "Don't you even touch her, you git!" He screamed, his voice shaking. "Sir, don't you worry. Just trust me!" Tasha nodded in assurance, and before the kidnapper could react, pushed a sharp blow right on his nose, sending him back by several feet, as he stumbled.
Seeing his accomplice's bleeding nose, the other goon lifted his hand to get Tasha down, but she was too quick for him. She stopped his hand just in time, and kicked him right in the stomach. "Oww!" He howled in pain, bending down to clutch his stomach.
Walking over to the other guy, she held his t-shirt, pulling him up, and forced him to another pillar, before shoving two powerful punches in his stomach, and banged his head back. He slithered down, clutching his head, and fell flat on his face.
Once she ensured he was knocked unconscious, Tasha sensed the other goon running towards her, and without turning back, she clutched his hand, pulling him ahead, and forced a kick between his legs. "Dare to kidnap the CID, will you? Sit and die here, you useless morons! That's what you deserve!" She snarled, giving another kick in one of the kidnappers' chest, and he let out another painful cry.
ACP Pradyuman and Dr. Salunkhe had been watching everything blankly, their eyes unable to believe the sub-inspector fighting single-handedly with two armed goons. "Tasha! Wh-What was that?" ACP Pradyuman said in a dazed voice, as she started untying them. "Nothing great, Sir! I just did my duty! No one can even dare to touch you when we are there." She shrugged, giving her senior a coy smile.
The Assistant Commissioner couldn't help getting overwhelmed. "I am proud of you!" He said, his voice choking, and moved a gentle hand over the sub-inspector's head, now that she had set him free. She smiled back, the twinkle in her eyes sending a sense of warmth in the Assistant Commissioner's heart. "Hey! I hope you have not forgotten me!" Dr. Salunkhe wailed. "How can I ever forget you?" ACP Pradyuman laughed. Once they were on their feet, Dr. Salunkhe faced his best friend, his hands on his hips. "What did you say? I am useless!" He gritted, and before ACP Pradyuman could snap back, Tasha put in hurriedly. "Sir! We need to be out of here fast. We have to find the others! Though we are taking care of them, but still." She spoke, helping Dr. Salunkhe, who was limping due to an injury in his leg.
"Thank you, child!" The forensic expert smiled at the sub-inspector. "Tasha, today, you've made me realize how wrong I was to misjudge your talent." ACP Pradyuman shook his head, patting Tasha's cheek. "Sir, please!" She started, but Dr. Salunkhe interrupted. "Thank God you've realized that you can be wrong." He teased, as they made their way out.
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A/N : Sorry if you dozed off. Please await further updates, as it is going to be crazier and more adventurous ahead. Stay tuned as a couple of surprises are in store for you in the coming chapters. :-D