MY ANGEL IS A DEVIL

Chapter 8

Chapter 8 :

The Following Day…

Pravalika finished her morning routine, had breakfast with her uncle, and headed to the police station. Upon arriving, she parked her bike and walked inside, where she encountered Rakhi.

“Good morning, Madam!” Rakhi greeted.

“Good morning, Rakhi! Any updates? Have we got any new information about Gangu?”, Pravalika asked.

“Yes, Madam! We’ve caught a woman who was Gangu’s girlfriend. Ajith sir is interrogating her and asked me to stay out until he’s done”, Rakhi replied.

Pravalika arched an eyebrow and questioned,“Why did he tell you to stay out? Don’t you know that a female officer must always be present during the interrogation of a woman?”.

Rakhi nodded in agreement, though she looked uneasy. “Yes, Madam! But Ajith sir mentioned that the interrogation might get rough, and he didn’t think I could handle it. Since he’s my senior, I didn’t feel I could refuse when he asked me to leave”.

Sensing something off, Pravalika’s expression darkened. Without a word, she strode towards the interrogation room, with Rakhi hurrying after her.

As Pravalika reached the room, she saw Ajith towering over the suspect, his tone menacing.

“Listen, young lady! You know where Gangu is hiding. You’d better tell the truth, or you’ll face the consequences”, Ajith threatened, while Pavan and Imran stood silently behind him.

“I swear, I don’t know where he is! I haven’t seen him in a long time, and he hasn’t contacted me recently”, the woman sobbed, trembling in fear.

Ajith's lips curled into a sinister smile. “You really think we’ll believe that? Tell me the truth, or my hands will make you talk. And once I start, I can’t promise they won’t wander to places you won’t like”, he said, his voice dripping with malice.

The woman’s fear intensified, her sobs growing louder. “I really don’t know anything about his whereabouts!”, she cried.

Ajith stepped closer, lifting his hand to press his index finger against her forehead. Pavan and Imran exchanged uneasy glances, their hesitation evident before they finally spoke up.

“Sir! Please don’t cross the line. Madam won’t go easy on you if you do”, Imran cautioned.

Ajith scoffed, irritation flaring at the mention of Pravalika's name. “I know exactly what I'm doing”, he replied curtly. “If we don’t apply some pressure, how else are we supposed to get the information?”.

Ignoring their pleas, Ajith slowly traced his finger from the woman's forehead down to the bridge of her nose, inching toward her lips. She was undeniably beautiful, and in Ajith’s twisted mind, this was an opportunity to indulge in his vile desires.

But before he could proceed further, a thunderous voice echoed through the room. “Dare to move one more inch, and you’ll be buried six feet under”.

Everyone’s head snapped towards the door, where Pravalika stood, her eyes blazing with fury. Her entire body trembled with the intensity of her anger.

Before Ajith could stammer out an excuse, Pravalika stormed over and delivered a swift kick to his chest, sending him crashing to the floor several feet away. He hit the ground with a thud, his head bouncing off the floor.

Pravalika was on him in an instant, twisting his arm painfully behind his back. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Is this how you treat women? How dare you pull such a stunt in my station? I want an explanation for not having a female officer present during this interrogation!”, she growled.

Ajith winced in pain, his arrogance faltering. “Madam! I’m an officer too. This isn’t the way to treat a colleague in front of a suspect. I’ll sue you for this degradation”, he retorted, his voice dripping with entitlement.

Pravalika released his arm and took a step back, allowing him to stand. Ajith slowly got to his feet, stretching his arm to ease the pain, before glaring at her. “Madam, I was just trying to get information about Gangu. Sometimes we need to use harsh methods to get the truth. This isn’t the way to treat your team during an interrogation. I’ll be reporting your behavior to the higher-ups.”

Pravalika tilted her head slightly, her hands thrust into her pockets. “Oh, really? Then go ahead, file your complaint. No one’s stopping you. But before you do, I want a written explanation for your misconduct on my desk within 24 hours. You’re off this team. Get out”.

Ajith’s face contorted with rage. “Don’t think too highly of yourself, and don’t be so arrogant. If you make me leave this team, you’ll regret it”, he spat.

Pravalika shrugged, unfazed. “I’m always ready to face the consequences. Do whatever you wish, but get out of this room now. And don’t forget the explanation letter”.

As Ajith prepared to leave, he couldn’t resist a final jab. “I don’t understand why you always prefer Charan over the rest of us. Do you two have something going on? Is that why he follows you around like a lost puppy?”.

The others in the room gasped at his audacity. Pravalika’s eyes narrowed, venomous anger radiating from her. Her face turned crimson with rage, her breathing heavy.

Before anyone could react, Pravalika slapped Ajith hard across both cheeks. She pointed her finger at him, her voice low and deadly. “One more word from that filthy mouth of yours, and I’ll turn you to ashes. Get out, before I lose my temper”.

Seeing the fire in her eyes, Ajith didn’t dare utter another word. Though he burned with envy and hatred towards Pravalika, he knew better than to provoke her further.

feels hatred for her dominating aura, he still frightens her devilish attitude. He is acquainted with her temper and didn’t dare to offend her more. He slowly left the room without any other choice.

The air in the room grew tense as Pravalika took a moment to rein in her fury. The remaining officers could feel the heat of her anger suffocating the atmosphere, making them anxious. Finally, she broke the silence with a voice tinged with disdain.

“Where is Charan?”, she demanded.

Rakhi, trying to steady her nerves, answered,“After we apprehended the lady this morning, Charan got a call from home. He had to leave immediately. We haven’t heard from him since".

Pravalika nodded, her gaze shifting to the woman seated before her. She observed the suspect intently, her piercing eyes making the woman squirm in her seat. Pravalika approached, hands in her pockets, and locked eyes with the trembling woman.

“What do you know about Gangu? Do you know his whereabouts?”.

The simplicity of the questions contrasted sharply with Pravalika’s intimidating aura. The woman’s voice quivered as she spoke, overwhelmed by fear.

"Madam! I swear, I don't know anything about his whereabouts. He hasn’t contacted me in over a month. If he returns, I’ll inform you immediately”.

Without breaking eye contact, Pravalika turned to Pavan and ordered,“Let her go. She knows nothing. Complete the formalities and release her".

Pavan swiftly complied, and within moments, the woman was escorted out. Once she was gone, Pravalika addressed the remaining officers.

“Imran! Assign someone to shadow her. Gangu might contact her at any time. I want her under surveillance 24/7. Understood?”.

“Yes, madam!”, Imran replied, leaving to make the arrangements.

Pravalika pulled out her phone and dialed a number. Her voice was sharp as she barked into the receiver,“Where the hell are you? Don’t you know how to keep your team informed? What about the suspect you brought in?”.

Everyone in the room held their breath, recognizing the storm brewing within her. When she finally spoke again, her tone had shifted to one of concern. “What? Which hospital? I’ll be there right away”.

She ended the call and turned to her team before addressing them,“Charan's at the hospital. Something's wrong. Let's move”.

The group hurried to their bikes, Pravalika leading the way with Rakhi seated behind her. They sped through the city, arriving at the hospital in record time. Inside, they quickly located Charan, only to halt in their tracks at the sight of him.

Charan sat slumped in a chair, bruised and battered, his clothes torn, with two young girls clinging to his sides. His disheveled appearance was a stark contrast to the usually composed officer they knew.

Pravalika approached slowly, her eyes scanning his injuries. Charan, sensing her presence, struggled to his feet and saluted her.

“Good morning, madam! You didn’t have to come. I would’ve returned to the station in an hour”, he said, trying to maintain his composure.

Pravalika said nothing, her scrutinizing gaze making him shift uncomfortably. Imran and Pavan rushed to his side, concern evident in their voices.

“Sir! What happened? Who did this to you?” Imran asked, his voice laced with concern.

Charan offered a faint smile, his eyes darting to Pravalika as he spoke,“I was beaten up by some men sent by Akshay Kumar, the MD of A.K. Textiles. They attacked me at home this morning because I refused to comply with their demands. My mother saw me like this, and her heart condition worsened. The doctors say she might need surgery”.

Tears welled up in Charan’s eyes as he spoke, his voice breaking. The two girls beside him, his sisters, began to cry as well. Charan comforted them, introducing them to the team.

“Madam! These are my sisters, Swathi and Soumya. They’re both in college”.

Pravalika acknowledged them with a nod, but before she could ask about Akshay Kumar, a voice interrupted.

“Cherry!”.

A young woman in her early twenties came running toward Charan, tears streaming down her face. Without hesitation, she threw her arms around him, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Cherry! I’m so sorry! I didn’t know my brother would do this. If I had, I would’ve warned you. Please forgive me!”.

Charan held her close, comforting her in his embrace. “Anu! it’s not your fault. How could you have known? Don’t blame yourself”.

The team watched in stunned silence, surprised to see this side of Charan. Pravalika folded her arms, tapping her foot as she observed the scene with mild amusement.

Charan, noticing her gaze, quickly introduced the woman. “Madam! This is Ankitha, my girlfriend. We’ve been together for a year”.

Ankitha, still clinging to Charan, turned to Pravalika with admiration in her eyes. “Oh my god! Madam! I’m such a big fan of yours! Charan talks about you all the time. I’m so jealous! It’s such an honor to meet you”.

She extended her hand for a handshake. Pravalika hesitated for a moment before slowly reaching out. But just as their hands were about to meet, a thunderous voice rang out.

“ANU!”

Everyone turned to see a tall, muscular man in a sharp business suit storming toward them, flanked by two men. His presence was commanding, his perfectly styled hair adding to his striking appearance.

Before anyone could react, the man grabbed Charan by the collar and snarled,“How dare you speak to her again? Do you have a death wish?”.

He drew back his fist to strike Charan, but before he could land the blow, he was shoved back forcefully, nearly losing his balance. Pravalika had stepped between them, her palm still outstretched from the push.

“Brother!” Ankitha screamed in shock as she recognized the man.