Cold Wars - a Lawyer-Cop Romance

Enter DIG

She wanted him to button her up. She just had a bra underneath. Is it unusual? Or is it common? Vishwa didn’t know. He buttoned her shirt, only stealing glances at her chest. Every cell in his body was telling him to take a peek. But the gentleman that he was, he didn’t do it. He didn’t want to be a lousy guy who would just touch a woman in front of her. For some damn reason, he wanted her validation. He wondered why. He was an IPS officer with a stellar record, he was good at everything he did and he had his life all figured out and yet, he became a complete mess around a woman. A woman who is never impressed with him.

After buttoning her shirt up, he immediately turned around and walked to the cupboard to dissolve any tension between them. Was he the only one who felt the heat? Why did she ask him to button her up when she clearly knew she was exposed? Did she like him? Or was she testing him to check if he was a p*****t? Vishwa was confused to the core. The super specialty hospital had a stand to put on the bed for patients to eat their meals. He picked it up from the cupboard and placed it on her bed. He walked towards the table and took the plate and walked back to her. Both of them were quiet when all this happened. Vishwa felt her gaze on him even if he wasn’t looking. He placed the plate on the stand and looked at her. Just as he thought, she was looking at him.

“Eat.” He said.

“Okay.” She said and nodded.

She took the spoon from the plate and started eating the pulao and kofta. Vishwa sat beside her on the bed, her legs brushing against him. She was on her third bite when there was a knock on the door and before either of them could say ‘come in’, someone walked into the room. It was DIG Sharma. Vishwa immediately got up from the bed and saluted him. DIG Sharma returned the salute by just a wave and looked at Shankaree who was looking back at him.

“DIG Sharma, I would get up to greet you, but because of the DC here, I cannot.” She faked a smile and pointed to Vishwa.

She pushed the stand a little further to make some space. Vishwa took the stand away fully so that she had enough space. She just nodded at him without thanking him. Vishwa noticed that her b***h face was back. She was calm and composed right now, her facial expression cold and distant.

She moved her legs and turned towards the DIG who sat in the chair Vishwa earlier sat. She dangled her legs from the bed, her cast clearly visible. Vishwa was sure the DIG knew what had happened and that he saw the cast on her leg. Vishwa just leaned on the table, ready to face the music.

Neither the DIG nor Shankaree talked. They were waiting for the other person to make the first move. They just stared at each other with vacant smiles. Vishwa just stood there with his arms crossed, glancing between both of them. DIG Sharma broke the silence, admitting his defeat.

“You said because of DC here. Why? What’d he do?” Sharma started with a casual question.

“Ah yes. That.” Shankaree chuckled and started. “DC here caught me, handcuffed me and crushed a steel tumbler at my home. The injuries happened then.”

“What?” Vishwa asked from where he was standing.

“That’s not what happened.” He said to her, completely disregarding his superior. He was talking to her and he clearly disliked the way she twisted the facts. She’s a lawyer after all. What did he expect?

Shankaree looked at him and said,

“Yeah it was. You crushed my steel tumbler with your bare hands. I’ve never seen anyone do that.”

Vishwa let out an exasperated breath.

“That tumbler wasn’t even that good. It was just thin steel and an excuse for a tumbler.” He said. Now they were bantering, that too, in front of the DIG. Vishwa looked at him, who was amused by this whole charade.

“Sir, she locked Fathima and Lata in a room when they tried to arrest her. When I asked her to come peacefully, she resisted arrest, ran from me and injured herself during the process. She also threw things at me so I had no other choice but to cuff her.” he said directly to the DIG.

“Look at you, whining to your superior about the big bad wolf.” Shankaree scoffed at him.

The DIG spoke then, cutting their banter off.

“I told the police women to deal with it to avoid any feminists saying a man arrested a woman who lived alone. You locked them in a room?” DIG Sharma asked Shankaree.

Shankaree was now looking him. She smirked and said,

“Surprising, isn’t it?”

“Very. It’s also surprising that Vishwanath arrested you. He was the one who opposed the whole idea of taking you into custody.” Said the DIG. She immediately looked at Vishwa surprised. She masked her surprise quickly but only before Vishwa saw it.

“Thank you DC.” She said and turned to the DIG. “Shall we talk business now?” she said.

“Sure. You said ‘an amount’ to Fathima and Lata during the conversation. That you will only tell me the amount directly. What is this ‘amount’?” DIG asked, pressing on the word ‘amount’. Shankaree thought for a few seconds.

“Should the DC be here while we do this?” she asked the DIG without even glancing at him or pointing at him with her head.

“Yes, Vishwa could be here. I have no problem. Unless you have a problem.” DIG countered.

“Absolutely fine with DC.” She said and gave a quick nod.

“Of course, you are.” Mumbled the DIG, but loud enough for Vishwa to hear. She was sure Shankaree had also heard it. The DIG was trying to provoke her. But Shankaree was a rock. She only narrowed her eyes, that too very little as a reaction. He kind of expected her to explode and say something back to the DIG.

“Mithra wants to settle for 15 lakh rupees.” She said.

Vishwa frowned hearing that. Did she actually say fifteen lakhs? Fifteen lakhs Indian rupees? Even the DIG was surprised. He raised his eyebrows.

“15 lakhs? For this thing?” he scoffed.

“Yes. Sir, you have three options here. 1. Divorce your wife and marry Mithra. 2. Don't do anything. She files a case and you are prosecuted. 3. Pay Mithra 15 lakhs and get this over with right now.” She said. The room was silent for a minute. No one spoke.

“I would seriously suggest option 3. Divorcing your wife is gonna be messy. Your wife will mostly contest the divorce in court. It will bring public attention. The media might dig up somehow about your affair. And even if you divorce, as I had said earlier, marrying a 20 year old leaving your wife of 20 years won’t sit well. You might not DGP before you retire because of all these things. Then there’s option 2. She files a case, she’ll show proof of your affair and she has texts from you saying you will marry her. That is more than enough proof to arrest you. Then the court procedures, which take years. I don’t have to tell you the extent of the shame. You will be pictured as a middle aged man who seduced an innocent 20 year old. Which is why, sir, I suggest you end this whole thing with 15 lakhs.” Shankaree finished.

“Child, I’m just a civil servant. Where am I gonna get 10 lakhs hush money? You must know what an IPS officer’s salary is. I do not have that kind of money.” DIG stated, but in a smug manner.

‘Now is not the time to be smug, old man.’ Vishwa thought in his mind. Shankaree just chuckled, a bit loudly.

“Sir, I’ve been a lawyer for almost 8 years. Been a law student for 5 years before that. And even before that, I have been aware of my surroundings for at least 3 years, give or take. During the past 15 or 16 years, I’ve heard a few of your scandals. Not just the ones which were alleged by the media.” She said.

DIG Sharma’s smug expression came to serious expression during Shankaree’s speech.

“The resort drug bust you ruined by informing the owners in 2020. News never saw daylight, but lawyers know everything. Then there was the political murder you helped cover up in 2017. Media alleged fowl play from some part, nobody knew which part though. The land mafia allegations in 2012, which earned you compulsory leave. The alcohol poisoning case when you were the head of Central Excise in 2008 and these are all just the things I know of. What about all the other ways you made money? Please don’t tell me you’re too poor to pay hush money now.” She said.

DIG Sharma was visibly shaken now. But who was emotionally shaken was Vishwa. The man whom he considered his mentor was just another corrupt moron? Vishwa never bothered to read about corruption cases. Ever. He was always super focused on IPS and he only paid attention to those kinds of news. State wise corruptions were not something they asked for civil service exams. He was still in the force when the 2020 drug bust was unsuccessful. He just didn’t know the man sitting in front of him was the reason it was unsuccessful.

Sharma smirked at her.

“What if I don’t want to pay at all? What if I just get rid of you and her? Nice work on the research, by the way. Took out my whole resume, didn’t you?”

Vishwa’s mind was fully blown, and not in a good way. Did he just threaten to kill Shankaree and his mistress? Vishwa decided to interfere if it went any further.

“Sir, you must know that there are other lawyers in this town, right? Mithra can go to anyone and they might not just settle for 15 lakhs. They might ask 1 crore as the price for your reputation and the lawyers who are in pursuit of fame will just file the case. As for Mithra, you’re never gonna find her. You don’t need me to tell you how smart she is. She is off shore, somewhere you have no jurisdiction over.”

DIG Sharma let out a breath and said,

“15 lakhs, you say?”

Shankaree nodded and said, “15. Account transfer, no cheque, DD or cash.”

“Account transfer? It’s proof.” Sharma widened his eyes and asked.

“Benami transaction, I’d suggest. She definitely can’t carry around 15 lakhs in cash and she doesn’t trust you enough to accept a cheque or demand draft. Within 24 hours.” She said.

Sharma just stared at her but he was thinking deeply. He was thinking about his next move before speaking.

Shankaree leaned forward and said,

“Sir, you were the first man she slept with. I don’t know about men, but these things matter to a lot of women, it matters a lot. She had to take a lot of counselling to accept s*x is not a sin. Please, do this for all the trouble you caused her. She will move on with her life and never ever bother you.”

DIG Sharma let out a breath. Vishwa felt that Shankaree’s final move was ‘first man’ and 'counselling' and she played it well.

“15 lakhs. 24 hours. Deal.” The DIG said and stood up.

Shankaree nodded and took out a piece of paper from her pocket and gave it to Sharma.

“The account details. I won’t text you this. To avoid any sort of electronic trail.”

Sharma just nodded.

“Also my hospital bill.” She chimed in.

DIG was in the middle of standing up when Shankaree said this.

“What?” he asked

“I know you brought me here for privacy and I was injured by your policemen. But most importantly, I don’t think I can afford the treatment here. So, please arrange for someone to pay my hospital bill too. I don’t think you need a reminder for 15 lakhs. Thank you in advance for everything.” She said and gave him a small smile.

“Alright.” is all the DIG said and turned to leave.

Vishwa followed him and reached beside him.

“I shall escort you to your car, sir.” He said.

“You want to bone her, don’t you?” Sharma said. They were both walking and did not stop.

“What, sir?” he asked.

“Bone. You want to. I can see that.” Sharma said.

Vishwa lowered his eyes but kept walking.

“Carry on. I’m not angry or anything.” Sharma said.

‘Yeah right, like I’m gonna care if you’re angry or not now that I know you’re a dirty cop.’ He thought.

“She dealt with it well. Digged up my dirt, made sure I had the money she was asking for. I’ve never heard a woman suggest benami transactions before. She’s a different breed of bitch.” Sharma said but not in a hateful way. He was clearly unhappy about losing money and he had to take it out on someone and the easiest ‘someone’ was Shankaree. But he absolutely did not like how he called her a b***h.

Vishwa kept his silence and just moved with him.

“Even low key threatened to kill her, not that I was gonna do it, but she didn’t budge. She has my respect actually. She played her cards well.”

Vishwa looked at the DIG while they walked, then they got into the lift and reached the lobby. Vishwa accompanied DIG Sharma to his car and right before getting in he said,

“Bone her and get it over with. Woman with balls like that won’t make a good wife. She’ll be a fire in your bed, that I can say.”

His car left the porch and Vishwa replayed everything which happened in that room since he reached that room. Sharma’s last words rang in his ears. ‘Woman with balls like that won’t make a good wife. She’ll be a fire in your bed, that I can say.’ Vishwa was confused more than ever about Shankaree. Did he want more from her? Or did he just want to bone her?