Second Chance: A Dark Tale of Urban India-Chapter 105: Annoying Police and Pretty Reporter

Important note: Party names have been changed to avoid any association with real-world politics. Any resemblance is purely coincidental. Please read this as a work of fiction.

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The BMW slowed near the compound gate. Outside, a loud protest was already going on.

"To hell with Delhi Police!"

"Delhi Police is a disgrace!"

"We want our houses! Corrupt Chief Minister! Corrupt government!"

"Down with AJD party!"

Dust hung in the air. It was hot and noisy. A line of constables moved forward, swinging their lathis(baton). The sound of wood hitting bodies mixed with people shouting in pain. One man stumbled, holding his shoulder, but got pushed back into the crowd.

Media crews stood at the sides, cameras up, recording everything while keeping their distance.

Rohit watched from inside the car.

"What’s going on, Balwindar?"

"Same old story, Young Master," Balwindar sighed. "Slum settlement scandal. Party politics crushing the common man in between."

Soon they reached near the gate but it was too chaotic to pass.

While Balwindar negotiated with the constables to get the car through the gate, Rohit turned his attention to Aisha. She was still fast asleep, clutching his arm like a pillow.

He leaned close to her ear and whispered, slapping her cheeks, "Aisha... wake up."

She stirred slightly but didn’t open her eyes, letting out a sleepy "Hmm?"

His hand slid up, cupping and squeezing one of her breasts firmly.

"I said wake up, bitch."

Aisha stirred again, then slowly opened her eyes, yawning. "We’re already here?"

A second later, realization hit her. Her body tensed as she became fully aware of his hand still on her breast. She quickly grabbed his wrist, trying to pull it away.

Rohit leaned in closer and murmured, "Are you forgetting our deal? Any time. Any place."

She hesitated, then reluctantly loosened her grip.

Rohit smirked and gave her breast two slow, deliberate squeezes before finally letting go. "You slept so quietly. How was my arm? Comfortable enough for you?"

Aisha’s face burned scarlet and moved her gaze. She yanked her arm back hard and hissed, "Shameless bastard," refusing to meet his eyes.

Rohit chuckled softly, savoring her discomfort. This is just the tip of the iceberg, he thought.

The car finally rolled through the gate and stopped.

***

Rohit looked around the police station, mildly surprised. It was far cleaner than he had expected — white-painted walls, polished floors, and decent lighting. His Bollywood-inspired image of dusty, filthy police stations was clearly outdated.

The chaos, however, was exactly as expected. Officers and constables rushed in and out while civilians sat on benches with exhausted, sunken faces.

Balwindar spoke briefly with a nearby constable and managed to get them inside, straight to the inner hall.

However, when they reached the inspector’s chamber, they were told to wait outside because a meeting was in progress.

They were made to sit on a far off bench near the lock-up, where a few criminals were already huddled behind the bars.

A constable gave them a polite but insincere smile and asked if they wanted tea or samosas. Both Rohit and Aisha declined.

Rohit knew they were just killing time. What they didn’t know was that he had already intercepted their plan. His own arrangements were in place.

Then he saw the protesters from outside being dragged into the lock-up. Lathis came down on unarmed bodies, each strike pulling out fresh cries of pain.

It wasn’t his concern. Maybe unlawful, but he wasn’t their hero. He got bigger troubles his plate. Still, their suffering left a question in his mind. What was this land scandal?

His fingers moved to his phone as he typed. "Lisa, give me a summary of the ongoing land issue."

The protest outside had clearly piqued his interest—especially since it seemed connected to the dean.

Lisa responded with a clean chronological breakdown.

It turned out the slum dwellers had been given land rights, electricity, and gas connections in exchange for voting for the current state government.

But a recent Supreme Court ruling had declared those settlements illegal because they were for government use and had allegedly been sold cheaply by land mafias or simply encroached upon.

This led to the BAP-led central government announcing rehabilitation apartments for the displaced slum dwellers.

However, it was later exposed that many of those apartments were being sold off to middle-class families through rigged bidding. The scam went viral, triggering a fierce blame game between the fedral party and the state governmet, eventually putting the entire rehabilitation program on hold.

Now, a fresh High Court order had allowed the immediate demolition of the already cleared slums for a new infrastructure project — all under police supervision. That was exactly what had sparked today’s protest and chaos.

Rohit’s mind clicked. So these people probably weren’t properly rehabilitated... their houses were simply demolished.

Just then, a low, urgent whisper came from the lock-up.

"Hey... you... Suzuki guy..."

Rohit turned his head. A boy, slightly older than him and covered in bruises, was signaling him to stay quiet. He glanced around nervously before whispering again, "Hey, Suzuki guy... listen."

Rohit tried to ignore him, but the boy persisted.

"You sold the bike..."

A passing officer shot the boy a sharp glare. "Silence. Or I’ll break your bones myself."

The boy lowered his gaze, defeated. But he had already caught Rohit’s attention. Rohit recognized him now—the same biking crew, locked up alongside other detainees.

Rohit leaned slightly closer and spoke under his breath, "Right... I sold that bike. And you’re the one who paid for it. How the hell did you end up here, ’senior’?"

The same officer stepped out again, noticed Rohit, and pointed toward a bench near the chamber door. "Sit there. Don’t talk to them."

From his tone, he clearly didn’t recognize Rohit, nor was his aware of his background.

Rohit raised his hand calmly, defusing the situation, and moved to the bench.

Aisha let out a faint chuckle, amused by the exchange.

Thanks to the location change and partially open door, he could still hear the ongoing conversation inside.

The male voice spoke up. It was likely Neerav, the officer in charge. "Madam, if you want to find the phone, I can still send a constable. Why waste time filing an FIR? What if you simply dropped it and it’s still lying there?"

"No. I’m sure it was snatched during the lathi charge. I’ve already checked. Please take the complaint."

"How can you be so sure when you didn’t even see the snatcher? You’re wasting time. File it online."

"Are you going to take my FIR or not? I have a valid complaint."

A pause.

Then a tired sigh.

"Madam, you have to understand. For phone theft, we don’t register complaints like this. There’s a process. Use the app."

"Oh, nice," the woman shot back. "You want me to file a complaint on an app when I don’t even have my phone?"

"That’s not our problem. We follow procedure here. Borrow a phone and use the app. It will guide you."

"No. That’s optional. I know the law, and don’t forget, I’m a reporter. You’re neglecting your duty. Are you taking my complaint or not?"

Rohit glanced inside.

A woman in her early twenties stood across the desk, refusing to back down. Neerav looked visibly irritated, his patience thinning with every passing second.

A faint smirk touched Rohit’s lips.

At this rate, the meeting wouldn’t last much longer.Right on cue, the bell rang.

"Send the next one in," Neerav snapped. "I don’t have time for this."

"I’m not leaving," the woman said flatly.

"Then at least leave the chair," he shot back. "We’re on duty, damn it."

Moments later, a constable stepped out. "Sir is calling you." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Rohit smiled and walked into the chamber.

Inside, the tension hadn’t settled. The woman had stepped aside, but her expression remained tight, eyes still burning with irritation.

Rohit’s gaze flicked toward her briefly. Something about her felt familiar.

Press band.. EPB News..

He had seen her before. But Where?

Neerav frowned, clearly not expecting him. Massaging his temples, he gestured toward the chair. "Yes, Young Master Singhania... please, have a seat."

The girl looked at Rohit and immediately pointed at him as if recalling. "You.."

Neerav straightened, startled. "What? You mean he took your mobile?"