Chapter 6: Hotwiring the Night

They now went towards the fire escape of the residential building. Mihika's bare feet stripped of her elegant loafers in the heat of the chase were raw and aching, yet she couldn't afford to slow down. The fabric of her bluish grey silk anarkali, usually a symbol of peace, stability and intellectual depth, was now a heavy weight dragging her.

Above her the world was a blur of shadows and the distant rising noice of sirens. They were closing in.

"Move Mihika!" Dhruv's voice cut through the sound of the storm, sharp and authoritative. He was already at the bottom standing in the alleyway with a calm that defied the danger they were in. He seemed entirely unaffected by the fact that moments ago, they had jumped across an impossible gap between two high rise buildings to escape.

Mihika reached the bottom and hopped down, her feet splashing into a deep, cold pool of rainwater. The shock of the chill raced up her spine. "Easy for you to say," she hissed, her voice trembling slightly from the adrenaline and the biting cold. "I'm navigating a death trap in a wet, ten meter long dress while you are out here treating like this is nothing."

His blue shirt was soaked through, revealing the hard athletic build of his shoulders and chest. He glanced back at Mihika, his eyes tracing the line of her legs and her mud streaked bare feet. A faint, knowing smirk touched his lips.

"Look at it this way" he said, his voice dropping to a smooth, teasing tone. "You have ditched those heavy shoes. Your center of gravity is now lower and you are far more aerodynamic. You are practically a professional runner now, jaan."

"Don't call me that" Mihika snapped, though the annoyance was softened by the exhaustion in her voice. She pulled her arms tight against her chest, shivering as the damp air settled into her pores.

"Don't call you as what?" Dhruv asked with a smirk.

"Ummm.... and for your kind information, those weren't just 'shoes'. They were Italian leather" Mihika said, to divert the topic.

"Well" Dhruv said with a casual shrug "consider them a forced donation to the city's underground scene."

He turned and headed toward the entrance of an underground parking garage to look for a car. He stopped suddenly as they were moving forward. In a dark corner of the garage, there was a midnight blue Mahindra Thar. It looked like a beast waiting to be woken up. Dhruv's expression shifted instantly from playful to clinical. He walked around the vehicle, his eyes scanning the bodywork and the tires with the focus of a mechanic inspecting a masterpiece.

"Perfect" he murmured. "High clearance, four wheel drive and most importantly no tracking chips. This is exactly what we need."

Mihika watched him, her heart still hammering against her ribs. "Dhruv, what is going on in your mind"

Dhruv did not say anything. He just marched towards the car.

"Are you going to do what I think you will do?" Mihika asked.

"And what do you think I will do sweetheart" Dhruv smirked at her with mischief.

"You are not really going to try to steal this right? The alarm will go off the second you touch the door" she said her eyes widening.

Dhruv laughed softly a sound of pure confidence. "Have a little faith in me"

He reached into the waistband of his trousers and pulled out a thin custom made steel tool. It looked simple almost like a piece of wire. He walked to the driver's side, slid the tool into the lock and closed his eyes. He slowly turned the tool inside.

Click.

The mechanism gave way in less than six seconds. Mihika could barely believe it.

"Is this a hobby of yours? Do you go around hotwiring cars every day?" Mihika asked in disbelief.

"Only when a beautiful fiery art restorer corners me with a heavy brass lamp and ready to hit me" Dhruv joked.

He was busy sorting through a handful of colorful wires. Without any hesitation, he gripped two of them once identifying the right ones and tore the insulation off with his teeth.

He jammed the two copper wires together.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then the engine made a heavy noise echoing off the walls of the garage like thunder and the car came to life.

Dhruv jumped into the driver's seat, tossing his damp jacket into the back. He looked over, his eyes bright with the thrill of the escape and reached out a hand to the passenger seat.

"Welcome to Dhruv Malhotra's escape service Miss Agarwal. The destination is survival. Get in quick." he said.

Mihika grabbed Dhruv’s hand. His palm was hot and calloused, a stark contrast to the icy rain that had been soaking her for hours. With one powerful fluid movement he pulled her up into the elevated passenger seat of the Mahindra Thar.

Before she barely had time to pull her heavy wet fabric of the beautiful anarkali and closed of the door, Dhruv put the car into first gear and stomped on the gas. The engine of the Thar roared to life. The tires screeched, burning against the slick concrete floor and kicking up a cloud of gray smoke.

hey hit the parking garage’s speed breaker hard and then they were out the garage. The storm swallowed them whole, the rain lashing against the windshield as they sped into the dark, chaotic night.

Mihika looked at the speedometer which was increasing highly. She pressed her back into the seat, her heart hammering against her ribs.

Then she looked at Dhruv. His jaw was clenched with razor sharp determination. He wasn't just driving. He was wrestling the beast of a machine through the storm. His eyes scanning the road with the focus of a predator. A wild pulsing energy.

She didn't know where they were going or how this would end. But as the engine continued to roar beneath them, she knew one thing for certain. She was no longer just running away. She was in the race.

Finally out of the garage! Now that they are finally escaping, where do you think they will end up or what would their next move be?

I know the past couple of chapters was fully action packed. I have a few questions though.