"Who the hell are they?" Nandini demanded, glancing sideways.
"And why the hell are they trying to kill you?" Her voice was sharp.
"Actually…" Ruhan scratched his neck, shifting uneasily. "I... sort of... kissed a woman."
Her gaze snapped to him, mouth hanging open in shock. "You did what?!"
"Kissed a woman..."
"Was she your girlfriend?"
"Hmm… no, not exactly. Just... someone I knew."
"For how long?" Nandini pressed, eyes narrowing. "Weeks? Days?"
"In... hours."
"You kissed a woman you knew for HOURS?!" she exploded.
"I was being friendly!" he defended.
"Oh God... did she accuse you of harassment or something? Is that why they're after you?!"
"No! She was... enjoying it." He smirked.
Nandini clenched the wheel. "So why the guns and goons?! Why the hell are they chasing us?!"
Ruhan coughed. "See... turns out she's married."
Nandini froze. Her foot slammed on the brake. The car lurched. Ruhan crashed into the dashboard again.
"SHE'S WHAT?!"
"Gangster's wife."
"You kissed the WIFE of a GANGSTER?! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR GODDAMN MIND?!" she roared.
Bullets pinged against the car. Nandini jolted. "No time for drama! Drive or die, babe!"
She cursed violently, gunned the engine. "Why me?! Why did I open the door when you banged on it?!"
"I didn't knock. I broke in, remember?" Ruhan grinned sheepishly.
"Get OUT! Get the HELL OUT! You've wrecked my car, my life, my—"
"EMI car, huh?" Ruhan teased.
She gasped. "How do you know that?!"
"You said EMI. You poor thing... couldn't wait till March 31st for the discount, huh?"
"If I had known THIS was coming, I'd have bought a tank instead!" she snapped.
Bullets rained again. "Focus! Left turn! Tiny lane—go!"
She veered, car scraping walls barely inches apart. SUVs screeched, too big to follow.
"Dammit!" The thug cursed inside his SUV. "Boss wants him alive! We can't lose them!"
"You mean that idiot who kissed the boss's wife in public?!"
"We'll make him pay twice what he did," the leader growled darkly, stroking his gun.
Meanwhile, Nandini muttered, "God, why didn't I see this coming..."
"You could dump me here and drive off... but you won't," Ruhan teased.
"You WISH!" she spat. "Next red light—you're flying out that door!"
"Ouch. My heart."
She shot him a death glare. "You don't have a heart."
"Nope. Lost it... hours ago. When I kissed her."
"DON'T joke! They're trying to kill us because of you!"
"Hey, she kissed back. Not my fault!"
"YOUR FAULT COMPLETELY!"
Tires screeched. A bullet cracked the side mirror.
"Think they'll shoot the car dead or us first?" Ruhan smirked.
"I hope you die first!" Nandini snapped.
"Romantic," he sighed.
She gave him a wild look. "You are INSANE."
"Better insane than dead. Go faster."
"You want faster? YOU drive!"
"Don't mind if I—"
"Touch this wheel, you're dead!"
Suddenly, they burst into open road.
"Where now?!" she yelled.
"Mall parking! Basement! Lose 'em!"
"We'll get trapped!"
"Then rooftop! Hollywood ending! Big leap!"
"We are NOT doing Fast & Furious!"
Gunshots sparked.
"Ruhan—what exactly did you do with that woman?"
"Kissed her. Briefly."
"Define 'briefly'."
"Fifteen seconds?"
"YOU COUNTED?!"
He shrugged. "Best fifteen seconds of her life."
"I hate you."
"I like you."
"Drive straight to HELL!"
"Been there. Not fun."
Behind them, the SUVs split—one flanking left.
"They're boxing us in!"
"Rooftop plan?" he grinned.
"You'll die first!"
"Worth it if I get your forgiveness."
"Never happening!"
"We'll see."
A truck loomed ahead. Nandini gritted her teeth. "Buckle up."
"That's my girl."
She rammed the truck. Metal shrieked. The car jolted upward—onto the truck's flatbed, crushing crates.
"Up, up, UP!" Ruhan cheered.
The SUVs skidded behind.
"Next time—don't kiss strangers!" she yelled.
"Next time—I'll kiss you."
"TRY IT and I'll kill you myself."
He winked. "Noted."
The truck slowed at the overpass. Nandini floored reverse—the car shot off the truck, bounced on the road, tires screeching, flames licking its sides.
"We're ALIVE!" Ruhan whooped.
"For NOW!" she shouted.
A new SUV roared into view. "They're still coming!"
"Mall rooftop. Now."
"You'll owe me a new car!"
"I'll buy you dinner first."
"Shut UP!"
She swerved hard, tires burning, into the mall lot. SUVs thundered after. Nandini gunned it up the ramp.
"Here comes your 'Hollywood ending'!" she cried.
Ruhan grinned. "Jump for glory!"
She screamed and floored it. The car soared off the edge—
—into open air.
Time froze.
Ruhan smirked. "Best date ever."
"I. HATE. YOU!" she shrieked.
The car crashed onto the next building's roof, suspension groaning.
Silence. Then—
"See? Perfect," Ruhan whispered.
She slapped him hard.
"Ow. Worth it."
Sirens wailed in the distance.
"We need to RUN," she hissed.
"Or hide and kiss?"
"I will MURDER you."
He winked. "Later."
Suddenly—a bullet zinged past. They ducked.
"MOVE!" she yelled.
Together they sprinted for the stairwell. Feet thundered. Breathless laughter escaped them, wild and unguarded—two fugitives dancing with danger, drunk on adrenaline and something far more dangerous: each other.
"You think this is funny?" she whispered as they raced down the dim hallway, shadows chasing their every step.
"Only when you're this close," he said, flashing her a grin that made her stomach flip, even now, even here—with death licking their heels.
A door ahead. Salvation—or a trap?
They burst through, into darkness.
Alive.
For now.
But the night wasn't done with them yet.
To be continued...
Alive.