Prerna glanced over her book "So, you said your name is Mr Bajaji-Baji?"

The stern expression returned to his face causing his eyes to shoot daggers at her and his jaw to clench "Are you stupid? My name is Mr, you know what I'm not even repeating it, you aren't worth the time" he shook his head in disbelief "Mr Bajaji-Baji" he mimicked under his breath. 

She snickered "Has a certain ring to it" hopping off the stool, she glanced down at the freshly cleaned area where the bodies once were, then gripped his hand "Dear God, please protect their souls and give their loved ones strength to overcome the difficulties they will face".

His jaw dropped "Did you just? Did you?" He was lost for words "Pray, pray for?" 

Pushing his chin up, she smiled sweetly at him "You'll catch flies, two people died tonight, it doesn't matter if you think they deserved it, humans should have the power to make life" her eyes met his "Never to take it". 

"You really believe that crap?" He felt himself leaning in, he had never met someone as...peculiar as her. 

"It isn't crap, we all need something to believe in, I choose religion, you choose" she moved her hands in circles.

"I choose?" He raised a brow.

Prerna sighed "You have to believe you're going to survive to do this job, that keeps you going, either that or you hope you'll die doing it" she watched his eyes flicker with an emotion she didn't recognize "Wouldn't you want someone to pray for you?" 

"No" he snapped "Crazy woman if I die and you find out, don't you ever pray" he warned, finger waggling in her face.

"Why? It does you no harm" she turned her head to the side as if analysing him "Unless of course, you don't believe you deserve to be prayed for" it wasn't really a question, just an observation, he was the typical character in her favourite books; cold on the outside, warm on the inside with enough past demons to haunt him forevermore, and of course the damaging belief that he would never be a good man. 

"Stop that, stop" he waved his hand "Reading me like that, I'm not one of your books" in that moment he couldn't believe he had missed it, in the dim street lights that shone through the windows he could see her as he always had, sure she looked slightly different now, her hair was a mocca brown, not black and she no longer wore glasses, but there she was, the same as ever, she looked different sure, but she hadn't changed one bit, he had learnt the hard way that she never would.

"Everyone has a story, everyone is a story, you decide how it ends Mr Bajaji-Baji". 

"My name is" he snarled, raising his hands as if he was strangling her "God I wish I had let them kill you".

She smirked "Look who suddenly became a believer, I'm sure I can find a bible around here, if you want, we can use it to knock away your sins, you saw yourself the damage a book can do" at her words she rubbed her head, frowning when she felt the swelling beneath her fingers.

Rishabh was near breaking point, he was tired, annoyed, angry and she just kept pushing his buttons, stood there smirking at him, acting like she was God's gift to humanity or something, but he knew her kind, he could see right through her act. "Make no mistake Miss Sharma" he was closer now, breath tickling her neck as he whispered into her ear "I could snap you in half in seconds if I wanted to, watch how you speak to me". 

She blinked slowly "I'm not a glowstick" her response surprised him, he had expected fear or something close to it. "Anyway, if you don't mind, I would like to go to bed" she hurried him toward the door "I wish we had met in better circumstances, but-".

Her words drowned out by his own thoughts of the first time they had met. 

"Excuse me? Excuse me? I said" she grabbed his shoulder and span him around "Excuse me" she over pronounced each letter, hands on her hips and a look on her face that could scare any grown man into doing whatever she liked. 

"Yes?" He purred, a sardonic smile on his lips.

"You pushed in the line" she tapped her foot impatiently "I was here first".

"Oh you were, were you? Easily sorted" lifting her from her spot, he placed her infront of his feet "There we go, crisis averted". 

"Hello" Prerna snapped her fingers "Are you even listening to me?" 

Shaking himself from his stupor, he nodded "Yes, goodnight" choosing not to expand on his response, he turned on his heel and walked away, a part of him hoped he'd never come across her again, the other part of him was already starting to find excuses to turn back and return to her.