Rishabh placed his thumb on the scanner, then pulled his ex through the sliding doors, halted at the bar and tapped at the mahogany wood "Gin, neat" he nodded to the bartender, then slid through the revolving wall.

"Oooh, gin as in the word in, that's smart" she muttered to herself, her shoulder right beside his as she followed him into a lift. "Bit tight in here, isn't it?"

His tawny brown eyes remained unblinking on the doors, his entire form stiff at how quickly she had worked out the code. She was smart, far too smart for his liking and whereas that quality was one he'd admired before, it now made her more dangerous. Stepping through into the hallway, he held a hand up to a painting that sat lopsided on the wall, placed it straight and held her wrist as the floorboard they stood on began its descent downwards.

"This is fancy" Prerna eyed her feet "A very futuristic lift, I didn't really think things like these existed, it's like a whole new world". She tried to ignore the desire to ask him why he'd fallen so silent, by now he usually would have berated her for annoying him, but on the plus side, his vow of silence allowed her time to think. Sure she was acting calm, but she had just been kidnapped, albeit the man who took her knew how to joke and was handsome as hell, but he was capable of murder and she didn't really fancy being on his hit list, at the very least she wanted to celebrate one more birthday and eat a few more doughnuts first.

The very next second he had her up against a wall, hands moving down her body searching for a weapon, whilst trying to avoid the need to advance his hands to beneath her baggy top to hold her once more. "The room on the right is yours, there is a wardrobe with clothing, toiletries are in the chest of drawers and you can help yourself to food in the kitchen, all utensils are plastic and sharp items have been removed other than what I have on my person" he exhaled loudly, stepped back and shrugged off his blazer. "Any questions?" He kept his gaze away from her.

"Usually before I allow a man to touch me up, I require them to take me on a date first, you move fast" she tapped her chest to calm her heartbeat. "How long are you keeping me here for? Why did you take me? Surely you know if I was going to report what you did, I'd be in witness protection by now".

"I was checking for a weapon, as long as I see fit, I work in a world where trust is never agiven, even when it is earnt it should never be to a full extent" Rishabh offered her a coy smile as he rolled his shirt up to his elbows after removing his cufflinks. "Imagine this as witness protection, I'm protecting you as much as I am protecting myself, the men who came after me will come after you and other than throwing a book at someone, you can't really do much else".

"I know you think I'm dumb, but I'm not that dumb, you made it very clear you don't care for my safety, so I assume you don't want to tell me the real reason" she brushed away the hurt in her voice and shook her head, "Which is fine by the way, but don't embarrass us both by lying" it was a suggestion, a joke at the most, she hadn't been expecting a gun at her forehead and his chest against hers.

"I do not lie, that's your thing, not mine" he growled, hot breath on her neck causing her to shudder against him. "Do not test me, Prerna, I killed before you, I will kill after you and I will kill you without even a second thought" and there it was, the first lie he had ever told her, if he had it in him to finish her, he would have done it a long time ago.

Prerna's eyes narrowed "Ever considered anger management? Might make you easier to be around" she slid past him. "Who broke your heart?" And as always, she was in the habit of saying the wrong thing, foot in the mouth disease was a serious condition she'd never succeeded in finding a curse for.

He laughed dryly, hand running down his face and resting over his chapped lips "A woman who resembled everything pure in this world" he smashed his hand atop a glass causing the shattered remnants to embed itself into his skin. "I learnt the hard way there is no good in this world, she was my drug, I was addicted to the feeling, little did I know she was poisoning me with each breath" he shook his head, "I made her the antidote, she was both the curse and the cure".

Turning toward him, her smile dropped "I, I'm sorry, I didn't know" she wanted to comfort him, to offer him something that would bring his soul solace, but she had no idea how to even begin. "The reason we all grew up knowing fairytales is because the lesson is one our loved ones wanted us to learn, there is always a chance for a happy ending, no matter how horrid the beginning may be, when we are hurt we see the whole world with black lenses, but our pain should be why we remain good, the world needs good, allowing your hurt to make you bad only gives the opponent a win they don't deserve, people are not perfect and once you make someone your everything you give them power over you".

"So, somehow this is my fault? For giving her power?" He swallowed back the taste of betrayal on his tongue.

"No, you aren't at fault for seeing the good in someone, you aren't at fault for having faith and believing good to still exist, we need people to still believe in good, because if you do not believe good exists, then you don't believe the possibility that good can win, then comes the question, what are you fighting for? Because, if it isn't for good to outweigh all that is evil, then you should relinquish your weapons and stop the war, bloodshed will not wash away your sins, it only adds to them". During her speech she had gotten closer to him, cuffed wrist making electric fizzle between their touching fingers.

Looking down at her, his fist clenched, blood dripping down his wrist. Innocence grabbed at her, owned her body with a protective force no bad could ever wish to conquer, but he had seen this look before, heard her melodic voice and felt her calming presence. In reality or in his dreams, it all ended the same; with him in tatters and her so full of pride for tricking him into loving her so she could loathe him the way she wanted to. Unlocking the metal that kept them together, he watched her hand massage her wrist, stretching it and holding it to her chest "Dinner is in the fridge, heat it up for two minutes in the microwave, fifteen on the stove".

"Wait" Prerna didn't exactly know why she had asked him to stop, but something within her told him not to let him walk away when he was upset. Alright, now was the moment where she needed to say something powerful, unfortunately she was no philosopher, so she would embrace her inner Sharukh Khan, "Kabhi, kabhi jeetne ke liye kuch haarna bhi padta hai, aur haar kar jeetne waale ko baazigar kehte hai".

At that he turned to face her "Did you just quote Baazigar? Are you mad?"

"I don't feel comfortable answering that second question" she pulled a face. "It's good advice, don't you think?" She gave him an uneasy smile.

"I am not a gambler, gambling is a pathway that will lead you to addiction, no one should gamble their heart in hopes of winning love, love is not guaranteed, Prerna" Rishabh squeezed the brim of his nose, she truly was exasperating.

Watching him walk away again, she tapped her foot, something had to be done. Welcome Pagal Prerna, only she could fix this. Jumping in front of him, she pointed to her eyes, then his "Yeh kaali kaali aankhein", she squeezed his cheeks, "Ye gore gore gaal". Seeing the anger flash in his eyes, she jumped back "Ye teekhi teekhi nazrein" walking back as he walked toward her, she bumped into the wall, voice a cheerful whisper, "Ye hirni jaise chaal".

"Prerna, if you say dekha jo tujhe jaanam hua hai bura haal, I'll slit your throat right here" Rishabh spoke between gritted teeth.

"That's it, you know the words" grabbing his arm, she span him out and began to sway with him, much to his annoyance and her detriment- this man was heavy!

His jaw tightened at her closeness, he could touch her if he wished and he did wish. He knew the song, the film was one they watched many times, her head on his chest and his arm around her waist. Gulping, he tried his best to act repulsed at her actions.

"Main mila, tu mili, haan tu mili, main mila, main mila, tu mili, tu mili, main mila" she stepped onto his feet "Duniya jale to jale, pyaar karenge, tujh pe marenge" she placed her hand overp his heart, "Dhak, dhak dil ye kare".

Lifting her off his feet, he scowled "You made my shoes dirty, have you any idea how much these cost?"

"Hmm, a tenner?"

"Try ten thousand" he brushed his front.

"Well that's on you, I got these second hand" she pointed to her sandals, "They have gotten me through some journeys, I tell ya". Noticing him ignoring her, she flipped her hair off her shoulder "Uff teri dillagi dil ko jalaane lagi, dilruba tu mujhe nakre dikhaane lagi".

At that his head threw upwards, eyes so full of a storm that it almost shook his whole body. "Gairon ki baahon main ithlaake jaane lagi" he forced the memories back at his own words and shoved past her.

Prerna didn't bother to chase him, instead she fell against the wall, head moving to the side to the beat in her head "Ye teri berukhi mujhko satane lagi" hanging her head back, she continued in a lower voice "Chodo ji, chodo, sanam, zid apni chodon, sanam". The slam of a door was the only sound between them after the words left her mouth.