Swinging Prerna behind him, the man yanked the door open "Man the exits and patch that up" he gestured toward the gaping hole in the ceiling he'd just come through then slammed the door again.

With shaking hands, she knelt slightly "Mr Bajaj? Mr Bajaj are you okay?" Gripping his shoulder, her nails ran gently across the pulsing vein in his neck before she scowled upwards at the man who'd done this. "Who. Are. You?"

Releasing a muffled laugh, the man ripped off his mask. "Take a seat" shoving her toward the sofa, he placed the gun back in the holster, twisted a chair and leant his chest into the back of the chair so his knees brushed the legs. "You don't have to worry, he's knocked out for another" eyeing his watch, his head went from right to left in thought, "Seven minutes or so".

Swallowing loudly, she wiped away a stray tear then rose her head. "HOW CAN I NOT WORRY?" Taking a calming breath, her eyes shut tightly before re-opening again. "I don't know who you are or why you're here, I don't know anything, I'm just a librarian".

Scoffing, he ran a hand down his face "It's funny how much a library can hide, slide a book here, move a book there and what do we find?" His eyes widened as he moved closer, "A hidden room, but" he pouted, "I suppose you know nothing about that".

Shaking her head fast, Prerna pulled her scarf closer to her chest to cover herself from his beady eyes. "You're lying!" She exclaimed only to gasp when he shook his head in dismissal. "I don't, I swear, I don't know anything about any room, please just let me call for help, he'll die if I leave him like that".

At that, the man cackled roughly. "You've left him in a worse state than that before.

"Me? I only met him a few days back, what do you mean I've left him in a worse state?" Suddenly realising, her eyes narrowed "Are you talking about my singing? Rudeee". Honestly, men and manners just weren't a frequent mix.

Tapping his foot, he stood quickly. "So it's true then?"

"What is?" Her eyes filled with tears when he got a little too close.

"That you forgot it all, I mean" he shrugged, "I didn't believe it, still don't if I'm honest, I just wanna know why".

"Why what?" She cried out, "I don't understand what you're asking me!" Turning her head to the pool of blood from her captor's head, she covered her face with her hands. "Please" she begged.

"Please what?" He mimicked, eyes glowing with humour at the despair on her face.

"Please" she whispered, slowly standing to her full height, she gulped then in a split second the pen on the table went from her hand straight into his throat. Catching him by his jacket before he fell, her tongue ran out over her bottom lip. "Please" a sly smirk drew out across her lips, "Shut the fuck up, you're giving me a headache". Tossing him onto the floor, she flipped her hair from her shoulder then stood about him with her hands on her hips and one foot on his chest.

Smiling through the blood now running down his chin, he nodded in acceptance. "I knew you forgetting was too good to be true".

"And you messing up what I've worked years for is too good to be true" digging her heel down, she grabbed his gun. "You should know, Anu" her lashes fluttered, "A woman like me never forgives and she never forgets and I will never forget what you did to me".

"What did I ever do to you?"

"Oh" she laughed, "Silly me, I mean what you're about to do" wrapping his hand around the gun, she held it to her stomach then pulled the trigger which catapulted her backwards onto the sofa the second the weapon slid from his hands. Groaning, she kicked his back so he turned onto his chest. "The story is simple, you shot me and in self defence I stabbed you, whether you live or not depends on you though". Taking back the pen, she sat back calmly as he jumped up with a hand to his throat.

"You'll pay for this, Prerna".

"Oh, Anurag" she grinned, "I already am". Allowing the pain to wash over her when the door slammed, her eyes fell shut and her body lulled to the side.

~~~

"Prerna" Rishabh grunted out as he finally reached her. Holding his ribs tight, he lifted the other hand to her cheek "Prerna, please" his head dropped. Feeling for a pulse, he yanked her sloppy body into his arms "You can't leave me like this, not again" smacking her cheek, his face crumpled. "PRERNA!"

"Ow" she flinched, "Must you shout? I was trying to sleep" she admonished.

His jaw fell "You're awake? I, I thought" he trailed off.

"Oh" she laughed. Wiping her thumb across her top, she lifted it to her lips "It's just ketchup, Mr Bajaji-Baji, you should've seen me, I was amazinggg".

Pushing her away, he fell to his knees. "You made me think you were, that you were".

"No, no, not you" she tilted his chin up. "I'd read a book before about this guy who played dead, so I did the same, what happened was" she took a deep breath. "Before you woke up I heard voices, some guy was all like" she put on a deep voice "Get in through the ceiling, Anurag, you can get him through there, so anyway I stood there hoping I could get him from behind, but you knocked me out the way, anyway he had me on the sofa and was talking about private rooms and me hurting you with my singing and he spoke about me forgetting, I dunno" she swiped her hand away. "Anyway, when he came close I stabbed him with a pen and went all badass on him, I was all like 'Shut the fudge up'" leaning closer, Prerna dropped her tone, "I actually said the swear word, but don't tell okay? I was in the moment, I called him Anu which I personally thought was a nice touch, yanno, really make it believable, anyway I made him shoot my stomach, and the ketchup packs blew up that I cellotaped on earlier, oh, oh and I told him it was all part of my plan, anyway I made him run by pulling the pen out, I learnt about where to stab it from those books in your room" she finally finished out of breath.

"You went in my room?" He looked up.

"That's all you're focusing on?" Her smile dropped. "Aren't you proud of me for thinking on my feet?"

"No" he stood up, eyes icy cold. "All you proved to me today was that you are just the same".

"The same?" She grabbed his hand.

"The same as you've always been".

"I mean, you've only known me a few days, I can't exactly change that quickly" she laughed uncomfortably.

Grabbing her upper arm, he pressed his nose to hers. "No, you haven't changed at all and you never will" letting go, he ignored her yelp as she fell back onto the sofa and stormed off into his room.