"Right lets make this more interesting" Aditya rested back against the futon, seven cards in his hand "If I win this round, I get one thing I want, if you win, you get one thing you want"

I frowned at my cards, there was absolutely no way I was going to win this round, I didnt even have a set of three, let alone a set of four "Fine, but no um" I blushed "Nothing sexual"

"Great, you ready" he led down his cards, making me frown

"How did you do that, we only just started this round, I call cheater" I shook my head

He smirked, tapping his cheek "I want a kiss" his smile was infectious and I had to look away

"No, I said nothing sexual"

"Its not sexual, people kiss on the cheeks all the time, come on"

I sighed, leaning forward, I paused before kissing his cheek, I pulled back slightly, my cheek next to his "If I win the next round, I also get something I want"

"Sure, im all yours baby" he winked

I shuffled the cards before handing them out again, and within less than ten minutes I had won, a smug smile on my face as I led them down "Great, now I have a question, that cut on your arm, how did you get it"

Aditya shook his head "You're something else, I knew that was coming, I was trying to find out who attacked me and I got scraped with a knife from some local drug dealers, beautiful neighbourhood you live in"

"Its a neighbourhood you live in too, but that doesnt look like a scrape, so drug dealers stabbed you"

"Uh uh uh, one question, you won one round, win the next one and ill answer"

I pouted, "Please, just answer that one question" I fluttered my eyelashes

"I" he scowled at me "No it wasn't them, dont try and give me that cute look again, it wont work next time" he huffed

I couldn't hide the smile from my face as I shuffled again, hoping to win the next round, and to my luck, I won the next five.

XXX

"So, do you have any idea who attacked you"

"This again, really, why are you so interested"

"Oh come on, I have a boring life, what's wrong with interest"

He sighed heavily "You have five questions right, ill answer them all honestly if I get something in return" he shuffled closer to me, pulling off his red jumper, his t-shirt lifting to show his abs as he did so

"That's not fair, we already had a deal, you said I get what I want, I want truthful answers"

He smiled, tipping his head to the side "Ill give you one more question, if you give me what I want"

"Fine" I agreed quickly, without thinking "Now the answer to my question"

"I have ideas of who it could be, but nothing solid"

"Did you do something that may have made someone want to hurt you"

He laughed "Who do you think I am, nothing bad enough for them to try and kill me, but yes bad enough to be injured"

His answer bothered me, my sister and best friend had warned me he could be dangerous, and yet if that was true, he was now sat in my house and I was alone with him, I tried to calm myself down with the thought that if he wanted to hurt me he would have done it already

"What are you thinking about, other than my handsome face"

"My next question, you said before you didnt like sleeping in your house alone, why"

His face dropped slightly "Its when you're alone and not awake that you're easier to attack, but sometimes those attacks come from here" he tapped his head

"Like nightmares"

He smiled "Something like that"

The thought that he struggled to sleep alone hurt, it was strange that he seemed to come off so uncaring at times and so nonchalant but really, he hid a lot. Maybe what I was going to offer was a bad idea, but maybe more than ever, he needed a friend. "Look if you want you can"

He stood up quickly "I don't need your pity Zoya" his tone was laced with annoyance

I jumped up quickly "Hey, wait, look im not pitying you" I went to grab his arm, only for him to shove it off, he turned quickly towards me

The next thing I knew, I was pushed up against the refrigerator "I do not need a woman like you to look down on me, I dont need your pity, I definitely don't need your sympathy, now dont start thinking that you and I share some kind of bond, you made it clear tonight you were never going to sleep with me and that's all you were ever going to be good for" he let go leaving me shocked and shaking

The door slammed as my body slid down the fridge, tears threatening to spill from my eyes, I gripped my sleeves tightly trying to muffle my sobs

XXX

It was early the next morning when I packed my things, ensuring to clean before I went away for the weekend, I put my earphones in, singing along as I zipped up my case "Agar tum mil jao zamana chod denge hum, agar tum mil jao zamana chod denge hum, agar tum mil jao zamana chod denge hum, tumhe paa kar zamane bhar se rishta tod denge hum, agar tum mil jao zamana chod denge hum, agar tum mil jao zamana chod denge hum"

I turned around to see Aditya looking at me from his balcony, I shook my head, pushing my table into the corner of the balcony and filling up the watering can I tried hard to avoid his gaze

"Hey, habibti about last night" I heard him shout, I ripped out an earbud from my ear

"Theres nothing to say, you've said everything already" my voice was bitter and I hoped he got the hint, when I looked back up he was gone