●Part Five●

Abir had watched his mother stand in the midst of a tornado only to use the storm to spin other people's lives out of control throughout his entire life, but he never thought it would get to this. God, he knew she hated him, but to go to the extent of throwing someone so defenceless out of their own home just because they'd befriended him had to be a new low. "Mishti" he spoke sadly, unsure of what else he could say to bring the sunlight back to her eyes. He's always been so full of hate, but she was so opposingly full of love for the world, she didn't deserve this, but then again what had he expected? He brought pain to anyone near him, it wasn't going to be long until she burnt from the flames on his skin.

Exhaling loudly, her hands tucked beneath the shirt to pull it down then she cleared her throat loudly as if about to make a speech. "Ajeeb dastan hai yeh". Singing was something she did a bit too much, but it helped her stay calm when it became too hard, she wasn't an angry person and she knew that feelings filled with darkness only made the lights go out, so yes she was hurting and scared, but she wouldn't let it ruin her attitude, it would take a lot more than this- that was for sure!

"Oh no," he huffed, not again, why did she always do this? It really wasn't the time or the place. Sure she was funny, odd too, but she had just lost her house, shouldn't she be... crying or something?

"Kahan shuru? Kahan khatam?" She continued, ignoring his very clear concern.

"It started with my mother, but I'll finish it" he promised.

Scowling in his direction, her nose scrunched "I am trying to sing without distraction, I wasn't asking you a question". Honestly, she really couldn't catch a break, could she? There were many things that could be taken from her in this world, she wouldn't let her cheerful disposition be one of them.

His brows knitted "And why are you singing? Shouldn't you be packing?" The last thing he wanted to do was remind her of her impending doom, but still, someone had to because she was obviously ignoring it.

"YEH MANZILEIN HAI KAUN SI?" She shouted over him in annoyance. Couldn't he at least let her have this? A good ol' sing-song always made things better. "If you're not going to join in then shut up".

At that his eyes narrowed, usually, he'd say something back, but the crazy lady was clearly in shock. "I don't understand" and he really didn't. Had she gone mad?

Sighing, her eyes rolled back into her head "Na woh samajh sake na hum".

"MISHTI" he bellowed, hand clenched into a fist. He'd had enough now, she had to face the reality.

Jumping, her hand flew to her chest "Why are you shouting? I'm blind, not deaf" reaching for the pillow beside her, she flung it in his direction, pouting at the sound of it proceeding to smack into the door frame instead. It wasn't because she couldn't see, throwing just wasn't an ability she'd mastered.

"You kind of have a serious situation to deal with, is it really the time to be singing?" He was trying to be nice, he really was, but she made it extremely difficult.

"There is no specific time to sing, anytime is singing time". Mishti threw her hands up in despair, "Exactly what do you want me to do? This house is set out in a way that I can navigate, it took me ages to find my way around without my stick and actually feel comfortable and safe here without having to rely on someone else, I know the steps between each object in my head and most importantly" she ground her teeth in frustration, "This is MY home, I will struggle to stay anywhere else, but I have no choice now, so if I want to sing, I will sing because it helps me destress" pushing her hands into her hair, she grabbed at a couple of strands while pushing the butt of her palms into her forehead. When she heard no response, she slowly lifted her head "Abir?"

The door slamming loudly was the only reply to her mini-breakdown.

"Alright" she shrugged, "I'll pack myself then" she shouted, hoping he could still hear her. "Good for nothing!"

●~●~●

Mishti had been kidnapped.

That's right, blindfolded, gagged and stuffed in the back of a car. Why? She did not know. The blindfold felt a bit unnecessary, it wasn't like she could see her kidnapper anyway. Alright, so the second bit had been a lie, she hadn't actually been gagged, but it was her motto to always make the best of a situation and she so badly wanted to be a bit dramatic- yes she'd spent too much time listening to Ekta Kapoor shows, made her a bit dreamy.

It was all a bit odd really. She'd been stood outside waiting for her taxi to take her to a hotel, next thing she knew she was being hauled over someone's uncomfortable shoulder and that was it.

She'd been taken.

Dragging her feet as she was led along a stony pathway, her feet crunched atop the pebbles "Not that you care, but I was waiting for a taxi, when you're done can you drop me off to the Bank Hotel? Would make my life easier".

"Shut up" the man growled.

"Alright" her hands rose to pacify him. "Someone got out the wrong side of bed this morning" she muttered under her breath. It should've been her in the bad mood, he was likely getting paid for this, she, on the other hand, was doing this out of force and for free! What had the world come to?

"What did you just say?" He snarled in her ear.

"I said" she coughed, "Someone got out the wrong side of bed this morning" her head shook, "We make a right old pair, I'm blind and you're deaf".

"I. Am. Not. Deaf" closing his eyes as he took deep breaths to reign in his temper, he pushed her through the door and ripped off the material around her eyes, "Ta-da" he spoke dryly.

"Yeahhh, I still can't see" what was he expecting, that her vision would come back? She really didn't have time for this, Wednesday would've been a better day to be kidnapped, her schedule was slightly more free then, but it seemed kidnappers really didn't time things on her schedule, selfish buggers.

"For goodness sake" his hand hit his head. "Look properly" he ordered gruffly, she always did make things more difficult than they needed to be.

Moving her eyes around the very bright coloured room, she reached out her hand to run across one of the cupboards "It's yellow, just like my" she fell silent when her gaze ran across the strips of colour on what seemed to be the edge of each step. Inhaling sharply, tears wet her eyes at the similarities she'd notice anywhere- this was her home, well the closest thing to it she'd ever seen.

Taking her hands, his eyes shut "Five steps between the bed and the wardrobe on the left when you lie down, right when you face it" he walked backwards with her, "The bathroom is seven point five steps from the edge of the bed, the steps are spiral and lead upwards to the kitchen which still needs things fitted, I was kind of short on time, but" he was cut off by her chest bashing into his as she squeezed him tightly. "Recognise me now, do you?" He smirked.

"Abir" she almost sobbed into his shirt. "Thank you, thank you so much, no one has ever done something so nice for me, ever" she looked up. "You really are the nicest man I have ever met".

Peeling her arms off of him, Abir tutted "Now, now, don't get carried away, it's just until you find somewhere more permanent". He really wasn't the emotional type, but since his mother had ruined her life, he knew he had to fix it. "I don't want you to have any misconceptions about the kind of man I am, I'm not nice and I'm certainly not good" it was better she learnt that sooner rather than later.

"Maybe not to you, but you are to me" she whispered, so overcome by what he'd done for her.

Choosing to change the subject, he stepped away. "The rest of your things will be here tomorrow, I placed you on the bottom floor for ease, I'm on the floor above, so be quiet in the kitchen if you get up early". Moving to the door, he didn't bother to face her "I'm sorry about my mother".

"Oh yeah, me too" her head shook, "I wouldn't want a mother like that, you have my deepest sympathies".

"That wasn't what I-" he left it, he couldn't deal with her voice any longer, she'd just irritate him. He was seconds from reaching the top of the stairs when he heard her voice at an alarming decibel:

"GOT ANY WAFFLES?"