Krishna yawned, rubbing her eyes sleepily as she made the schedule for the next day. She stretched in her chair peeking into her bosse's cabin.
Om was working, bent over a blue print, with a pencil tucked behind his ear.

Krishan smiled.

Ever since she had told, well mostly yelled at him to actually work, he had been keen on taking up projects.
Everyday they met with people discussed their requirements and tried to get them a design that satisfied them.
The team was happy too, even though they complained of the hectic work shifts, they were always on time, trying to meet the deadlines and were on their feet with creative ideas.

Krishna on the other hand had her own job.

Keeping up with Om.

She had under estimated him to just be a soft hearted artist. But he was smart, had his way with the clients, gentle but firm.

He wasn't as simple as he looked. He was particular about everything, from the way his desk was arranged to the right amount of sugar cubes in his coffee.

Some where along the way she'd felt he had let gone of the grudge of being stood up by her, but time to time he'd give her tasks that set her teeth on an edge.

Like the other day he had called her at 3 in the night, telling her to go pick up a some papers from the office, for which a meeting was scheduled the next day. She had rushed to the office and managed to be on time the next morning with baggy eyes only to find out that the meeting had been postponed long ago.

She had spent the entire week grumbling and glaring at him for which he barley took notice of.

She knew she deserved it though. He was going easy on her for someone who'd done what she did to him.

Her phone beeped a reminder and she blinked suddenly. She sighed reaching into her bag. She stared at the two red pills in her palm before popping them into her mouth.

The remaining three red pills jingled as she shook it sighing, he could mistreat her as much as he wanted to but she needed this job. It paid far better than any job she had had so far.

"Are those sleeping pills? " She jumped, her hand flying to her throat " Om! I didn't hear you" She gasped, she fumbled, dropping her bottle into her bag.

He frowned "you mean sir"

She almost rolled her eyes "yes sir. I didn't see you there"

" You didn't answer my question "

She paused " Vitamins sir. I was taking my vitamins"

He shrugged, "alright, am heading out. You've got everything for tomorrow right? We are going to the construction site and...."

She was already nodding " Yes yes, I've gotten everything sir"

He nodded " Bye then " He hesitated " Do you need a ride?"

She girted her teeth, it was 2 am of course she needed a ride! " No sir am fine" He walked out without any word.

Krishna packed slowly, grunting as she got up. The job paid well but the working hours was talking a toll on her. The pills barley helped her to make it through the day, and they made her nauseous. But she had no choice.

She walked out the dimly lit street, hoping she would get an auto. The chilly winter air blew her dark hair around and she shivered, wounding her arms around her self.

She heard them before she saw them. A group of men huddled under a street lamp down the street, right across the lane, blurred by smoke, thick with marijuana floated around them.

She fixed them in her peripheral view, just in case. She wasn't afraid of them, she'd handled far worse men and had been into more ugly fights than she could remember, and she didn't recall loosing ever.

Life had always been a bitch to her so she had just owned to be a bigger bitch.
She watched them twitch as she drew closer, heads turned and she counted five heads.

She did the math carefully, she could easily take down two, but the fat one would be a problem. So maybe she should take him down first. She wasn't afraid but it never hurt to be careful.

The wind whipped harder and she coughed, her lungs seized and she coughed again, harder, hoarser and her throat throbbing in pain. Her eyes watered and her pace wavered, she watched warily as the men slowly made their way across the road onto her lane.

She tried to hold her cough in, to stand straighter and walk faster. Her hand dug slowly into her bag.

She knew exactly where her pepper spray was, safe in a cardboard box under her bed in her apartment.
She never felt the need of the spray when she could just fight them. But as her coughs increased, she thought otherwise.

A low whistle flitted from the group and they were about ten feet away. She held her sleeve in front of her mouth, trying to ignore the raging pain in her chest. Her eyes searched frantically for an escape.

A few more steps and they could see her face when suddenly the dim street lit up with a blazing light. And a car raced down the road, tires screeching and horn blaring.

She shielded her eyes, as a black Mercedes slammed into a halt in front of her,  she leapt back as the front tire ran up the curb.

The window slid down and Om peeked out " Hop in. I've decided to give you a ride"

She didn't think twice before yanking the door open and almost falling in.
He shifted the gears and the car lurched forward, making the men jump back in alarm.

The car interiors were like a shield wrapping themselves protectively around her.

Dark and cold, only the tiny blue lights on the steering wheel illuminated the car.

She shivered and she felt his hand move, flicking something and soon warm air came whooshing out. She sighed.

" You should've just said yes for the ride" He said suddenly his voice soft.

" Why did you even come back? "

He shrugged " I had my doubts"

She saw the familiar streets if her neighborhood fly past her. He still remembered where she lived.
Her lips lifted a tiny bit up.

The car slowly rolled to a stop. " Well " He cleared his throat " This is good bye I guess"

She reached out to the handle and stopped suddenly " Why can't we be friends Om? " She asked suddenly, then bit down hard. God! she and her big mouth.

His brows shot up" Well because for starters am your boss and-"

" Oh enough with all the boss and employee crap" She snapped
" I want to know why we can't be friends " She regretted it as soon as they left her mouth.

He fixed her with a hard look " Because we tried being that but then you decided to ditch me and didn't even bother to explain yourself "

" Then why don't you ask! Ask me like a normal person why I left you that night, instead of grudging on me all day"

He narrowed his eyes at her "don't push it and I don't grudge on you"

Krishna snorted" Oh please"

He bit down hard "fine. Tell me why. Tell me why you left the way you did"

Her throat went dry. She didn't really want to answer that. Then why did you ask him! Her mind screamed.

She looked at her watch" Shit I gotta run" She pushed the door open and clambered out, grimacing when she heard his door open.

" What the actual fuck do you think of yourself!? " Om bellowed behind her. She froze, she's never heard him swear before.

His face was crunched angrily " It was you. It was all you! " He stalked to her slowly.

" YOU came in demanding to share my studio YOU wanted me to be your dance partner YOU  wanted to pose for my painting. YOU left me! " He reached her, grasping her shoulders and dragging her to him until they were only a breath away. " YOU came for a job and YOU wanted to know why I didn't ask you questions, and now YOU are leaving me again! "

Anger radiated off him dangerously, Krishna's words seemed to die in her throat.

" Then why did you make that stupid deal? " He growled, " Why did you make me promises you couldn't keep and here I was like a fool believing every word that came out of your mouth, working my ass off for you"

He reached up suddenly, his hand clasping on her cheeks, her lips pushed into a small pout.

Tears stung her eyes, not because he was hurting her, but because she hated what she turned him into. And she hated that there was nothing she could do to undo it.

" Was it fun? "his voice dropped to a whisper "to see how easily I could just listen to you and try to dance harder and harder the next day only so that you'd have a fighting chance at your stupid competition? "

She touch his wrist, trying to lossen his fold on her face "Om.. Please " She whispered.

" You know why I did it? Cause I saw something in you, but now all I see is a coward, covering behind the fake exterior of a bad ass girl"

He let her go moving away "it's not a grudge I hold, it's hate. And tonight you've proved it how much you deserve it"

She sniffed, grounding her teeth, her hands hurt from being crushed into tight fists.

" Am done with you walking out on me" Om declared " am gonna walk out on you today"