"Err... Sidd - by the way, why did you come here?"

"Why, am I not allowed?"

"No no, it's not that. Just asking - you know."

"Anyways, you can stay here if you want - I need to go somewhere for half an hour. I need to meet someone."

"Oh please. Don't tell me you're meeting that bastard?" Sidd slammed his palms together and raised them like he was praying.

"Siddharth." I said sternly.

"Alright then, what's his name?" Sidd grabbed an apple and bit hard into it.

"Faisal."

"Oh right. Faisal."

"Faiiiiisal main Faaaaisal." He began murmuring a tune to "Laila main Laila."

He trailed off when he saw me shooting an annoyed look at him.

"You know, we've been really good friends since Uni." I began frying an egg in the pan. The liquidy substance began tickling the edges of the metal and it sizzled in the heat.

"Oh really? So you've known him longer than me?"

I shook my head with a smile. "You want to be the best in everything don't ya?" I teased.

"No. I want satisfaction." He said empathetically.

My smile lessened and silence surrounded us for a few seconds.

"Eat that." I ordered him politely.

"Egg?"

"Yes. It's good for you. STOP drinking beer in my house."

"Oh you don't like beer?" He quickly chucked it in the bin.

"I don't mind, but it's alcohol so -"

"Okay inspector ma'am." He teased, digging into the egg.

My head jerked up towards him but he didn't realize.

Okay good. That was just a co-incidence.

"So... see you in a bit." I waved and he gave me a sarcastic smile.

"I'll be back soon, I promise!"

"Yeah yeah....." he looked away. "Bye,"

I shut the door behind me and I saw a young lady shuffling on her feat and leaning against the door in a drunk way.

"Um.... excuse me?" I asked her.

"Huuuhh.... why are you here? I thought - I thought you ran awayyyy....."

She was definitely not in her conscious state. Her eyes looked weary but she had a weak smile plastered across her face. Her party dress looked half zipped up and one sleeve dangled down her shoulder.

"Are you drunk?" I asked her rather bluntly.

"Noooo.... I never get drunk. My boyfriend - you know him. Arre you know him na - Vishal?" She said in a hazy voice.

My eyes widened at this. Vishal? That name sounded suspiciously like a guy who I met at.... WHO I MET AT THAT SECRET ALLEY!

Damn. She must have been there too?

"Um - what's your name?"

She lifted her head slowly and stared at me for a while.

Suddenly, the creaking of the opening door hinge sounded; making me jump.

A face popped out from behind.

"REEEEM!"

I started sweating.

"Ahhhh.... see - this is my boyfriend. You know him, Roshni?"

"My name's Reem, not R...."

"Ohhh yesss....."

"Oh errr, please excuse Jannat. Jannat! Get inside the house now!" Vishal whispered through gritted teeth.

"So... you live here Reem?" He smiled.

I didn't reply, yet just watched Jannat slip her shoes off behind Vishal.

"Hello?" He clicked his fingers.

I blinked. "Oh - yeah, I live...."

"That's awesome!" He cried.

I gulped. It was awesome? Being neighbors with my victim? I don't think so.

"But who's Roshni? And why did Jannat think I was Roshni."

Vishal stiffened. "Well..... you see - Roshni was her best friend in university but -"

Suddenly, something clicked. Roshni - I had a friend called Roshni. AND OMG - JANNAT! The same Jannat who was my friend too!

"So... what happened to Roshni?"

"What do you mean? Nothing - yeah, nothing." He said hesitantly.

I eyed him taking glances of me.

"I need to know."

"Why?"

"Well - I just do. And if you're not telling me, I'm going to think you don't count me as your friend."
Blackmailing always worked.

Vishal stood still for a few seconds then tucked his hands into his pockets.

"She.... well - you know Bhavesh told you that we kept prisoners? Err - she's one of those."

My feet seemed to feel the vibration of the ground when I heard what he said.

My best friend? Prisoner? No way.

"Oh." Was all I said.

He smiled reluctantly and rested his hand on my shoulder.

"It's alright. You will always be our best friend because you saved us from the police. We can trust you." He sighed.

I smiled back.

"Vishal - I have to go somewhere now, but, great - meeting - you and finding out that - that y-you're my neighbor."

"Alright then! See ya." He shut the door and I felt the urgency to tell Faisal all this.

"Hello? Hello Faisal, meet me at Sunrise Cafe now."

"I'm near your house, I can meet you there."

"No - my house isn't safe."

"What?"

"Err, well - I mean.... you know what - just come to the office. That's the best place."

"Alright then?! Bye." He cut the call.

I know that sounded dumb, but my house was not a great place to discuss about my neighbor.