Pay special attention to what's written on each photo and the photo itself, they haven't been made that way for no reason.

Wrapping an arm around Mishti’s waist, Abir pulled her up so she was laying messily over half of his body as he slumped along tiredly- for a small woman, she definitely weighed a lot when she acted like a dead weight, he’d heard of carrying the group on your shoulders, but he never expected he’d have to do it literally. “Come on, there’s something over there” he pointed to the far-right corner.

“I am coming” pouting against his throat, she snuggled closer to him, huffing with the effort.

Stilling at her words, he chuckled briefly “Didn’t think I’d achieve that just yet”.

Peering up at him, her brows crossed pathways as her foot stepped in the middle of his feet “What do you mean?”

“Never mind, I’ll tell you when you’re a bit more with it” he promised.

“Is Mishti not with it?” Confusion swarmed beneath her skin until her face contorted into a puzzle he was dying to fix.

His head shook gently “Mishti isn’t with it”.

“But Abir is?” Asking softly, she sighed.

“Abir is” speaking in third person, funnily enough, wasn’t the oddest thing he’d done all day and he doubted this would be the last weird thing he’d do when around his new partner, she had a way about her that made things more interesting for lack of a better word. Leaning down to pick up the burnt parchment paper, his eyes squinted “Can’t see anything”.

“Get it wet” she suggested.

“I am an expert at that” nodding, he twisted the tap to douse it in water, the appearing words only making his head pound that little bit more.

Flinging her head round so her hair whipped his cheeks, she grinned widely “Does that mean you’re like a shower?”

“No” he turned his head a little, “It means I’m a man and I know how to use what I’ve got”.

Gulping painfully, Mishti crossed her arms over her chest as if protecting her most prized assets from the inspecting gaze he so often threw her way.

●◇●◇

Slamming her heel on the button to turn the beams off, she cradled her hand to her chest while reaching for the key, throwing it to Aditya, she leant back against the wall “Anti-clockwise three times at the back, wait for the click then press the red button beside the fake guard”. Her eyes shut as she awaited the silence to be filled with something distracting, once again she’d managed to offend someone without really meaning to and that had driven her back to the long pathway of loneliness she hated as much as she adored- it made life easier, but it hurt like nothing else.

“Done” he grumbled, pulling a piece of paper from the opening, he held it up to her as he crossed the room. After her haste to rush away from him, he hadn’t spoken a word, simply because he didn’t know what he could say to wipe away the dread that settled within him as thoughts of past mistakes and blame sunk atop his brain till it was all he could think about.

Not bothering to look, Zoya ran a shaky hand up her left arm “Um, what do you think it is?” She hoped this would start some kind of conversation, albeit not a very good one.

“Dunno” he shrugged.

“Sure, sure you do” grimacing when he scowled at her, she looked over his shoulder to see the words.

Aditya turned so fast he almost knocked her over “You’re the woman who knows everything, work it out yourself” shoving it into her chest, he ran a hand through his glossy black hair while storming as away from her as he could possibly get.

“I can’t”.

“What do you mean you can’t?” He almost growled, body stiff and shoulders clenched so he wouldn’t turn back to face her.

“Not without you” treading back to him quietly, she placed a hand on his shoulder, “We’re a team, right?”

“We are? Anyone would think we’re enemies with how you act” he scoffed then snatched it from her hand, scanned his eyes over the words and turned to the door “It’s darkness, so we should go to the darkroom”.

Zoya followed quickly behind, nails digging into the bends of her arms to prevent her from opening her mouth and offending him again, believe it or not, she really hadn’t meant to. Hurting people wasn’t her aim, yet somehow she’d found herself in a place where she did hurt them before they could ever hurt her. Catching up with him, she smiled amicably “Any plans for the weekend?”

“What’s it to you?” He grumbled, “It's not like we engage in pleasantries, so why ask? Trying to get back in my good books so Boss Lady doesn’t tell you off?”

“What? No!” Sighing, she pulled a face, lips turning down before she made a last-ditch effort. “There’s a Farmer’s Market that comes in the area once a year, me and my sister always go, there’s a funfair there too, I thought maybe if you and Abir came then we could take some pictures for extra proof that we’re a couple” or something to that extent, it was the furthest she’d ever gone to appease someone before, making her wonder just why she cared so much that he was annoyed with her.

“Will there be candyfloss there?” He bobbed on his heels, “Zoya, you definitely know the way to a man’s heart” lifting her, he spun her in a circle.

“What, candyfloss?” Unable to wipe away the smile, she allowed herself to leave it where it was as she glanced down at him while trying to ignore how warm he made her feel when he held her like that.

“That’s right” placing her down, Aditya held open the door then jumped back “You gonna tell me off again for being a gentleman?”

“No” she blushed, “You can hold it open, but just this once” waggling her finger, she slid inside, a sigh of relief escaping her at the sign before her. “We made it, we finished” then she frowned, “But where’s Mishti and Abir?”

●◇●◇

Placing his finger and thumb together, Abir shut his eyes, took a calming breath and tried again “One more time, the riddle is ‘It can’t be seen, can’t be felt’ not it can’t be cleaned, can’t be melt” his head was likely bruised from the amount of times his hand had hit his forehead, but he was past caring- time was ticking and Mishti couldn’t seem to understand a word he was saying.

“THAT’S WHAT I SAID” slamming her fists beside her legs, she threw her head back.

Closing his fist, he held it against his mouth to stop himself shouting, yes he knew this wasn’t her fault, but he was going mad. “Melt isn’t even right in that sense, it’s melted, I just need an answer, Mishti, do you need me to read it again?”

“Nooo, it’s a penis” she nodded, flicking her hair away, “I’m smart”.

“It’s not a damn- oh, wait” he shook his head at how quickly he believed her, “No it’s not, stop confusing me, I think it’s darkness, so we should go to the darkroom, okay?”

“Or” her brows wiggled, “We could go to a room and I could see your pe-“.

“Uh,” he stopped her quickly with his hand over her mouth. “Any other time and I would’ve said yes” any other person too, he’d promised himself not to treat her as he did other women, something told him she deserved better. “But you’re high”.

“High, low, what does it matter? You’re so heightist” she accused, pushing at his shoulders to get past him to the room.

“That’s not even a word” he growled out, following her as he did, he almost tripped when she stopped suddenly. “What is it now?” He sighed again.

“You won’t tell not high Mishti what I told you, will you?” Mishti blinked back tears.

His features softened “Promise, it will be our little secret” he’d tried his hardest to put what she’d said right at the back of his brain, now wasn’t the time, but eventually, he did want to talk to her about it, help her if he could and if he couldn’t then he just wanted to let her know that he was here if she needed to talk.

Aditya smacked his back, a cheeky grin on his lips “Took you long enough, what have you two been up to?” He knew his best friend like the back of his hand and usually whenever he was late it was always because of a woman, but a part of him hoped he hadn’t crossed the line with Mishti, it would only make Zoya hate him even more than she already did.

“Not what you’re thinking” he nudged him playfully. “One of us had to get high and well-“.

“Abir” his face darkened, “Tell me you didn’t”.

“No, I promised” he whispered, then thumbed towards his partner who was now sat on Zoya’s lap, “She did”.

Leila clapped her hands “Took you all bloody long enough, you think I have time to waste? Does it look like I’m getting any younger to ANY OF YOU?” Alright, so she wasn’t mad at them, her recent toy boy had tried to force her to quit the ciggies and even with ten patches on each arm, she was still craving her fix.

“Stopped smoking again?” Abir asked sheepishly.

“Don’t” she bit out in warning, “Not today, Rajvansh” hoisting the door open, she pointed to the corridor, “Get in, come on”. Straightening her bob cut, she placed one hand on her right hip and the other on the shelving unit “Your ID’s are in those guys hands, they didn’t have to work today, but I wanted to look at some good looking men and women”.

“Don’t we qualify as good looking?” Aditya spoke up while taking his ID.

“No, no you do not” jumping onto the cupboard, she swung her legs. “Here are your other ID cards for entry, the FBI ones are for investigation purposes and your files are here too to help with crossing the borders”.

Zoya ran a manicured nail over the stain “Um, mine is stained”.

Mishti rested her cheek on her shoulder “Oh yeah, mine too”.

“Ours too” Abir eyed Leila.

“Alright, I had some coffee, a few cups and they stained your government paperwork, what you gonna do, make a complaint? You kids gonna try and ruin my career, well let me tell you all something, it’s already ruined, you know why?” She got in their faces, breathing coffee grains all over their skin, “Because I slept with the Boss and he had an STD and now I’m on pills for the rest of my life and that makes me dry as anything, so when my boyfriend who’s twenty years younger asks me if I’m wet enough, I have to lie, lie, so if you wanna judge, go ahead, but beware, you don’t stay wet for long” catching her breath, she ignored the terrified looks on their faces. “WHAT?”

“Talk about TMI” Aditya rolled his eyes, earning himself a death glare from his favourite boss.

“Are you okay, Leila?”

“I am your mother, how dare you call me by my first name” she glared at Zoya.

“Uh” she looked at the others, “No you’re not”.

“I’m not?” Her face creased, “Ah, I knew that, just a bit grouchy, nothing to worry about” she laughed it off uneasily. The withdrawal was really getting to her, her substitution of coffee had messed with her brain, who was she? Who were they? She did not know. “Have I lost it?”

“No” she reassured, pulling the secret stash of cigarettes she had for such emergencies. “You want one?”

“Oh, Zoya” she jumped into her arms, almost knocking her over. “I love you, you’re the best thing to ever happen to me” her hands shook, “Gotta stop with the coffee, bad for me” she placed a fag between her lips and moaned “That’s the stuff” her eyes shut.

“Are we meant to go?” Abir mouthed.

“GET OUT”.

And they all ran.

“I don’t think I’m ever going to get that image out of my head” they all spoke at once, shuddering.

Abir smirked “I guess no one fancies a kebab then?”

Grabbing her younger sister, Zoya grimaced “You’re gross and we’re going” she was by the door when she stopped to face her partner, “See you on the weekend?”

He smiled “Wouldn’t miss it for the world”.

Mishti waved “Bye big Abir” dropping to her knees, she waved again, “Bye little Abir”.

Following her gaze, he crossed his legs, hands in front of his private area “Goodbye Mishti” he laughed.