She put forward a plate of something very spicy.

" I said I'm not hungry... " , Abhijeet shoved a bit. The smell made him giddy.

She smirked with noise.
" Yeah, you won't feel. But I know you are. If not for food....are you sure you need something else? " , she walked away with the plate, relieving Abhijeet. 

No, he was sure he needed nothing else. Apart from....

.....a shelter for the night.

He could gather his purpose of being here, with each passing second. Nothing else, but a solace, a seclusion from the world.

She returned, and settled in the same place.

Abhijeet cleared his throat,
" This....place is so...deserted....
The lanes below don't have a single human.... "

" Hmm. People get inside houses too early these days. Around seven. And this lane mostly has empty houses. Only few are occupied. "

" Errm.....  Do most houses in these lanes run the same business....as this....? " , Abhijeet was afraid of asking things, because he knew she could slam him any moment for not talking business.

Instead, she didn't.

" In this lane...yeah...mostly. Except for the first two houses. They are occupied by some brokers. But many of our fellow sisters left this place sometimes back.

This house belonged to me and a friend of mine. "

" Belonged? "

" Yes, she occupied the floor above.

But she too left few months back in search of greater prospects. Now, it's only mine. " , she giggled again.

Her giggle had some kind of addiction. It soothed Abhijeet's ears, and soul too.....as if.... 

" Then, why are you here still? " , Abhijeet asked.

She remained silent for sometime.

" I am...forced to. " , she said with a sigh.

" Forced! By?

Oh.... I guess the one who brought you into the circle.... " , Abhijeet stopped.
Why was he intruding so much? He wasn't the kind to....

Why did he repeat things again and again, even after being completely broken, just few hours back, for the same? 

" Nah, I no longer have an owner.

A little fragile thing called heart, forced me to stay back even when I didn't need to, rather, when I should have been the first one to leave..... "

Abhijeet didn't get a word. He didn't want to even. His head was banging hard.

He slowly lay down on the bed.

She watched the process.

" Good. At least you chose to behave a bit normal, after long. " , she too settled more comfortably now, crossing her legs.

The bed had a window beside. The dim street lights fell on her face, lighting it up in patterns.
She looked like an angel.

Even in the least possible light, Abhijeet knew, she was beautiful.

" Devdas? " , she asked incoherently.

" Hmm? " , Abhijeet was growingly unmindful, trying to gather things in the room despite the darkness.

" I mean, are you here in search of a Chandramukhi, after being deceived by Paaro? " , she giggled louder.

Abhijeet stared at the ceiling.
Not exactly.

No, not even partially......
Though, the world might think so.

" I'm not... "

" I understand. You aren't interested in sharing things about yourself, on a one night stand.

Okay then! There's one thing that remains. Open your clothes. "

Abhijeet almost sprang up and sat on the bed. Gasping for breath.

" I really ain't here for..... I swear....

And I'm tired of being stamped as a...

Since the very morning, I have only been..... " , he was shouting, although incomprehensible.
Just how, an accused protested, trying to free himself of a guilt.

She kept staring, all calm.

" I don't understand.
Why are you here even, if you are so afraid of being accused to be something you don't want to ? "

" Because, I hate the judgmental world!! When I'm punished of something I didn't do, it's better I do that and get punished. That way, the hurt will be lessened!! " , Abhijeet lay down again. He felt so tired, so very tired....

Plus his head was hurting hard.. 

" But if I say, you are here because you cannot face your parents, your relatives, the entire damned world? If I say, you are a coward who cannot  take a stand for yourself, and choose to....escape??  "

Abhijeet choked. And sprang up again.
This time he didn't shift his gaze from her. Mostly, she too didn't.

" How do you know? " , Abhijeet felt his throat dead dry, once again.

" How do I know? " , with this she broke into an eccentric laughter.
" Do you even realise, for how many years I'm in business? I can read men like an open magazine. I just did that! "

Abhijeet kept staring still.
She was so correct!
He really didn't want to face the world anymore. So much, that he had tried to come before a bus, the very afternoon. Wanting to kill himself.
But, maybe he was a coward in real terms. He couldn't even do that proper... 

" It's time you tell me your story, darling! It's time you open up, than die within.  "

" Why are you interested in my story? Shouldn't you be interested in business only? What if I deny you payment at the end of the night? " , this time, Abhijeet hissed, trying to judge the mysterious woman.

She smirked again.
" Not a person has got the gut to deny me what I demand, darling! You are a kid! "

Abhijeet stared at the floor.
His heart banged inside his chest, mostly trying to empty itself.

She wanted to listen, and truly, he wanted to speak as well.

" I can share only on one condition. You are not allowed to judge me. I'm tired of that...
If you do so too, I swear I'll slit my throat in this room itself. I'm sure you'll have a knife around. " , Abhijeet knew he sounded kiddish. He couldn't see a thing. How could he possibly find a knife? 

She had already broken up into another feat of laughter.

At the end of which, she said,
" You can never do the later, darling!
But I promise as well, I won't do the former.

I'm all ears! "

Abhijeet sat, holding his breath.

Utter silence prevailed.

Amongst which, a clock was the only thing talking,

Tick tick tick tick...........

To be continued..