'What? You have never been to CC?'

Brayden was shocked to learn that I have never visited this hype community that he thought that the whole world knew and it was I who as usual lagged in this knowledge.

'No rabbit. I never hopped on to that place. It's not even in my list to visit that place.'

'Scrap that. I am taking you there.' He seemed really adamant.

'So, finally, you are working on your dream to leave me alone in some stranded place and then run off.' I knew something was fishy.

'Great idea carrot! I will definitely do that in future but now it's not the perfect time.'

Tell me about it.

'So, how are we going over there? I don't know any buses or anything.'

'We will take a train and then we will see how it goes on from there.'

So much uncertainty in his plans.

We hurried to the railway station and I was juggling my way amongst the crowd. We both got our tickets after standing in a long queue and then hurried for our train that would leave the station in 15 minutes. We made it on time but got in a general compartment that was jam-packed.

I was squashed between big bellies and sweaty armpits.

'Brayden, take that corner spot. I will die in this middle.'

He nodded and with great difficulty navigated the way amongst the passengers. He took my backpack and placed it in a corner and then helped me. I was careful not to step on someone's foot but with snail's speed, I reached the corner.

I caged Brayden at that corner spot since he rested his back on closed doors and I was trying so hard not to touch our chests. He seemed unfazed by the situation and my mind was running marathons.

Awkward but bearable.

'Can I ask you something?' I decided to break the silence.

'Depending on your question, I will choose whether to answer or not.'

'Uff, so much attitude. I am just trying to kill the silence between us.'

He nodded his head to go on.

'Well, do you have a lover?'

This question just popped inside my head. I just had to ask.

'THIS I am definitely not answering.' This man had the nerve to close his eyes, rest his head on the wall and pretended to sleep.

'Oh please! It's not like I am going to call her or him and tell them the greatest truth of their life and that will be to run away from you. You can't be this secretive.'

Brayden never had told me anything about himself. Where he vanished in thin air for hours in the pretext of appointment? Was he alone in this world or had a family? What were his dreams? I was living with a man who had a chest of secrets and I was dying to unlock it.

'Okay, I will tell but not much.' As expected. 'She left me two years ago. I was happy with her but I think she wasn't. She needed more and I was unable to give her that.'

Awww that's sad.

I gave him my please go on look and after killing me million times in his head, he spoke.

'She didn't like the work that I do. She told me, "It's risky, money isn't enough, and my life is in danger".' He gave a fake laugh. 'For her money and reputation was the concern. I tried my best to win her heart but in the end, it broke us apart.'

His eyes cast down and I knew he must be reliving those memories which were somewhere deeply hidden in this chest of secret and it ignited within me to know more but even the hell knew that this devil can't be pushed more.

'Hey, that's okay Brayden. We all are moving on.' He looked up and his expressions were giving away the status of his heart, HURT.

So, I decided to lighten up the situation.

'But now I got to know what work you do.' His eyes suddenly hold interest since I had been playing the guessing game with him and had failed every time but not this time.

'She said, it's risky, danger to your life, money concern and all these points in one direction.'

'Which is?' 

He looked at me with his deep green eyes that were guarded by his long eyelashes and it was also my first time making such intense eye contact with him.

Does he use mascara, curler or what?

I gulped.

'Since it's risky and possesses danger to your life that means.......' 

I again gulped and really thought hard. 

'You are a zookeeper and you especially work as a guard for gorilla's cage. Your lover was afraid that the gorilla will see his brother in you and then one day you might get dragged up in his cage.'

My theories were always so bulletproof that nothing could tear this shell of truth.

'Your theories are so shit and I am absolutely sure you must have cooked up wonderful stories about me in your pea size brain.'

How did he know?

And he read my mind because a very tiny smile graced his lips that could have been easily missed if I wasn't standing so close to him.

The train was heading to CC, we were swaying left to right with every curve, passengers were departing and arriving and compartment didn't breathe air for space but then I felt something at the back. I tried to avoid it by moving closer.

'Don't you think Scarlett, you are getting unnecessarily too close to me?' Brayden smirked.

'Sorry. Didn't mean too. I felt like someone...' I could have mistaken it but I felt again. 'Someone behind me is groping my ass.' I whispered to Brayden and I was filled with disgust since slowly the filthy hand was moving to my waist.

Brayden suddenly looked behind me and his eyes got hard. 'Are you waiting for Santa Claus to come for your rescue?'

'No, I am waiting for this safety pin...' which I untucked from my shirt. 'Now, see the magic.'

I turned around and briefly smiled at the stranger and it disgusted me that he was a man in his 50's, he could be someone's father and his fungus brain thought my body was his property but without wasting more time I stabbed my safety pin hard on his waist.

He hissed in pain.

'What? What do you think of yourself?' I shouted at him with my loudest voice and gained the attention of all the passengers.

His touch was prickling me like a needle.

'What happened miss? Are you alright?' fellow passengers asked in concern.

'No, I am not alright. This filthy man...' I again stabbed my safety pin on his palm. 'Was touching me inappropriately. What? You thought I will stay quiet?'

His head hung in shame and he didn't say anything and no one else did.

'This old junk need to be out of this train on coming station.' I was shooting daggers at him and announced it in the whole compartment.

He was about to lunge forward when Brayden took hold of his shirt. 'Didn't you hear what the lady said, OUT.'

The train halted on the station of Maxmus and passengers made the way for the old filth to get out.

I realised that no one actually cared. Some waited for the drama to unfold and some didn't even bother to know what was happening beside them. All just wanted to get submerged in the crowd. They were all just breathing statues. 

I took a sigh of relief and turned to Brayden whose eyes were still fixed outside but the jolt of the train broke his attention.

'I thought you will be a damsel in distress.'

Was he trying to lighten up the situation now or he still didn't know me well?

'This damsel fights her own battles and kicks butt who crosses her.'

'Proud of you.'

'I know. I am proud of myself too.'

CC didn't have any station so we departed on the previous station and had to get a lift to reach to that place. I was already dead tired with travelling, shouting at an insane stranger and now lift. The question was to fight with the minimum chances to get a lift.

And we did.

The driver led the partition down of the back of a mini truck and the sitting arrangement blew my mind.

The backside was loaded with hay and bushes and the corner was graciously taken by the furball of white cute little lambs.

Oh! the perks of travelling.

'Thank you so much driver bro!' I mocked saluted and he gave us a curt nod.

'Rabbit, you have just found your soul mate.' I comfortably settled on hay and the white ball suddenly moved from its place.

I patted at the lamb and its head rested on my chest. It tickled me and for the briefest moment, I closed my eyes.

'Rabbit, this CC of yours better be a good place to take so much of my energy. Otherwise, you are dead.'

I opened my eyes and saw him snoring with my scarf acting as a blanket for his face.

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Hello people *says in a serious tone but with a broken smile*

This chapter was pretty hard for me to write because I had faced such a situation in the metro. I was in 10th standard at that time and the metro was filled with office going people and someone was masturbating behind me. I can't get that scene out of my head and his filthy face. Unlike Scarlett, I stayed quiet and just changed my place and this thing still haunts me that why I didn't shout right at his face?

PLEASE, NEVER STAY QUITE. These filthy pervert people foster on silence.

*changing tone now and becoming super excited*

I have to tell you all that I completed reading THE BOOK THIEF💃💃 and my heart just got ripped apart. This book is worth reading. I can write 1000 words and still I won't be able to convey my emotions. 

Though I would love, love, love to have a discussion with anyone who has read it 😍❤

And last but not the least *giggling* VOTE, COMMENT AND SHARE.

Happy Reading, Be Strong and Fight your own Battles.