Fahad's POV:

I didn't think she would look this hot. Black really brought out her features. I had spotted her the moment I stepped onto the rooftop. She stood out among the people. Everything else just felt like a blur compared to her. I had wanted to touch her face, pull my fingers through her hair but I don't think she was comfortable with that yet. I had always pegged her as someone elegant. How was it possible for a woman to look so graceful and tempting at the same time? She really was the best of both worlds.

'Kill me Fahad, I know you want too.' Rubab's imaginary seductive voice whispered in my ear causing me to let go of the fork and knife and close my eyes. I ignored the way the hair on my arms rose as well as the shiver I felt. This is just a mind game. The voice faded and I opened my eyes to see her cutting the steak elegantly without looking at me. Her eyes were distant as always as if she was lost in her own thoughts. What was she thinking about when I was right here before her eyes? Her focus should be on me.

"So, are we going to talk about it?" I initiated the conversation because she had been ignoring me since I told her about the pistol. She almost seemed impatient to leave. It really didn't sit well with me. Getting ignored by women. No, forget other women, how could she ignore me? Her aura today was different from that night. There was no fear in her features. She seemed confident, fearless and calm. I still hated getting ignored by her though.

"Talk about what?" Her voice was monotonous as she sliced another piece and placed it in her mouth. I watched as a little drop escaped from the corner of her mouth and slid down her chin seductively. Damn it. Concentrate, Fahad. 

She immediately wiped it with a napkin. She still wasn't looking at me. I felt my fist clench. Control your pace, Fahad. I need patience to get a reaction out of her. But I had wanted her to show me something. Something like how she relied on me the day Zohaib had came to her house. I wanted her to show me vulnerability. Only to me. Like back then. I wanted to experience that feeling again. That absolute control. That ego boast. That power and thrill.

But I could tell that her walls were back up again. Icy as always. She really was a guarded person. How thrilling. I felt an adrenaline rush as I thought of the ways to bring out her vulnerability. She should need me. No, not just need. She should want me.

"About us of course." And then it hit me. The perfect way to make her rely on me. "Zohaib has healed from his wounds. He had a concussion and two broken ribs. You should be careful. He might be up to something again. He is not the type to give up." Her fingers which were delicately cutting meat had stopped. She finally looked up at me. Her eyes were whirling with different emotions. That's it. This was what I had wanted to see. I felt goosebumps as she bit her lower lip in annoyance before looking to her right side.

"What do you suggest?" Oh? Was the Ice queen finally showing some submission or was it something else? I couldn't tell. Her voice was composed, there was no fear. It was hard to know what she was thinking about.

"Don't worry, nothing will happen as long as I am with you." I suggested with a smile. It was true though. I wouldn't let Zohaib get to her. She was too amusing to give up so easily. I could handle someone like Zohaib easily if it meant that she would rely on me some more. It felt liberating for someone like Rubab to depend on me. She was just so different.

"Yes, but what if you are not with me?" What was that question supposed to mean? Was she trying to get rid of me? Despite knowing the benefit I could bring her? Was she getting rid of Fahad Abroo? What was she playing at? No, maybe she still didn't know the power I held in my hand. I was about to counter her when I felt my phone ring. I looked at the screen and noticed the caller ID. 

Zunaira was calling. What did she want? Oh wait, this was perfect. I knew what would pique Rubab's interest. With a newly found idea, I put down the fork and knife I had just picked up and wiped my hands with a napkin before picking up her call.

"Hello beautiful," I answered the phone and looked at Rubab. I wanted to see her expression. Does it bother her? It should. But she was back to cutting meat and not showing any interest in me. "Do you miss me that badly?" I kept my eyes trained on her. She kept looking down and slicing the vegetables. Come on Ice Queen, show me something good.

"Oh, I am in Lahore. Yes, I will be back in Karachi soon. Party? Yeah. Count me in." I kept my eyes trained on Rubab but she didn't budge an inch as I continued to talk to Zunaira on the phone. "Sure, you can come to my house whenever. Bring your friends too." Much to my dismay, she didn't react to anything I said to Zunaira on the call.

"Sorry that was my friend from Karachi. It's been a while since we partied together so she was just missing me." I explained to Rubab who looked at me while picking up her glass of Pina Colada.

"Good for you." Rubab responded as she took a sip. Did she not feel jealousy or something? How odd. Women around me always perked up when I talked to another female on the call like this. "You should hurry back to Karachi so you can party." And then she smiled at me but it didn't reach her eyes at all. A fake smile huh?

"You know, I like this, I like your liberal outlook on life." I lied. I hated it. She should have been bothered. But I can't let her know that yet.

"Liberal?" She seemed confused at my statement.

"Yes, you seem unbothered by the fact that I talked to a woman so frankly on the phone." For a second, a split second, I saw amusement in her eyes but it disappeared before I could confirm it.

"Why would I be bothered?" I was taken aback by her response. "It's not like you are my actual lover. You can do whatever you want. I won't be bothered. It doesn't matter at all to me."

"Ah, I see." I felt the adrenaline rush dying down as I felt my ego burn. I knew she was going to be difficult but to think she actually didn't give a shit messed with my head. "That's good. I am actually a liberal and open-minded guy myself. I would allow my woman all kinds of freedom and-"

Her phone buzzed this time. She took it out and looked at it with a frown. It was an unknown number.

"Sorry, I should take this." She apologized as she swiped the screen and picked it up. "Hello? Oh? Haider....? Oh Haider! Yes, yes. I know who this is. How are you?"

Haider? Who the hell was Haider? From what I know Rubab doesn't have any brothers or male cousins called Haider. I had a whole background check done on her. Yeh Haider kahan se agaya hai ab? (Where did this Haider come from?)

"Yes, I am great too Alhamdulilah. Haider, can I call you back in a few hours? I am sorry I am out right now. Yes, that works fine. Perfect, I will catch you later then. No, no, I don't mind at all. I was going to contact you too. Allah hafiz, Haider." I hated the way she said Haider. It sounded so soft and reassuring. Why can't she call my name like that? She always sounds bitter when she calls me. Was she doing this on purpose? She hung up on the call and saved his number before putting the phone back into her bag.

"I am sorry, go on. What were you saying?" She seemed to be in a better mood than before. She wasn't as bitter and uninterested as before. Did that Haider change her mind so much?

"Who is Haider?" The question left my mouth before I could stop it. That wasn't smooth Fahad.

"Oh, Haider is a friend." Rubab smiled again as she mentioned him. "For now, at least." The hell was that supposed to mean? For now? Was she planning to change his status to something else? Calm down, Fahad. You are a calm, collected person by nature. A stupid phone call shouldn't bother you at all.

"From Medical school?" I inquired as I thought of ways to find out more about him.

"Why do you care?" Her reply caught me off guard. She denied it, huh? She was right though, why did I care? But the messed up part about this entire situation was that I did in fact care. I wanted to know who he was. "Didn't you say you are an open minded person?" She was messing with me. She was using my words against me. This was perfect. This made the entire situation better. It would be boring to subdue her so easily. Ice doesn't melt that easily either. I should up my game.

"You are completely right. It doesn't matter to me. I was just worried about you since you don't have a good track record with men." She scoffed when I said that.

"You are right, I really do meet toxic men these days. I should be more careful." Her tone only proved one thing. She was mocking me. I closed my eyes and breathed in and out to calm myself down. Don't let her words get to you. No one is better at mind games than you Fahad. There will come a day when she will rely on me, willingly, when she will take her words back. I just need to wait for it. Wait for a right moment.

"What did you mean when you said that before, the 'if I am not with you'?" Haider can wait. I had other priorities to deal with right now. She needed to know that it wasn't easy to play games with Fahad Abroo. You cannot use me and then throw me away. It doesn't work like that.

"Since we are both being honest right now so I will go ahead and say it, I don't trust you, Fahad. Not one bit." The way she said my name sent shivers down my spine. The good kind. I was glad she was finally saying my name out loud rather than Haider's. It was better than the imaginary sultry voice in my head. "I don't know when you will abandon me because we both know this is mere amusement for you, is it not?"

"What if it isn't? What if you are not just a mere amusement?" I wasn't sure whether I was doing this for fun anymore or not. It was true, it had started off as a form of fun but I really didn't know anymore.

"I can't rely on a 'what if'. How do I know you won't ditch me once you are done with your fun?" Ah, so she knew it was a game all along. She was smarter than I thought. Maybe she had given it more thought than what she showed me.

"You don't. You just need to believe in me for that." I assured her, turning my complete attention to her.

"That's the thing. I can't. I regret letting my guard down before and I refuse to make the same mistake twice." She seemed to look away from me, I felt pain flash on her face and I observed the wave of emotions on her face but then they disappeared as they always did. It was the same as that time we had shared a car ride. She was refusing to open up completely. Why was she so guarded? I wanted to know what her deal was. "Let's not forget. We can't continue this pretend game for a long time. Once Zohaib is gone for good, we will have to end this too. I can't lie to my family any more than I already have. I am grateful to all that you have done for me, Fahad, I truly am but you and I both know that it can't go on forever. One day, we will have to part. It's better that we do it sooner."

Her words struck a nerve. It made me realize something. Something so crucial. Fun or not, I didn't want this game to end. In fact, I hadn't even thought of it. I didn't want to think of it. Not now. Not ever.

'Will you be able to let me go, Fahad?' Her Sultry imaginary voice in my head echoed.

The only answer I could give her was no.