6 months latter...

"Hello, can I speak to Amira"

"Speaking. And who is this?"

"I am Raiz." Who? There is only one Raiz I know.

"Sorry. Who is it?"

"I am sure your family informed about me and my proposal to you. It's been a long time. May be you have forgotten"

"Yes. Now I recall. What can I do for you Raiz?" why the hell is this guy calling me.

"I was wondering if we could talk over may be this weekend somewhere nice. I will tell you all about it when we meet" oh really. That's lame.

"I don't go out with guys. Sorry"

"May be I can come over to your place then?" oh God.

"No, sorry. Look, thanks for calling. Really appreciate your thoughtfulness. But nope. I have to go. Assalamualaikum"

I hang up before I hear any more nonsense than necessary.

I called my mother afterwards. I am calling her after 3 months. Well, I call her in between but she doesn't answer my calls. So I was surprised when she answered the call.

"Mum, Assalamualaikum. How are you?"

"Walaikumsalaam. When I have an ungrateful child like you, life can be nothing but miserable" not again.

"Mum, what happened? Why did Raiz or whatever his name called me?"

"Papa is very upset about how you brought shame and embarrassment to our family. He always shout at me for your mistakes. It was my mistake. I should give you in marriage when you were 16, when Mrs.Nazeer's son asked for you. Now you have brought not only me, the other two girls who look after me like their own mother, also disgrace"

"Mum, if you cant live in that house, you can come to me anytime. You are all I have and I will take care of you no matter what" I told her.

"I gave Raiz your phone number. Papa had some financial dealing with the family, and we demand you to marry Raiz. I am warning you, I am one step away from disowning you" she warned me.

"Mum, I am already disowned. I live on my own. I haven't seen you in more than an year. And have only spoken less than 10 times during this time. I will not marry him. That is my final answer. I have heard of him and what he did to his first wife. Forget about it. I love you and will call you sometime latter"

I hung up. Well, interesting. My step father is one of the most dishonorable people I have ever known. So this Raiz matter has to be tied to finances. Time will reveal things.

At the mean time, mine and Roberts relationship has kind of turned in to something of a friendship. He doesn't speak of his personal life nor ask any of my personal things. He almost own my apartment. He likes my interior compared to his which is nothing but a heap of garbage and messed up. And almost everyday after I return from work, he will come over and work at my house for about 2 hours. Mostly I make dinner for him. And then leaves. I don't have a TV. So he doesn't stay after 8 as he need to watch his games and what not.

But today, of all days, he is beyond irritating.

"Robert, get out of the house" I said for the 5th time.

"Ami, Please. I am having a headache" he was sleeping on my sofa.

"You should have thought of that before you invited that woman to your apartment. She is all alone there. Just go" this is becoming a problem for me. Robert date smoking hot women, bring them home and sometimes hide in my apartment.

"Tell her to go away"

"Robert, I swear to God, if you don't go now, I will not make a single meal for you ever again. Don't damn invite girls if you cant host them or respect them well enough to speak to them. Now go" he slept their like the moron he is most of the time.

"Just shut up and let me sleep"

I am getting worked up. Ever since I become friends with Robert about an years time, which is a regretful decision on my behalf, I am angry most of the time. He makes me furious one way or the other.

"I will ask her to come in here. You need to learn to respect women"

"No. I am going" he got up from the sofa with such an annoying face and told me quite harshly "I regret the day I met you"

"I am not so found of the day I met you either. Now go away"

He left. I am sure he will come in another 30mins time and nag me to death.

Robert dated all kinds of women. No one is good enough for him. But I no longer hear the climax screaming from the thin wall separating our apartments, for which I am eternally thankful.

I hardly know anything about Robert as he doesn't like to walk about anything personal. All he wants is food, someone to nag till death, complain about his work which he is going to expand, fake girlfriend me when women doesn't want to leave him, and then spend the entire day at my house.

Another thing I noticed is his temper. Though generally he is composed with me, he can be really cruel if he wants to be. I have not seen him physically abuse women, but his verbal abuse is enough for me to cringe. He maintains a healthy distance from me and it was more than I can ask for.

Not even 30mins, Robert came in with his red hair bikini model "friend" to my place.

"Hey, I am Alicia" she told me sweetly.

"Hello Alicia. I am Amira. Please take a seat" I said glaring at Robert. He is becoming pain.

Alicia is beautiful woman with red hair. She is supper slim, around my height. One thing I dislike is her heavy make up. Dress code could improve but those are not my concerns.

"Ami, coffee" I gave Robert a murdering look. What is he up to? He flashed his most innocent smile.

"What would you like to drink Alicia?"

"Would you have wine by any chance?"

"No, I don't keep alcohol at home"

Robert is a heavy drinker. But I have made the rules clear. He can not enter my house under the influence of alcohol. What amaze me is he respect such wishes. He did drugs occasionally but I managed to stop it with so much pleading, begging, nagging and finally not feeding him any food. And it worked. My apartment is no smoking zone. So, Robert does his smoking outside.

One thing I came to greatly admire about him is his honesty. He doesn't cheat when working or in financial dealing. He stick to deadlines. He work very hard.

But I will never understand his temper which can get really out of hand, his ability to be disconnected, his general philosophy in life. It's not that I didn't want to pry. But I felt until he is ready to confine, I have to wait.

"Then coffee for me too"

I made coffee and I could see Robert looking at me pleadingly asking for help. But I have better plans for him