He admitted it. He damn well did it after an eternity of lying to her and the world.
"I can't believe you also lied to the real person whose identity you stole!"
"Also? Who else were you listing?" Rob stepped closer.
"Don't come near me!" She moved the equal amount of steps back with her hand warning him to stop.
He took another step she took two back. This continued until Sweety was tired and stayed put as he came close enough for her to feel his breath on her forehead.
"Stand back in a respectable position or I'm not speaking to you ever again," she made it clear pointedly meeting his eyes.
Rob remained unmoved and then.. moved a tiny bit, enough for her to take some fresh air!
"What are you doing here after I handed the locket back.. 'Robber'?" Sweety felt that twitch inside her stomach at the missing locket around her neck. For the initial days of being rid of it, she felt her fingers moving on its own to the nape of her neck. And that way she would be reminded of that awful day.
Of course, he had no answer.
Still she continued, "Well, that's the name you gave me. If you're here for more... things or expensive items, I've to disappoint you. I have none to satisfy you." He unsurprisingly didn't react. Thus she went on.
"Leave the school at this instant before you're caught. One day, the 'real' Frank Wilson is bound to get to you. Just leave." Sweety hoped her words were enough indication to what she wanted to convey.
She turned her body to walk from there.
"Rob."
"Short for Robber?" She asked playfully, turning, his back was to her so she changed course and stepped in front of him.
His lip rose up in a half-smile, something which Sweety had begun to like because he did it when he acted mysterious.
"Maybe."
Rolling her eyes lightly she dropped her smile, "You should really go. This place isn't safe for you."
They were basically across two steps' length but as Sweety was relaxing in her place, her reflexes fell short when he crossed those steps in a single one.
"Wha-?"
"Are you crazy, girl?"
Sweety moved her eyeballs to and fro his eyes, innocently blinking at him.
"I robbed your home, followed you, got you into a murder. And that day near your house, I was the one who almost killed you with that bike! This is how you treat your tormentors?"
Silence struck them within. Rob still had his hold on her shoulders, demanding her explanation for this. Just say one simple selfish thing and he'll believe it. He'll believe it even if she lied. But this?
The way this girl was responding, he was worried who was the crazy one among the two.
"You did a-all that?" She looked him stupefied, imagining the series of incidents happening to her.
"Can't feel the need to 'keep me safe' now, huh?"
"You need to go because I could be linked with YOU!" It was not the complete truth. Indeed, if one investigated closer, they can link Sweety with the imposter but that would be a seriously hypothetical case.
"Thank Lords and Gods! Sweety is not crazy! I am also not crazy! Yu-huu!" That was what he did after releasing her. In his enjoyment he even swift kicked the ball, Sweety cringed at the sight as if she felt the pain.
Ouch.
"Fuck!" Chuckling he claimed, "I forgot this was a basket ball. Ha-ha."
"What was this display for?" She queried. "And please give me a reasonable answer," Sweety ensured to mention.
"Oh that.." Limping a bit he walked to her to say. "I needed an assurance you are not a stupid girl. And you proved me wrong. Congratulations!"
Sweety made a questioning face, her expression sufficient to read. "You know what, forget it. I don't think I can try getting you anymore. Take your limp and go home."
"Yeah-"
"By home I mean back to Mumbai."
"Now, now young lady, you are not the one to decide that. I am my own man and no one controls me." Rob boasted.
"Yeah right. And you let yourself be black mailed by your friend to come here 4000 miles across."
Rob turned angry hearing that. She was literally laughing at him. "I am well acquainted with that. Now that you know all..." he rounded close to her, inching near her face, her black eyes opening wider seeing him prance. "Be my experiment."
Sweety did not blink an eye at his blatant request. Instead she nudged, "Someone seems to be short of memory. But that's ok as you are an 'old man'." She did not miss his perky eyebrows knotting together as she referred him old.
Controlling her smile, she jogged his memory, "I know you and your experiments are fake. So drop this and waste someone else's time."
She had it all planned and had taken off from him and his games.
"For my experiment to work," she paused after two steps, her back to him. "I can give you something... that was supposed to be with you."
She heard him approach her from behind, his injured foot scraping the ground noisily. Unwillingly, her heart rate increased.
Sweety did not turn though, even if his words hooked her.
"I don't think you possess anything you can give me," she voiced out when he was near her.
By now, she could hear him breathing down her neck. Oh no! Her heart increased on its own accord, not only from his proximity but also wondering what he'll do next.
Stop it.
Stop thinking such things!
I'm not very desirable for him to see me that way, she reasoned herself.
But right then Sweety's inner self mocked her- 'Really? Then how come you were loved by so many men?'
She shivered, shaking the thoughts from enveloping her senses. Sweety marched out of there without turning back. She did not even stop to hear the hiss of Rob as she accidentally kicked his foot in hurry. The injured one most probably.
Now she was already walking away. There was no point in going back and asking pardon, he'll assume she did it on purpose.
Let him!
No matter how much the girl tried to avoid, her sadist mind wanted to bring forth the past in front of her.
Really though, if I am so fat and undesirable for being.. a girlfriend material then why? Why was I used by those men? I was fat then too. Do men think differently or I am not seeing something they are?
Then her train stopped on this Rob guy. She was unsure if it was his real name, not that she cared. Despite that, she had seen the similar lust in his eyes. Not once or twice to count, lately, he had been staring her more than he is supposed to.
Like he wanted to achieve a score. Through her. Sweety's eyes went misty thinking how lowly she was treated.
"What do they think of themselves? Because I'm fat, I'll give myself to anyone! Not happening. It won't happen." Not again, she promised. It was hard to recount how many times she made that promise ever since she realized what was happening around her.
In the process of wiping her tears away, she cleaned her face, sniffing and composing self until her fingers brushed her neck.
Getting up to check in the square mirror positioned at her face level, she confirmed, "What-?" The rocky locket she wore as a gift from birthday was adorned on her neck. Just like always, suiting her perfectly as a match.
Answer to how it got there was clearer than sky.
"That bastard thief!" He not only melted her heart by returning the locket but it was a message that he was staying.
The thing around her neck was a bait she was greedy to keep. Too greedy.