What’s wrong?

I called her -

Lily on 1st April,

Julie on 15th,

Rekha on 3rd May.

She didn’t complain, yell or Punch me in the face.

What’s this about?

Love or money

Couldn't be money - she had a better paying job than me.

And we were dating just for almost a month, so love, NO.

She liked to watch horror and thriller, but never flinched, blinked or screamed in the murder scenes. We watched the documentaries she brought on serial killers, weird choice, on a movie night. I retched at one of the scene, she giggled and patted my cheeks.

I gulped down some water. What if she was a serial killer finding her next target, Maybe. There was one wanted in this area for months.

I gaped at her at dinner, Nah, serial killer, but knowing a serial killer just by his or her looks would have made it easier for everybody.

Something was supposed to be wrong with her.

I started avoiding her, but she wasn’t clingy in the first place so I doubted she barely noticed. Ghosting her altogether would provoke her so I tossed that idea out of the window. She knew where I lived. In these situation, I regretted the friends I had, only two though. One could get you anything that’s harder to buy in the state, if you understand what I mean and another one only called when he needed a wingman in a club.

Not anyone like a badass cop going out of his way to got information about this girl, getting evidence and then arresting her and saving me.

On a Saturday, she took me to a cemetery, “ Coming here I understand more about the philosophy of birth, sufferings and death, ” she said.

'Serial killer' my head knocked, philosophy student, I answered to it, but somewhere I wasn’t satisfied.

I nodded. She invited me to her house next Tuesday, it was her birthday. I insisted to go to a fancy restaurant.

She denied, “ I will cook for you.”

So, next Tuesday was to be my dooms day, or maybe I was just paranoid.

I had been robbed before on a date so I chose not to take any risks . I bought a Pepper spray, a long rope, a huge knife packed them in an old college bag.

I could light her curtains on fire to alert her neighbors. Use the pepper spray if she chased or slid down her balcony by the rope if trapped, and in the worst case scenario, fight her with the knife.

I reached her apartment, pressed the doorbell, wiped my sweating forehead on my sleeves. Checked my pocket for the lighter.

She opened the door.

“ What’s in the huge bag,” she chuckled, “ My gift?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.

“ Maybe.” I said.

The room was decorated with candles, the air thick with aroma of the food. I decided to swap my food plates when she would not look and not to drink anything not even water.

She cut her cake and offered me a piece, “ I am allergic.” I said. She arranged the plates on the dinner table when I gazed around every corner while slumping on the couch.

She trudged towards me. I straightened my back and held my bag close. She plonked beside me.

“ I wanted to tell you something for a long time. Don’t be mad, ” she said.

She held her hair back, a white plastic thing in her ears, “ It’s a hearing aid. I cannot hear well without it. Most of the time I kept my hair down because of that and didn’t wear it many times. I didn’t want you to judge me by my disability without knowing me first. But now, being a few months, I think you should know.”

Thank God.

“ It’s totally cool. I understand,” I said.

“ You are great guy,” she smiled, loosening her hair.

I ate the dinner like a beast. I was extremely hungry, and resisted to stay back at hers. I didn’t sleep last night preparing for her “ BIRTHDAY”

At the door, she said, “ Are you forgetting something?” She opened her palm pointing my face “ My gift?”

“ Gift. Okay.” I pulled out the Pepper spray from my bag and gave her, “ This, so that you can always stay safe on the roads and protect yourself from serial killers.”

“ You are funny.” She said.

“ I get that a lot,” I snickered, “ So, goodnight and happy birthday once again, Julie.”

This time though, she heard.

“ It’s Rose, You moron.”