int left = 0, counter = 1, right = cols - 1, dir = 0, top = 0, bot = rows - 1;

    while(left<=right && top<=bot)
    {
        if(dir == 0)
        {
            for(int k = left;k<=right;k++)
            {
                //*(pa + rows * top + k) = counter;
                a[top][k] = counter;
                cout << counter << " at: " << top << '\t' << k << "\n";
                counter++;
            }
            top++;
            dir++;
        }
        else if(dir == 1)
        {
            for(int k = top;k<=bot;k++)
            {
                //*(pa + rows * k + right) = counter;
                a[k][right] = counter;
                cout << counter << " at: " << k << '\t' << right << "\n";
                counter++;
            }
            right--;
            dir++;
        }
        else if(dir == 2)
        {
            for(int k = right;k>=left;k--)
            {
                //*(pa + rows * bot + k) = counter;
                a[bot][k] = counter;
                cout << counter << " at: " << bot << '\t' << k << "\n";
                counter++;
            }
            bot--;
            dir++;
        }
        else if(dir == 3)
        {
            for(int k = bot;k>=top;k--)
            {
                //*(pa + rows * k + left) = counter;
                a[k][left] = counter;
                cout << counter << " at: " << k << '\t' << left << "\n";
                counter++;
            }
            left++;
            dir++;
        }
        dir %= 4;
    }