Akira kept fiddling with her skirt and then through her phone. She was a bit miffed with the way Vikram was acting. Initially, she thought of keeping quiet but Akira being Akira, unfortunately, couldn't. She had to speak her mind.

"Did you have a bad day in office?" she asked.

The moment he heard this question he could understand what was going in her head and he felt bad about the way he acted. He wanted to soothe out her worried heart but he was worried he would worsen the situation by saying something weird.

"Umm... no, just that there are certain things that I want to implement but the current scenario doesn't allow me to do so. This constraint makes me a bit neurotic", said Vikram. He didn't want to lie to her so he told her about his state of mind but in a way that she would feel like its all related to work.

"Oh !!,", Akira said and started feeling bad for him.

She instinctively took her hand and placed it on his thigh softly. She looked at him sincerely and said, "It's going to be ok. You will achieve everything you want in your life Vikram."

He was un-nerved with her sudden move but when he looked at her, he could sense that she meant each and every word of it. Her eyes were filled to the brim with sincerity and affection for him.

"You think so?", he asked.

"I know so?", she replied and smiled.

The ice-cold version of Vikram melted like a candle at that instant. She had that effect on him. Only she could bring this side of him out.

---

The moment Akira set foot inside Vikram's house, she was welcomed with a big hug from Vikram's mother.

"Oh, my poor thing !!!. You have become so thin", she exclaimed.

"She was always thin like this mom," Vikram curtly said and went inside.

"Don't listen to what he says Aunty. I haven't eaten your Chicken tikka for so long. That's why I have become super thin," Akira replied and they both had a good laugh.

"Mike didn't come?", she asked.

"No aunty, he had to do some project related work apparently," said Akira and rolled her eyes like she wanted to register a complaint against her own brother.

"That brat !!", she said. "Anyways you come and have food before it all gets cold. And by the way, I made your favorite sweet dish - 'Gajar Halwa', just the way your Mom had taught me." Then she fondly held her hand and pulled her towards the dining table. This was one of the signature dishes made by Akira's mom. Whenever Akira would visit them, she would make an effort to cook something for her even though they had an array of maids and cooks in the house to do everything.

Akira always felt blessed to have Vikram's family around her. Aunty had always treated her like her own daughter, like a daughter she never had. She always ran to them whenever she felt like she was stranded all alone.

"Hey, are you not going to eat with us?", she asked Vikram when she saw him going upstairs to his room. "I want to but then again I don't want to be the third wheel", he said with a smug smile and continued going towards his room.

"Oh is that so?", asked Aunty in a complaining tone.

"Let him go, Aunty. He had a really bad day in office I guess. He didn't even give me a hug today you know?", Akira said and looked at Vikram's direction as if getting a hug from him was her birthright.

He heard her and his steps froze. Probably she said it all innocently but somehow it pierced him like a thorn. He began to feel like a monster who takes away candy from kids. All that she wanted from him was a bit of attention and he couldn't give her that. Guilt started surrounding him from all sides, completely enveloping him within.

He turned towards Akira and said, "Come back to my room once you are done with your dinner. I have to discuss something with you."

"Ok my highness", said Akira then she followed her Aunty and sat on the dining table. They both started their banter in no time.

Vikram looked at them from upstairs. The view was perfect. She was perfect. She made his home look perfect.