She turned back and saw his face. His face looked like it has been devoid of any emotion since ages. He looked like a slate, all blank. Her heart came into her mouth seeing him in this disturbed state.

"What are you doing here?", Akira asked looking at him

"I asked him to come", Katherine interrupted and said.

"You guys need to clear out whatever is there rotting inside. I don't think there is a point in suffering so much. Be truthful to each other and tell what your heart desires. So I am gonna go off now", she said and picked her purse and left before Akira could ask anything.

"Mind if I join?", Raymond asked moving towards the front.

"Hmm...", Akira said and nodded.

He ordered a scotch on the rocks and sat silently in front of her. His heart was aching to take her hand into his own but something within him stopped him. Probably the time wasn't right.

He sipped on his whiskey and kept looking into her eyes like he was trying to find out the answers while she hung her head low. She was already a bit tipsy and wanted to avoid any question from him, for she knew that her sanity was lost somewhere around the corner, a bit far away from her.

Then finally he broke the silence and asked,

"How was your day?"

"Oh, very very productive. I completed the assignment given by Simon and then I had some free time so I ..."

Her voice trailed off as he moved his hand and his fingers touched hers, which were still fiddling with the empty glass. Her fingers stayed on the glass, static like they were glued to it. He then slowly removed the glass underneath and took her hand completely into his own, his thumb grazing lightly on her pulse point.

"Stop fidgeting Akira", he said and kept on running his fingers on her hand lightly.

Her breath became all shallow and she knew he was overpowering her. She was already a bit high and she knew that she would be turning into an emotional wreck pretty soon. So she tried to free her hands out from his enclosure and the moment she tried to do so, his hand gripped her even tighter.

"Don't", he said and looked into her eyes trying to peel off all the layers that she had put on to shield herself from him.

She gasped for air and then said,

"I need to go home", she said almost tearing up.

He wanted to talk with her so badly but seeing already hurt like this, he couldn't say anything. He requested for the cheque and released her hand which he had been holding so tenderly.

"I will drop you home", Raymond said and picked her bag and just when he was about to pick his phone to keep in his pocket, his screen lit up with a call from Scarlett. Akira saw her name on the screen and her insides cringed.

He dodged the call and placed the phone in his pocket and extended his hand for her to hold and get up from the seat. But she didn't even look at him and turned to walk ahead. But hardly two steps later, she twisted her ankle and immediately sat on the floor screaming. He rushed to her immediately and without saying anything he scooped her swiftly into his arms.

"Leave me, Raymond. Let go of me", she said landing small punches on his chest but he kept walking unperturbed without showing a hint of emotion on his face.

She kept struggling for a while and slowly the anger converted into tears. Instead of punching his chest her hands moved to tug his shirt collar. She looked up into his eyes and said,

"Why can't you just leave me, Raymond. Please make me hate you. It would be so easy to leave you. Please make me hate you, Raymond. Please", she begged and cried and he brought her even closer to himself. Slowly her hands moved to surround his neck and her face lied peacefully on his chest. Her tears slowly drenching his chest marking their territory. She had embraced him so perfectly that he didn't want to let her go.

When he reached near his car, he gently spoke near her ears, bending his head down,

"Can I? Can I just put you down for a second",

"Huh... I am sorry", Akira said realizing that she had already breached the limits of proximity which she had pledged not to.

"I think you should head back home. Scarlett was calling you as well. I will take Uber from her", she said and tucked a stray hair falling on her moonlit face. Suddenly she felt a few drops of water falling on her. She looked up and realized that it had started to drizzle.

"Just get in the car", he said and opened the door for her.

She knew that there was no way that she could win over him with words, so she obliged".

Five minutes into the drive, they were both covered with the blanket of silence and somehow that increased her tipsiness. She suddenly felt her head getting a lot heavy and she started feeling all weird.

"Raymond!!!", she said looking at him all of a sudden.

"I feel funny".

"Wait, what?", he said and parked the car on the side of the road.

She looked at him and all that she wanted was to kiss him badly. Her desires had slowly started overpowering her. Alcohol was clearly playing with her mind. She shook her head vehemently as if she was trying to push away her thoughts.

"What's wrong? What's happening?" Raymond asked her all worried and held her hand.

"Why are you so warm? Are you running a fever", he asked after touching her hand and moved closer to touch her forehead with the back of his palm. While he did so his eyes locked on to hers which were looking at him intently.

"What's wrong Akira? Tell me?", he asked unable to understand what was wrong.

"Get away from me", she said and opened the door of the car and came outside.

The rain slowly drenched her trying to pacify her body, her mind and her soul.