Akira stood in front of the mirror and then finally zipped her dress up. Her strapless maroon gown made her look like the Goddess of Seduction. Her dress clung tight to her chest accentuating her curves. It totally flaunted her thin waistline and made her ample bosom look all the more prominent. The corset of her dress hung low on her chest revealing just the right amount cleavage making her look all sultry. The dress was bare from the back with nothing but a chain of gold holding the piece together and revealed her silky smooth skin. She checked herself in the mirror a couple of times to make sure that it wasn't too much for she was so worried as she was wearing something so inviting for the first time in her life.

Once she felt that she was done, she took a light twirl in front of the mirror and slightly giggled. She was nervous but excited at the same time. Her heart raced with anticipation thinking about what his reaction would be. She bit her lips as she couldn't contain her excitement and called him up.

"Hey there!!!"

"Hi, are you ready?", she asked.

"Yeah, just fixing my bow-tie. You?"

"I am almost done. Just need to wear my stilettoes".

"Keep a pair of comfortable sneakers with you in the car, you know just in case".

Akira smiled hearing his concerned voice and said,

"I will".

"Um... Can I like see you right now? Facetime?"

"No way, you will see me when you see me. Now let me channel my inner beauty".

"So you are being a tease huh?", Raymond retorted back.

"Who told you that only you have the right to tease Mr. Raymond?", she said and giggled.

But their conversation was suddenly interrupted by the doorbell.

"I guess Vikram is here. I gotta go now. See you soon", she said and disconnected the call.

Raymond kept staring at the phone screen for some time trying to calm his agitated nerves after hearing Vikram's name out loud from her mouth.

Akira came out of her room and before she could even a take a step further, she heard Mike screaming.

"Holy shit !!!"

"What?", Akira asked all startled.

"Jesus Christ Akira you look .... you look fab I mean", Mike said and kept shaking his head as it was way too hard for him to believe that his sister would wear something like this.

"Language my boy", said Akira and punched him lightly.

"Trust me you can ask Vikram. Boy, he is going to die seeing you like this. Good that he is escorting you, else I would not have let you take a step out of this house with an attire like this", Mike said and walked ahead to open the door.

"Allow me? Wao really? Are you trying to channel that mom vibe inside you?", Akira retorted as she was indeed taken aback with his statement.

Mike just mocked her and then opened the door and welcomed Vikram inside.

He looked dapper in his jet black tux. It was custom tailored for him and accentuated his built extremely well.

"Someone is looking handsome", Mike said as Vikram took his step inside, but before he could take another step he just stood there all dumb-struck.

"Akira...you ...", Vikram stuttered.

"What?", asked Akira.

"What what? You are looking drop dead gorgeous. That's what he meant. Good lord, what's wrong with your generation. You guys can't even speak what you feel or think", Mike said and slumped on the sofa, utterly disappointed with the way those two were behaving.

"Don't mind him. He is acting all weird today", Akira said glancing at Vikram.

"So? How do I look?", Akira asked him and turned around to show him her complete look.

The moment he saw her bare back, his breath just hitched and his heart skipped a couple of beats. She was indeed looking ethereally beautiful. Her dark maroon painted lips looked extremely kissable. Seeing her slender waist and her bare arms all that he wanted to do was to take her in his arms and never leave her.

He coughed to clear his throat and to get back his spiraling feelings on the ground and said,

"You just look perfect. Absolutely perfect".

"Oh no, wait. I still need to wear my shoes", said Akira and got her shoe box and just when she was about to bend down, Vikram stopped her.

"Don't bend, just let me help you", saying he bent down on his knees and took her sandal and placed her foot in it and then tied the strap. She got a bit dis-balanced as her one foot was in heels and one wasn't. But Vikram immediately placed his palm on her belly and stopped her from falling down.

"Thanks", she said and smiled but he couldn't smile back for his heart was in deep trouble. His heart was in deep trouble thinking about the prying eyes of people so at that right moment he didn't feel like taking her to the gala. He just wanted to spend his days and nights with her just looking at her, stroking her face with his fingers.

Suddenly life had a different meaning altogether for him. A life spent till eternity with her.

He got up when he was done and took a step closer and asked,

"You got any Kohl or eyeliner with you?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Just get it, will you?", Vikram said.

Akira went inside and got her Kohl pencil and placed it in his palm and asked,

"What do you have to do with it?"

"Shhh....", he said and placed his right index finger on her lips.

He hushed her and then with his left hand he pushed her hair away from the left side of her shoulder and using the Kohl pencil he put a small black dot on the left side of her neck and then returned the pencil back.

"I just can't risk taking you out in the public when you look drop dead gorgous like this. I need to ward off the evil eye", he said and shrugged his shoulders.