"But I haven't even started describing anything yet !!!", Raymond said and smiled.

He then slowly moved forward and pulled her towards himself, holding her t-shirt and said,

"You better change quickly because every passing minute I am hating this t-shirt clinging on to you and my hands are just itching to rip them apart".

She held his hand firmly and then said,

"Someone needs to learn a bit of self-restraint and perseverance", and she giggled.

"Don't test my patience now. Go and take bath", Raymond said and pushed her towards the washroom.

"But wait... wait..."

"What now?", he asked rolling his eyes.

"I wanted to ask you something",

"Shoot... ".

"Umm... Can I join back in your company?", Akira asked.

"Well, to be honest, NO", Raymond replied and folded his arms.

"Oh !!!"

"But what if I resign from Vikram's company and formally apply again? You can again take my interview and stuff", Akira asked.

Raymond laughed at her naiveness and said,

"Miss. Akira, you own the company now. You can come in and go as you want. Hire anyone as you please and even fire me if you want to", he said playing with her hair.

"What? You kidding me right?", Akira asked unable to believe a single word that Raymond said.

"Well I don't kid in the first place and second of all, these are your basic rights, given that you own 51% shares of my company", Raymond said and tucked the stray hair behind her ears.

"But I don't want any of this. I just want to join back as an intern. I just want the things to be back as they were. Just like old times Raymond. Nothing more or nothing less".

Raymond smiled and said,

"Don't worry I will make that happen. I have already messaged David to re-instate you back in the company. But you need to resign from Abacus".

"Mmm... I will do that. Will call Vikram and check on it".

Suddenly Raymond felt uneasy when he heard Vikram's name from Akira's mouth.

"Ok then I will be downstairs if you need me for anything", he said and left after planting a kiss on her cheeks.

Then Akira picked up her phone and called up Vikram,

"Hi, there !!!"

"Hey, how is your health now? I texted you so many times but you didn't reply. So I was just about to start for your house now", Vikram said.

"I am completely fine now Vikram. Now stop worrying for me".

"Should I? Give the phone to Mike, let me check with him".

"Ermmm... I am not with Mike, Vikram", Akira said after a bit of deliberation for she wasn't sure how he would take it.

"You are with Raymond now?", he asked, with a bit of shock and resentment dripping from his voice.

"Um... he insisted as he was not comfortable leaving me at my place".

"Hmm... I see".

And then there was a silence that etched between them. They were always chatty on phone, pulling each other legs, saying sweet nothings and what not but for the first time today there was dead silence that panned in between them for his blood boiled every passing minute just thinking about them, staying together for the whole night, under a single roof. His fists were clenched and his gut turned inside his body for he was repulsed just with the thought of it.

"Vikram, you there???"

"Hmm..."

"Are we good?"

"Yes, we are".

"Will you just stop being angry with me, Vikram?"

"I was never angry with you Akira. I never can be !!! You are probably not written in my fate and I will accept that. I am just happy being a small part of your life. And that is more than enough for me".

"Please don't say that. You know how much you mean to me Vikram and you know that you are not a small part in my life".

"Yes, I got that. I got that big time when you removed the ring and kept it silently on the bed".

"I got that when you preferred staying at his place rather than mine".

Akira stayed silent for a while because she was stumped with his words. They were hurting her like anything. She knew he was hurt but even her hands were tied.

"Why didn't you tell me before? I could have stopped you from hurting so much. All this that happened yesterday would not have happened in the first place".

"How was it possible for me to be able to tell you what my heart wanted when you had already given yours to someone else?"

"Vikram Please !!!"

"It's ok Akira. I am mature enough to understand the wants of the heart and trust me I will never be a hindrance for you or Raymond. What my mom did to you, was something that I had no clue about. Trust me on that. Else I wouldn't have let things turn this way. I wanted to express myself because I thought things were over between you two. If I would have known, I wouldn't have dared Akira".

"I know Vikram. I know. You don't need to explain".

"My heart just wants you to be happy. That's all. But I will always be there to protect you from whatever it comes, remember that".

"I know that Vikram. I know that no matter what I can always count on you".

He stayed silent for a while and then said,

"I am assuming that you want to go back and work with Raymond again, right?"

She hesitated but then said,

"Well yeah. Hope you don't mind".

"It's ok Akira. Just speak out your mind. Come to the office today. I will help you with the resignation process and.."

"Yes, Vikram?"

"Can we have lunch together?"

"Of course we can. Why would you ask like that Vikram? Did one night make us that distant from each other?"

"I didn't intend to mean it that way", Vikram said.

"Then take me somewhere fancy, will you?"

"Somewhere fancy? But you never like fancy places?", Vikram asked all surprised.

"But I know that you like them. Let's do something that you like for a change", Akira said and smiled.

"Then I will be waiting for you !!!", he said and disconnected the call.

A satisfied smile etched on Vikram's face and he immediately called The Stone House to make a reservation for two.

Akira finished taking bath and got ready and went downstairs, for the love of her life had turned into a cooking maestro for her.