Vikram was waiting all eagerly at the airport for Akira to arrive checking his wristwatch every now and then.

He had bought a bouquet of baby's breath for her and had done reservations at the Four Seasons for dinner. He had dressed himself up in a dapper suit and a matching necktie to go with it.

Today he wanted to look all prim and dandy. After all, he was going to pick up his girl.

He had prepared for a funky name board for her and holding that he was waiting outside the airport.

For the last one and a half year, he had been trying his best to bring out a smile on her face. No matter how bad her mood was, he always tried something or the other to cheer her up and today was no different.

He checked the notification panel and that said that the flight had arrived.

All eagerly he kept checking his attire and look every now and then by walking in front of the steel panels near the arrival gate. He knew that it would take a minimum of thirty minutes for her to pass through the formalities and baggage belt, but he was still getting all impatient.

After fifteen minutes, he dropped her a text.

"Waiting outside the airport. See you soon" - VIKRAM

He saw that the message was delivered and read as well. That double blue tick mark somehow made him happy.

As Akira came out of her bath she saw the message indication on her phone. She ran to check it, thinking that it was from Raymond. But then she saw that the message was from Vikram. She was a tad bit disappointed, but then she mumbled,

"You made me suffer, you made him suffer, now it's your turn". And saying that she picked the phone and called him up.

"Hey, Vikram !!!"

"Hi, Akira. Did you get your bag?"

"Yeah, I got that today morning itself."

"Wait, what? Today morning? Where are you right now?"

"At my home. It's Sunday evening. Where else will I be?"

"I don't understand. You said that you are going to reach here by today evening. You had even shared your flight details with me".

"Oh, my bad. I must have given the wrong details to you. Are you waiting for me at the airport?"

"Of course I am. I told you that I will come and pick you up".

"Oh shit !!! All that effort in drain !!!", said Akira and sighed with drama.

Vikram was annoyed to his max and was not able to understand what was happening. So getting all edgy he asked,

"But I don't understand. I told you that I was going to come and pick you up. So if you came in the morning and you didn't find me, then why didn't you call me?"

"Oh, come on Vikram, why should I disturb you for such petty things. I mean you are a busy man and I know that very well. I thought you must be busy with something important. Else you would have definitely come to pick me up. So I took a cab instead and came back home".

"I see", he said, but somehow he didn't sound very convinced with her reasons. Something was definitely off about her.

"You could have just texted me", he said taking a deep remorseful breath.

Then he checked his watch and said,

"Fine whatever miscommunication has happened, has already happened. There is nothing that I can do about it. So wait for me at your place, I will be there in another 50 minutes or so. Let's go out for dinner together. I have booked your favorite Chinese restaurant at the Four Seasons."

"I might have to do a rain check on that Vikram. I have already promised Mike that I will spend some time with him. Its been long that we two did anything together, as in like family. So maybe some other time?"

"Where are you guys planning to go?"

"Nowhere special. Just a match of foosball in the arcade center".

"Can I join you guys?"

"Well, I am sorry Vikram. As I said, it's family time. So that would be just me and Mike. Ok, gotta go now else he will be miffed with me. Bye".

Saying that Akira disconnected the call.

Then she threw the phone on her bed and smiled and mumbled in her head,

"Ouch Vikram !!! Did that hurt?"

As Akira disconnected the call, Vikram stood there all stupified, unable to believe that Akira could say such a thing to him. Just when he had thought that things have become better and he was getting closer to her, she just pushed him miles away from her.

He always considered himself as part of her family. Akira, Mike, and Vikram. That's how he thought, or probably that's how he had assumed all these days.

But her statement was just like a slap on his face. She had in a minute reduced him from family to just a friend.