She was still looking at her phone when a flight attendant came to her and asked,
"Miss, are you flying by China Southern Airlines to JFK?""Oh yes . ""Ma'am please come and board the flight . It's almost the end of the final call .May I have your boarding pass please?"Akira handed her the boarding pass and got up from her seat ."Ma'am please follow this way . "The flight attendant could sense that there was something wrong with her . So she decided to escort her till her seat inside the flight . She took her to the business class section and helped her sit at her seat number 5 .It was Akira's first time traveling business class . Had it been any other day she would have been super excited . Probably would have clicked pictures and would have shared with her friends . But today it was different for her . Nothing mattered . All that she wanted to do was to reach home as soon as possible .Akira slumped into her seat and started looking out of the window . She could only see the pathway lights to her side . And then she remembered how she had prepared the LED light strings to decorate Anthony's apartment, all the confetti, the cake . The whole image started hounding her again and before she could realize, tears were streaming down her face again .Akira had prepared so much for this day . She was supposed to meet him after one whole year . Her semester was over and it was the best way to take a break . Anthony was her senior from college and after getting a job at Infinion Inc, one of the most prestigious Gaming brand, he had left for Singapore as it was their Head Quarter . She studied hard to land an internship in the same company as his, so that she can have more of his company, more of his time . What all plans she had . She wanted to give him her Internship selection letter . She wanted to see his reaction . She was so happy within when she was packing for Singapore .Akira had no idea that her luck will turn so sour . She took out the Internship letter from her purse and started reading it again . With every word, she started tearing up . But she didn't bother to wipe them away . She knew she had to take this as a lesson .The flight was about to take off and the Seatbelt sign was put on . But Akira was transferred into the world of thoughts of her own, not realizing a thing happening around her . Just then the flight attendant came to her to request her to put her seatbelt on ."Ma'am, are you ok? Do you feel ok?Please put the seat belt on . Can I get you something? ""No Thanks"Akira shook her head and fastened her seat belt . Then she used her sleeves to wipe away her tears . Then she slowly slapped both her cheeks to wake herself up from all the painful memories . She wasn't blaming anyone . She had faith in God . She tried hard to console herself that it was part of God's bigger plan . Little did she know that it actually was .Raymond slowly finished his coffee and walked toward Gate number 19 . Boarding was just starting and as he was a Business class passenger, he went in ASAP . He kept his laptop out and stowed his bag . He again immersed himself into his laptop, planning new strategies as to how to poach in new investors .The flight was about to take off . Raymond was really glad to see the seat to his left empty . He really hated when people snored around him . Since it was a 23 hours flight he just wanted to relax . He was just about to hibernate his laptop as per the takeoff protocol when he saw a flight attendant escorting the girl with whom he had the coffee spilling encounter today .She looked pretty distant and broken . She looked tired too . There was something about her that drew his attention . Something very sincere . She looked very frail and sank into her seat immediately . Then she started looking out of the windowRaymond was shocked to find himself drawn towards her ."What is wrong wi
"Ma'am, please have some water and tissues . ""Oh, thanks !!!"It was then that Akira realized she was making herself too obvious . She was a self-made woman and hated when people pitied her . She had to regain herself . She gave the attendant a faint smile and gulped the entire water bottle . Then she took a wet wipe from her purse and cleaned her entire face . Next she frantically started searching for a mirror in her purse and finally found it . The moment she held the mirror in front of her face, she went in shock . The very instant she screamed - "No way!!!"Meanwhile, Raymond was watching her activities . Suddenly his whole focus was on her . The moment he heard her scream, he couldn't help but chuckle . Yes, there was a smile on his face, God knows after how many days .Akira took a deep breath and picked up a couple of things from her bag . A comb, a scrunchie, and a lip balm and rushed to the washroom . She fixed her hair into a neat ponytail and just dabbed a bit of lip bal
The flight attendant had handed her a small box of few assorted chocolates . By the time she could ask or say anything she had left to serve chocolates to other people who were still awake . It was her first-time flying in business class and she had no idea whether the chocolates were complementary or chargeable like a mini-bar of a hotel room . She was feeling too embarrassed to call the attendant back and ask her about it . She was too hungry and badly wanted to eat them, but didn't want to pile on any extra bills in case . She looked around and saw the guy next to her ripping off his chocolate packet up and was about to eat one .So she mustered up some courage and asked,"Excuse me !!!""Um . . . hi . This is my first time traveling in business class, so actually, I wanted to ask . Um… are these chocolates chargeable?"Raymond was surprised when he heard her voice . He paused for a while and said ."No, they are complementary . ""Really!!" She exclaimed .Before Raymond could say
Akira looked at him all perplexed . His sly smile made her feel even weird . It was like she was running out of luck . "What are the odds?" , she thought . She left a gasp of air but the guilt was starting to build up . Seeing the shadow of guilt all over her face, Raymond started feeling bad . The smug smile that he had on his face started retracting . He paused for a moment and then said,"Don't overthink . It's nothing serious . Plus it wasn't deliberate" . She didn't say a word and started looking down ."I should have walked more carefully" . He added .Akira gave him a faint smile and said,"Um, you can keep this ointment with you and apply it again after 8 hours . If you apply regularly then it won't cause any scarring . " And she handed him the ointment . She thought of clarifying herself that she was in a rush and didn't see him at all . But then she didn't want to pile on her reasons . He seemed like a busy guy so she thought maybe it's better that she didn't waste his time
Akira couldn't understand what just happened, but somehow she was grateful . He seemed like a nice guy . Had it been any other guy she would have definitely considered him as a creep . There was something different about him . She couldn't figure out what but she found his presence very comforting ."Thanks . I was actually a bit cold" . She said and smiled a bit ."It's fine . Sleep well" . Raymond said and took out his blanket and covered himself . He closed his eyes off and pretended to sleep while his mind was busy re-processing what had happened a couple of minutes back . His heart was racing and his ears were burning up . His mind was wandering off and he couldn't wipe off her image from his head . He let out a gasp of air and tried to calm himself .Akira slipped into the warm embrace of the blanket . She wasn't able to understand how a stranger could be so caring and comforting but the one person upon whom she showered all her love and attention, stabbed her in the back so mer
She stood there like she was glued to the floor . Her eyes couldn't believe what just happened in front of her . He had told her that he was returning back in the morning . And here he was playing with a blondie . She felt like she was nothing for him, meant nothing to him .Anthony was shocked to see her at his place . He immediately released his grip around the blondie and ran towards Akira . He tried to hold her arms and explain the situation to her but the moment he touched her hands, she took a step back and shook her head . She didn't want to hear about any explanations, she didn't want to hear anything at all . She felt like she had made a fool of herself .She held her tears at bay . She took her purse and dashed out . He ran behind her but before he could catch her she was already seated in a taxi . He pounded on the taxi door but she sat inside nonchalantly . The driver asked her a couple of times as where she wanted to go, but she had no destination in her mind . She had no
Every minute felt like ages to her . Restless within she again started fiddling with her entertainment unit . She flipped through all the movies but didn't like any . She moved to the TV show section . She didn't even feel like watching her favorite sitcom Friends now . Her mood was sour enough . She tossed and turned in her seat from time to time . She tried hard to fall asleep but all her attempts were unsuccessful .She then glanced at the passenger to her side . He was sleeping at his seat . He looked super peaceful and composed while he was asleep . She kept on admiring him . His long sharp nose, fierce eyebrows were the stark features of his face . She hadn't blinked even once and suddenly she felt he was returning her gaze . His eyes were open, his brows twitched a bit as if trying to form a question mark . She was thoroughly embarrassed . She looked away instantly and then again looked at him again like he was pulling her towards him . His lips curved a bit for a gentle smile
Near the exit, Akira started searching for her brother in the crowd . Just when she was about to call him, she caught a glimpse of him . He was waving madly at her . She rushed to hug him .Mike was surprised to see the condition of her sister . She was in her pajamas with her hair in a messy bun . She was wearing bathroom slippers . He felt so sad just by looking at her . She was his only family and he felt that he had let her down . He couldn't protect her . The moment she came near him, he embraced her in a warm hug . He didn't say a word and let her hug him tightly . Moments later he could feel his t-shirt getting wet with her sorrows . His fists clenched in anger momentarily but didn't let his rage cloud his thoughts . He said - "Wanna go for karaoke tonight?"She suddenly laughed and said - "Yeah, Right !!!" .She laughed and hugged him again . She felt comforted . He was her home, her everything, her lifeline . She wiped up her tears and asked him - "Have you eaten?" "Of course
Akira stopped in front of a cemetery near her house . Both her parents were buried there . Although her Mom was of Indian descent, she was also buried alongside Akira's Dad because it was her Mom's wish to stay next to her husband even after death .Akira slumped on the ground and started crying . She placed her head on her father's tomb and her tears started seeping into the concrete . She was a strong girl who was not easily affected by the opinion and perspective of others, but somehow today Raymond's words stabbed her heart and made her feel like she was all alone, deserted by everybody whom she had ever loved in her life .Raymond saw Akira stopping in front of the cemetery . The burden of regret instantly increased manifold inside his heart . He rushed inside and saw Akira's frail figure slumped on the ground . She was crying like there was no tomorrow in store for her . When Raymond saw the same surname written on the tombstone as hers, he immediately understood the depth of pa
Akira was waiting anxiously at the reception of Delphi office at Brooklyn . Even though she was an academically brilliant student, she was still feeling very nervous . She was biting her nails and was shuffling through her resume every now and then . She had to make it through because a source of steady income was really important for her right now apart from industry experience .Akira was wearing a turquoise blue formal shirt and a grey pencil skirt . The whole attire made her look very sharp and poised . She was wearing black kitten heels because she knew that normal heels were not her forte .The receptionist looked at her kindly and smiled because she had seen many such nervous candidates who would be panicking to their maximum, before the interview . She went to Akira and asked her-"Miss Akira, do you need water or something?""Umm . . no thanks," replied Akira .The receptionist nodded and she was about to turn back to go to her seat when Akira asked her,"Do I look extremely
Akira was almost ready when she heard the doorbell ring and ran to get the door . She was wearing a beautiful peach colored line dress which was accentuating her features . She wore matching sneakers to complement her look . She had her hair in loose curls and was looking nothing less than a pretty peach .When she opened the door, she found Vikram holding a bouquet of baby's breath which was Akira's favorite thing in the world . He was dressed in casuals but still looked like a fashion model who has jumped straight out of a catalog .She immediately beamed with happiness and grabbed the flowers from his hands ."For me!!!?", she asked innocently with Bambi eyes ."No, it's for Mike," Vikram said in a sarcastic tone and rolled his eyes ."You are so sweet Vikram," said Akira and rushed to hug him, but unfortunately she stumbled because of the door-mat and fell straight into Vikram's arms . His arms embraced her like a safety net and he hauled her back quickly so that she didn't fall .
Raymond was very excited after getting the deal at first . But all his happiness turned into sour curd after listening to Vikram's condition . He was enraged because the entire deal felt like a sham . It felt like he gave the deal to them because in return he wanted his special person to be employed in his company . All the hard work which he had put along with his entire team was nullified because of that one single clause which Vikram had verbally put in their contract .His entire project team was celebrating . Finally, all the hard work, all the sleepless nights and the numerous cup of coffees had paid off . But his insides were dying out of humiliation . He felt like Vikram has kicked his brainchild project off to a far field . He was unable to control his rage because he was unable to accept that the value of his project was nothing as compared to this person whom Vikram wanted to be hired . He might have signed the contract with a pen on a paper but only he knew that it felt li
Vikram went to his room and called up Raymond .Raymond was shocked to see Vikram calling on his personal number late in the evening . He sensed that it must be related to his special request for the project . He picked it up ."Hello, Mr . Vikram . ""Hello, Mr . Raymond . Is it a good time to talk?", asked Vikram with an air of authority ."Yes please", replied Raymond ."The person about whom I had talked to you about would be sending you an application tomorrow . Make sure that she is interviewed and all the procedures are followed as usual . ""No problem . I will make sure its all easy for her . Don't worry we will have internship letter ready . All the protocols will be followed for namesake," Raymond said .When Vikram heard Raymond speak he could sense that there was a sort of contempt and sarcasm in his tone which he didn't like ."Let me make something clear Mr . Raymond . The person whom I am referring here is capable enough to clear all formalities herself . She doesn't n
Akira tried hard to find an internship at multiple places, but she had no luck . But she still kept trying . She would scout Linkedin and all Job portals every single day . With every passing day, she was losing hope but she had to stay strong for her brother . But she had no idea that her guardian angel Vikram had different plans for her .In the afternoon, Vikram's mother called her up and asked her to come for dinner along with Mike . Vikram's mother doted on Akira and given a chance she would marry Vikram and Akira off in a blink of an eye . She was aware of her whole situation and wanted to comfort her as much as possible .Akira called up Mike and said, "Come home early . Aunty has invited us for dinner ok?" .Mike thought for a moment and then said - "I can't Aki . I have some project prep work to finish up . Please say sorry on my behalf," and he disconnected . Akira half-heartedly decided to get ready . She knew that once she reaches there, she would have to face question com
The next two days where quite grueling for not only Raymond but also for his entire taskforce which was involved in the development work . They all stayed throughout, day and night in the office to meet the deadline requirement . They also wanted this project to be a huge success as it was an outcome of their blood and sweat and everything was dependent on how the meeting with Abacus inc went .For the D-day Raymond wore a savvy navy blue suit and the crisp white shirt underneath . He always disliked wearing a tie, but for today he wore one . He also had cufflinks on which have been gifted by his sister Katherine . His perfect features were accentuated by the well-fitted suit and he gave off an aura like a demi-God .He again tried the demo of the game just to be sure that everything was working perfectly . David had already collected a copy of the game and he had all the files ready . Raymond once again reviewed all the files and reports just to double check that everything was in or
Akira was all groggy with a splitting headache when she woke up . Then she saw Advil tablet and a bottle of water next to her on the side table . She thanked her stars and immediately swallowed the medicine . Then she picked up her phone from her handbag and saw multiple missed calls and messages from an unknown number from Singapore . She immediately understood that it was Anthony as she had blocked his original number so she went ahead and blocked his number again .Just then her screen flashed-"Are you up?" . It was a message from Vikram ."Yeah, how was I yesterday? I troubled you all again yesterday, didn't I?," replied Akira ."A bit, but I don't mind as long as you treat me with ice cream," said Vikram . He didn't want her to be upset thinking about what happened yesterday . So he immediately switched the topic .Akira sent him a couple of ice cream GIFs and then went to Mike's room .Both Mike and Teddy were still perching on the bed like grizzly bears . Akira gently laughed
The moment Teddy got to know that Vikram was going to pay for the dinner, he got super excited and started scanning the menu card again and started ordering dish after dish . They all started laughing at his childish behavior .Teddy dismissed them all and said - " I am respecting Vikram's gesture by eating more ok !!!"Vikram laughed and added three beer and one ice tea to the order . Akira knew that the ice tea was meant for her . Vikram knew that Akira had low alcohol tolerance so whenever they used to go out he would always order some mocktail for her ."Can I have a beer today Vikram?" she asked in a coy tone ."Are you nuts?", asked Vikram . "Have you forgotten what you did on my last birthday? You destroyed my sweater and I miss it, man . That was one of my favorites for your kind information and FYI you have already ruined my shirt just a few moments before . I am not letting you ruin anything anymore," said Vikram and shook his head ."Please please, I promise I will behave,"