"Abhi, you've been in bed for 3 days. Now you're just using being sick as an excuse to not go back to work." Akshara reprimanded me, standing over my side of the bed, looking down at me.
"No! I'm actually sick." I feigned a cough. "See."
How do I tell her I'd been feeling better since yesterday but I liked her pampering me so much that I didn't want to get out of bed. Hot packs, soup, any meal I liked, watching Bollywood classics with Akshara and most importantly Akshara's constant company? No way was I giving that up. Consider me spoiled.
Sometimes I think that getting sick could have been the best possible thing to have happened to me.
"Abhimanyu Birla! You are being ridiculous!"
I remove the blanket covering me and glide over Akshara, who was standing at the edge of the bed, on all fours.
"Akshara Goenka!" I exclaimed back.
I don't know why but Akshara gave me a sense of calm. Of peace. Of happiness. She was my home.
She taught me how to be carefree. How to have fun. She taught me how to love.
Akshara groaned, smacking her hand to her face. I took that moment to sit down on the bed, with my one leg touching the cold hardwood floor on either side of her. I wrapped my hands around her waist and pulled her into me, making her gasp as our eyes interlocked.
"Abhi...," Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"Akshara."
She moaned as she clutched my shoulders, digging her nails into the thin material of my shirt as she leaned down into me and I leaned up. Just as our lips touched. Akshara moaned as I pulled her further down, leaning flat on my back on the bed, with her crawling up on top of me.
She looked up at me with glossy, delirious eyes as I quickly helped rid her of her bra and t-shirt before working on mine.
With a gentle nudge, I rolled her onto her back before hastily removing both are joggers. Our lips interlocked again as I rolled flat on my back again, pulling her over me. I gripped her hips with one hand and then guided my hard length into her wet opening with my other hand.
The fit was snug and tight as I held her hips, bouncing her on top of me, letting her ride me.
~*~
"This is the medication I needed. Now I'm feeling all better." I stated, sitting up on the bed, putting my shirt on.
"Abhi!" Akshara exclaimed, trying to suppress her smile.
This statement of mine earned me a smack on the chest by Akshara who had just finished clasping her bra.
"It's the truth!" I chuckled, mischievously as Akshara got out of the bed and finished putting on her joggers.
Akshara rolled her eyes at me. "I feel like I have awoken a monster."
As I began to reply back, my phone chimed, distracting me from the conversation. I turned back attention toward the phone, just as my brows furrowed.
"Shit." The word rolled off my tongue before I could stop myself.
"What is it?" Akshara asked, concerned.
"I have a conference to attend. I completely forgot about it!" I mumbled, massaging my forehead to try to curb the incoming headache.
"What conference is it?"
"It's just a meet and greet with the worlds best doctors, surgeons from every field coming together to talk about new advances in their respective medical fields."
"Oh. That sounds fun." She replied, sounding hopeful.
"It's really not. I hate it." I groaned.
"It really can't be that bad."
"I hate meeting new people. Putting on a fake smile, sounding like I'm interested in them —it's not for me." I explained, already regretting the forthcoming torture.
"Then don't go?"
"I wish. But I can't say no. Dr. Birla asked me specifically. He says since I'm one of the best cardiac surgeons in the States, he wants me to go and represent Birla Hospital."
"I'm sure it can't be that bad."
"You underestimate these conferences." And just like that, I had a light bulb moment. "Akshara! Why don't you come with me?"
I felt her eyes widen. "What?"
"Yeah! Come with me! That way you'll actually realize how boring these conferences actually are and we'll get a mini vacation for 5 days! Just me and you, traveling around Los Angeles and California for 5 days!"
"Los Angeles?" Akshara asked, hesitation ringing from her voice.
And then it hit me. Los Angeles. Her home. The place she ran away from. The place where all her family resided. The famous she hasn't seen for over 5 years.
"Actually, never mind. I'll go alone."
"You sure?" She asked, any hint of mischief disappearing from her face.
"Yeah. I mean, it's just a medical conference. I'll go and be back in no time." I convinced Akshara with a smile on my face.
"I'm sorry Abhi. I would have gone, but...Los Angeles has memories I don't want to think about." She confessed, sitting down on the bed beside me.
"You can't hide forever, Akshara. Do you not miss your family?" I asked, holding her hand with mine, gently caressing the inside of her palms.
"I do."
"I'm sure they'll be missing you too. There's no harm in meeting them once. 5 years is a long time to change one's opinion. And I'm sure your grandfather would be proud of you."
A tear rolled down Akshara's cheek, and dropped down onto my hand. "He won't. He wo4 change."
I wanted to give her hope. But I didn't know her family. So I refrained. And instead decided to change tactics. "And LA is a big city. The chances of bumping into them would be slim to none. It'll just be me and you being touristy in the city of Angeles."
Akshara laughed at my words. "Okay. As long as you take me to Disneyland, I'm in."
"Done." I chuckled, placing a kiss on her hand.
I placed one hand underneath Akshara's chin, pushing her face up to look at her moist eyes. "Stop crying."
Akshara sniffled, "Sorry."
"Now stop crying and let's get packing!" I exclaimed, enthusiastically, trying to cheer her up.
But I knew Akshara's pain of being away from her family for more than 5 years ran deeper than she was letting on. For someone who was so loving, so caring, being without her family —the one she loved the most could not have been easy.
Akshara deserved to be protected, to be loved, to be cared for. And I wasn't going to let anyone hurt her.
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Hey guys! Sorry for the short update but wedding week was hectic and I have another wedding to attend after which will be regular updated for TMC, Gulabi and MYM.