FORNEVER | ✓

CHAPTER 9 - GLEE

HIM

"I cannot.."

"Play along," I smirked at her as I saw Akka walking towards us, excited to introduce her guest to me.

"Siddhanth. Meet Suhaana, Sam's friend."

"Oh My God! My little sister's friend is here! Hi!" I held her hand that was free as she still had a morsel in her other hand. She gaped at me with disbelief, shaking her head.

"How are you? How have you been? How has Bangalore been treating you?" I sang gleefully as my sister's eyes tried to decipher my overreaction. She squinted her eyes at me, trying to contemplate my behavior, but I was enjoying myself too much.

"I'm...Bangalore is..." she stuttered at first, and then, I saw the same fire in her eyes which said

"Game On."

"Oooo...I like that." I mouthed at her. She kept down the morsel and turned towards Akka.

"What do I tell you, Di?" She pulled a sad face to set up the mood.

"Just as I landed, I got into a car accident! A rich spoilt brat ran his sports car into me!" Akka gasped as I choked on my water. I coughed, pleading with her with my eyes to stop.

"Oh my! Really Suhaana?" Akka said, appalled.

"Yes, Di! What was next? He was so rude to me! When I protested he claimed the city as his own and told me to go back where I came from!" I shut my eyes listening to her story and lowered my head into the table.

Akka looked at her incredulously as she continued.

"Just when I thought there were no benevolent people in this city, there came around a sweet gentleman who offered me help..." I shot my head up straight as she mentioned the sweet gentleman.

"He offered a ride to the hospital and cleaned my bruises as I bled profusely, even before we reached. He held my hand all through the checkup, as I trembled because of my fear of doctors and hospitals..." She looked at me from the corner of her eyes as I blushed, turning my face away. Akka had water in her eyes listening about the gentleman as she went on.

"He dropped me at the hotel and waited until he made sure I was in safely..."

"How did she know?"

She pressed a smile as Akka awed. I admired her as I heard her talking about me.

Just when I shifted my gaze from her, my eyes were met by Akka's scrutinizing ones condemning me. I smiled at her toothily, trying to convince her that I had no idea what she was thinking about.

Akka prepared dinner as she chopped the vegetables. Even after being told to rest, she helped with the chores as if it were her own house, her own family. I smiled inwardly as I heard the ladies chatter, reminiscing the old family days back at home. Akka brought a plate of onions and kept it on the table in front of me with a thud.

"What's wrong?" I looked at her waiting for an answer.

"Chop!" She ordered, pointing a knife at me, in a tone that only I could hear.

Without protest, I gently took the knife from her hand.

"I am more than glad to." I faked a smile.

I heard her chuckle as she looked at me from the kitchen, watching as I sobbed. I smiled through the pain thinking "at least SOMEONE" was happy.

After the dinner and laughing our hearts out, Akka decided to prepare dessert for us. Suhaana was strictly told to go and rest since she was our guest. She hesitantly obliged and walked around the balcony. I watched her from my room as she gazed at the moon.