ᒪOᐯE YOᑌ TOO ᗰᑌᑕᕼ TO ᕼᗩTE YOᑌ

6 ✦𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒐𝒚 𝑩𝒆𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒔𝒌✦

The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the room. Meksha sat up in bed, stretching her arms and yawning. It had been an unexpectedly peaceful night after the strange incident with Akshar. She had spent the last few days dreading every interaction with him, but last night... last night had changed something.

She smiled to herself, remembering the way Akshar had clung to her like a scared child. It had been a ridiculous moment, sure, but it had also been the first time she had seen him in a different light. Beneath his cold, arrogant exterior, there was a vulnerable side to him-a side that was human, imperfect, and, dare she admit it, even a little cute.

The memory made her laugh softly. Who would have thought the brooding Akshar, the same guy who had practically terrorized her since she arrived, would be terrified of a tiny cockroach? It was endearing in a way she hadn't expected.

Her thoughts drifted back to him as she got dressed and made her way to the kitchen. But when she entered, she was surprised to see only Rhea and their mother sitting at the breakfast table. Akshar's chair was conspicuously empty.

"Good morning," Meksha greeted them, trying to keep her tone light despite the small knot of disappointment that had formed in her stomach. She wasn't sure why she cared about his absence, but the house felt strangely quiet without him.

"Good morning, dear," Akshar's mother replied with a warm smile. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did," Meksha said, pouring herself a glass of water before sitting down. "Where's Akshar?"

Rhea rolled her eyes dramatically. "He left early this morning with his friends. I don't think he'll be back until late tonight."

"Oh," Meksha said, a little taken aback by how disappointed she felt. She hadn't expected to miss his presence, but she did. Last night, in the heat of the moment, she had caught a glimpse of a different side of Akshar-one that wasn't so hardened by resentment. And now, just when she thought she might learn more about him, he was gone.

"Don't worry, he's probably out sulking somewhere," Rhea added with a smirk, as if she could read Meksha's thoughts. "That's what he does best these days."

Their mother shot Rhea a look. "Rhea, don't be so harsh on your brother. He's been through a lot."

Meksha glanced at them, curious. She had always assumed that Akshar's bad temper was just part of his personality, but it seemed there was more to the story.

Rhea waved her hand dismissively. "I'm not being harsh, Mom. It's true! He's been brooding ever since that exhibition thing didn't work out."

"What exhibition?" Meksha asked, her curiosity piqued.

Rhea leaned forward, eager to share. "Oh, didn't I tell you? About three years ago, Akshar spent ages working on this big invention. He was obsessed with it. He would lock himself in his room for days, tinkering with it, barely eating or sleeping. He poured his heart and soul into it. And then, when it was time to show it at this big science exhibition, something went wrong. I'm not sure of the details, but it didn't work, and he... well, he hasn't been the same since."

Meksha blinked, surprised. She had never imagined Akshar as someone who cared that deeply about anything, let alone an invention. In her mind, he had always been the cold, distant guy who looked down on everyone around him. But this-this was something else. It explained a lot about the bitterness she had sensed in him.

"It must have been really important to him," Meksha said softly, her heart softening at the thought.

Rhea shrugged. "Yeah, he loved that thing. I guess when it failed, it hit him harder than anyone realized. He's been on edge ever since. Quick-tempered, distant... you've seen it."

Their mother sighed, placing a comforting hand on Rhea's shoulder. "Akshar has always been sensitive, even if he doesn't show it. He just handles things differently. He put so much effort into that invention, and when it didn't go as planned, I think it shattered something inside him."

Meksha's chest tightened at their words. She had never imagined Akshar as the sensitive type. His arrogance, his sharp words-they had all been a defense mechanism, a way to protect himself from the world. Suddenly, the puzzle pieces were falling into place. The invention, his failure, the way he lashed out at her-it was all connected.

"I didn't know..." Meksha murmured, her voice trailing off. She tried to think back to three years ago, but her memory offered no clues. She had never heard about Akshar's invention, nor did she recall him ever mentioning it. But then again, she hadn't been particularly close to him back then. They had lived next door, yes, but their interactions had been minimal at best.

Rhea's mother smiled at Meksha warmly. "You wouldn't have known, dear. Akshar is very private about these things. He doesn't like to talk about his failures."

The conversation continued, with Rhea and her mother sharing more stories about Akshar's childhood. They showed Meksha old photos of him as a young boy-smiling, carefree, and full of life. There were videos of him running around in the backyard, building small machines with his toy tools, his eyes alight with excitement. He had always been fascinated by science, even as a child.

Meksha couldn't help but smile as she looked through the photos. There was one of Akshar as a toddler, holding a toy car with a wide grin on his face. Another showed him as a teenager, concentrating intensely on a model rocket he was building. The boy in these pictures seemed so different from the Akshar she knew now-he looked happy, passionate, full of hope.

As the day went on, Meksha found herself thinking more and more about him. She had always seen Akshar as someone unapproachable, someone who reveled in making her life difficult. But now, after learning about his past, she realized that there was so much more to him than she had ever thought.

By the time the afternoon rolled around, Meksha was sitting in the living room with Akshar's mother, who was telling her yet another story about his childhood. "He used to come home covered in dirt after playing outside all day," she said with a chuckle. "He was such a curious child. Always asking questions, always wanting to understand how things worked."

Meksha listened intently, feeling a strange sense of warmth spread through her. She had never thought much about Akshar's past, but now that she was learning more about him, she found herself drawn to the idea of understanding him better. There was something deeply vulnerable about his journey, about the way he had poured himself into his invention only for it to fail.

When Rhea mentioned the invention again, Meksha couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness. "It must have been really hard for him when it didn't work," she said quietly. "I can't imagine putting so much effort into something and then having it all fall apart."

Rhea nodded, her expression softening. "Yeah, it was. He never talks about it, though. Not to anyone. It's like... it broke something in him."

Meksha's heart ached a little at the thought. It made sense now why Akshar had become so distant, so cold. His anger, his temper-it was all a way to shield himself from the pain of his failure. She wondered if he still thought about the invention, if he still dreamed about what could have been.

Later that evening, as she sat in the guest room, her thoughts kept drifting back to Akshar. She realized she had been wrong about him all along. He wasn't just the arrogant boy who treated her like an enemy. He was someone who had experienced loss, someone who had loved and lost something that meant the world to him. And now, that loss had shaped the way he interacted with the world.

For the first time since she arrived, Meksha found herself wishing Akshar was there. She wanted to see him again, to talk to him, to maybe even understand him a little better.

And more than that, she realized she missed him.