Chapter 10 ~ "Bipolar Mom"

EDITED.

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Akira's POV

The eerie silence in the room was suffocating; the only sound was of the utensils clinking against the glass plates. At the moment, mom, dad, Kabir and I were situated around the round dining table, quietly eating dinner. Mom was conversing with dad, and trying to get both Kabir and me to speak as well. We added in a few words here and there, but the lack of direct conversation between us siblings was evident. Stupidly, I had avoided the inevitable conversation with Kabir, deciding as always to ignore my problems till they went away.

It had been a week since I met Meera and not much had not changed between Kabir and I in the past week. I had mostly been either locked in my room or out for some work, while he barely came home before ten o'clock.

After a couple of minutes, a loud thump hit the table, startling all of us. I look up to see dad holding a frustrated expression, with his palm against the table. "Enough. Both of you."

I glance at Kabir with wide eyes, who seemed just as startled. "Stop behaving irrational and like children. You both are adults, and I expected you to deal with your issues in a mature way. You told me you would talk to your brother, Akira. Last week." 

I winced. I had forgotten about the affirmation I had given papa. 

He turned to Kabir sharply, "And you, need to show effort too, Kabir. It will not just be Akira making the effort, so band karo ye naatak." He roared before exiting the room. I look over to see mom picking up the plates, and throwing us a both a sharp look, before leaving as well. 

It was quite shocking to see their patience had remained even a week long. I voiced my thought to Kabir after a few minutes, hoping to receive a response from him.

"Wow, they lasted longer than I thought." I got a plain eye roll in return. 

"Come on Kabir. You know how bad at communicating I am."

He scoffed, "oh I'm well aware."

"Make all the digs you want, that's fair. As long as you're talking to me. I can't handle this quiet game."

"It affects your mental stability." His lips quirked. For the first time in the past week, he gave me something of a smile. A genuine one.

That was something at least. 

"Yes it does. Don't you realize how scary you are when you go all Mr. Dark-and-silent?"

"I barely do that."

"Exactly, it's rare and horrifying."

He chuckled, "imagine if I was like that all the time."

"That would be a different kind of hell. For you and everyone else," I groaned.

Taking in a long breath and getting back to topic,  "I know my apologies do not make up all the lost time. And I know there is nothing I can do to fix our past. But I want to try and be better for the future. I'm sorry for being selfish and absent, but I promise to do better." 

He looked at me weirdly, "you talking all formal is kind of bizarre, Akira."

I smacked his shoulder, which led to his smile widening. 

"Really Kabir. And if you still want to talk about Rhea, I'm ready." The words rasped out in a quick breath.

His grin faded and his gaze fell to the wall behind me. "Do you mean it?"

"Yes. It's hard to admit but I'll try to tell you everything."

"So there was more to the story, then." I nodded. "Does it include Ayan?" 

I looked at him in surprise. 

"I'm not stupid, Akira. Your animosity for him grew even more after that day. Before it was just lighthearted arguments between the two of you. And then it changed to something worse."

I bit my lip, "I didn't think you noticed."

"I'm a lawyer and your brother, Aku. Give me some credit." 

I smiled in response, before looking down at the table. "You're going to hate me after I tell you."

"You're my sister. I might get mad at you, but you know I could never hate you. Plus I think you're exaggerating it a bit too much."

I grimaced, "I'm not Kabir."

A confused look over took my face as I watched him rise from his seat. 

"As much as I would love to know the complete story, you can ravel that mystery to me later." He leaned over and ruffled my hair, receiving a scowl, "I don't have the energy, nor the preparation to deal with this at the moment."

Standing to my feet, I wrapped my arms around him in a hug. "Later, then?"

"Later." He smiled into my hair, before messing it once again. 

I shoved him away and patted the wild strands, "stop that, would you!" I whined.

"Oh thank god your stupid fight has finally ended."

Looking towards the door, we noticed maa and papa leaning against the frame. Kabir frowned, "Maa, we weren't fighting. It was just cooperation issues."

She slapped her hands together in front of her face, as if to say 'spare me.' "Sorry lawyer saab." She stated as dad chuckled from her side.

Kabir reached over to grab his phone from the table, "I'm going to call Adhaya."

"Oh. And ask her if most of their packing is completed."

"What packing?" I frowned at mom, sharing a look of confusion with Kabir.

"Did you forget? I told you to start packing."

"For what?"

"The shaadi, bewakoof," Idiot. She frowned, "it is in India."

"What?!" Kabir and I shrieked.

"Where have you been living?" Maa questioned in disbelief. "Akira, I told you Tuesday morning." 

"While I was half-asleep?!" I asked incredulously. She knew I forget almost everything I heard in the morning.

"I have been running around the house like a psycho!" 

"You do that all the time maa." I winced, rubbing my head after she smacked me swiftly.

"And what about me? It's my wedding and I don't even know about these change of plans!" Kabir exclaimed.

"Did Adhaya not remind you?" 

He was about to retort, but stopped for a second to think. His grimace was all the answer we needed. "This is insane," he muttered as he stomped upstairs, dialling Adhaya. I would've laughed at his childish behavior if I weren't so irked with mom.

"Why the hell is the wedding taking place in India anyway? And how are you going to get the wedding planned all so soon!" I didn't understand my mother at all. For the past few weeks, she's been running around for the wedding, and now when the wedding was so near, the plans have changed, and she did not seemed phased at all. The attitude switch was constant and I was beginning to think she was bipolar.

"Your grandma isn't feeling well."

My eyebrows shot up as I stared at my parents, bewildered. "Nanni's sick?"

She nodded, pursing her lips. "Her health is worse than before, and the doctors say that she can't travel. She says to continue the wedding, and not to worry about her, but she's my mother, how can I not?" Dad gently rubbed her shoulder, as she grew upset more and more by the minute.

"While I was on the phone with your Nanni, Adhaya overheard and said the wedding's moved to India. Just as stubborn as my own children, she didn't listen to me."

I smiled. Of course she was. 

A thought struck me, "but maa, how are you completing these changes so soon? The location, the decorations, and all the guests! Invitations have been sent out mamma."

Dad smiled, "Your mother has dealt with all of that already. We have already booked the gurudwara for the shaadi. Adhaya's family is taking care of the reception. And we will just have to adjust the small functions at home." 

"And the guests?"

"I have some calls left to make. The number of guests has changed to almost half." She sighed.

"Don't worry, everyone important will still be attending." Dad patted her shoulder in assurance. "And Akira, get packing. We're leaving in two days."

"Well then, I should give you both a shock as well." They stared at me in confusion. "I have to go to London for an extremely important meeting. I was suppose to tell you earlier, but I guess it flew out of my mind."

"When are you leaving?"

I looked over my shoulder at the clock perched on top of the fireplace. "Umm...in about seven hours." I stated nonchalantly.

"What?!" Now it was them yelling in sync.

I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Mom gave me a pointed look. "So you're already packed?"

"Well, I've only packed a few pairs of clothing. I'll be in London for three days, then I'll come straight to India. Luckily, my closet is still clean, so the rest of my clothes and suits will be ready in my suitcases. Can you just make sure they reach India safely."

Mom rolled her eyes, enveloping me into a hug, "Kaisa savaal hai? Be safe."

I felt an arm sling around my shoulder. "I guess the wedding's now in India."

I laughed, "Yes it is. And you, Kabira, are taking me to the airport now."

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"Akira! Jaldi kar." Hurry up.

Ignoring Kabir's shouts, quickly zipping up my suitcase and dragging it down the stairs. "Chup kar. It's five in the morning, you're going to wake our neighbours." Shut up.

He rolled his eyes before grasping the suitcase out of my hands and jogging out the door.

I turned to my parents with a smile. They returned tired ones, giving me a fat hug. "Beta, I'm going to miss you."

I rolled my eyes, "Maa, I'm going for three days. Don't worry."

"There is very limited time, so don't be late."

"I won't."

After bidding them one last time, I scurried outside before Kabir could blow the car's horn, waking up the entire block. As I took a step outside, I was thankful for the marvellous weather. It was still early morning, so the temperature was cooler than it would be in the afternoon.

As we settled into his car, I turned towards him with an annoyed expression. "Your patience level is terribly low."

"Look at the time, bhandaar. You're flight will leave without you." He stated, grinning. I huffed in reply, sinking into the seat.

After a few minutes, he took a left turn into a known neighborhood. I frowned, "Where are we going Kabir? I thought you said that we're late."

"There is another individual that has the same destination." He muttered. As soon as we pulled up into a driveway, I immediately recognized the house, and the man coming towards our car with his suitcase lagging behind. I snapped my head towards my brother.

"Ayan is coming with us?" I sneered.

He nodded his meekly, giving me a nervous smile. I heard the back door open, and both weights dropped into the back seat.

"Well, let's go." I grit my teeth, trying to control my anger—at both men in the car. Who knew Ayan and I would be in a car at 5:30 in the morning, except Kabir of course. A thought was nagging at the back of my mind, urging me to ask where he was going. Plugging in my earphones, I blocked out the thoughts and their rising conversation.

There was definitely something important I was missing. It was itching my brain and driving me insane. As I clawed to reach the inscrutable feeling, I felt something hit my back from the other side of the seat. Instantly knowing who it was, I turned around with a piercing glare. He rolled his eyes in return and continued to talk to my brother, with his knee still digging into the back of my seat. Quirking a brow, I turned back around and used the fancy knobs on the side of the seat to move it back. A satisfied grin took place on my face, as I heard a familiar groaning sound.

"What the hell Akira?"

I scoffed, "you started it, moron."

As we continued to throw insults at each other, Kabir decided it was the right time to hit the brake. Hard. This time two groans erupted.

"Put a hold to your childish taunts, until you both are out of my car. My carI will not be a victim to this unnecessary abuse. If you can't do that, then commute to the airport," he said with dead seriousness.

I quietly turned around in my seat, not before shooting Ayan another glare.

"Akira, your flight's leaving in just over an hour. Hurry up and check in." Kabir exclaimed as we shuffled into the airport lobby. Ayan was ahead of us, and already checking in. I slowed down, noticing him headed to the same airline, however, standing in the business class line.

Kabir pushed me forward, urging me to hurry and obtain my boarding pass.

After completing the procedure, and giving my brother a hug and many goodbyes, I made my way to the gate. I still had half an hour to spare, so I looked around to find an empty seat in the waiting area to settle into. 

And that was when I spotted Ayan's head once again, bent down as he focused on his phone. The thought that was taunting me to remember, finally hit. 

I breathed, praying my guess was wrong as I pulled out 'Google' own phone. 

Please be wrong. Please, oh please, let me be wrong.

I waited for the result after typing the single phrase into the search bar: CEO of Vidyat Enterprise.

And then my stomach dropped at the thousands of results displaying the same thing. 

Ayan Merchant.

I groaned at loud. I was going all the way to London to make a deal with the local devil himself.

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Shanaya: That's what I wanted to tell her earlier!

Author: Yeah. Not gonna lie, Akira and you are pretty much one of the dumbest characters I've wrote.

Akira: What! That's so mean.

Author: *shrugs*

Akira: You could wrote me with more brains and less regret.

Author: No that's too much work. I still need to save the smarts for the better MCs in the other books. 

Akira: Wow. And I'm making you famous.

Author: It's the other way around sweety.

Ayan: Don't worry Akira, I'm covering the brains in our relationship.

Akira: That's even worse. And we're not in a relationship!

Adhaya: Other MCs? Who are they?

Author: Can't say yet *winks*

Abhi: Is it me? I want more screen time.

Meera: Give us a sneak peek.

Author: All I can say is...Abhi is not the main character.

Abhi: Aww man!

Dhruv: Anyways check out the TKK trailer at the top you guys. Our amazing author put in her effort and made that! So please give it love.

Author: AWWW! Thanks Dhruv! This is why you're always my fav character.

Shanaya: I really am starting to hate this mess of a crew, and our author.

Author: I have your fate in my hands, watch those words.

Ayan: Anywho...since I'm the most amazing person in the story, I shall state the vote line.

Akira: No, I'm the main character.

Ayan: I love you all. Please vote, comment, and share! *bows*

Akira: I really hate you *picks up bat*

Ayan: Hit me baby.

Author: *looks up at the sky* Why?

Just going to leave this cute little HDDCS gif over here. 

xoxo,

loveYJHD