178 The terrace - 3
Akira's eyes were misted up as she recollected the times when Vikram stood next to her all rock solid. She turned towards him and said,
"This is just beautiful. Thank you for being a part of my life and thank you for re-creating everything again tonight".
Vikram didn't say a word in reply and just pulled her chair close to his and made her rest in his embrace and then said,
"Our memories together are the most beautiful and the most prized possession that I have", and planted a small kiss on her head which was lying on his shoulders.
Katherine saw Vikram getting all close with Akira and she frowned. But she somehow didn't let her emotion be reflected and continued after detaching herself from Shawn's embrace.
"You stood next to me when I broke things at home and took the blame, you stood by me when I was at my lowest when I lost my people who meant everything to me. You gave me the shoulder to cry on", said Katherine and softly touched Shawn's shoulder.
"The whole world runs on a system based on give and take. Then why did you stand by me unconditionally? Tell me why?. Why did you support me? Why Vikram why?"
"Because I loved you", Shawn blurted out without even thinking for an extra second and looked deep into Katherine's eyes.
"I always have including now as well".
There was a sudden silence throughout. He wasn't sure if that was the right thing to do but it felt right to his heart today. He could no more hold his feelings back but Katherine stood there staring at him without batting an eyelid.
Even Akira un-leaned herself from Vikram's shoulder and sat upright for this was something unexpected. She didn't have the courage to look at Vikram, for she wasn't ready to accept this. His friendship was all that she had and in no way, she was going to let anyone jeopardize it, not even him.
Katherine came close to Shawn and tugged on to his T-shirt with tears rolling through her eyes and said,
"Then why didn't you tell me before?"
"Why didn't you tell me how you felt?"
"Why did you let me go with someone else when you had nothing but love in your heart for me?"
"Did I not have the right to know about it?"
Shawn looked at her unable to understand if she was asking for real or not. But nevertheless, he decided to tell it all,
"It was because I loved you I couldn't say a word. And because I loved you, I thought letting you go was the best thing to do. I never wanted my love to be an imposition for you. I never wanted anything more than your happiness. I couldn't snatch that from you. I just couldn't. You might want to call me a coward for that, but that's who I am and that's how much I love you. I can move mountains to show what is in my heart but I can't do anything to hurt you, like ever. So if it took silence till eternity to see you happy, I would gladly take that choice", he said and came close to Katherine.
Slowly he held her hands in his own and then pulled her close.
He held her face in both his hands and said,
"I wish you can just listen to my heart right now or maybe read my mind", saying he planted a small kiss on her forehead and hugged her.
He whispered,
"I have always loved you and only you throughout my life".
Akira's grip on Vikram's hand slowly loosened.
She couldn't fathom in the wildest of her dreams that he had such feelings harbored in his heart for her. Her throat was all dried up and nothing but utter desperation hit her. She turned towards him and asked,
"Is this all true Vikram?"
"Is that how you have felt about me?"
He took a deep breath and knelt in front of her but he didn't have the courage to meet her eyes for a second, for his life was hanging on a thin thread right now.
"I don't have the words to say the right thing. Probably I need a buy a vowel, for that's how much I love you Akira. I don't know how to express it or make you feel it", he said and finally looked into her eyes which were already filled up to the brim with tears.
"So all these years...", she said and then her throat choked up.
"Yes Akira all these years, he said and then held her hand.
Her heart pained just to think about how much he had to undergo for her sake. She didn't love him that way but the love that she had in her heart for him transcended all the boundaries for it was the unconditional one which didn't need a name to be defined.
She held his hand and asked,
"Why didn't you tell me before? Why did you have to suffer all this alone?"
"I don't know when it happened Akira, but you have already become a part of my life, like the air I need to breathe. I don't want any answers from you right now, I don't want you to say a yes right now. I just want you to give me a chance to show you how much I love you Akira. Can you not give me a chance?".
A worried look spread on her face for she didn't know how to tell him that the man in her heart was someone else. She loved him but she could never give him that place. She was torn inside between friendship and love. Nothing but pain reflected in her eyes.
Katherine heard it all and her patience was running out. She couldn't see him emotionally torturing Akira anymore, so she signaled to the anchor and took a step ahead.
"But guys !!! Please wait. Our play isn't over yet !!!".
Akira and Vikram suddenly heard Katherine speak and looked in her direction. Vikram was shocked because the material that he had given was till this much.
"Have they improvised or something?", he wondered at looked at Katherine whose demeanor had suddenly transformed. She sounded all the more confident and ruthless at the same time in a weird way. Her gaze was locked onto him and she said,
"Our play has just started !!!"
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