219 Duping her best friend
"So what would you like to have?"
"Our usual of course", Akira said and smiled all brightly.
"Why would you even ask about it Vikram? You always know what we order here".
"Well these days your tastes have changed a bit, so I thought I should ask instead of assuming", Vikram said and tried to prick her with his words.
"Still angry with me Viku? Still these things will come in between us?", Akira asked him with her doe eyes and he just melted instantly.
Taking a deep breath he looked at her and said,
"Can I ever be angry with you?"
She smiled hearing him say that and said,
"I know, you can't !!!"
"By the way how is the preparation for GCG going on?", Vikram asked taking a sip of ice chips.
"It's going good but my life has become very very hectic. No matter how much I work, the work never finishes. I am trying hard to meet the deadlines but I am always a bit late".
"That's why I had asked you to join my Ad agency. You could have had more time for yourself and there would not have been any pressing deadlines".
"No Vikram, it's hectic there but I like it. I like the hustle that I have do everyday. I like the way I have to stretch to the max of my capabilities and give my best shot. It makes me more and more productive day by day".
'Wow, you speak like a grown up right now. I can already sense maturity in your thoughts".
"Oh shut up !!! You are speaking like as if I am a kid right now. Huh !!!"
"Of course you are my tiny tot", Vikram said and brushed his finger on her nose lightly.
She sighed and took a deep breath, unable to understand how he could act up like everything was all normal when behind her back he was sabotaging the future of Raymond's company and in turn her life.
"So you don't believe me? Wait till I show you my work", Akira said and took out her iPad in which she had captured the images of a few of her works.
"I had taken pictures of a few of the completed characters and grid designs for using them in my college report. See how much effort I have put into it. I am no more a kid, I am a professional now", Akira said and hoisted her tab in his direction.
Vikram took the tab and got all engrossed in checking the minute details of her work and he said,
"Your work is amazing Akira !!! I am so proud of you. It is detailed to the T".
"Well not all of them are mine. Some have been designed by my teammates too. I did some touch-ups as part of the assignment".
"No, but still, this is just stellar".
Akira beamed up with happiness and said,
"Fine fine now don't make me gloat all over" and saying that she got up and said,
"I am gonna go to the washroom to take a leak and in the meanwhile you can keep appreciating my work".
She got up and took her bag and adjusted her shades on the table and left.
After coming back from the washroom when she reached the table, she saw that the food had already arrived and they both started to hog.
After their lunch was done, Akira took out her phone and opened Uber App.
"Why are you booking Uber?"
"Because I need to go back to my office dummy".
"I will drop you Akira. There is no need to book Uber".
"Oh please Vikram, no need to go all the way to Brooklyn to drop me ok? I am a big girl, I can manage", she said and giggled.
"Yes, you are a big girl now", Vikram said and sighed.
---
After getting into the cab, Akira immediately called Katherine,
"Hey Katherine"
"Hey, Akira. You are all safe right?"
"Yeah, I am on my way back to the office".
"Ok, good to know. Did he suspect anything?"
"No, I think no one will ever suspect the shade to have a recording unit".
"Well that's the mastermind of my brother and David which trapped Dr. Brooks and now Vikram".
"So, do we have anything on him?"
"You were right, he is tainted Akira. He is just trying to be a saint in disguise".
"What do we have Katherine?", Akira asked taking a deep breath.
"He took pictures of I guess all the character designs from your IPad and he sent it to someone. Then he called someone up. I think it must be his assistant because I heard him asking to share these images with a small rival company which would be participating in GCG. And just like you expected, he has asked the designs to be copied so that both the companies get disqualified based on the GCG rules for plagiarism case".
Akira didn't say a word after hearing Katherine.
"I know it must be hurting Akira, but you need to stay strong".
"I am trying Katherine, trust me I am. But I am not worried because of him, I am worried about Raymond. Because of me, he has to face all this. If I had not been in his life, then probably his life would have been simpler".
"You don't know that Akira. I have never seen my brother so much happy before. You have given a new meaning to his life. So please don't say stuff like that. Like ever."
"I just want a normal day in our lives Kat, when we can stop thinking about strategies and plans and live our life happily".
"I do too Akira. I do too".
"But now what will you do? Will you have enough time to make new characters? You cannot use the ones that he has copied right?", Katherine asked all worried.
"We don't have to worry about it".
"Really? How?"
"Because I took pictures of all the discarded character designs. They will never be used further in our project".
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