Mike went ahead to get the door.

A delivery guy gave him a cake and a big flower bouquet of baby's breath. Instantly after seeing the flowers, Mike understood it was from Vikram. He brought in the bouquet and cake inside and said,

"Did you order all this Vikram?"

Vikram grinned within as everything was going as planned.

"Yeah, I did. I thought that Akira would definitely crack the interview, so to celebrate I had pre-ordered cake and flowers. How presumptuous of me", he said in a sulky and dejected tone. He deliberately sighed in despair and looked at Akira and said,

"I am sorry Akira. I had no intention of mocking you. I didn't know that you won't be selected. I had ordered everything yesterday itself. I made sure that everything was your favorite starting from Red Velvet Cake to the flowers. But little did I know that you would be in a mess today. I am really sorry if I have gone overboard and have hurt you Akira."

Akira was melted with his soft words. She was unable to drag the prank any further. She again started looking at Mike with eyes filled with regret. She was cursing herself for even thinking of playing such a stupid prank on Vikram.

Judging from her expressions, Vikram could sense that Akira had already started feeling guilty about the whole duping fiasco that she had pulled in. To rub her more with salt, Vikram got up and picked up the cake and flower bouquet and said -

"I am going to throw all this right away. All these are making you feel even worse."

He started walking towards the door and counted in his head 1...2...3...4.. Before he could finish his count to five, Akira literally screamed -

"Stop"

"I was lying, I got in. I was just trying to play with you ok. I am sorry." She said everything in one single breath.

Vikram turned back and with a smug smile spread on his face, he said - "I know. You are a terrible liar."

Akira couldn't believe what he said and neither did Mike. Her eyes were opened wide in shock.

"Mike acted well though. But your fake crying. Jeez, Akira did you ever take drama classes seriously?" Vikram added as if the previous insult wasn't enough. Mike laughed hard after hearing what Vikram said but Akira was pissed. A few moments before she was feeling bad for Vikram but little did she know he himself was acting.

"You guys make me sick", screamed Akira and stormed towards the kitchen.

Vikram had a hearty laugh after seeing her running away all embarrassed and angry. He then took the cake box and unpacked it. He lined it with candles which came along with the box and kept the knife next to it. Then he went to the kitchen to coax her out.

"Com'on don't ruin the mood Akira. It's a big day for you. Come let's celebrate."

"Don't want. You eat it by yourself you smug face", sneered Akira.

"But its too big for me to finish up all alone. Plus I will really feel bad if you don't get a piece of it when it's from - La Patisserie," Vikram said knowingly because he knew that this was her favorite cake shop in whole Brooklyn.

Akira raised one eyebrow and then looked towards Mike. He was holding his ears as if pleading for mercy. Seeing them both like this and with the delicious cake lying on top of the dining table, luring her more every second, she caved in.

"Fine fine. Let's celebrate ME", she said with a big smile on her face.

The trio then devoured on the cake and all the yummy delicacies that Akira had prepared for dinner.

After the dinner was over Vikram helped Akira to clean up the dishes. While Vikram was wiping a bowl, Akira suddenly said -

"You know Anthony never helped me to do the dishes. Not even once. And I was so stupid that I never even bothered to question him. Was I stupid Vikram?"

Vikram didn't like where the conversation was going. He didn't want her to recollect any of the bitter memories again. He knew that her boyfriend was never good enough for her. He had told her once and that had caused a rift between them. So ever since he had decided never to comment on it. He didn't want to comment anything now as well.

"Well he should be the last thing on your things to worry about list", Vikram said.

"And the first being?", asked Akira.

"Well, the first thing you should be worried about right now is - What are you going to wear tomorrow?", Vikram said and smiled.

"Yeah right !!! I didn't even think about it", said a worried Akira.

Vikram folded his hands and stood silently near the sink. He was amused to see the pretty creature in front of him, pacing left and right in the kitchen, pinching her eyebrow with one hand as if she had to fix Global Warming the very next day. He literally adored everything about her, head to toe. After about a minute she stopped pacing and looked at him with a twinkle in her eyes,

"Can I wear the yellow A-line dress, the one on which I had spilled my milkshake when we went to watch Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom together?"

Vikram pictured her wearing that dress and screamed inside his head - "Yeah right and then I should be worried the whole day thinking about which guy in your office was trying to hit on you?" Vikram shrugged off the thought and blurted out -

"No way".

Akira looked at him disappointedly and asked - "But why? I look cute in that. Don't I?"

"The problem is, you look way too cute in that", he said and gazed into her eyes like he wanted to be drowned in them.

"Really!!!?", beamed Akira and asked.

"Yeah really !!!", said Vikram.

Akira ran to him and pulled his cheeks with both her hand and screamed- "You Cutie". He went ahead and held her hand and pulled her out of the house towards his car.

"Where are we going?", she asked.

Vikram didn't say a word. When they reached near his car, he opened the car door and took out an exquisite looking huge box and then handed it to Akira and said - "For You."

"What is it?", asked Akira curiously.

"Open and see", said Vikram and took a step back to see her reaction in full.

Akira opened the box and saw a beautiful formal A-line grey colored one-piece inside. She became very happy and emotional at the same time and said -

"Is this why you told me I look way too cute in my yellow dress? Huh !!! You liar"

"I never lie", said Vikram and looked at her intently and thought,

"God her cuteness will soon kill me someday".