Sensing the awkward silence creeping in between them, Akira asked,

"Dr. Nelson, are you there?"

"Yes, I am", he said taking a deep breath, unable to find words to reciprocate to her questions.

"So are we clear here? I mean I know you are a very kind and helpful man, but I don't want to take unwanted and undue advantage of that."

Hearing her words he could clearly understand that she didn't say any of it in a bad way. Her intent was good. So for a moment, he was unable to think what to say and how to say, for there were so many things that were running through his mind. So finally, he said,

"To be honest, I seriously will feel bad if you offer me money like that. I mean I never met you as someone with a patient. I was the first one to talk with you because I just wanted to help the girl who was scribbling all the medical terms on her notepad."

"But..."

"Let me finish Akira", saying that Dr. Nelson made her pause in between and then he said,

"I helped you because I just wanted to do so. Not because I had any monetary intentions of any intention of capturing a new patient in my mind, given that this disease is very rare. I honestly just wanted to help you. I am telling you all this just to make my stand clear. That's all. But I guess If I stand in your shoes, it might be weird to take help from me. So I totally understand your predicament."

"You do?" Akira asked softly.

"Yes, I do. So if you really want to help then, instead of paying me any fees or anything, you can donate any amount that you feel comfortable with to my charitable trust - HOPE. It is a New York-based organization which takes care of old people who have been abandoned by their kids. We take care of their basic needs and medical needs."

"Wow, that ... you know... Umm... sounds wonderful."

"And to top it off, you can claim the Charitable Contribution Deductions and evade from taxes."

"Sounds good to me."

"So I guess we are all set with the deal?"

"Yes, definitely. Such a big burden is now lifted off my shoulders", Akira said and smiled.

"I wish you didn't feel burdened by this small thing. Erm... You have anything else?", Dr. Nelson asked a bit skeptically because he wasn't sure if she could comprehend why the bartender addressed her as his wife. He was expecting her to ask about it but it looked like she wasn't even bothered about it as not even once in the entire discussion she brought that topic up.

"Yeah, I guess that would be all from my side. I better start drafting my queries to you", saying that Akira started fiddling with the rope of her pajamas.

She had not forgotten the incident at that hotel where he had addressed her as Alita and then the bartender had misunderstood her as his wife. She wanted to clarify her questions but she didn't want to sound impolite and intrusive as well.

Sensing a lull from the other side of the phone Dr. Nelson said,

"Ok then. I better keep the call. My boarding starts in another 10 mins."

"Oh ok, so you are flying back today?"

"Um...Yes", saying that Dr. Nelson looked at his phone screen and then asked,

"What is with this PRIVATE NUMBER? Are you into some covert state-run mission like FBI or CBI or something?"

"God no...", Akira said and chuckled.

"I am into the gaming domain. Game design basically. I use a private number because being a girl getting all those prank calls is way too tiring, to be honest."

"I see, very true."

"But you can just call me on this number because I have added you to my list. So you won't be blocked unlike others."

"Ok, I guess I should feel privileged here then."

"Erm... no-no. I didn't mean to put it that way... I just..."

"Ok, then... I will see you soon sometime in NewYork", he said, interrupting her in between.

"Yeah, sure thing", she said and was about to disconnect the call, but the questions which were haunting her in the back of her head, which she had been trying hard to suppress, started sprouting all of a sudden and made her blabber the very next second,

"Who is Alita?"

On the other end of the line, the moment he heard the question. His jaws clenched and his nerves became all taut. For a second he felt like he was standing in a field of vacuum with no control over himself and his emotions at all.

The next thing that he did was to disconnect the call.