They judged her without knowing what kind of battle she was fighting.
Akira Malik is a simple girl who has been sheltered by her overprotective father since birth. When time arrived for her to stand on her own feet, trying to create her own identity...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
••••
Being in the spotlight has started becoming a usual thing for Akira Malik because as expected everyone was watching them with an intense gaze desperate to know what's awaiting next. Her heart was thundering and her mouth was dry. Sara has already stood up and so did Ryan facing each other with full hatred.
Akira's shaky legs managed to get up from her seat and stared at them.
"Tell her to apologize and this feud ends now," Sara threatened as she wasn't one of those persons who'll easily back down. But Ryan is no angel. "It's not happening."
"Oh so you're on her side now. Few days ago you had no problem in humiliating her and now you can't bear anything happening against her." Sara stepped closer, crossed her arms below her chest and spoke in a loud mocking voice. "What happened between the two of us that you're suddenly her knight? Come on Ryan, enlighten us. I mean for the sake of our ex-friendship." She walked few steps ahead and faced everyone. "Don't you guys want to know about this mysterious tragedy?"
"Yeah," came in unison with whistles and laughter.
Air seems to be diminishing in the room for Akira as her full of tears eyes looked at Ryan. Everything she has hated was rapidly becoming true.
"Alright everyone, I'll tell you," announced Ryan. He approached Akira and gazed into her pitiful face. "Take off your necklace." His loud voice boomed across the room as silence prevailed while Akira was on the verge of falling unconscious. Her wobbly fingers went behind her neck as she unhooked her necklace which is the last memory of her mother. She placed it carefully on Ryan's hand and somehow she felt empty without it.
"This is Akira's personal necklace. She always wears it and one day she lost it in one of the hallways. I found it and kept it with me until I decided to propose her to become my girlfriend."
The word girlfriend was enough to put everyone on high alert, becoming more interested in what Ryan has to say including Akira as she knew for a hundred percent that he is lying.
"So I got down on my knees and held the necklace in the hand like one would hold a small box containing a ring." Ryan did the action at the same time confusing Akira but exciting the rest.
"And I asked. Akira Malik will you do me the honor of becoming my girlfriend?"
If Ryan wasn't the smartest then Akira didn't know who was. Ever since he admitted loving her, he has wanted to know her answer but she is so perplexed that she didn't have a specific one. Using Sara's arrogance as a leverage, he had put her in a situation where yes is the only answer because if she said no, not only she'll be humiliated but she'll lose the last support and whom she has closest to a friend.
"I...I..." she started but couldn't continue. "You don't have to prove them love, I know you love me too," he said and got up on his feet, fastening the necklace around her neck.
