Attracting Akira {first}

✩ Bipolar Mom ✩

Chapter 10 ~ "Bipolar Mom"

EDITED.

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Akira's POV

The eerie silence in the room was suffocating; the only sound was of the utensils clinking against the glass plates. At the moment, mom, dad, Kabir and I were situated around the round dining table, quietly eating dinner. Mom was conversing with dad, and trying to get both Kabir and me to speak as well. We added in a few words here and there, but the lack of direct conversation between us siblings was evident. Stupidly, I had avoided the inevitable conversation with Kabir, deciding as always to ignore my problems till they went away.

It had been a week since I met Meera and not much had not changed between Kabir and I in the past week. I had mostly been either locked in my room or out for some work, while he barely came home before ten o'clock.

After a couple of minutes, a loud thump hit the table, startling all of us. I look up to see dad holding a frustrated expression, with his palm against the table. "Enough. Both of you."

I glance at Kabir with wide eyes, who seemed just as startled. "Stop behaving irrational and like children. You both are adults, and I expected you to deal with your issues in a mature way. You told me you would talk to your brother, Akira. Last week." 

I winced. I had forgotten about the affirmation I had given papa. 

He turned to Kabir sharply, "And you, need to show effort too, Kabir. It will not just be Akira making the effort, so band karo ye naatak." He roared before exiting the room. I look over to see mom picking up the plates, and throwing us a both a sharp look, before leaving as well. 

It was quite shocking to see their patience had remained even a week long. I voiced my thought to Kabir after a few minutes, hoping to receive a response from him.

"Wow, they lasted longer than I thought." I got a plain eye roll in return. 

"Come on Kabir. You know how bad at communicating I am."

He scoffed, "oh I'm well aware."

"Make all the digs you want, that's fair. As long as you're talking to me. I can't handle this quiet game."

"It affects your mental stability." His lips quirked. For the first time in the past week, he gave me something of a smile. A genuine one.

That was something at least. 

"Yes it does. Don't you realize how scary you are when you go all Mr. Dark-and-silent?"

"I barely do that."

"Exactly, it's rare and horrifying."

He chuckled, "imagine if I was like that all the time."

"That would be a different kind of hell. For you and everyone else," I groaned.

Taking in a long breath and getting back to topic,  "I know my apologies do not make up all the lost time. And I know there is nothing I can do to fix our past. But I want to try and be better for the future. I'm sorry for being selfish and absent, but I promise to do better." 

He looked at me weirdly, "you talking all formal is kind of bizarre, Akira."

I smacked his shoulder, which led to his smile widening. 

"Really Kabir. And if you still want to talk about Rhea, I'm ready." The words rasped out in a quick breath.

His grin faded and his gaze fell to the wall behind me. "Do you mean it?"