The second opinion - 1

"Four seasons !!!"

Akira couldn't believe that he knew about the reservation made by Vikram. The moment he spoke about it, she was completely blown over.

"Tell me how you know about it?"

"Well when you enter a fight, you do not just check the strength of the opponent, you also check his weaknesses. I am not saying that I am waging a war against him. He is a reformed man now, and I am perfectly aware of it, but still, when it comes to you, I can trust no man".

"You sound so.... so bookish right now", Akira said and chuckled.

"Bookish? Did you really want to call me bookish or there was something else that you wanted to call me as? Huh?"

"Erm... maybe possessive !!!"

"What the heck is wrong with you Akira, How is this bookish or possessive in any sense?", Raymond asked all annoyed. He was pouring his deepest emotions and there she was, enjoying excavating and spewing garbage all over him with her out of the world words.

"You certainly know how to kill the mood", Raymond said and gulped water from the bottle placed on his desk.

"Um...", said Akira and started playing with her hair all nervously because somehow she could sense that she had irked him and she knew that she had to pacify him as soon as possible because she had to convince him to accompany her for all the test's again at Dr. Nelson's hospital.

So thinking about the impending mission that she had set up in her mind, in a very cajoling way she spoke,

"Ray !!! Are you free tomorrow?"

"Akira, you know we can't meet and date. I have already explained it to you. You know the situation we are in. Why do you want to risk it? Which part of it you do not understand".

Hearing his annoyed voice, Akira felt a bit hurt.

"Why do you always think that I have no idea about the gravity of the situation Raymond. Is it wrong of me to even desire to meet you after all these days?", Akira spoke and he could sense from her tone that she was pissed with?his words. Words that he couldn't retract back in any way and words that had punctured that tiny heart of hers.

Instant regret was what gripped him.

So lowering his voice and in a very fond tone, he said,

"I am sorry, tell me what you want? Where do you want to meet? I will try to make some arrangements".

Sensing the sincerity and encapsulated apology from his voice she said,

"I wanted to meet you for some other reason, Raymond. Not to play or have fun."

"Ok tell me. When and where?"

Taking a pause, Akira said,

"When I went to the conference which you were supposed to attend, I...."

"Wait, what conference? Medical conference in which Oshana was participating?"

Akira's nerves burned to hear her name from his mouth in an informal tone, but still keeping her calm she said,

"Yes, the same conference."

"But why would you even go there?" Raymond asked all worried because he thought that the severity of his condition might have affected Akira in a weird way as his reports were a part of Oshana's paper.

"Just listen to me for once, without interrupting me, Raymond. I will go to any freaking conference in any part of the world if that would help me to understand your condition in a better way. I am ready to do anything that it takes to get you back on your wheel. Do you understand that? I cannot lose hope Raymond, I just cannot".

Her voice was almost cracking, and Raymond knew that he had touched her sensitive side, which he shouldn't have.

"I am sorry", he said and then stayed silent.

She was surprised to hear him dropping his weapons, all at once.

Taking a pause, she said,

"The thing is, I met a doctor there, who is also working in New York and is specialized in treating 'Acquired Prosopagnosia'. He gave a brilliant paper at the conference and given his experience, I am pretty sure he might be able to provide some more insights to us. I have sourced his contact information as well."

"He has more than 5-6 patients with similar conditions under him. So I guess we can opt for a second opinion. I am not saying that Dr. Oshana is incapable or less qualified in this regard. All I want is a second opinion, just for the sake of the peace of my heart. That's all. There is no harm in that, right?", saying that Akira stayed silent for a while waiting for his response.

"And that Doctor would be Dr. Jaby Nelson I suppose?"

His question did nothing less than baffling her up.