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he had caused it. He waited for her to
    settle in before closing the door and driving to McDonald’s in Bandra.
    Sunita didn’t utter a word as Akshay led her into the restaurant. The place was quite empty as they
    had just opened. He seated her at a table and bent down to whisper in her ear, “Please don’t run
    away, Sunita. Both of us are hungry. Yeah, I missed breakfast too,” as she looked up in query, “Let’s
    have something to eat and then sort out our problems.
    Sunita gave him a weak smile before nodding her head. Nothing mattered any more. Her life was
    doomed.
    Akshay came back with a tray holding two burgers, French fries and two paper cups of hot coffee.
    Sunita’s mouth watered while her stomach growled but she was too angry to eat. He placed the tray in
    front of her and sat down.
    “Thanks for not running away,” Akshay placed a hand on her shoulder. He could read the confusion
    on her face. “Let’s eat first and then talk.” Saying this he popped a potato fry into his mouth.
    “No,” Sunita turned her face away from the food, “I don’t want to eat. You can have my share too.”
    “If you aren’t eating, I won’t either.” Akshay said quietly, pushing the tray away. “But I’m very
    hungry,” he looked at her, his brown eyes pleading. Was there a twinkle?
    “Akshay, you’re being unreasonable. Why don’t you eat if you’re hungry? I’ve too many things on
    my mind. But that’s my problem. Why should you go without food?” Her voice cracked with emotion.
    “Sweetheart,” Akshay placed an arm around her shoulders, bent his head close to hers and spoke in
    her ear. “Humour me this once.” Sunita’s head went up at that. “I know there’s no reason you should,
    but please,” his breath caressed her ear and drove Sunita to distraction. “And,” he continued, “You’ll
    be able to better face your problems on a happy stomach.”
    Sunita pulled the tray closer. His blood sizzled as he watched her pearly teeth take a small bite of
    the burger. “You saved my life,” he joked. “I’ve never had breakfast so late in the morning.” The hunk
    obviously needed his calories to start his day, thought Sunita as she devoured the food.
    Suddenly remembering, she checked her watch to see that it was 11 am. “I need to go home,” she
    insisted.
    Akshay’s cool was wearing thin. “Sunita, Dadaji knows that you’re with me. There’s no need to
    rush.” His voice grew impatient as he continued, “You are twenty years old and it’s broad daylight.
    Why panic?”
    “You don’t know my parents. My mother worries too much and my father has a vicious temper. Why
    do you care anyway?” asked Sunita bitterly. “And what are you doing here? Don’t you have to
    work?” she frowned at him.
    Akshay shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t think I’ll be of much use at work in the state of mind I’m
    in,” he said, looking out of the corner of his eyes to check her reaction.
    “Why? Are you having trouble at home too?”
    Akshay did not deny it. Only he did not clarify that it was Sunita’s advent into his life that disturbed
    him.
    She was surprised. How could such a confident guy not be able to handle his problems?
    “You tell me, Sunita. Why are you upset?” There was genuine concern in Akshay’s voice.
    Sunita could read the sincerity in his question as her mind worked better on a full stomach. Looking
    at him, she said in a bitter voice, “Congrats!”
    Akshay heard the sarcasm. Puzzled, he asked, “For what?”
    “You’re right in guessing that my parents plan to get me married to Tom, Dick or Harry. I didn’t take
    you seriously when you warned me last evening. I heard my parents discussing alternate plans in case
    you said ‘no’. My father’s actually planning a swayamvar , no less.” Sunita grimaced, her slender
    body shuddering in distaste.
    Akshay could relate to her anguish and wished to God that he hadn’t been proved right. He had
    planned to court