Chapter 16: Trade secrets

Akat never got to hear the next part of the story from uncle Maran as he had to leave with Prapit.

"I'll borrow him until Friday. Chakri will sleep with you, so don't worry about ghosts."

Akat nodded. He wanted to know about this mission every one but him knew about, but did not ask. Someone would tell him, when they felt he needed to know. He was sure of it.

Chakri and Akat slept in Akat's old room. Akat realised he was possessive of Prapit, and couldn't let Chakri use anything of Prapit's.

"Do I have this right to keep Prapit to myself?" He asked to himself, but decided, he would, until Prapit told him he couldn't.

Chakri was, much to Akat's surprise, a great chat buddy.

Akat had never hung around Chakri, so he never realised how fun he could be. He was extremely expressive, cheerful and colourful.

"Congratulations again, jun Akat! Did you guys do it?"

"Do what?" Akat gave him a blank stare.

Chakri gave him an equally blank stare. "Er.. did you guys, you know, have a night of marital bliss?"

Akat replied wryly, "We spent a night star gazing, and then I never got to see Prapit after that."

Chakri bit his lips. "I'm sorry. It's just that sen looks so much happier these days, I though maybe, you got time to cozy upto each other."

"Prapit looks happier?"

Chakri nodded. "The last two years without you was tough for him. I didn't know he was this addicted to you."

Akat asked, "What do you mean?"

"He barely smiled. He would sleep in office because coming back home reminded him of you, and he couldn't bear the pain of not seeing you. Some days he worked two days in a row without eating or sleeping. Around six months ago, he reached the point of no return. He had to drink to get himself to sleep. I feared he may walk down the old path again."

Akat knew he was refering to the time Niranj must have died.

"It was that bad? Because of me?"

"Sen is madly in love with you. Initially he reasoned with himself, saying he was too old, the attachment that he was feeling towards you, was just akin to a master and his puppy, but when you kissed him, he realised he couldn't fool himself anymore. You must have seen him that night. No joking jun Akat, he blushed, turning into a nicebright shade of red! I hadn't laughed that hard in my life. And when you called him kitty! That was adorable!"

Chakri giggled. Akat called Prapit kitty? Holy sword of Hotrā!

"I did that?"

"Oh, but that was nothing compared to the night before the wedding! Apparently you told him you were crazy in love with him. He was smiling like a mad man to himself, in the groom's make up suite. It was a sight to behold!"

Akat wanted to see that side of Prapit that every one else had seen but him. Would he be able to see it if he called him kitty? Maybe he would call him that, when Prapit got done with this case.

"What is Prapit like at work?"

Chakri was quiet for a minute. Then he replied, "that depends on whether he got to see you before leaving, and whether he'd get to see you after he returned. Days without you, was hell for us, he'd be in a horrible mood.

On days that you were around, there could never be a kinder boss than him."

Akat asked him, "Prapit really likes me that much?"

Chakri burst out laughing. "Like? He is so madly in love with you, he drives us crazy. Especially now that he's married to you, he literally springs rather than walks, why, the other day, we caught him humming tunelessly."

"Sen, could you tell me some secrets about Prapit I don't know?"

Chakri giggled, "Sure, why not? What do you want to know?"

"How do I know that he is shy?"

Chakri laughed, "He'll pick on you. Your tie will be out of place, you eat messily, the shoes don't shine enough, why? I even got, my ears look bad without piercings. He says it with a dead voice and an angry look, and if he gets super super shy, then he dumps you with work."

Akat's lips curved upwards. "How do I know he loves me when he never says it out?"

Chakri laughed. "That's easy too, even if he doesn't say he loves you, does he say you can't love anyone but him?"

Akat's eyes widened, "How do you know?"

"I don't, but I guessed." Chakri went on to explain, "He doesn't know this himself, but with people who mean the world to him, he is unable to express his love, for fear they maybe taken away from him. He loved two people in his life, but both were taken away from him.

So he reassures himself that he is indeed loved by those he loves, by asking them this question. Words may differ, ofcourse, based on the person."

Akat nodded. He now understood why Prapit had asked him if he had loved him so many times. He felt happy and sad at the same time. Happy that Prapit loved him so much, sad that he knew nothing about Prapit. Prapit only showed him the cheerful, firm side, but never his vulnerable side. Uncle Maran and Chakri knew that side to him as well. Akat felt he was at a disadvantage.

"Can I have some photos of Prapit? I don't have that many pictures of him."

Chakri thought for some time. "I think I have three or four pictures back at my place. I'll bring it over tomorrow."

"Really?" Akat sounded excited. "Thanks a lot sen! I owe you big time!"

Chakri laughed. "Make me breakfast. Sen Prapit keeps bragging to us about what an amazing cook you are. But he is so possessive, he refuses to share his food with us. I want to make him jealous. I'm going to post a picture of me eating breakfast cooked by you online."

Akat laughed, "No way will Prapit be that immature!"

Chakri giggled, "Do you want to bet on it? 1 shell he'll ask me to take it off the social media, and ban me from eating here. He didn't want me to sleep with you, because he feels he can't share the cute sleeping you with anyone. If you didn't have your fear of ghosts, I know for a fact I'd never be allowed in here."

Akat felt himself falling harder for Prapit. Prapit he knew was cool, but the Prapit everyone else saw was cute. He needed to test Prapit and see for himself, this side that was hidden from him.