CHAPTER 1
"Nikki, bahut badi problem ho gayi. Ghar ke gas cylinder me gas khatam ho gayi. Iss wakt toh doosra cylinder toh kahi milega bhi nahi. Maaji ke kuch guests aa rahe hai. Itna saara khana aur snacks banane hai. Kal saari taiyaari karke soyi thi lekin bina gas ke sab kaise banaungi? Nikki, mujhe bahut darr lag raha hai. Kuch samajh nahi aa raha-"
"Di, tu shant ho ja. Me hu na. Me Pammi aunty se baat karti hu."
And that is how Anokhi Bhalla ended up with loads of cut vegetables, marinated chicken and all sorts of sauces in the kitchen of the university canteen where she worked. Babli had to go back to set up the house for the party. She was reluctant to leave Anokhi to do all the cooking but she could never speak up in front of her in-laws.
The canteen lady, Pammi aunty, had gratefully lended her kitchen to the sister for helping her last minute in preparations for Shaurya Sabherwal's birthday party.
Anokhi rolled her hair up into a bun and used her pen to keep them in place as she got to work.
It was about half past six in the evening. Shaurya Sabherwal had had a hard day at work checking the mid-term papers in his cabin. And his mind was never at rest nowadays after his confrontation with his mother and the whole deal with being stuck in the factory riot.
He often found his mind wandering over to the antics of a certain irritating girl in his university and his class. Lately he found himself not able to think about anything but.
Ever since during the riot when he lost sight of Anokhi, fearing someone would hurt her, Shaurya had started to realize these unexplainable feelings. He could not rest not knowing if Anokhi was safe. He never realized when the excruciatingly irritating, infuriating Ms. Bhalla became the adorable, fierce and endearing Anokhi to him.
He never could control his emotions around her. She always managed to bring out his hidden emotions, ones he didn't even realize he was feeling. From all the underlying anger to the smiles he wanted to keep hidden, she managed to bring them all to the surface.
He didn't know what to feel around her. And neither did he know what to feel when thinking about her.
He came down the stairs from his office when he noticed the lights on in the canteen kitchen. He could not see through to the windows because they were hazed but he could see some purple movements through them.
He knew it was late and he knew that Pammi aunty never stayed this late because she lived quite far away so, she had to leave early.
He cautiously walked over to the canteen area and peeked around the door to watch a frantic Anokhi looking like she could use some help.
She was bringing a glass bowl full of dry fruits when she tripped on thin air and the bowl went flying up in the air.
Shaurya rushed forward to catch her in his arms before she hit the ground face first and pulled her into him when the bowl hit the floor and the glass shattered.
Anokhi looked up to see Shaurya staring down at her. She looked at him with a confused expression before looking down at the broken glass.
She got out of his arms just as the pressure cooker whistled signaling that the Rajma was done.
She looked between the cooker and the broken glass with panic in her eyes.
"Tum voh sambhalo. Me kanch saaf kar doonga." She looked at him with uncertain eyes and Shaurya looked back with determined ones. She decided not to question him and went to the stove.
Shaurya got himself a broom and started cleaning up the broken glass.
Once the Rajma was off the stove and the glass taken care off, Anokhi and Shaurya turned to look at each other.
"Aap itni late yahan kya kar rahi hai, Ms. Bhalla? Canteen bahaut pehle close ho gaya tha." Shaurya took in her attire. She was wearing her purple kurta with a light pink apron with a small bunny head printed on it. Her hair was tied up except a strand that was getting in her face. Her fingers were coloured with remnants of masalas and there were a few rice grains hanging from her hair.
Shaurya managed to stifle a laugh begging to escape from his through but he couldn't help the smile that came onto his face when he saw the bunny.
"Sir, mujhe bas thodi aur cheeze hi banana reh gayi hai. Uske baad me sab lock karke chali jaaungi."
"Aur tum yeh sab apne ghar ke kitchen me kyu nahi bana sakti? The canteen kitchen is not for personal use, Ms. Bhalla." Shaurya knew it was useless to fight her as he was sure she would figure out some counterpoint. He was very uncomfortable with this whole situation.
"Sir, mene Pammi aunty se baat kar ki hai. Unhone hi mujhe allow kiya hai. Aur agar emergency nahi hoti toh me bhi yeh kitchen use nahi karti."
Anokhi explained the situation to him while he listened intently. They were cut off by a chime signaling that the rice was done cooking.
Shaurya looked around the kitchen. It was a mess and Anokhi looked nowhere near done with it. She looked like she had a lot on her hands and very little time to do it considering the guests would arrive at the house in about two hours.
Shaurya let out a long drawn out sigh before taking an apron hanging on the back of the door and tying it around himself.
Anokhi looked at him and tried to hide her smile when looked at his apron. Shaurya looked at her in confusion and looked down at his apron before his face turned sour and Anokhi burst out laughing.
Right in the middle on his black apron was an angry bitter gourd (karela) who seemed just about ready to beat someone up.
Shaurya looked down at it disdainfully while Anokhi kept on laughing. They both were thinking about the time Anokhi had called him a karela and at the whole irony of it.
Shaurya looked up at the sound of her laughing. He had rarely heard her laugh. She chose not to even smile around him. He found himself liking the sound escaping her lips. He wanted to keep hearing it. It was definitely much better than the long, drawn-out arguments from her. He watched as her eyes crinkled at the corners and she threw her head back laughing whole-heartily. She was a sight for sore eyes and he couldn't get enough.
Seeing her laugh, he couldn't help but let out a chuckle of his own as he shook his head at her.
There was this very rare, very precious moment when they both were just laughing. Both were happy around each other and all the past complaints and inhibitions they had with each other were forgotten for that one moment.
Their laughter soon died down and they looked at each other.
"Sir, aapne apron kyu pehen liya?" Anokhi asked him, even if she had a faint idea what the answer was going to be.
Shaurya smirked at her and replied, "Tumhari help karne ke liye. Batao, kya madad kar sakta hoon main tumhari?"
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