“The world comes to conspire against you if you become unaware of the storm that is knocking your door and before you become alert, you have already ruined.”

“What did he say?” Rhea startled me by jumping inside my cabin and dropped on the chair next to mine.

“You almost gave me a cardiac arrest.” I clutched my heart and glared her before proceeding to work on the given task. She swiveled on the chair and jiggled the pen in her fingers, “Okay, sorry for that but what did he say?”

“Here!” I swung the file at her.

“What is this?” She quizzed catching the file on time and opened it. A few minutes of silence passed when she exclaimed, “You are promoted!”

“It seems so.” I replied monotonously, sinking deep in my chair, “I mean I am confused and I don’t know what I want out of it.”

“Why are you confused?” She furrowed her eyebrows, wheeling the chair near me and annexed my hands in hers. It was safe to bet on that Rhea understood me more than anyone, after all, there was a reason she was my best friend. We’d been together since we shared seats in class ninth. There was no doubt that she was very much unlike me and it was established that we both were poles apart in our appearance and approaches towards life yet it was true that we were inseparable. We had been each other’s confidant, support system and healer. To sum up, she was a Thumbs up fiend and I was a Mountain Dew person. Our only common trait was passion for developing software and that’s what helped us in securing a position in the same company.

“Will you speak up or stare at me like you are dying to kiss me?” She mocked and I swatted her hand, she burst into laughter and I twitched my lips. “Shut up! It will be the end of the day when I will decide to kiss you.”

“Okay, what’s the matter now?” She asked sobering up.

“It is an agreement of four years and also on the post of graduate research assistant.” I rubbed the back of my neck and protracted, “this is good and bad both. I don’t know why I am not contented.”

“Means you will have to stay there for the tenure of four years?”

“Yes.” I licked my lips, “Four years in alien country without no support and supplies. I don’t think I can survive with that.”

“Talk to your family and see what they say. I mean grad research assistant is not that bad of a job.” She encouraged and I nodded, “I think I need to have coffee.”

“I will come with you.”

“Please,” I impede her, “I might be lucky to not get rebuffed at being late but if we both have coffee together at the dawn of the office hours, you know how much of a mess bulldog will create.”

She giggled and shoved her hands in jeans pocket, “Alright then. I am going to get some work done. Bye, see you at the lunch.”

“Bye.” I whizzed to the cafeteria and leaned against the counter, “Dada, one coffee please!”

“Excuse me!” In a total contrast of ragged harsh voice, I was greeted by the deep smooth voice. Definitely, it cannot be the canteen dada.

“Hello?” I called out; leaning further on to the kitchen counter and a face emerged out, slowly rising up to my eyelevel along with a well defined body. My eyes were narrowing as he was appearing from under the counter and stood at a staggering height of six five, now inches above from my eyelevel. I sunk back and stare him. Sparkling eyes, clean shaven, lean physique and a dusky complexion was what I noticed, he was far far better than the canteen dada.

“Excuse me?” he snapped his fingers before my eyes and I blinked twice before clearing my throat and glancing around him confused. What was he doing here?

ESV remarked, unceremoniously slobbering on the hot stuff, ‘They’re appointing eye candies here. I guess he’ll prolong our coffee bills.’

Correctly judging from my silence, he regarded me courteously. “I am not a waiter for sure but I’ll fetch your coffee anyway. You seem a little uptight.”

Oh no…

“No, that’s alright. I will take it myself,” I apologized paving across the counter and took the mug for myself, “I am really sorry for that. Um, where is Ramji dada?”

“Oh, the guy over here is Ramji?” He wondered, “Actually he got a call of nature, so...I thought to make myself a cup of tea.” He enlightened me and at the info, I couldn’t help but giggle. “And I ended up thinking of you as a worker. That is so stupid of me.”

“I didn’t mind at all, Miss?”

“Shree.” I elongated my hand for him, “Shree Jaisingh.”

“Akshat Divan.” He clasped my palm firmly and smiled at me.

“So, are you done with your tea?” I looked around for his cup and he twitched his head, “Couldn’t find the ingredients.”

“Well, in that case, would you like to have coffee?”

“Okay, that sounds good.” He rubbed his hands and I made coffee for both of us. Apparently, dada had taken a liberty to spend more than an hour in the loo and we made most of this time by munching on the snacks that would’ve been purchased by us.

“So...new here? I’ve not seen you before.” I licked the sauce off my lips.

“Yeah, I’ve recently taken charge as HoD of Marketing Department.” He chose the decency of wiping his lips with the tissues, making me cringe at mine. “And you welcomed me here as a worker.”

I paused eating at his statement. “Am, um, actually I am really…”

“Relax. I was just pulling your leg.” He sneered and I blew out the impending sigh. ESV gasped, ‘He’s too young and handsome to replace an old, bald and paunchy wit.’

Agreed!

Our short catch up portrayed his image as a guy with a dash of humor and wit. I made a hunch that if everything goes in right path, we would end up being buddies. I grinned at the thought and finished my coffee, getting up. “Alright, I think we’ve chatted enough. I need to rush back to my cabin otherwise bu…er…my boss will eat me up alive.”

“Yeah, I need to go now as well. See you around.” He shook hands with me and I rushed back to my cubicle. It didn’t realize when time raced away as I started working on the files and projects in my hands. My aching muscles and hammering head reminded me that I was on my edge of passing out. I winded up my system and thrust the stuff in my bag, locked the cubicle and stepped inside the elevator.

***

I drove the car in the shelter and noticed another car parked there. As I was stepping on the staircase, I could hear horrendous chatter of some of my retarded relatives. I plodded inside and wiggled my eyebrows at Siya who was serving snacks to the said relative, when she looked up at me. Sending a smile at the woman whose back was facing me; she erected fully and mouthed something that I couldn’t understand.

“Butu!” I heard mom and she beckoned me to come closer. I followed and noticed Shikha aunt who now looking at me.

“Hello, aunt. How are you?” I smiled courteously at her despite being too tired to even sit up straight. I threw my bag beside me and rubbed my calves putting one leg over another.

“I am good, Shree. You’ve grown up beautiful.” She added to her greetings and I bit back my smile. I so wanted to ask her whether she sent the proposal of child marriage if she didn’t know that I grew up, but, that being said, I just smiled.

“Thank you, aunt. How are uncle and everyone in your family?”

“They are healthy by god grace.” She replied.

Before we could chat more, my cell phone roared to life, prying for my attention. I took my duffle bag and extracted my cell phone. It was Rhea who called me.

“I need to take this, aunt, excuse me.” I smiled at her and stood up to go to the foyer.

“Why didn’t you wait for me?” She hollered in my ears as soon as I picked up the call. “I waited in the entrance for like ten minutes for you.”

I bit my tongue as I recalled that I promised to exit the office premises with her as she had something important to collect in the middle of my home.

“What? Did cat get your tongue?” She was clearly pissed.

“I forgot yaar, I was very busy.” I cracked my neck and rubbed my forehead. “I didn’t have the strength to pull my car out, Arjun did that for me.”

“But you could’ve messaged me.” She grouched and I rolled my eyes, “I forgot. What does that imply?”

“Okay fine.” She succumbed anyhow which was not something you get to see every day. “Don’t forget that we’re meeting for the shopping tomorrow. I need you to be with me since mom is very busy with her socialite errands.”

“Yeah, I remember that and I’ve even applied for a half day.”

“That’s good.” She grinned, “Let’s meet for the breakfast at my place. I will prepare coffee for you. You know how magical my culinary skills are!” She boosted and I gagged, “Yeah, yeah. I know. Hey, did I tell you that I met a really hot stuff today in our canteen?”

“You tend to forget sharing this sort of information.” She jibed and I twitched my lips. “It means I didn’t. Well, I met this guy named Akshat, he’s the new HoD of marketing department and he is really a decent and hot specimen.”

“Really? Shay! I missed a hot catch there.” She sighed, dramatically.

“Oh miss drama! He’s there and you’re here.” I made a height distance with my hand knowing well that she can’t see me but since she knows me too well, she would understand.

“Yeah yeah! Don’t forget to introduce him to me. I am hanging up now because my bladder is going to burst if I didn’t run to the washroom at this instant. So, see you tomorrow. Bye!” She rattled and I cut the call, shaking head at her idiocy.

***

“Butu! Ask Shankar to shift Shikha’s bags in the guest room.” Mom said while chopping veggies and I was helping her in the kitchen. I paused, popping the peas out of its pod. “Is she staying the night?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.” I shrugged and veered at what she was doing. “Mom, do one thing. I will help you in making Roti and salad and you can make the curries.”

“Fine, then here. Knead the dough.” She slithered the platter and the jug towards me. I smiled at her and fixed the music for the background before messing my hands in the flour.

“This is so delicious, Shree.” Shikha aunt praised while having the Aloo Dum over the dinner table and I smiled, “Thank you aunt but I have not made curries. Mom did the curries while I made salad and Roti only.”

“Learn making curries as well.” Came her unwanted and biased advice towards the culinary skills but it didn’t hinder me from making an eye roll. “I know how to cook but mom doesn’t let me.”

“She already helps me very much and I don’t want to burden her with the responsibilities of kitchen because she has an office to attend.” Mom lovingly supported me and caressed my hair. “I can understand Prerna! When Misti and Rohini went to their homes, I felt the same but what we can do. Our little girls have to go their home one day.” Shikha aunt was nostalgic. I smiled thinking about Misti and Rohini Di. They were her daughters.

“I will feel disheartened when Butu will marry but I will be relaxed when Siya will get marry.”

I sniggered at mom’s dialogue and tore the morsel for myself.

“This girl has the potential to sabotage the kitchen. God forbid but the day, she enters in my kitchen, it cries thousand deaths. Each container, every utensil, vegetables and even kitchen walls beg for her mercy.” Mom exaggerated, unwrapping Siya before our guest. It geared up my laughter and Shikha aunt joined me in.

“Mom! You are disgracing me.” Siya protested, her fingers playing with the food.

“But that’s the truth. Did you not just burn the saucepan for making egg scramble?” Mom knitted her fingers and teased Siya. Siya held her head down, poor girl! She was embarrassed. “That was a mistake.”

“I can count several mistakes like that on my fingers.” Mom countered back.

“So you can’t even make tea?” Shikha aunt was interested suddenly.

“What? No!” Siya exhaled, dejectedly. “I mean I can make tea and coffee and noodles, salad and sandwich if you count that in cooking.”

“Oh my baby!” I coddled and reached over to kiss her cheek. “I know you can. Don’t be down in the dumps.”

“I love you, di.” She grinned ear to ear and I pinched her nose occupying my seat back.

“This is the reason she doesn’t want to take anything seriously because Butu or her dad will always have her back.” Mom displayed her disenchantment.

“She is pretty serious towards her career mom and she is good in what she does, so I feel it completely unnecessary to sham her in something that is probably not her league. Besides, I am doing a favor on you and your kitchen as you’ve confessed that she martyred your kitchen.” I laughed winking at Siya, after which Mom and aunt caught up on forgotten topics, filling in each other with updates.