Helping Hand

oh nakhrewaali

@oh_nakhrewaali

#3: Helping Hand

Priya sighed, feeling slightly annoyed and slightly worn out. She had had a long, tiring day at college, and the rush at the bakery wasn't making it any better. She just wanted to rest or at least sit, but the humming and the noises from the kitchen reminded her of her mother who had been working there all day. So she pulled herself together and continued serving the customers when she heard his voice.

"You aren't ready yet?"

Priya looked up to meet her husband's unique blue-green eyes standing out among the pool of customers. 

"Ready? What for?" she asked, confused. 

"We were supposed to go to the gala, remember?" he replied, slightly taken aback.

Priya gasped in shock. The gala was very important to Ram, and he had been excited about it for a week. Damn it! How had she forgetten about it?

"I am so sorry, Mr. Kapoor. It's Christmas Eve tomorrow, and as you can see there's a mad rush here. I can't leave Sara Di and Maa alone to deal with this," she explained apologetically. 

"Is Meera Maa here?" Ram tried to hide his disappointment, but his eyes brightened at the mention of his mother-in-law and the idea of her pampering him. 

"Yes, in the kitchen. In a minute!" she snapped. Ram looked at her in confusion and saw her lock eyes angrily with a customer. He rolled his eyes at Priya's impatience. Trust his wife to yell at her customers!

"Do you need some help?" He followed her around the counter as she picked up a few delicacies and dropped them in a paper bag. 

She looked at him in surprise. 

"What can you help me with?" she asked, humor lacing her voice. 

"Hey, I'll have you know that as a businessman, I know how to deal with customers. At least better than 'in a minute'!" He defended himself, while mocking her earlier annoyance with a customer. 

Priya looked at him for a second and then at the long queue of the customers. 

"Sure, if you need any help, call out." 

The two worked in comfortable silence, the only voices in the bakery coming from the customers and their response to them. Priya was surprised to see Ram interact with customers and suggest more food items for them to buy. She had never seen him so animated with strangers, but then, he was always happy to interact with people, unlike her, who hated any small talk that lasted for more than two questions. 

"Oh, you should try these chocolate chip muffins. Meera Maa makes the best chocolate chip muffins in the world!" Ram said to an elderly lady, biting into one of the muffins on the counter. 

"I made them, and I would appreciate you not eating while working."

"I am multitasking! When the customers see me enjoying the muffins that, apparently, you made, they will buy them, too" he snapped. 

"Oh, you two remind me of me and my husband. I loved to eat, and he loved to cook. We would bicker all the time," said the elderly woman, a faraway look in her eyes. 

"Oh no, ma'am, we weren't bickering," Priya said awkwardly. She turned her face away, reddening at the implication that she and Ram were anything like the woman and her husband.

"I'm so sorry for your loss. But for what it's worth, your husband was a lucky man." Ram winked obnoxiously at the elderly woman, making Priya scoff and the woman smile wistfully. 

"And the two of you are lucky to have each other. Christmas reminds me of him. I hope you have a great festive season. Merry Christmas! I'm sure my grandkids will love these baked treats!" 

She wished them cheerfully as she picked up her bag and left. There was still a mob of customers to deal with, but Ram and Priya seemed to have forgotten them as they stared at each other, their faces reddening with a sudden awareness that had crept in. Priya realized suddenly that Christmas would always remind her of this moment, and her husband.