OS: The Food She Cooked

ONE SHOT: THE FOOD SHE COOKED.

"Arnav bhaiya, the food is ready." He looked up from his laptop to nod at hp. Then he shut laptop as he stood up and walked towards the door with an uncomfortable feeling engulfing him. He cursed himself for staying back and not leaving for work. But his sister lecture on parampara, that he must taste the food cooked by her, had left him with no choice but to stay.

Then he noticed his new sister-in-law, near her, arranging the cooked dishes in an approvable manner, completely ignoring her own sister, as if she doesn't exists. He got angry on payal for ignoring kushi, after all what she had done for her. He concluded that if payal loved kushi, just like kushi did, then she must have forgiven kushi even without knowing the reason.

He sat at his place while rest of his family did the same. He tried to concentrate on his empty plate than on her, who was standing near him, serving him the food. She was filling his glass with water when she heard him say "what the?" her gaze involuntarily moved to him when he demanded in harsh tone as he got hold of her wrist "how this happened?"

He studied the burn before looking at her and asking "when did you got hurt? Yesterday night'" he stopped in midway as their eyes met. His filled with concern and rage. Hers filled with hurt and pain. She broke the eye lock as she looked down and freed her hand from his hold. She continued serving, completely ignoring his shocked face, but managed to say "it's nothing arnavji, it got hurt while cooking."

She flipped back immediately as he stood up, almost pushing his chair down, drawing attention from his family members, completely shocking her as he yelled "what's the need to do that? Can't you take of yourself?" And then dragging her upstairs completely ignoring her pleas and arnavji's. once they reached their room, he freed his grip around her wrist, making her to spin around, he went to his closet and opened his closet.

She steadied herself before opening her eyes. She saw him standing there with first aid box. She turned her head to other side as she sighed angrily. "Now we are in your room. So there is no need to act like you cared for me. I know how to take care of myself." She said as she tried to grab the box from his hand which he withdrew back.

She looked at his rage filled face as he grabbed her wrist again, careful not breaking his threatening gazes on her. She winced in pain when he applied medicine, making him look up at her grief stricken face. She opened her eyes to see him bandaging her wrist carefully like it is the most fragile part. Her intense gaze on him made him to look up again at her face, making her to shift her gaze to the floor.

He confuses her. He says he doesn't care but he cares for her. He always hurt her to extreme but never let anyone even to think of hurting her. He says she doesn't mean anything but always act like she meant everything. He is puzzle. A puzzle for which no one knew the answer. When they reached downstairs, all were waiting for them.

"So many dishes?!?" NK exclaimed as he took glance of what was in front of eyes. "We have not one but two daughter in law's know, that's why?" mamaji answered him. "But who cooked which one?" he interrogated again. When payal opened her mouth to answer, NK cut her off saying "babhi, you please don't tell it. Let aakash bhai find it after tasting them."

Everybody looked at excited NK as he pointed at Arnav saying "and nanav you must find out which dishes were made by kushiji. Let me see who make better husband!" suddenly kushi felt like life came back to the place as she saw everybody's excited face. Payal blushed when she saw her husband becoming tensed.

Kushi looked at her husband who showed no sign of interest and felt disappointed. Aakash tasted carrot halwa and said "it must be cooked by payalji." NK said as payal nodded in agreement "easy one brother. Whole world knows that kushiji must have fried those jelabi's. so it must be babhi who cooked this sweet."

Next everybody tasted navarathana pulav. Aakash said "it tastes good. I think this one also was prepared by payalji." NK asked "I think for you, aakash, everything was cooked by payal babhi, isn't it?" Anjali said "leave it NK bhai. I think for all dishes he will say payalji only. Then only if he says wrong also he won't get any scolding. After all it's matter of his life." Anjali giggled as she nudged blushing aakash. Kushi looked at Arnav as he fixed his gaze to the plate as if it was most important thing in the world.

"But I think this one was made by kushiji, right kushiji?" NK asked kushi. Arnav smirked with his gaze still fixed on plate as he already knew the answer. It doesn't taste like hers. He smirked more when shyam agreed with NK. 'They doesn't know anything about her, still they claim they love her.' He murmured as kushi announced that it was prepared by payal.

Next dish was kadaai panner. Aakash was first one to speak. "This time iam very sure that this was prepared by payalji." Anjali, once again, nudged aakash as she said "of course it must be. After all this is your favourite dish know?!?" "oh, that's why payal babhi cooked it!" NK said. "no, kushi made it." Everybody looked at the till then silent member, Arnav, in astonishment as words slipped out his mouth little louder this time.

Kushi looked at her husband in shock with her jaw down as if he had grown one horn. NK asked "how do you guess that?" "iam not guessing. She prepared it." He said in confident tone now looking at his cousin. NK argued "I think you are wrong. After all it is aakash favourite dish and why kushiji should have prepared it? Why are you saying that it was prepared by kushiji?"

"Because she prepared it"came the simple reply. Then looking at kushi's shocked reaction, NK said "I think you must have seen her preparing it. It's cheating." He replied calmly "its not cheating. Its just simple. Kadaai panner is known for its spiciness. If payal prepared it for aakash then it would have been spicier."

He paused to have a look at his spellbound wife and then continued eating as he said "and moreover kushi very well knew that I don't like spicy food." Kushi gulped as everyone shifted their gaze from Arnav to her as if demanding an answer. She managed "i..i made it less spicier as arn.." she stopped as he heard his husband voice saying "its good." "what?" she asked.

She looked at him as he got up from his place, then turning towards her he said "it tasted good", making her heart to forget how to beat; he made his way towards stairs. She looked at his retreating back until he disappeared. She felt like her head is spinning when realization hit her.

'He loves her. At the same time, he doesn't love her.'