** WRITING BY HAPINEZZ13**
FICTION 7
Everybody this is just a short scene when Prithvi asks Damini to cook and gives her the recipe books as a gift and as I always say no RB always happy PriDa!!
Damini receives a package wrapped beautifully in silver paper with hearts all over it and a huge smile spreads on her face. "Prithvi" she softly whispers her husband's name, automatically assuming that this gift would be from him. Joy courses through her and the curiosity to find out what is in the package makes her rip the paper apart and the recipe books fall out on the bed. "Cookbooks" she utters looking confusedly at the books turning them over. "Why would he send me cookbooks?" she sits there wondering whether there had been a mix up by the store for her gift.
"Who sends cookbooks to their wife?" she repeats not believing that the first ever gift she would receive from her husband after marriage would be cookbooks. She is sitting on the bed still trying to figure out whether the gift was supposed to be for her and if for some reason it was supposed to be, then god help her as she had no idea what she was supposed to do with them except look at the mouthwatering pictures and ask the chef to make them for Prithvi and her. She sits there turning the pages of the books and looking at them and trying to figure out which one she should ask the chef to try first when Prithvi walks into the room. Looking up at her hubby, Damini forgets about the mouthwatering delicates on the pages and gets up to greet him.
"Hi Prithvi" she says a little shyly and suddenly remembers to pour him a glass of water and hands it to him. "Thanks Damini" he says taking the glass of water from her and turns to face her when his eyes fall on the books lying open on the bed. "Oh I see you got my gift" he smiles at her. "So you really sent this for me? It's not a mistake?" she asks a little disappointed. He catches the disappointment in her tone and sets the glass down and takes her by the shoulders. "Why so disappointed?" he asks her softly.
"Ummm….well I just thought that ….well Ok…I don't know why you sent me these books?" she asks him directly doing away with any formality as she is unable to understand why he would gift her something which would make an excellent gift for her sister Avani. "Damini I wanted to help you start to learn cooking so I sent you the cookbooks" he explains to her.
"C……C….Cook?" Damini sputters her tone shocked. "Why would I want to do that?" she asks him now getting miffed. "Well because I just thought it would be a good idea if I could eat something my wife made with her beautiful hands." He drawls trying to explain his idea to her. "Well you don't want my hands to remain beautiful? You want me to learn all this now? Oh why?" she asks sullenly making a face. Prithvi carefully looks at the expressions flitting across her face and gathers that cooking was not high on the list of priorities for his wife and wonders if at all it was on any list of hers.
"Alright Damini…..you don't have to Ok…..I just thought it might be a good idea but you know you are right……you are too busy anyways….so just return these books and we can exchange it for something you like." He reassures her lovingly hugging her. "Thank you Prithvi…..I knew you would understand" she smiles basking in his love for her.
The next day Damini decides to work from home as Ila is not feeling well and in their conversation she laughingly happens to mention that Prithvi gave her cookbooks as a gift. A serious look enters Ila's eyes and she holds her elder daughter's hand. "Beta maybe he just wanted you to learn to cook….not a bad idea at all and as they say the way into a man's heart is though his stomach" she explains to her. "Mama….what are you saying? You don't mean I should cook do you?" Damini asks horrified not believing that the head of the Gujral Empire was actually asking her to cook. "Well bache it's not as if you are going to cook everyday…….ok do this just make something and surprise Prithvi…..he will enjoy it and you can also experiment with something new." Ila finds a middle path. "Ok I will think about it mama" Damini agrees to give it a try after pondering over her mother's words.
Damini walks into her room to select a cookbook and decides to try her favorite Italian cuisine and surprise her husband. She goes into the kitchen and shoos the whole staff away determined to make everything with her own two beautiful hands. She looks smilingly at her hands remembering Prithvi's fond looks and smiles at the memory. "Ok Mr. Saxena…..get ready for some great Italian food…..you lucky guy" and starts working on the food. All done she even sets a romantic table for two and selects wine to go with the food and satisfied by her arrangement rushes off to get fresh before Prithvi arrives. When Prithvi arrives she insists that he freshens up and come down for dinner soon as she is really hungry.
When Prithvi comes down to dinner he is stunned by the setting and looks at Damini, "What are we celebrating Damini?" he scratches his head trying to remember if he had forgotten something important which entailed a celebration and draws a blank. "Nothing Prithvi……well I just made dinner today" she spills the secret smiling and proud of her achievement. "You made the……really ……now I am very hungry" he rubs his hand s together and takes his seat excitedly opening each dish excitedly like a small boy in a toy store. Every dish is white in color and looks the same and Prithvi is a little scared but smiles at his very happy wife. "Everything looks so….so nice" he says sweetly appreciating her effort. Excitedly Damini comes next to him and starts serving everything to him and takes a seat on his left and sits with her face on her hand.
"Eat" she smiles and sits to watch. Prithvi gulps and sends a quick prayer heavenwards and braces himself to dig in keeping a smile plastered on his face. The first dish he tastes is bland and all he can taste is cheese and noodles. "How is it?" asks Damini, curiosity burning in her eyes. "Damini…..what is it?" he attempts to ask. "Guess……it's my favorite dish" she gives a hint. "Well Damini…….I don't have much experience with foreign flavors so it will be great if you break my suspense" he tries hard to keep his smile from slipping. "Lasagna" she supplies. He tastes the next dish which is exactly the same taste as the previous and tries the third which is salty and he bursts out coughing. "Oh here Prithvi" she hands him water and waits expectantly. "Well Damini ….I am unable to decide……all of them are so yummy……..thank you for doing this" he gets up and hugs her appreciating her earnest effort and promising never to let her near the kitchen. "Oh no……it was my pleasure……please eat na" she urges. Not knowing what to do Prithvi takes a seat and tries to shovel the food in his mouth. Damini takes a plate and gets herself some food too and when she takes a few bites, tears start streaming down her cheeks.
Prithvi is surprised and gets up and goes near his wife. "Damini" he says to garner her attention. "It's horrible Prithvi…..how can you eat it?" she asks embarrassed at having failed to surprise her husband. "Of course not" Prithvi tries to reassure her. "Everything is bland and tastes the same ….which is no taste and the one is poisonously salty" she points out. "Ok you stop crying first" he wipes her tears gently. "See you made it and I could taste your love in the food…….who cares how it tastes……you made it for me Damini….It is perfect" he tells her lovingly.
"Oh Prithvi" she falls in his arms. "Well you know what …….now we know each other better……I gave you the wrong present but you gave me a beautiful surprise by making use of the present" he tries to add a positive side to the whole fiasco. "You don't hate me?" she asks. "no Damini….I love you…..for the effort you put in ……..your actions speak of your love to me…….but promise me one thing please……don't love me this much" he teases her and Damini bursts out laughing. "OK" she says hitting him lovingly on his shoulder. "The wine is great……do you want to order something?" he asks smiling wickedly "maybe a lasagna which tastes like one?" he asks openly laughing at the beautiful woman in his arms he loved madly. "Prithvi…….whatever haan…..it wasn't this bad" she hits him gently. "Well so eat" he laughs and they start arguing over what to order.
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