Part 3
Vikrant shifted uncomfortably on his feet as he watched Mannat settling on the front seat of the car with Puneet on the driving seat and Laksh and Derrick on the backseats. In the corridor of the outhouse when he bumped into Mannat that morning he was on the cloud nine. He invited her to join him for the Konkan trip. When Mannat told him that Puneet, Laksh, Derrick and her are going to meet the suppliers, Vikrant was sure that she was bluffing. He knows Puneet like the back of his palm. Even if he had the enlightenment and apologised to Mannat and Derrick, Vikrant knew that Puneet loved his ‘Head Chef’ title more than anything in the world. He liked to be on the apex of the pyramid. So there was no chance he would include his junior chefs to the arena where he has the say from the top to bottom. Moreover, when did Puneet start going to meet the suppliers? The samples came directly to Mezbaani for quality checking and they usually gave the orders as per the demand.
So when Mannat kept going on and on about the impromptu meeting with the suppliers which Puneet wanted the junior chefs to be a part too, Vikrant was enjoying every bit of it like he enjoyed her rambling every other day. Reality hit him the moment he spotted Puneet, Laksh and Derrick in the driveway of Saluja Mansion, waiting for Mannat. Puneet was actually talking to Laksh and Derrick with that dimpled smile of his. Vikrant was certain that there’s something wrong with the matrix that day. Some serious glitch!
“Good luck with the Konkan trip Vikrant,” Puneet leaned towards the window.
“Thanks,” Vikrant took a step closer to the car. “Have a good day with your team,” he sent out a longing glance at Mannat who was busy talking to Laksh and Derrick.
Puneet nodded and bit the insides of his lip to hold back the smirk.
“Sure. And Vikrant, we’ll sit down tonight to review the statistics. Is that okay with you?”
Though answering to Puneet, Vikrant couldn’t help but to get drawn to the exchange between Mannat and Laksh. Why does Laksh want to know which shampoo Mannat used? Or why she has a special glow on her face? Moreover, anyone could see that she has silky hair. There was absolutely no need to touch it for god’s sake!
“No,” Vikrant spelled out, half absorbed in the discussion going on about the shampoo.
“No?” His eyebrows arched up as he bit back the smile. “Do you have any other plans tonight?” Puneet was not going to let go of the opportunity now that the Lattoo Saluja has taken the bait.
“Umm…” Vikrant blacked out for a moment. And he just blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. “Do… Do you have any plans tonight?”
“Of course. I’m planning to sit down with you, to discuss the statistics of the rebranding,” Puneet raised an eyebrow.
“Oh.”
“All good, Vikrant?”
“Good,” it was spontaneous. “Great. Everything’s great. I’m… absolutely good to go.”
“Cool.”
The car drove away leaving Vikrant with a faint cloud of smoke and loud bundle of thoughts. He was so perplexed that he couldn’t take his eyes off the car until it went out of his sight. What kind of a magic has Puneet done to the three of them!
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“Are you out of your mind Laksh?” Derrick looked at Laksh in disbelief.
“Bro, can’t you see the obvious?” Laksh threw his hands up in the air. “He has clearly fallen in love with Mannat.”
Vikrant froze on his track the moment he heard Mannat’s name. Who has fallen in love with Mannat? Even before Vikrant could realise it, he drew himself behind the pillar, a few steps away from the duo. He has postponed his Konkan trip, tracked down the location of Puneet’s car, cooked up a believable excuse and reached Mezbaani…All of these to run into the conversation of the junior chefs, that too about someone falling in love with his Ms Mannat! Hesitation bit on his toes. As long as you coincidentally run into a conversation and accidentally hear it, that can’t be considered as eavesdropping, can it? And it’s about Ms Mannat. The little bit of hesitation Vikrant had vanished into the air.
“Derrick bro… love changes people in most unexpected ways. I’m telling you they are the classic enemies to lovers’ trope. Poor Mannat is clueless.”
“Laksh, it’s time that you should stop watching those movies.”
Laksh dragged Derrick to the pavement alongside the swimming pool, made him sit down and sat beside him.
“It’s not the movie bug in me bro.”
“Right,” Derrick tilted his head, coating his voice with sarcasm.
“Listen... Picture this,” Laksh made a hand frame gesture up in the air. “Arrogant Head Chef hero and naive bubbly Junior Chef heroine. They meet at the restaurant and start on the wrong foot. Then the ego clash, misunderstandings, electrifying drama, heroine’s good side gets revealed to the hero, he realises his mistakes, owns up to his mistakes, begins to transform to a better version of himself… Do you see it now?”
“I don’t think so,” Derrick dismissed.
“Are you serious bro?”
“Are you? Haven’t you ever noticed Vikrant sir and Mannat?”
“What’s with them?”
“What’s with them? They are everything! If you can’t see the electrifying chemistry between them, then let me tell you Laksh, you have buttons in the name of eyes. Have you ever noticed the way they look at each other? So much warmth, love, respect…”
“You got it all wrong man. Vikrant sir is GOAT. There’s no denying that. You should have seen how Vikrant sir took care of Shalini. Sammy said that Vikrant sir himself asked Shalini to consider him as her elder brother. I find the same vibe when he’s with Mannat. Vikrant sir takes care of Mannat like an elder brother. And I always thought Vikrant sir and Mallika ma’am would be a thing.”
Vikrant leaned onto the pillar. His head spun. That was quite a lot of information to take in a couple of minutes. What the hell is happening around him?! His gut knotted up at the thought that Laksh perceives him and Mannat as brother and sister. And what in the name of good God had he done that Laksh thought he and Mallika would be a thing? Does he even know the difference between salt and sugar? Laksh and Derrick were still going to and forth with team Puneet and team Vikrant. He didn’t want to fill his head with any more of their point of views. As Vikrant silently moved to the kitchen, he was a bit relieved that at least Derrick has eyes and brain on place.
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Puneet breathed in the aroma of the tomato soup. The perfect note of tomato and herbs. Acidic yet sweet. He looked over his shoulders to his left. Mannat was there awestruck at the simmering tomato soup. It was well written on every inch of her face how much enamoured she was. A smile grazed his lips and his heart swelled with pride. From the meeting with the suppliers, quality checking the samples from the vendors, visiting a local farm and so on, he couldn’t help but notice the way Mannat was all eyes and ears on him. Not just her, even Laksh and Derrick were clearly admiring him. Puneet could feel the overtones of respect and admiration from their tone to the way they carried themselves around him.
At the food market, as he walked them through the pros and cons of the ingredients they usually used and introduced them to the special formula that could add nuances to the dishes, Puneet was exploring a new shade of himself. For the first time in life, he felt like a leader in the truest sense. Their Head Chef. And what did it take for him to earn that? Just the bare minimum. All he had to do was to treat them as colleagues. All he had to do was to be Puneet, not The Puneet Saluja. All he had to do was to be kind; do the right thing. Though tagging them along for the meeting was a part of the Mission Lattoo, Puneet was glad that he did it. He never thought he could enjoy their company. It was a surprise. He was surprised how quickly perception changes everything. Working with them at Mezbaani won’t feel monotonous as before. He was sure of that.
As far as Mannat is concerned, he could clearly see why Vikrant has fallen in love with her. She is the package of everything one would want to cherish and keep closer to heart. It was just last night he got to know from Anisha that it was Mannat’s words that convinced Nikhil’s parents for the wedding. Mannat didn’t have to do that, yet she did it. It’s just the second day that he has been open to these people. Though blending in with them was a part of his plan, the apologising part totally came out as a surprise. Never in life have Puneet Saluja apologised to anyone before. He himself was stunned at the way the words rolled out from him. What caught him off-guard was how light he felt after that.
Even before Puneet could drown more into thoughts, the swing door of the kitchen squeaked. If he had the superpower to pause time, Puneet would have hit the pause right at that moment. He would have had the sight photographed. The way Vikrant was standing at the doorstep was worth the whole world. One foot in the kitchen while the other outside the kitchen pondering the next move. He seemed as if he had the glimpse of a parallel universe. Stunned. If he didn’t have to be in character, Puneet would have had a hearty laugh, doubling over the kitchen slab. He knew that the lattoo won’t be able to stay away from Mannat that longer.
“Sir, you didn’t go to Konkan?” Mannat was surprised.
“Exactly,” Puneet turned the stove off. “Vikrant, why didn’t you go to Konkan?”
“I was…um...” Vikrant walked into the kitchen trying hard to shrug off the recent conversation he overheard, “I was planning to go… but… I didn’t go.”
“I could see that. But why?” Puneet folded his arms, eyes fixed on Vikrant. He made mind to test Vikrant’s presence of mind.
“Good question Puneet,” an awkward smile grazed on Vikrant’s face.
Vikrant glanced at Mannat for a moment and turned to Puneet. All the way driving to Mezbaani, Vikrant had been rehearsing the excuse he has to put on the table. He knew that he is answerable to a bunch of people for skipping the Konkan trip. Wearing the cloak of confidence, he served them the story. But, with the kind of look both Puneet and Mannat were giving him, Vikrant wasn’t quite sure if they bought it or not.
“Are you okay Vikrant? You don’t seem… fine to me. You’re sweating like hell,” Puneet threw the hook. He knew that Mannat would surely pick it up.
“Am I?” Vikrant swiftly wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his palm. “It seems so. I just came from the outside na, maybe that’s why. Summer… It’s really hot outside,” he shrugged it off with a nervous chuckle.
“Mr Saluja sir, I’ll get you something chilled to drink,” Mannat turned on her feet.
“Wait Mannat,” Punnet stopped her. “I’ll get it.”
Mannat did a quick nod. Just as Puneet walked past them to the refrigerator in the farthest corner of the kitchen, Mannat walked up to Vikrant and stood just a couple of steps away from him.
“Sir, are you sure you’re okay?” She said softly, trying not garner Puneet’s attention.
“Why would… why wouldn’t I be Ms Mannat?”
“Why do I feel like you’re hiding something?”
“From… you?”
“I don’t know. Maybe,” she shrugged her shoulders.
“No, there’s… there’s nothing like that.”
“Nothing at all?”
“God! Is it that obvious, Ms Mannat?” Vikrant bit his lip embarrassed.
“Not really. I was just… giving a shot in the dark. See... it hit the spot. Now it’s clearly written on your face that you’re definitely hiding something,” she chuckled softly.
“God!” He bowed in embarrassment. He really needs to brush up his social skills.
“Jokes apart… Something has changed in you, sir. I’ve been noticing it for some days now.”
His eyes softened. His shoulders relaxed as if they have minds of their own.
“Do you w…”
He was cut short by the squeak of the swing door. It’s such a pain in the… neck. He made a quick mental note to get the door repaired that day itself.
“Sir, you were… going to Konkan, right?” Laksh was perplexed. So was Derrick who was standing next to him.
“That’s right Laksh,” Vikrant straightened up and turned to them. “I was supposed to go but something urgent came up.”
“Mezbaani special Pineapple Lemonade for you,” Puneet stepped in with a glass of Pineapple Lemonade on a tray. “It’ll get you charged up in no time Vikrant.”
Vikrant could feel his nerves charging up in no time just by looking at the glass of Pineapple Lemonade. Not again! Why is this pineapple haunting him from left, right and centre?! Puneet leaned back on the kitchen counter and enjoyed the sight. Finally, he has got a befitting counter taunt for the mohabbat ka sharbat taunt. With the four pairs of eyes weighing on him, Vikrant had to gulp the Pineapple Lemonade down. As a protest, he didn’t give any of them the satisfaction of hearing compliment for the drink. He just plastered a tight lipped smile, arched the eyebrows a bit and nodded at them.
“How was the meeting?” Vikrant asked to no one in particular.
“Guys… how was our first trip?” Puneet asked with a quick sweeping glance at his junior chefs. A smile perched on his face hearing the positive effervescent replies from them.
“Heard that Vikrant?”
Placing the empty glass on the counter, Vikrant nodded at him holding back his overworking nerves. ‘Meeting’ and ‘trip’ are not semantically similar, are they? Moreover, Puneet said their ‘first trip’. Does that mean there’s more to come?
“Actually…Mr Saluja sir, how did you know that we’ll be here?”
“Right,” Puneet wanted to high-five Mannat at that point. “It was a last minute plan for us to crash here for lunch. How did you know that we’ll be here Vikrant?”
“Tracked your GPS, Puneet,” Vikrant threw back a tight lipped smile. It was time that he should establish the territory.
“What?!”
“Just joking. I just knew it.”
Derrick muffled his chuckle and in the next moment all of them shared a brief laugh. Soon after, when Puneet invited him to join them for the lunch, Vikrant obliged in a heartbeat. Puneet asked them to move to a five-seater table and proceeded to serve the soup into the bowls. Vikrant couldn’t come up with anything when Mannat offered to stay back and lend a hand to Puneet. Much to his surprise, Puneet even accepted the offer. The Puneet he knew never left an opportunity to show off his talent. He would never share the spotlight with anyone. But this new cutie Puneet with the charming dimpled smile just did it in front of him. All the while settling on the seat, Vikrant couldn’t unsee the eye-to-eye on and off chitchat going on between Laksh and Derrick who were sitting across him at the table.
Vikrant was sure that they’re betting which ship sails or sinks. The tingles started marching from his chest towards his stomach. Vikrant was certain that it was not the hunger. Across a couple of minutes, Mannat walked out of the kitchen with the serving trolley. Shortly after her, Puneet walked out and went straight to the cooler beside the table, switched it on and angled it towards his cousin. Vikrant was literally holding the seat on his left for Mannat. Puneet simply walked up to him and settled down on it, mouthing a thank you. Throwing a tight lipped smile at that dimpled smile, Vikrant turned to his right towards Mannat. Puneet followed suit. She was serving the bowl of soup to Derrick, careful not to distort the garnish. Just then Puneet felt a slight kick on his shin. Taken by surprise, he looked at across the table.
“Ss…Sorry sir... It was meant for Derrick,” Laksh was alarmed.
Even before Puneet could make head and tail of what Laksh meant, the cacophony of splashing, splatting and the bowl shattering stirred the air. He turned to his right and the scene rolling in front of him caught him off-guard. The soup was splashed all over Vikrant’s right wrist. Mannat was panicking, pouring water over Vikrant’s wrist while Vikrant was frantic over the burn on her palm. There was total confusion and panic between them. Puneet didn’t know what to do. He could hear Derrick and Laksh worrying. The soup was served hot on the bowl, straight out of the pot. Puneet was sure that the burn would be nasty. Just when he stood up from the seat, Mannat dragged Vikrant to the staff room.
Puneet ran to the kitchen to fetch the bottle of cold water. On the way hurrying to the staffroom, he noticed Derrick and Laksh cleaning up the mess at the table. He slowed down on his track at that short corridor the moment they came into his sight. In the staff room, Vikrant was sitting on the countertop alongside the washbasin while Mannat standing in front of him was applying ointment to the burns on his wrist. No words were being exchanged but seeing the way in which they were lost in each other’s eyes, Puneet could tell that there was too much talking going on. After a moment of thought, he shook his head and walked back towards the dining area with the bottle. He couldn’t help but smile at the thought how naively unaware Mannat is of the feelings she has for Vikrant.
He underlined that it was not just his cousin, the Ms Chef is also lattoo over Vikrant. They are always gravitated towards each other, revolving around each other in weird ellipses. In the next moment, he wondered if he should use that word lattoo anymore. At that point, Puneet seriously thought that his cousin should stop beating around the bush and confess his feelings to Mannat. There are already enough people ready with claws to prey on Vikrant. He couldn’t even hold onto that thought longer. As he reached the poolside, the chain of his thoughts had an abrupt pause. Think of the devil and…
“Surprise Surprise!!” Mallika walked in out of nowhere with open arms.
“You bet. I AM SURPRISED,” Puneet plastered a smile on his face. His mind immediately went back to the staff room. “You are supposed be at the wedding, aren’t you?” He placed the bottle on the nearby table.
“The wedding functions were really boring. Plus, I missed you guys. So…I asked mom and took off,” Mallika made herself comfortable on the chair.
“Of course you did,” Puneet nodded.
He knew better. Why wouldn’t she? With Vikrant and Mannat on the loose, she has been getting free entertainment at the Saluja Mansion on a daily basis. Why would she miss it?!
“I talked to Neetu aunty on the way. She told me that you and Vikrant are at work. Where’s Vikrant by the way?”
There was a subtle shade of desperation in her voice. Puneet shifted on his feet. He has been noticing the changes in Mallika since the holi party. She has kind of become lattoo over Vikrant. More territorial. She is not their old naïve clumsy Malla anymore. She has turned into Aishwarya Raisingh’s ideal daughter. He has been seeing quite a number of shades of Aishwarya Raisingh in Mallika these days. With the scars of the past experience, Puneet was acutely aware that it can’t be good.
“Yeah, he’s out for work. He has a meeting with the suppliers.”
“But I saw his car just outside.”
“Right! Wow Malla… you’ve got the sharp eyes of Aishwarya aunty. Actually his car has broken down. He went in another car.”
Upon noticing her gaze shifting towards the kitchen, Puneet turned around. Derrick and Laksh were standing there low-key gaping at them. He needed to move fast.
“Laksh, Derrick… you guys can wrap up. Clean the kitchen and give the keys to the watchman. And… have lunch before you go. Thank you.”
Just as Puneet turned back to Mallika, Derrick and Laksh looked at each other dumbfounded. What the hell is happening!
“It’s time,” Puneet glanced at his wrist watch. “I was about to leave for home. Shall we?” He held her hand and made her stand up from the chair.
“Umm…now?” She skimmed around.
“What are you looking for?”
“Mannat… Where’s she?”
“She’s on off today. Some hospital emergency. Was talking about some test results of her mom. We were supposed to work on the menu today. When has Mannat taken the work seriously anyways?” Puneet huffed.
The moment he realised that Mallika has bought it, Puneet jumped into action and made her walk with him.
“Let’s go Malla.”
It was obvious that some part of her was still at the back of her mind. All Puneet cared was to get out of Mezbaani before things go out of hand. Something shifted in him. Tossing a final glance at Derrick and Laksh as he walked out of Mezbaani, Puneet was determined than ever. They are the Salujas. His family might not be an ideal one. His family might have hundreds of domestic issues within. But that doesn’t mean, any outsider could have a say in their personal affairs or could use any of them as their stepping stones. He knew it from the start that Vikrant has a target on his back. Be it Aishwarya Raisingh sponsored or not, Puneet made mind to take care of the lattoo-ness in Mallika. Moreover, Aishwarya Raisingh’s weird obsession with Mannat needs to be investigated too.
Puneet knew it then there, if he has to be focusing on any lattoo, it’s not his cousin Vikrant. It’s the Raisinghs. The way the whole Raisingh clan have latched onto them, he realised that it’s high time he should sober up and keep an eye out. A mischievous grin blossomed on his lips.
~The end
Love,
Meera
Pati Patni Aur Panga
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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