Suvarna's POV

Oh God! Anju Aunty! When did they return home?

"Namaste Mamiji." Shravan greeted, sounding truly delighted to see her.

Really??

"Always such a pleasure to meet you Shishir."

My Aunt was obviously as always charmed by him and was calling him ' 'Shirshir'again as she often does!

You just met him few hours back Mamiji! Your gushing will only pump his king sized ego, I groaned inwardly.

She maintained the smile on her face, no doubt for Shishir's sake while she directed a glare at me.

"Suvarna , why didn't you answer the door? You knew Prema has a headache and was sleeping? She had to get up to answer."

The doorbell sounded??

"I- um- Aunty-"

"That would be my fault Mamiji." Shishir said with a smile.

Oh no! Madman! You cannot tell all that to Mami!

"I had wanted to use her laptop to log on to a conference call and both of us had headsets on our ears." He said with a dazzling smile to Mami, trying to look guilty and failing miserably.

Lamest excuse ever!

"Oh that explains it then." Mami said smiling at Shishir,

It does??? She bought that pathetic lie of an excuse??

I looked on dumbfounded as Shishir chatted up with Mami. The man can be nice if he chose to, I thought with a shake of my head.

I kept the towel back and went on to put the iron aside.

"What were you ironing Suvi?" Mami's confused voice reached my ears.

Oh no!

I looked a Shishir, waiting for him to make an excuse and well – just waited basically.

He stood there beside Mami with an innocent expression on his face as though he is equally clueless.

Jerk!

He smirked as I glared at him, his eyes glinting. He knew he had put me in a spot.

Arrogant jerk!

"I um.. was planning to iron- um curtains!" Yes Suvi! Well done girl! "But then he came in and I got delayed." I said looking pointedly at the man in question as he stood there looking thoroughly entertained at my cost.

Pompous arrogant jerk!

"That is okay Suvarna. You can iron them later." I nodded. Saved!

"Take down the living room ones too when you do, they are looking quite dull." Mami said as she directed one more smile towards Shishir and walked out of the room.

Why did you have to say curtains Suvi! Why could you not have said handkerchiefs? I groaned loudly as I sat on my bed.

"Do a better job than this Suvi." Shishir said lifting the collars of his shirt, with no ounce of sympathy for me.

Before I could retort, Mami walked back into the room, to see Shishir still holding his shirt, by the collar.

"Shishir, you will stay for dinner won't you?"

Hello no! I will have to cook some special dishes if he does.

"No Mami. He is going back tom-"

"I would love to, if it is not too much of a trouble."

"No no, no it is trouble at all. It will be an absolute pleasure. Suvarna  come to the kitchen and help me."

Shishir Mehrotra, you are soon to be a dead man!

"Oh, and your shirt is very nice." Mami said with a polite smile.

"Thank you. It is freshly washed and ironed."

My jaw almost hit the floor.

Okay, it's official now. He is no friend of mine.

I shot a worried look in Mami's direction. If she was confused with the comment, she did not show it and left the room with a smile.

I stomped out of the room after her, not wanting to talk to this crazy guy.

"So what are you cooking for me?" Shishir asked as he trooped into the kitchen behind me.

"Stir fried green chillies dipped in red hot chilli sauce." I spat out.

"Suvarna." Mami reprimanded, entering the kitchen right then.

I gave a long sigh. Good luck had never been pally with me in any case.

"What would you want to have Shishir? Please feel free to say. Don't be shy." Anju Mami asked him.

Don't you dare Shishir, I silently shot daggers at him with my eyes.

He ignored me, naturally, as he pondered over Mami's offer.

"Actually-" He gave a huge pause. Like a very very long pause. I clutched at the knife handle harder as I continued to chop the tomatoes for Salad.

"-whatever is cooked with love. I miss having home cooked food in London." He said softly.

And just like that, just like that my anger evaporated. My heart went out to him. I gave him a smile and he returned it.

At this moment, I could do anything for him. I don't mind if I drown myself in a sea of recipes to be cooked for him right now.

"Suvarna! What have you done to the tomatoes?" Mami's shocked voice reached my ears.

I gave a rueful look at the tomatoes that had unfortunately already borne the brunt of my now gone anger.

"A new recipe?" Shit it sounded like a question to my own ears. Think Suvi, think! "A new salad recipe. Um-ah- Mince tomato salad."

Shishir's POV.

I almost let out a chuckle as I saw Suvi giving a sorry look at the minced, actually no, slaughtered tomatoes.

As I had expected, it came upon Suvi to cook the main meal. Not that I mind. In fact I had hoped it would come down to this.

I do miss home cooked meal, but I miss my best friend even more. The last ten years had already been snatched away from us, I was not going to miss out on any more opportunities to be beside her.

"Let me help you." I said.

"Help me? Mr. Shishir Mehrotra, this is cooking, in the kitchen, not a battle of words and wit in a dull court room." Suvi said, her hands on her hips.

"Miss Suvarna Sharma, you seem to forget the fact that I have been living away from home since past almost ten years. I do know the basics of cooking." I retorted with a smile.

"Basics of cooking, huh?" Suvi asked her eyebrows raised.

Uh oh that look can only mean trouble, but I am not going to let that get to me.

"Yes, that is right." I said holding my ground.

"Cool, then Shishir," Suvi said stretching my name on her tongue "You can start with kneading the dough for rotis."

Oh crap.

"By hand?" I said with a feeling of being caught.

"How else?"

"In London, we do not do these menial tasks by hand. We use food processor." I said to my defence.

"Aww. Poor dependent you." She said sarcastically, her eyes glinting.  "Okay Mr. London, not to worry. I will knead it. You make the rotis. And no, before you bring it up, no roti maker."

She has got me!

"Suvi, why do you want to make rotis at all. " I tried, lamely.

"Really?"

"Rice will be perfect."

"Oh yeah?"

I looked away, knowing already I have lost my ground but not ready to give in still.

"We do need to make the basic food Shishir. So you can start with that."

She does not give up, does she?

I sighed "Okay fine, I concede, I may or may not know how to make a roti." I muttered under my breath.

"Just say it mister."

"I don't know how to make rotis" I grumbled.

"Ha! 'I know the basics of cooking.'" Suvicmimicked me as she took out the flour on a big platter and started kneading it.

"You are a big bully Suvi." I said taking some flour on my fingertips and applying it on her cheek

"Shishir don't!" Suvi warned.

I took some more and put on her nose in response. She retaliated immediately and reached out to my face. I leaned back dodging easily.

Not the one to give up, Suvi lunges forward with a fistful of the half kneaded dough and charged towards me.

I laugh as I keep thwarting her effort.

Suvi does a supreme effort and jumps up targeting my face and loses her balance in the process and stumbles forward her eyes widening and mouth open in horror.

I try to grab her but she takes me down as she falls with a force, catching me off guard.

"Clumsy as ever still." I said teasingly as we sat on the floor after the great fall.

She looked at me and we burst out laughing at the situation.

"Who are you and why are you on the kitchen floor with my Suvarna di?" Asked a voice sounding pissed.

I looked up and met with a grumpy face looking at me disapprovingly. I took in his entire frame of about three feet as I got up on my feet and reached to help Suvi, who was by now up already of course!

Pappu I realised suddenly.

I smiled as I put forward my hand for a shake towards Suvi's pissed looking cousin.

He folded his arms over his chest looked at my hand pointedly.

I stopped myself from smiling with effort.

"Hey there young man. I am Shishir." I said pushing my hand further towards him.

"Suvarna di's best friend?" His eyes widened.

I smiled, happy to know he is aware of me. I nodded "The same."

He finally shook my hand and broke into a smile.

"Suvarna di, Mummy asked you to give me some cookies." He said looking at Sumo.

Suvi rolled her eyes at his attempt. "Yeah right, just before dinner, I am sure she asked."

"Come on Suvarna di, I am a growing child. I need more food." The little imp attempted to negotiate.

"Here growing child. Enjoy" Suvi said pushing a carrot stick towards him.

He eyed the carrot with a disgusted look "Suvarna di! That's rabbit food."

I chuckled as I felt my back pocket hoping I had a bar of chocolate there. I do!

I pulled it and gave it to him. He grabbed it eagerly his face immediately breaking into a smile. " You are nice." He said and poked his tongue at Suvi and ran out of the kitchen.

Suvi laughed at him and continued with her cooking.

I took the knife and helped her in chopping vegetables. Not that she needed my help.. This girl is a one man army in the kitchen!

In less than an hour we were seated in the dining table having dinner.

After dinner I prepared to take leave, not really wanting to go, but knowing I had run out of excuse to stay longer. "Shishir don't leave without having ice cream." Anju Mami said I grabbed at the opportunity to stay for some more time.

I looked on as Sumo served the ice cream and Prema helped her.

Suvarna's POV.

I served a generous helping on a dish and was about to give it to Shishir when I heard Mamaji say:

"Oh, by the way Shishir, Paresh showed us Pinky's photo. She is really a very cute girl"

I stopped short. Pinky's photograph!

"Oh yeah she is very cute." Shishir said with a smile.

Shameless man. Talking like that about a girl to my Uncle!

All good thoughts vanished from my mind. I glared at the ice cream dish in front of me. I removed some of it back into the tub of ice cream. And grudgingly pushed the serving bowl towards him, wanting to upturn it on his head instead.

He eyed the almost empty bowl with an amused look on his face.

Luckily no one else noticed it and he started eating it, looking happy about something.

He must be thinking of that Pinky, I thought as I moved further away from him with a huff.

"Last month was her birthday and her parents celebrated it rather grandly."

Is he obsessed with her?

I glared at him wanting to push him out of the door right now.

He smiled broadly "Her fifth birthday after all, had to be special." He said looking straight at me.

My look of stunned surprise must have given away my feeling at that moment for I saw Shishir's eyes dance in pleasure.

Suddenly feeling silly I looked away. Damn girl! You gave yourself away  there.

I closed my eyes for a few seconds and turned away from him.

Suvi, you idiot you always manage to make a fool of yourself!

" I will leave now." I turned around as I heard Shishir say that.

I stood quietly as Mama and Mami made some small talk bidding him goodnight. "Suvarna, walk him till the door." Mamaji said.

"That is Okay Mamaji, I will see myself out. See you tomorrow Suvi." Shishir said and walked towards the door.

I nodded slightly and returned his smile.

As I entered my room I heard my phone beep. I glanced at it and saw a message from Shishir.

'Thank you for the amazing dinner.'

&&&

Suvi knows now! And Shishir and Pappu meet!

No pre cap on the next chapter.

Just a spoiler : Shishir is planning a surprise for Suvi!

Till the next chapter guys, buh bye.

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Love, from me to you.:)