Suvarna's POV.

"Suvi you are hopeless." Shishir laughed as I scrutinised a bunch of blackberry.

"No! I am doing it right." I insisted.

Jack had asked us to pick up the shinier and firm ones. However since now it was almost the end of season for the fruit and it was difficult to identify.

Rather it was difficult for me! Shishir seemed a pro at identifying the right ones. His basket was almost full while I did not have mine even half full.

I picked at the bunch I was checking. "That is not a good one. Too ripe." Jack's amused voice reached my ears.

"Then why have they not been plucked already?" I huffed feeling embarrassed.

Shishir laughed again and I glared at him." You are the most hopeless farmer I have ever seen." He said laughing harder.

I picked up one fruit carefully from the over ripe bunch and threw it at him "I am doing it first time you big bully!"

"So am I." He grinned and ruffled my hair. "You are lousy at it, accept it." Shishir said.

I opened my mouth to retort but ended my squinting up my eye shut as a cold drops hit my face. "Shishir!" I screamed realising he had squeezed some berries on my face.

The mean creature! He had distracted me with his talk and plucked the entire bunch of over ripe berries!

He chortled with laughter at my expression and I heard a click. I gasped and opened my eyes and stared at Shishir! Sure enough he had his phone in hand.

"Did you just click a photo of me?" I asked warningly, though I already knew the answer.

"You have just successfully modelled for then photo which is on the verge of going viral on facebook!"

"Shishir you did not!" I screeched horrified.

"I did too!" He said looking delighted. "You are going to beat my cucumber saga hands down!" He said shooting me a gleeful look.

I kept my basket down carefully and lunged at him not caring Jack was standing just beside us.

"You delete it right now." I said chasing Shishir twho had already started sprinting away from me.

"I just made you famous." He grinned as he jogged backwards facing me.

His phone buzzed right then and his smile broadened as he glanced at the screen. "Paresh!" He laughed as he answered it. "Wait, I will put the phone on speaker." He said.

"Hey pickle!" Paresh's voice floated in the air.

Pickle??

"What is he blabbering?" I asked Shishir. He just shrugged as I eyed him suspiciously.

"Aww a pissed pickle." Paresh chortled loudly.

"Paresh! You just wait till I meet you! You will be minced pickle." I warned feeling confused.

"Bye pickle." He said sounding cheeky. Shishir laughed as he disconnected the phone. HE had stopped moving away and I managed to catch up with him.

I raised my eyebrow at him and he turned the screen towards me .There I was! My face scrunched up, nose wrinkled with dark liquid running down my face.

I moved forward peering at the screen and read the caption accompanying "Pickled Blackberry."

"Pickled blackberry!" I yelled. "Shishir Mehrotra you are a dead man when I get my hands on you!"

No sooner had I said this he stepped forward and scooped me up and held me flush against his chest his hand around my waist. "At your service Ma'am." He said and gave me a soft smile.

I caught my breath at his action and sudden closeness.

"I- um- later- later I will get to you. Just wait." I said, not able to think straight with his face barely inches away as he bent towards me.

He bent forward a bit more, getting his face closer to mine "I will wait for it- eagerly." He said in a whisper,

"I think we have enough berries for pie." Jack's voice broke in.

Oh my God! By now I had forgotten about him!

Shishir nodded, not taking his eyes off my face. "Let's go then. I have some cooking to do."

I turned as he released me and walked to get my basket.

***

Fifteen minutes later I was seated in the beauty parlour section of 'Paradise corner.' Shishir just refused to give in.

So for two hours he was going to toil in the kitchen while I was supposed to relax! How can I relax when I know he is doing something so special for me?

"Ready?" I heard Anna, the beautician ask me.

"Not really." I answer and she gives me a confused look. I tell her what is bothering me.

"Oh that can be fixed." she beamed at me.

"It can?" I asked hopefully.

"Your man has booked you for the entire beauty regime including massage, manicure pedicure, facials- the whole package along with the spa. All that is anyways going to take much more than two hours."

I felt my cheeks warm up at her mention of Shishir as 'your man.' "Oh." I managed to say not sure how to respond.

"So what we could do is, I will give you a hot hair oil massage and facial along with manicure pedicure then I can make you sit at a point from where you can see him, without him knowing it." Anna said with a smile.

"Oh that is possible?" I asked happily.

"Yes, and the remaining beauty treatments you can redeem another day, within next three months."

"That is wonderful!" I exclaimed jumping up and hugging her.

She laughed. "Your man must really care a lot about you. He had insisted you leave this room with a smile on your face and we should make you feel pampered. So in a way I am following his instructions and making you happy." She said her eyes twinkling.

I did not know how to respond as a lump formed in my throat.

Anna said the first hour would be more theory and instruction and the actual cooking, rather baking would be done only later. I nodded and sat down.

Slowly her magical fingers made me relax as she started working on her 'pamper me mission.'

One hour later I felt I was floating. My head felt light and I felt so special. I flowed Anna to an inside room and she drew open a curtain to reveal a glass wall. "It's a one sided view. You can see him, he cannot through the dark glass." She said directing a wink towards me.

I smiled gratefully at her. "You sit and make and make yourself comfortable. I will send Lucy here to do your manicure and pedicure." Anna said as she went out.

I was already looking in the direction of the room where the cooking workshop was going on. I smiled as I caught sight of Shishir. He was standing not only taller than the rest of the occupants of the room, but also as the odd one out. Among the rest of seven or eight members of the class there was just another man who was standing close to a woman. Probably his wife or girlfriend.

I directed a small smile toward the girl who entered and introduced herself as Lucy and got busy with my fingers.

I immediately looked back where I saw the class, predominant with female students started donning their chef cap and aprons!

They were going to begin the cooking. Warmth gushed in my chest as I saw Shishir put on his chef cap. I laughed as I saw him say something pointing at the apron. He was frowning at the bright pink apron!

I could understand the protest he must be putting up. After about a minute a grumpy looking Shishir donned the pink apron as there was no other choice.

I grinned to myself as I saw him shoot a scowl at a girl who was saying something to him. If she did not stop bothering him he will chew her brain I thought chuckling softly.

Very soon he was all concentrated in the task in his hand. I could see his tongue poking out as he tried to chop, roll and follow instructions.

My heart went out at the sheer sincerity he was putting p in his attempt, not bothering about the flour sticking on his hands, his face or the mess the blackberry was making.

I closed my eyes as a childhood memory hit me.

***Flasback***
"Shishir peel the potatoes and mash them." I said frantically. I had been supposed to make aloo paratha and had forgotten. Any moment my family would be back and Mami would not be pleased about it.

"Peel potatoes! How? They will stick to my hands!" Shishir had responded looking horrified.

***Flashback ended***

I opened my eyes and gazed at the scene in front of my eyes. Here he was, not bothere about how sticky and messy stuff he was handling. All this just to make me happy.

Shishir's POV.

I eyed at the tray in front of me. It may not have a professional look but I hope the pie and pizza looked at least presentable.

I carried it to the dining area knowing Suvi was already seated there. My lips stretched into a smile as I saw her sitting a looking around.

She smiled at me when she saw me walk towards her with the tray. I saw her glance at the tray in my hand and started panicking. Supposing they did not turn out good enough for her ? I had not even tasted them.

I looked at the tray apprehensively as I placed it in front of her. Suddenly I saw her dart up from her seat and before I knew it she wrapped her arms around me. I smiled and hugged her back.

She looked up at me her face holding a slightly hesitant expression. I smiled knowing what was going on in her mind. I bent down so that my face was at her level.

A shy smile crossed her face and she leaned and planted a kiss on my cheek. "Shishir, you don't know how happy you have made me today." She murmured.

"Good. That was the whole idea." I said feeling overwhelmed at her reaction. Truth was she deserved all of this and more.

"Sit." I said pulling the chair near where she was standing now. She sat down happily and I joined her pulling my chair close.

"Can I try?" She said looking happily at the tray. My heart filled up and I nodded. I stopped her as she reached out to take a slice. She looked at my hand confused as I had placed it over hers to stop her.

"Allow me." I said softly picking up a slice of the Pizza and taking it to her mouth. I watched anxiously as she took a bite and chewed it. Her face broke into a happy smile as she gave me a thumbs up sign. "Really?" I asked doubtfully.

She held my hand with the pizza slice and turned it towards me making me take a bite. I sighed in relief. Thank God! It tasted good enough. I would not want her to have a bad meal.

Feeling encouraged I sliced a bit of the pie and put it in her mouth and she did the same for me. "Not bad Mr. Lawyer." Suvi said making me laugh.

For the next few minutes I continued to put pieces in her mouth and she put in mine till we had cleaned the last crump off the tray. Well almost, since we had kept a slice of each pie and pizza aside for Paresh.

***

I looked at Suvi as she sat beside me quietly her face turned towards the window on her side as I drove the car.

"What are you thinking?" I asked softly and she turned to face me.

"About today." She said.

I held out my hand and she scooted closer. I wrapped my hand around and snuggled her beside me as I drove with one hand firmly on the steering wheel.

"Happy?" I asked softly glancing at her briefly before directing my eyes back to the road.

"Very." She said resting her head on my chest. I bent and placed a small kiss on her head.

Soon I pulled into the garage of my apartment block and went up to the apartment.

"Pickle!"Paresh shouted as soon as we entered..

"Pushy!" Suvi shouted back. I smiled and shook my head. These two could never let an opportunity to irritate each other slip.

I saw Paresh's surprised look as Suvi handed him the food packet and told him what it was.

"You actually made all this?" He asked eyeing me strangely.

"Uhm Yeah." I said shifting uncomfortably. I had not told him either that part of my plan.

He continued to stare at me for a few seconds his smile broadening.

"Hey let's play water polo." He exclaimed.

"Water polo?" Suvi frowned.

"Yeah, you know we enter the water with a ball and then hit-" He got no further as Suvi flung a cushion at him.

"I know what water polo is! I meant where and with whom?" Suvi said.

"Upstairs, in the swimming pool. Well not water polo between three so okay let's play catch." Paresh conceded.

"You have a swimming pool within your apartment?" She asked looking stunned.

I shrugged realising she had actually not yet seen the upper level yet.

"Come I will take you upstairs" I said looking at Paresh who was already on his way out of the room.

Just then my phone rang and I saw it was Richard calling. I frowned knowing this had to be something to do with the letters that did not reach me.

"Suvi, this is an important call. Will you take out the ball from the side cupboard in my room? There is one already up by the pool but take another one." I said as I went on to answer the call.

Suvi nodded and went towards my room.

My head was brimming with the information that Richard had just shared with me. The letters had been in London till about a couple of months back! Why and how did they reach my father?

Five minutes later I finished the call and went up to find only Paresh there beside the pool.

Maybe she had not found the ball I thought and came back down and entered my room.

I opened the door and froze in shock at the sight in front of me. Suvi was crouched on the floor and tears were running down her cheeks.

I opened my mouth to ask what was wrong when my eyes fell on what she was surrounded with.

I recoiled stunned as I realised what had made her cry. The letters, the notes, the scribbles that I had written to her over the years.

Fear almost crippled me as I remembered how cruel and hateful my feelings had been. I had written the most hateful things and called her all sorts of names.

I had meant to tell her about it. I had already mentioned to her but she had no idea how poisonous my words and thoughts had been then.

She could decide never to even see my face after she has read those. I saw her sobbing uncontrollably as she read one after another her hands shaking.

Have I lost her? I thought and a pain shot in my chest. I cannot lose her now. I will not be able to take it. Not now, not ever.

She must have sensed my presence. She looked up and I felt like shooting myself at the hurt her eyes reflected.

&&&

A lot of happiness and a dollop of fear for Shishir. How do you think Suvarna will react?

Next chapter let's find out! That is the suspense for next. And yes It's a Maha chapter coming up next!

Do vote and comment.

Love from me to you.:)