MANMARZIYAN: OUR STORY
CHAPTER 7
hey, there’s the next chapter. i tried to write a little long one. do let me know how it was.
happy reading 🙂
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Radhika looked at the rest of the three intently, trying to understand their expressions. She pressed her lips to
suppress a smile. Finally, she gave up trying and started laughing. She , literally, was rolling on the floor . all the other three saw each other’s expressions and they start laughing themselves.
Radhika : hey what were u guys talking about?
Suddenly, all the three stop laughing and look at each other, trying to come up with some excuse, neil starts to say something but radhika interrupts him, “ ohh forget about it, I m going to cook dinner, what do u guys want?”
Neil started shouting Indian….indian and sam joined him too.
Radhika tried to speak something but neil and sam weren’t listening. Arjun looked at her and then pinched neil. Neil stopped shouting and sam did too.
Radhika: finally! Neil u r sam’s soul mate. U r exactly like her. U both are little kids.
Neil and sam look at each other and smiled.
Radhika continued, “ okay… I don’t have vegetables and other stuff for Indian food today. But I promise will make it tomorrow after college for dinner.”
All the three agreed.
Radhika asked, “ what do u want now?”
Arjun: make anything u like with whatever is available in the house.
Radhika replied, “ am making pasta now. Ice cream and brownies for dessert. Just the way u like it neil.”
Neil threw a look of triumph to arjun and hugged radz , “ radhika, u be the best.”
Sam: chashni yr, not fair. He gets everything. He loves pasta then desserts also his favourite. Not done babe.”
Radhika smiled and promised to prepare her favourite dessert the next day.
Radhika went to the kitchen and starting preparing for dinner. Neil entered soon after and wore an extra apron and chef’s hat. And started his jokergiri.
Neil: so madam, neil malhotra, the five star chef’s here. How may I help u?
Neil started dancing holding spoons and forks. Arjun was passing the kitchen, going to the living room. Arjun saw neil dancing and then looked at chashni. He smiled seeing her happy. But then he realized that doing everything alone must be difficult for her. And seeing neil dancing with everything she required to cook was certainly not helping. But arjun didn’t know that radhika liked cooking, it was her way to be happy and relax.He went in the kitchen, softly slapped the back of neil’s head and ordered him out of the kitchen. Neil made puppy dog face but arjun’s look made him agree. Arjun wanted to help radhika seriously. And neil understood and respected that. So neil, moved out of the kitchen
Arjun : so radhika, how may I help u?
Radhika: gosh no! I really want to get started now, otherwise it’ll be very late by the time I m done.
Arjun: huh?
Radhika: arrey baba…… I don’t want u dancing in my kitchen with all the kitchen I need to cook.
Radhika turned arjun around and pushed his back. Arjun didn’t understand. He wasn’t ready to be thrown out of the kitchen by radhika.
Arjun: but, I know how to cook. Seriously. I know how to cook well.
Sam who was passing just saw the scene going in the kitchen and dragged arjun out. She took him to the balcony.
Sam slapped her head, “ okay… now that u love radhika. Let me tell u the golden rule. NEVER EVER DISTURB HER IN THE KITCHEN.
Arjun: what? Is this same kind of joke?
Sam: no no…..see.. u remember, we told u about radhika’s past. She is herself when she is alone in the kitchen. I mean, she loves cooking. she doesn’t even consider cooking to be a work. She is completely free, she laughs her heart out. Kitchen is the only place she truly and completely happy. She likes to be alone in her kitchen. U know what I can cook as well but her happiness is the reason I pretend I can’t. u know, when she came in our house, she used to spend most of her time In our kitchen. At first, my mother used ask her not to, and that she will cook. But soon enough, we understood that she forgets her past when she is cooking.
Sam was all emotional and she was on angry on arjun , “ and u young man, had the guts to enter into her kitchen. She takes such a good care of all of us. And I think u can manage to allow her some moments of happiness for her herself. Am I clear?
Arjun looked like a little scared puppy who just got scolded really bad. Arjun just nodded his head in affirmative.
Arjun ‘s pov, “ I m sorry radhika. I didn’t know. But from now I wont ever disturb u when u are cooking. Moreover, I will learn all your likes and dislikes by asking sam. Will keep u happy always.”
Just then both of them heard radhika shouting to come for dinner.
Sam warned arjun to keep a straight face else she’ll worry.
They found neil already eating. Between munches he kept praising radhika’s cooking. Arjun could now clearly see cooking made radhika happy.
NEXT DAY
AT COLLEGE
After finishing all their lectures. The four met in the front lawn. It was their daily routine…they would meet in the front lawn and would go back home together. But that day, it was different.
Neil: guys sorry, today sam and I have to attend extra lessons.
Radhika gave me an questioning look.
Neil: remember I told u about our short attendance . today we have extra lectures to cover that up.
Radhika scolded them both about bunking their lectures more often. And she even pulled their ears.
Neil suddenly spoke, “ no..no..no ,..today is the Indian food day. How can I miss that…”
Sam was cribbing about her dessert.
Arjun: serves u both right. Should have thought about it before bunking your lectures.
Sam and neil both knew that they deserved it. They also knew that no matter how late they went home radhika would always stay awake, waiting for them to come.
Neil spoke to radhika gently, “ chashni, u know what, u just keep the food on the table, please don’t wait. I’ll promise we’ll eat properly and will even clean up after we were done. You wake up before any of us and I hate to make u stay awake later then usual.”
Sam too pleaded with her.
Radhika: then u both should really learn to start coming home early.
Neil promised that this would be the last time. And radhika agreed to sleep. But all four of them knew that neil always said that . this made them all smile. And seeing each other smile, they smiled even more.
Arjun and radhika were heading towards home.
Radhika suddenly spoke, “ ohhh…I forgot, arjun can we please go to the market now. I don’t have the required groceries for Indian food.”
Arjun agreed and turned the car around.
In the store, radhika kept walking in front , choosing stuff. While arjun kept following her like a little kid, with a basket. After she was done , arjun paid the bill. While moving out, radhika was constantly looking at a pair of boots. arjun could easily make out, that how badly she wanted them. He gave them a look and realized that radhika couldn’t afford them.
Actually radhika came a full scholarship student and she wanted to be independent. Hence, she asked samrat and piyali not to send any money for her other expenses. They protested at first but she stayed put and at last they had to agree. Radhika did odd jobs to pay for her expenses and at the same time, she tried saving money. all the four were a family now and ,neil and arjun didn’t like her doing a variety of jobs. But she didn’t agree. Finally, they offered a post at their company’s gold coast branch. Even was working in the advertising department of their company. But she refused that as well. And to be honest, all three of them respected her for that. Neil and arjun since then made a point to look after her without her knowledge.
Never mind, arjun just told radhika to wait for a few minutes in the car and went in that store. And brought the boots.
In car, arjun teased her“ radhika, u almost bought the whole store. Leave something Indian for these poor australians”
Radhika smiled at said, “to get authentic flavours. I make my own spices. Hence all the groceries.” Radhika went on speaking animatedly about her spices.
Arjun smiled. Radhika never talked that lot to him. He now was starting to understand what cooking meant to her.
AT THE MEHRA MANSION.
Neil and sam had not returned back home yet.and arjun was terribly hungry. Radhika was almost done cooking and she wanted to add curry leaves to garnish the food. She wanted it to be authentic Indian food retaining all the original flavours. The only problem was that curry leaves were in a glass jar and no matter how hard she tries it wasn’t opening. She finally gave up, and shouted, “arjun….arjun…..arjun!!”
Arjun came running and worried, “ what happened radz…..whats wrong?
She looked at arjun’s face and realized that she got him worried. Radhika, “ sorry arjun, I didn’t mean to worry u. I m really sorry. Its just that this container wasn’t opening.” She gave the container to him. And he tried opening it. Unfortunately, the container was a bit old and arjun put a lot of pressure. The glass broke in his hands and they started to bleed. Radhika sees it and gets very worried. She takes him outside and makes him sit on the dining table chair. Her eyes get wet.
Radhika: ohh no! arjun….wait here.
She quickly goes and grabs the first aid box. She quickly takes one of arjun’s hands into hers and starts bandaging it. All the while arjun looks at her eyes. He sees her tears and wipes them with his other hand. He ends up leaving a little of his blood on her cheek. Radhika quickly finishes bandaging his hands and starts scolding him. Arjun just looks at her and feels on the seventh heaven seeing her concern for him. he was falling even further for radhika every passing day.
Radhika: “ohh god! I m sorry arjun….i just realized how hungry u were, u got hurt because of me and above that I was scolding u. just wait here, I’ll get u food.”
Radhika brings the food on the table and serves arjun. Arjun looks at her and she realizes that he couldn’t eat himself. Both of his hands are bandaged. Radhika takes a chair sits beside him and feeds him with her own hands. Seeing her do that, arjun just knew that she was the one. She was the one who would complete him.
After dinner they both go in their respective room. Radhika after changing, went to the washroom to freshen up. She sees her face in the mirror and sees arjun’s blood on her cheek. She quickly rushes to arjun’s room to check on him. She walks in and finds arjun struggling with his shirt buttons.
Radhika: uff….arjun, couldn’t u just call me?
She walks to him and slowly closes his shirt buttons. She then folds his clothes and take them to his cupboard to keep them. And soon as she opens the cupboard, clothes start to fall on her. Soon she is in a small mountain of clothes. She looks at arjun who was now seated on the edge of his bed and say, “uff…yeh ladka!”
Radhika starts to rearrange arjun’s cupboard. She takes all his clothes out and starts sorting them. All the while arjun and radhika keep talking. And even before they realized , radhika was comfortable with arjun. thats how They became friends.
Precap: arjun’s surprise…nesam get locked up.