Yet Another Strange Marriage ✅

Chapter 9

Shehnaaz was preparing sweets and savories for the evening pooja celebration in the kitchen. Sidharth who knew nothing about cooking was chatting with Rudhra along with arranging the earthen lamps by placing cotton wick and pouring ghee in it.

Sidharth went to kitchen to drink water and found Shehnaaz working in heat. She was sweating as she prepared the boodi laddus with both her hands. Though she had tied her hair into bun, a few strands of hair were sticking to her sweaty forehead and was tickling. She struggled to take them off as both her hands were occupied with making laddus.

He went close to her, moved back the hair strands tucking it behind her ears and wiped off the sweat with his handkerchief. She looked at him but he kept his eyes on her forehead. His touch was giving her shivers and her heart was beating abnormally.

He wiped off the sweat from both the sides of her cheeks and the upper lip. Her limbs stopped functioning, her eyes shut and her head tilted back slightly when he wiped the sweat from her neck. The moment he knew she shut her eyes he admired her beautiful face with a smile.

They both were brought back from their lala land when the cooker placed on the gas flame, whistled. He took his hand back and she put her head down feeling shy and resumed making laddus. Sidharth cursed the cooker at the back of his mind.

Shehnaaz: (softly) Thank you

Sidharth: No problemo!!

He turned to leave and the cooker whistled again.

Shehnaaz: Aaa.. could you please turn off the flame, my hands are..

He turned around and nodded as he put off the flame. She went outside and Shehnaaz's mind went back to reminisce his touch. She had a sweet smile on her face all the time when suddenly she realised he had returned. She got scared of being caught smiling alone but he started arranging the small table fan he picked up from the attic and plugged it in.

Shehnaaz looked at the fan and immediately pushed the laddus bowl away from her and held his hand from turning it on.

Shehnaaz: Oh No No No!! (She screamed and pulled his hand away)

But the fan was already on and her face was now full of cobwebs pieces which was once on the fan. His hands were smeared with ghee and sticky sugar syrup. Sidharth was in shock and panicked as he turned off the fan immediately. Rudhra came running to the kitchen.

Sidharth: (puppy face) Sorry, sorry sorry!! I didn't notice that this old unused fan would have cobweb on it.

Rudhra laughed looking at both of them. Shehnaaz frowned and looked at the laddu bowl. Luckily her presence of mind had saved it from getting wasted as it was far from her. She sighed.

Shehnaaz: Thank God! The laddus are safe! Else I would have killed you both today for wasting my effort and laughing at me.

Rudhra put a finger on his lips to stop laughing and she stomped outside to clean herself.

Sidharth: Sorry (Turned to her)

She was gone and Sidharth and Rudhra looked at each other and laughed again as Rudhra hit him on his shoulder in fun. They shut their mouth and laughed in mute when then hear a faded voice of Shehnaaz in the background screaming "I can hear you"

Rudhra: Don't worry, she is harmless and we are safe. (Winks)

Sidharth smiles and washes his hand in the kitchen sink and cleans up the cobweb fallen on the floor. He takes the fan outside and cleans it properly before bringing it back to kitchen. She was back in kitchen and he looked at her in embarrassment, held his ears.