FORNEVER | ✓

CHAPTER 11 - PLAY

HER

"Knead that dough for me."

"I can't."

"Why?"

"I am busy." Siddhanth said without raising his head as the master chef inside him had awakened. He chopped the vegetables finely and prepared the ingredients to make a thick marinara sauce. We were going for Italian tonight.

"Fine." I rolled my eyes and started preparing the dough for the pizza. Since I had only known the flour to make chapatis, this specific kind was new to work with, yet I was determined to put Italians out of business.

Fifteen minutes into it and I realized I had put more water than was required. Just as I tried to figure out a fix, I heard a chuckle from behind.

"What's so funny?" I glared.

"Nothing." He grinned as he looked at me from head to toe. The wet dough stuck in my fingers, and some of it even got on my face and hair, which I hadn't realized until he pointed it out.

"Might...wanna...get this out of your hair...my lady..." He said as he stood close to my face, taking the bits out of the hair that now came loose, and in front of my eyes. I puffed the air out of the corner of my lips, to be able to see through them, but couldn't. I tried to pull a few strands away from my face with the back of my hands, only to stick more dough on my forehead and the hair I now struggled with. He watched me combat those loose tresses as he stood leaning against the counter. He gently approached me and lowered my hands from my face. His grip on my wrists felt firm but not tight. I could feel his breath on me as he came closer. I shut my eyes tightly, not knowing what to expect next. He carefully tucked them behind my ears and resumed working on his sauce. I opened my eyes and let out a sigh of relief. He looked at me through the corner of his eyes and shook his head.

The dinner was ready and so was diet coke. We both were so exhausted that none of us remembered to change. We were still in our formals but didn't care. I untied my hair and sat on the couch, crossing my legs. He loosened his tie and a few buttons from the top of his shirt.

"Mmmm...mmmm...mmmm" I let out a murmur as I enjoyed the impeccable meal. He turned to see what I was doing.

"Mam. I understand you have a handsome company and I don't want to put any ideas in your head, but the sounds that you're making can create a wrong impression in front of our neighbors if they heard."

"I would have cared to open my eyes and respond to your concern, but I don't remember any handsome man sitting around me. I am pretty sure it's just you and me." I remarked.

"Don't you think I am handsome?" He sounded a bit offended.

"No." I said, as I pulled another slice from the tray and laid back on the cushions.

He gasped sharply.

"Then I think you should get your eyes tested." He felt smug.

"Or maybe, you should go and check yourself out in the mirror. There's the sauce you made all over your face." Now it was my turn.

"Sauce? Where?" He wiped his lips vigorously with the tissues but couldn't see anything on them. He then took out his phone to see his reflection. He looked up at me while I suppressed my laughter.

"You!!!" He threw a pillow at me that I dodged.

"Better luck next ti.." He threw another cushion at me hitting my head.

"IT'S GAME ON!" I rolled the newspaper and ran into the kitchen as he came after me with a magazine. I wore the wok as a helmet and held its cover as a shield. He turned around to run into the bedroom as I tried to hit him with the roll. He pulled the covers from one of its corners and in one swift motion, he had removed the covers from the bed. He tied the ends of it around his neck and acted like it was his cape. I threw the roll at him as he drew a pillow to his face.