Karan was just about to go to sleep when he heard a loud knock on his door. He opened the door to his room to find Monami standing there with a cart. Her smile told him she was upto something, and there was a chance he would not get any sleep tonight. The girl always brought a tsunami with her.
"Tum yaha?" He asked.
"May I come in?" Monami asked.
It was past his bedtime, and he didn't like people coming to his room after dinner, let alone her. But he knew his manners. So, he gave her way and she dragged her cart with her. Karan closed the door and waited for her to begin.
"Maine cake banaya hai." Monami uncovered the plate and revealed her cake.
Karan was confused for a minute. Why was she here with a cake? "Cake? Kis liye?"
"Tumhare liye." Monami said.
"Aur Rani sahiba ne itni takleef kyu ki?" Karan asked suspiciously.
"Pehle taste karke dekho." She handed him a knife. He glared at her. "Please..." Monami said softly.
Karan had no choice. He took the knife and cut a piece of the cake. It was a simple homemade chocolate cake, nothing fancy. He tasted it. It was perfect. Not the best, but he liked it. Monami was looking at him eagerly. She spent the entire evening baking this cake for him. She burnt the first one, but Dilbaghji was kind enough to let her try again.
"Kaisa hai?" Monami asked.
Karan almost smiled listening to her ask that so innocently. "Not bad Rani Sahiba."
Monami smiled the widest smile. "Mujhe bhi taste karna hai." She stepped closer to him and held his hand, bringing it closer to her mouth, taking a bite of the cake he was holding. Karan was left embarrassed. "Meetha kam hai."
"Mujhe meetha kam hi pasand hai. Mere liye perfect hai." Karan said.
Monami again smiled. She cut her own slice of the cake, and made herself comfortable on the chair. Karan looked at her questioningly, but she was too busy eating her cake.
"Ab batao kya wajah hai meri neend aur meri diet kharab karne ki." Karan asked.
Monami was so happy that he liked her cake that she completely forgot the reason why she had baked a cake for him in the first place. Her fear and nervousness returned. There was only one way to do it. Rip off the bandage, completely and at once.
"Sid Parakram SAF join kar raha hai. And no, he's not dying." Monami said. "Before you say anything, main batana chahti hu ki maine use yaha nahi bulaya tha. Yeh koi plan nahi hai humara. I'm here for training aur main apni training achhe se karna chahti hu bas. I asked him to leave but woh gaya nahi."
Monami could feel his anger rising and she decided it was time for her backup plan. If this didn't work, then nothing would. She brought out her next peace offering for Karan Shergill.
"Ab yeh kya hai?" Karan asked.
"Gappu."
"What?"
"Remember when you said, apni favourite cheez sacrifice nahi kar paye toh desh ke kaam kaise aaoge. Toh yeh raha mera Gappu." Monami handed him the plant. "Yeh bhi mera favourite hain aur main tumhe yeh de rahi hu just to show you that I'm ready to sacrifice everything. Mere liye yeh training sabse zyada important hai."
Karan was speechless for sometime. He had no idea what to say to her. She was willingly sacrificing her plant to him. Just to prove that training in Parakram SAF was important to her. Maybe she wasn't as bad as her thought she was. There was passion inside her.
"But please Gappu ko jalana mat. It's a succulent. Tumhe paani bhi nahi deni paregi isko. Bilkul low-maintenance hai." Monami looked around for a place for her Gappu. She selected a spot on his window sil and placed it there.
"Okay, one last chance. Uss Sid ko choro aur apne training pe dhyaan do." Karan said.
"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!!" Monami smiled. "Aur please mere Gappu ka khyaal rakhna. I'll miss him."
"Tum kabhi bhi yaha aake mil sakti ho Gappu se." Karan said, before realising that he just gave her permission to drop by his room anytime she wanted.
"Thanks." Monami blushed.
Karan was both embarrassed and mad at himself for going soft on Monami. "Kal subah 5 baje se training hai. Tumhe yaha rehke Gappu ke saath gappe maarne hai ya phir sona bhi hai?"
"Goodnight.." Monami smiled.
Karan led her to the door. "Goodnight."
