Arranged to my hater

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter 18

"Pssh..." I hear. I looked around to find the source of the voice but couldn't find anything.

"Pssh... Pssh... Ishita" Okay it knows my name. Are there any ghosts here? Or maybe a thief? How does he know my name? God, I don't want to die in the kitchen.

"Ishita" this time it was a little louder. I know this voice, it belongs to Abhimanyu. I look around and see Abhimanyu standing outside the window.

"What are you doing here?"

"Help me come inside first." I helped Abhimanyu to climb the window. Since the kitchen was on the ground floor so it was easy for him to climb the window.

"You could have come through the door like normal people you know"

"Yeah, so that buaji would have known that I am inside in the kitchen helping you. You want to hear more taunts from her, okay I'll go and come back from the door" saying this he started to turn around

"No, no, no..." I say to stop him. "Please, don't go"

"Good," he says and looks around the kitchen. "What have you done to this place?" he asked, shocked.

"I was trying to cook, idiot"

"What did you say? I don't think you need help from this idiot. I'll go back then. It was always difficult to convince maa and buaji to let me go to the office for some urgent work. I did all this to help you just so you can call me an idiot."

"Okay sorry. Please help me" he chuckles and starts kneading. After a while, the dough is perfectly kneaded. I poke my finger in the dough and check. Wow, he made it seem so easy.

Abhimanyu moves to make curry. He removes paneer from the fridge and onions which I had cut by the way. He looks at the onion and then looks at me then takes the knife to cut them neatly into smaller pieces.

"Where did you learn to cook?" I asked in a need to cut the silence.

"I planned to move out after graduation. So in the last year of graduation, my mom made sure that I knew the cooking basis or 'survival basics' as she used to say" Abhimanyu said with a small smile.

"How come you don't know how to cook, you have been living in London alone for what 2...3... years?"

"3 years and I didn't have someone to teach me how to cook. I know how to make sandwiches though."

"You survived only on sandwiches for 3 years?" he says looking shocked.

"No, I know how to boil eggs and um... make scrambled eggs. I make amazing scrambled eggs. And anyways I had my roommate, she used to cook and I used to clean dishes to make up for her." I explain

"Can't comment on your so-called amazing scrambled eggs but that's nice of your roommate you know... to help you with food other than sandwiches and eggs."

"Oh, I'll make some for you next time I cook. Then you can judge how amazing scrambled eggs I make."

"Okay," he says. I let Abhimanyu continue with his cooking. Helping him with some or other things. The silence among us does not feel awkward as always. It is comfortable.

This is the most conversation I had with Abhimanyu in the entire span of our marriage. Maybe buaji's arrival was not that bad after all. If this is how Abhimanyu behaves with his mom and buaji at the house I don't mind them. I mean I don't mind his mom staying with us anyways but Buaji is a bit too much to live with.

"Okay, everything is done. You'll be able to serve this right?" he says in a serious tone

"You don't have to make me sound stupid. Of course, I know how to serve."

"Okay then, I'll go and come back from the front door in 10 to 15 minutes. You'll come out with dinner only after I message you too, got it?" Abhimanyu explains

"Wait for your message before taking dinner out, got it." I repeat with a thumbs up in the end.

I quickly take the containers from the cabinets and arrange everything on the trolley. I take everything outside once I receive a message from Abhimanyu. I try to hide my smile when I see Abhimanyu enter from the main door pretending to come back from the office after 15 minutes.

The table was set by the time Abhimanyu came so I started serving dinner to everybody. I wait for everyone to start with their dinner before serving for myself. For the first time today, buaji was quiet.

"Is dinner not good buaji?" I ask, panicking.

"No, it's good. Tasty" she mumbles.

"Yes Abhimanyu, the dinner is very good." mom says teasingly. I look at her and she winks at me knowingly. She knows how she can not recognize the taste of food her son made. Great now even she will hate me.

Dinner went quiet after that.

Buaji and mom decided to stay the night much to our dismay. Abhimanyu excused himself to make the arrangements for them to sleep. Buaji leaves for her night prayer in pooja ghar leaving me with mom alone. I try to sit calmly not showing that I am uncomfortable. How can I not be uncomfortable? She knows that Abhimanyu lied about and helped me cook food.

"You don't have to worry, even I didn't know how to cook when I was married. Abhimanyu's dad also used to lie and help with cooking" mom said teasingly.

"Really?"

"Yes, he is one to teach me how to cook. I am glad that you and Abhimanyu have the same type of relationship, his dad and I share." I nod not able to correct her. How do I tell her that today is the first time I and Abhimanyu had a normal conversation?

Abhimanyu calls me, saving me from the conversation. I see Abhimanyu standing near his room

"What happened?" I asked, and he turned to hear my voice.

"You'll have to sleep in my room. Take some clothes from your room for you to wear at night and one to wear in the morning and other things you need for a day. And call me before leaving the room with everything you need." he said hurriedly and started to leave. "Oh and don't forget to lock the room just in case," he says before leaving.

I take everything I need and pack it all in a small bag. I lock the room and make my way towards Abhimanyu's room once he confirms that the path is clear.