Anokhi Fitrat

Chapter 6

She placed the files in her hand and his tiffin bag on one of the tables, "Baitho yahan tum and lunch karo"

"Arrey iski koi zaroorat nahi, waise bhi I am sure you are getting late, I'll drop you and main ghar jaake khaa loonga" said Kabir, not wanting to make her wait even more. She had already waited for him and now she was unnecessarily worried that he'd skipped lunch when the fact was he was just upset about something so childish.

Nisha looked at him with a death stare and pointed at the chair asking him to sit and raising an eyebrow as if challenging him to defy her. She looked so cute like an angry kitten.

He surrendered to her intense gaze, raising both his hands and pulling a seat for her and then sitting on the chair adjacent. He opens his tiffin to reveal the aroma of Rajma Chawal. Nisha exclaims, "Rajma Chawal!" excitedly.

"Haan, and don't worry mujhe pata hai you are too full after that amazing Khao Soi, you had Mamagoto. So main tumhe last time ki tarah khaane ko force nahi karoonga. Jo bhi bachega I'll just eat it for dinner" said Kabir subdued, serving some of it on his plate.

"Aisa kuch nahi hai Mamagoto toh kab ka digest hogaya and mujhe toh kaafi tez bhook bhi laga rahi" blurts Nisha out loud, making Kabir smile his brightest. All that sulkiness seemed to vanished from his heart.

Nisha mutters to herself, "And agar mujhe pata hota ki Rajma Chawal aaya hai toh main Mamagoto jaati hi nahi" which Kabir picks up on and feels extremely pleased with her words. He pretended as if he didn't hear her and pushed a plate gesturing for her to eat.

She smiled at him with twinkling eyes and picked up a spoon of it and ate it. He looked at her expectantly for feedback while she just closed her eyes in bliss, relishing the bite.

After getting his answer, he finally proceeded to eat his food. He managed to polish his plate within minutes, as amidst all his anger, he hadn't realized how hungry he was. Feeling sheepish about his behavior, he thought he had unnecessarily gotten upset. While she had been nothing but kind and nice to him, he had completely behaved indifferently with her this afternoon and she didn't deserve one bit of it. Despite that here she was making sure he ate his lunch. It made him smile to think that she cared.

"Pata tha mujhe, iske liye tum itna ajeeb sa behave kar rahe the dopahar ko" stated Nisha, looking at knowingly.

He wondered if he said everything out loud and if she got to know what he had been thinking.

"Agar lunch skip karoge toh mood off toh hoga hi, iss liye kehte hai, ki khaana aur neendh humesha poori honi chahiye" said Nisha, firmly.

He rubs the back off his head embarrassed and admits, "you're right, but aaj main itna distracted tha ki samjha hi nahi ki lunch skip hua"

"Kal se hum saath mein lunch karenge, that way I'll make sure you don't skip lunch again" said Nisha, without thinking. Her eyes widened, as she surprised herself, while Kabir looked at her stunned. Did she just offer to have lunch with him everyday? Did he hear that right? Was he imagining this whole thing?

Looking at Kabir's bedazzled face, Nisha thought he must not have wanted to have lunch with her and how could she have with his such right stated that he'd have to eat lunch with her every day. "Maine toh aise hi bol diya, I am sure you have better people or lunch plans, toh don't worry about it"

"Kya? No, of course, I'd love to have lunch with you every day. In fact, I will get extra lunch, so you can have it too" said Kabir reassuringly, feeling out of this world.

"What? That's really unnecessary! I—" protests Nisha, only to be interrupted by Kabir who says, "I mean, I get it if you don't like the food I make, I completely understand" trying to play innocent.

"Aisa kuch bhi nahi hai, Kabir and you know it," says Nisha, squinting her eyes seeing right through his antics.

"Then it's settled, main lunch laa raha hoon hum dono ke liye" said Kabir, getting up and picking up both their plates to wash in the sink.

"Arrey mera plate, main khud dho sakti hoon" said Nisha, rushing after him.

"I know that, but anyway main apna plate dhone hi waala hoon toh ek aur sahi, no big deal. It's the least I could do for making you wait and acting indifferent this afternoon. I am sorry for that, I didn't mean to" replied Kabir sincerely, looking down at the plate he was washing, feeling miserable about his behavior.

"It's okay Kabir, kabhi kabhi ho jaata hai. Trust me mujhe bilkul bhi bura nahi laga, in fact main toh ulta worried thi ki achanak tumhe kya hogaya, Subah toh tum aise nahi the" said Nisha, making Kabir beam.

"She was worried for him? Worried? Really" thought Kabir, thrilled at this new discovery.

"Waise sab theek hai na?" she asked putting him out of his thoughts, wanting to confirm it once and for all.

"Haan ab sab theek hogaya" said Kabir, muttering "tum ho toh sab theek hona hi hai"

"Huh kuch kahan tumne?" she asked curiously.

"Nahi main kya keh raha tha, humein ghar chalna chahiye, already bohut late ho gaya" said Kabir, putting the plates back into their place and picking up his bags and files.

Seeing as his hands are full, she scurries to door and holds it open for him, gesturing for me to go with her hand. He smiles at this and walks out followed by her.

They finally reach his car and settle down, he waits for her to wear her seatbelt, turns on the radio and it starts playing a song. "Omgosh, I really love this song".

—----- BGM Apna Bana Le (from Bhediya) —---------------

Kabir sees Nisha humming along to the lyrics of the song in her sweet melodious voice with her eyes closed. He wishes that time stops here, right at this moment. He thinks about how everything seems to fall in place when she is with him and smiles glancing at her.

They finally reach the apartment and he starts to feel the dread coming back to him, he'd have to bid her goodbye and get out of his bubble and face today. It was inevitable and meant to him now or later. She bids him goodbye while he thanks her for today.