"SOHAIL!" Abhimanyu's voice cut through the buzz of the festivity "You won't believe who I ran into here!", drawing both Mritsa and Anita's attention.
"Abhimanyu, my goodness!"
Sohail, who was inspecting a vibrant stall nearby, turned towards Abhimanyu with a questioning look before it got replaced by wide, excited smile. Anita too had walked towards the boys swiftly, her eyes gleaming in similar excitement and recognition.
"Sohail, your friend here is determined to keep meeting me in unexpected places" Anita said playfully, placing a hand on Abhimanyu's shoulder.
"Oh, a recurring coincidence! Maybe it's fate playing its cards" Abhimanyu joined in, trying to put on a serious tone, earning giggles from the rest.
"But Anita I truly did not expect to—" Sohail trailed of mid sentence as he caught sight of Mritsa, "HEY! Mritsa! We were looking for you since we reached!"
Sohail walked up to her stall where she greeted him with warm smile.
"Thanks for coming, Sir" Mritsa spoke, trying to herself from coughing. She had just put some dried chillies and hing into the pan.
"You can call me Sohail if you want" he replied, trying to fan away the strong burning wafts of chillie from both their faces with his hands, "What's going to cook in that?
"Aloo gobi tikka" Mritsa managed to answer. She put the vegetables into the pan soon after, causing both of them to sigh in relief.
Anita and Abhimanyu too had followed Sohail with the former now raising a curious eyebrow at the boys.
"You guys know each other from before?"
"Long story, Anita, but I swear it is one of the best stories," Sohail replied with a grin.
Before Anita could reply to that, Mritsa handed over a plate of pani puri to her. "Here, Anita. Pani puri will be a good snack to munch along with the story."
Anita's eyes sparkled as she took the plate. "Thank you, Mritsa! This looks amazing!"
"Yeah mid-night pani puri hunt started the long story after all, eh Mritsa?"
Mritsa giggled while Sohail flashed a knowing smile at her and Abhimanyu who only shrugged nonchalantly.
Sohail's eyes wandered to the rest of the food on Mritsa's stall. "Wow, this all looks delicious. I think I'll have to try some chaat myself. What do you recommend, Mritsa?"
Mritsa smiled, "How about the mixed dahi chaat?"
"Sounds perfect," Sohail replied. "And you, Abhi? You have to try something too."
Abhimanyu shook his head, "I'm fine, Sohail."
"Oh, come on, Abhi. Live a little," Sohail insisted, nudging him. "You can't just stand here while we eat."
Anita chimed in, nodding. "He's right, Abhimanyu. Just try one. It's too delicious." She moved closer, holding out a pani puri from her plate.
Reluctantly, Abhimanyu leaned in, letting Anita place the pani puri in his mouth. He tried to maintain his usual stoic demeanor, but the moment the flavors burst on his tongue, his eyes widened just a fraction.
He blinked, trying to mask the surprise at the unexpected wave of nostalgia it had triggered in him suddenly. He felt the subtle tightening in his chest as memories of his mother's cooking surfaced.
He chewed slowly, nodding slightly to Anita, who was watching him with an anticipatory smile. The flavors were exquisite, and for a brief moment, the noise of the fest faded, replaced by a comforting familiarity. He swallowed, his expression softening imperceptibly.
"Good, right?" Anita asked, her eyes twinkling.
Abhimanyu nodded again, this time with a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, it is," he admitted quietly.
As the conversation around them continued with laughter and shared stories, Abhimanyu remained mostly silent, savoring the food and occasionally sneaking a glance at Mritsa. He couldn't help mentally admire her dedication as she was now lost in her cooking trying to cater to the throng of people as fast as she could. Maybe the girl wasn't as bad as he was thinking.
•.....••<<<<∆∆∆∆∆>>>>••.....•
Mritsa was sitting down after a long time savouring the little moment of rest when her phone chimed, and her heart skipped a beat at the sight of a familiar name – Anirudh. She moved away from the front of the stall, seeking a moment of solitude as she answered the call.
"Hello?" she greeted nervously, her voice carrying a restrained warmth.
"Finally decided to answer my call, Mritsa?" he remarked with a tinge of irritation.
Mritsa stiffened, her mind racing to find the right words. "Sorry, Ani. I was caught up with fest preparations. You know how it is."
There was a brief pause before she got a response , "And you forgot to send me the invite? I got it from the college authorities, not you."
Mritsa paled slightly, a nervous energy emanating from her. "Oh, I must have forgotten. With all the studies and fest responsibilities, things slipped my mind."
"Responsibilities? You should have informed me about the invite, Mritsa. And studies? please don' give me that excuse."
Mritsa sucked in a deep breathe, trying to maintain composure at the cold jeer.
"I know, Ani. It's just been hectic. I didn't mean to forget" she answered timidly.
"Hope you didn't forget we are married my dear wifey"
Mritsa winced at the cutting remark, unconsciously pinching her elbow as she did whenever she would be extremely nervous or scared. She hated it when Anirudh was disappointed in her.
"It's fine. I had an impossible meeting anyway. Couldn't have made it," Anirudh remarked, the bitterness palpable.
Mritsa sighed inwardly. "I'm sorry, Ani. I'll try to keep you updated in the future."
The call ended with a perfunctory exchange. Mritsa shuddered out a long breathe, wrapping her arms around herself, pressing her quivering lips together tighter.
She was glad of the live concert going on in the other ground so hardly anyone was around. College girls were pretty notorious for gossiping and speculating from even the smallest of things.
Tightening her apron around herself, Mritsa braced herself to start the preparations for the crowd she was sure to come soon after the concert ended.
She was mentally calculating the number of potatoes that would have to be peeled when she froze; standing not too far away from the stall was Abhimanyu with an unreadable expression defining his face.
Hey guys
First of all really sorry for the ghosting episode.
I was not well and suffering from a chronic illness. I hope you all are aell too.
I was missing my stories too and now I am back at writing
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I would love to hear your opinions on it. They always make my day and keep me motivated.
More chapters to come soon😊😊
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عاطفيةAbhimanyu was never into extremes nor was he a balanced individual. He was a second generation army officer trying to outdo his father at every breathe. Never was a time when he had let himself be overwhelmed by whatever life had to throw at him. H...
