Advaith was in his room waiting to be called for lunch. He could smell the aroma of the food from his room also. It smelled delicious. Not that he’d ever tell that. He didn’t want her here. Why did his mother have to treat him like a child? He wasn’t one. So what if his condition made him vulnerable. He was fine on his own.
But no! She had to go and employ a professional chef for him. And if that wasn’t enough, it had to be such a beautiful and gorgeous woman. Someone whom he couldn’t even touch. But only see.
The horrific memories of how he got this condition still haunted him in his sleep. He hadn’t told his mother that he still had nightmares about the incident.
Alisha served the food on the table with an elegant presentation and smiled to herself. She then ran towards his room to call him out.
“Lunch’s ready!”
She didn’t hear any reply and strained her ears while putting it on the door to hear something but the door opened the next moment making her stumble back. His hand came out to stablizise her and she looked at him wide eyed.
Thank God she wasn't wearing a crop top of she would have been the cause of his death. Literally.
He too looked at her shocked. Quickly pulling her up , he hissed.
“Move away!”
She did with the speed of lightning and mumbled a sorry unable to understand what just happened.
Advaith marched towards the lunch table and saw two covered bowls kept on the table a his plate neatly placed upside down.
She started serving him but he stopped and said.
“I can serve myself.”
She nodded and stepped back scrutinizing his expressions carefully for whether he'd like the food or not.
He opened the first bowl and the aroma of fried rice hit his nostrils. He served some on his plate and moved to the other bowl. A scowl formed on his face seeing boiled, mashed potatoes.
“Seriously? This is what you know how to make? Ye toh mai bhi bana leta.”
She gave him an offended look. How can he comment without having a bite.
“These are seasoned potatoes.”
“Wow! Boiled potatoes with some spices! Amazing!”
She could very well hear the sarcasm in his voice.
“You've not had seasoned potatoes made by me isliye you don't know. Maine bura nhi mana. Lekin you have to have a bite now. And I serve it with my special sauce.”
She served him some while he scowled all throughout. He cautiously took a bite ready to spit it out if needed. But as soon as the saucy potatoes touched his taste buds, his mind was blown.
How the fuck was it possible to make something so plain like boiled potatoes to be this tasteful?
But he wasn't going to say that and make the smug look she had on her face permanent.
She continued to look at him when he didn't say anything and he looked at her.
“What? You're going to just stand there and stare at me?”
She looked away feeling embarrassed and muttered.
“I-I actually have some grocery shopping to do for your storage. You don't have a lot of ingredients here.”
He nodded and pulled out a card. She frowned and looked at him in question.
“That's my card. The first four digits of the number is the pin. Use it.”
She nodded and took the card and left the house. It took her 3 hours to shop all the ingredients. His long list of allergies made it very difficult for her to select a product. She had to go through the content list of all the products before putting it in the basket.
She got home and arranged all the stuff in the respective shelves. By the time she was done it was already 6:30 and she hurried to make his dinner.
She wasn't sure if he'd like her having her dinner with him so she packed hers in a small tiffin thinking she'll eat it in the car and went to inform him about his dinner and her departure.
Hearing a positive reply, she went home with his driver dropping her.
Advaith went back to his room after having his dinner when his gaze fell on a brown packet kept beside his room's door. How did he not see this before? Did that girl leave her stuff here?
He picked the packet and took it to his room. A frown marred his forehead when he saw the contents of the packet. It was a stuff toy. It looked like an octopus. A purple one. And it had an angry expression on its face. An angry, purple octopus.
Who did she buy this for? Was she already married and had a kid? Why did the thought unsettle him? Nothing was possible between him and her.
He felt something on the bottom part of the toy and pulled out a note.
I got this for you.
You won't have to tell me you liked my food directly now. Just turn its color to blue and I'll understand.
Advaith kept the note aside and turned the octopus inside out. It's color changed to blue and its expression to one of happiness. A chuckle left his mouth and he shook his head. Crazy girl!
He kept the now blue octopus on his bedside table and got back to his work.
The next day she was so excited to ask him if he liked the gift she left that the first thing she did after reaching his place was run up to his room and knock on his door excitedly.
Advaith opened the door in a half sleepy state. Alisha concluded that either he had just woken up or she had woken him up. He looked cute in his sleepy state though.
It was until he opened his mouth and used his husky and deep sleepy voice to ask what she wanted. Oh damn! She'd heard a lot about men's sleepy voice but she didn't know it sounded this good.
For a moment she forgot her motive of knocking his door. It wasn't until he cleared his throat that she looked down embarrassed before asking.
“Did you like it?”
“Huh?”
He looked confused.
“The moody octopus. The one I left last night.”
Advaith pretended not to know what she was talking about.
“I have no clue what you're talking about. I'll be down after having a shower. Get my breakfast ready.”
He ordered and moves aside towards the bathroom.
“Arre but-”
She started saying when her gaze fell on the blue octopus kept on the bedside table. She clearly remembered leaving it purple. He used it!
A grin formed on her face and she quietly went down with a happy glow on her face.
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