Save Me..

Scars

Dev's POV

Vanya entered the humble abode occupied by me. I followed her after taking off my shoes and putting them at the side. She looked around, as the lights were kept on. My roomie says, keeping a home completely dark is bad omen, so he decided that lights should be kept on. Not that we pay the electricity bills, we put that into the bills for the company expenses.

Perks of Engineers.

She chose to sit on the sofa at the right side of the hall, and tilted her head from left to right, taking in all that is there in the house of two bachelors. She gaped at me with open mouth, "you live in a 2BHK alone?"

I shook my head while taking off my watch and rolling my sleeves. "No, there is another guy living with me, or rather, we both live with each other. That is his room." I point to the left corridor which leads to the room where my partner in office, Sankalp Samanta, lives.

"So, isn't he gonna react?" Vanya asked me and I looked back at my other sleeve to roll it. "He likes to live in his own world, and besides he's on holiday. Even if someone came or not, he isn't gonna know." I smiled at her and put the watch down on the table between us, as I sat on the opposite sofa chair.

"So, what can I bring for my savior?" I smiled at her and she opened her mouth jerking her face at the ceiling, "Ugh, savior. Really?" She smirked at me. "Ok. In that case, bring me something to eat."

"But we just had chaat."

"I am talking about food, not snacks."

I got up without saying much, and opened the fridge to take out noodles. Honestly I wanted to ask her how is she still so slim if she thinks chaat is just a snack for her. But again, I might sound rude.

"I'm gonna make this. Do you like noodles?"

"Yea sure. I like food in specific, so bring it on!" She took up the magazine from the table, as I walked to the kitchen at the right side of the right corridor, leading up to my room. I started making it the way my sister makes it. She taught me, using Mayo and sauce, all together, makes the noodles tastier. At first I was hesitant to try something like that, a dangerous experiment with something that will probably go into my stomach. But my sister is persistent.

The first time she cooked it in front of me, I didn't even know she could cook at such a young age. She's about 14 now, so it wonders me how fast girls learn. And me? I can only make rice, daal and baked potato for breakfast.

Good thing I don't cook anything spicy, not good for my diet and health. But I do love spicy, sometimes I bring it from shops outside to eat.

"You do have a nack for anime?" Vanya looked at my direction from the sofa. I answered without looking at her while making five packets for both of us. "Well, I love anime. After coming from office, it is my only job left for the day."

I focused on soaking the strands in water while adding chopped chillies and tomatoes together to make a paste. "Do you want spicy, Vani?"

"I'm a girl Dev, what else do you expect?" She shouted from the sofa. I smiled and focused back at the food. Sudden memories came back in mind, and I tried my best to shove them away.

The last time I cooked for a girl other than family, I made it spicy thinking girls like spicy. Ended up with the food thrown on the floor, my left cheek with a print of her right palm. And a lot of abusive language.

"Koi Idea nhi hai khana banane ka to banata kyu hai?! Romance ka bhut sawar hai Khali? Puchh to leta ke mujhe kaise khana pasand hai?"

"Magar, tumne to kaha Jo me banaunga wahi kha-"

"ZEHER KHILA DE FIR MUJHE! EK BAAR ME MAAR DE! Arre.. pagal hai kya tu? Akal nahi hai? Devraj Bose you're a stupid piece of shit or what!?"

I shook my head and brought the onion, and before chopping, looked back at her direction.

"Vanya, do you eat onion?" I asked her, and she didn't answer. I tilted my head again and asked louder.

"Vanya? Do you eat onion??"

No answer.

I washed my hand and wiped it off in the towel, and walked back. Noticing her crossing her arms, and looking at the front, at the TV which we installed about 4 months ago. The TV wasn't even on, and I was confused what she's looking at.

"Vanya? Kya hua aapko? Jawab nahi de rahe?"

She didn't even look at me. And I was even more confused. Did I ask her about food again that's why she got upset? I couldn't understand what I did wrong this time. I gulped nervously and looked at her again.

"Umm.. Vani?" I licked my lips and sucked on them. "A-are you ok Vani?"

She looked at me and smiled. "That's how it should be Dev." She got up and flashed her smile again.

"What do you mean?" I was looking at her confused. I thought she's angry about something, but it seems fine.

"You suddenly started calling me with my name! Dev, I told you to call me Vani! Why call me Vanya?" She pouted her lips.

Cute!

I rounded my lips and did an "oooo" then smiled. I touched my earlobe and  lowered my head a bit. "Maaf kar dijiye Vani ji, aage se nahi hoga."

She slapped on top of my head softly and put the back of her hand on her mouth hiding her smile. "God, you're cute!"

She started walking towards the kitchen, and I followed her too. She picked up the onion and knife, and started chopping already before I could stop.

"Vani you're my guest na? Lemme do-"

"I'm guest, that's why lemme help too." She smiled again and I smiled back, pouring the paste in a small bowl. After a while, the ingredients went in the bowl along with the soaked noodles, while I added up the spices from the packet. Just about when I was bringing out the Mayo from the closet, she held my wrist.

"Dev?"

I looked at her, suddenly feeling warm in my cheeks. I looked at my wrist, then at her, then back at my wrist. Then I looked at her again and asked, "You don't want Mayo?"

She frowned and let go of my hand, her hand coming closer to my face and I stood still, my hand still in the mid air, holding the Mayo bottle.

Her fingers touched the side of my forehead, and she swept my hair from there, and started at the spot for a moment.

"You want Mayo, Vani?"

She didn't answer and her eyebrows frowned again. She looked at me and bit her lower lips, and left it. She opened her mouth again to speak.

"What is this scar, Dev?"