Sai

Suraj (Chapter-4)

"Suraj, go check out front for a bit. I need to go to the restroom, and we seriously need to hire at least one more person to help so that we both can get some much-needed reprieve occasionally" my brother grumbles as he directs me to leave the kitchen and supervise the restaurant.

Rajat is older than me, but I swear he is such a kid sometimes, it annoys the hell out of me. We do need to hire someone since the crowd is quite huge and frequent in this area. Some people have become repeat customers. They bring their friends and family here too. It fills me with a feeling of pride since I am the main chef here.

Rajat and I started "Savor" just six months back. I love cooking, and even creating new dishes. I learnt it from aayi. Aayi started a small food outlet while we were growing up and I used to help out there. Later on, after completing my degree in culinary arts and working at some hotels, I decided to open my own restaurant. Rajat also decided to leave his corporate job because he was miserable there and helps me run "Savor" until he finds what gets his "motor running". His words, not mine. Aayi still has her outlet, and she has converted it into a small sit-in too. She has hired her own help for that. Aayi is amazing like that!

I enter the restaurant foyer to sit behind the desk but stop in my tracks when I notice a familiar face framed by black curls staring at our terrariums. She has glasses on and is wearing a green floral dress. The girl sitting next to her says something and she agrees without taking her big, beautiful eyes off the view in front of her. Sai...I smile remembering her flustered gabbling from four days ago. I have thought about her more than once these past few days. You rarely find people whose eyes speak more than they themselves do. She is one of those and so mesmerizing too.

Just then the third woman sitting with them turns around and I am shocked to see its Mrs. Xavier. She has been Aayi's newest friend from when she started coming to our restaurant in its early days. She shouts my name smiling at me as she beckons me to her table. I look at her and notice Sai's head snapping in my direction hearing my name. I can't' help it when a smile peeks out on my face as her eyes meet mine. So, she remembers my name...

I go over to their table. "You really are in love with me..."

"What!!...I-I..." Sai stammers, her eyes widening.

"Oh, shut up boy! I just love your food" Mrs. Xavier blushes and then smiles beaming up at me, oblivious to Sai's stammer.

I almost don't hear Mrs. Xavier's words, thoroughly enjoying Sai's flustered reaction again. "Well Kaki...the way to one's heart is through their stomach" I say turning my attention to Mrs. Xavier again. I barely seem to get my attention away from the girl who still has the "deer caught in headlights" expression on her face.

"In that case, consider my heart officially yours boy" Mrs. Xavier laughs.

The girl sitting next to Sai gauges her reaction to me and after appraising me with approval in her eyes says, "Ma, won't you introduce your crush to us..." yeah, she legit said that.

Mrs. Xavier hits the girl on her shoulder and grumbles "Insolent girl..." shaking her head. She then takes a deep breath as if to calm herself down and speaks "Girls, Suraj. He is the owner of this restaurant. I went to their restaurant when he first started it about six months back and loved his food. I also made friends with Vidya, his Ma." and then turning to me she says, "Suraj, meet my daughters Ira and Sai." Although she was just scolding the other girl Ira just now, there is pride in her eyes as she introduces them as her girls.

Sai's eyes soften as she looks at Mrs. Xavier with love. The other girl, Ira, smiles at her. Not thinking much about the exchange, I turn my attention to Sai. "Hello Sai..." I smile. Her eyes come up to meet mine and again there's this instant draw where I just want to touch her and get her so close into my space that her soft breathing is only mine to feel.

"Hey..." She says shyly and averts her eyes quickly as if she is afraid I will again turn her down. I am still feeling like an ass from when I assumed she wanted to date me just because she praised my looks and my veiny hands. How can I forget the veiny hands...I suppress my smile at the thought. I was in the shittiest mood that day and she still managed to make me smile. I really can't date. It's too much of a hassle when I can just have my occasional one-night stands and focus on work the rest of the time. And yet I am still smiling like a doofus just by being in her vicinity again...

That thought snaps me out of my daze and after saying a quick greeting to Ira, I turn back to Mrs. Xavier. "Kaki, order whatever you want. You won't be disappointed. I need to go back to the kitchen now" I smile. My eyes again find Sai, who is already looking at me. After one last lingering look at her, I go in search of Rajat.

I find him standing in a corner, looking at his phone. He looks up as I approach him. "Is that Mrs. Xavier you were talking to just now?"

Without waiting for my reply, he goes to their table. For some reason, I just stand there and observe them. Rajat is now talking to Mrs. Xavier and the girls and whatever he says makes Sai laugh. I am taken aback by the force of her free laughter. I realize Sai has always been in a state of daze or surprise with me and Rajat getting her first laughter since she met me doesn't' sit well with me. I want him out of her space...

I text him to send someone to take their orders and get his ass back to the counter. He immediately takes out his phone to check the text since he is obsessed with it. No doubt he sees it because the next moment, he turns to give me a look. But instead of looking at him, the whole intensity of my gaze is focused on the girl who is again looking at me. My cock stiffens as I notice her chest visibly rising to take a deep breath. Feeling the change in the air between us, she breaks eye contact as if she is struggling to take it.

"The girl in green, stay away from her." I text Rajat and meet his eyes to relay the message.

The douche just smiles cheekily at me, feeling something is up and drags a chair to sit beside Sai to continue conversation with the three.

I clench my fist and prepare myself to go there and drag him back to the counter by the collar but fortunately for him, Kaya calls on him to discuss some issue and he stands up to go with her.

I make sure he sees my middle finger as I turn to leave without looking at Sai.

I make a beeline towards the washroom before I go to the kitchen, don't' want anyone to see the evidence of my arousal. I am mentally convincing myself that my reaction to Rajat being close to Sai was just because of being concerned about her. Rajat is my brother, but he has a deeper relationship with his phone than he has had with any other girl. And Sai is well...

I shake my head to get Sai out of it but she being this close isn't helping.

"Do I need to prepare for some other curry too dada?" my assistant chef asks me drawing me out of my reverie.

"No. Just chop some more vegetables and marinate some more meat. I think Rajat's algorithm is working. More people do seem to enjoy meat on Sundays." Rajat is a tech junkie and a genius too. I think the only reason he is not working in an MNC is because he has always been someone who thinks, tinkers and translates in his own time and headspace. He is still void of an idea which he can work on and make big. I hope he soon gets it because not gaining his brain's worth is the world's loss.

Some more orders come in, one of them Mrs. Xavier and her family's. I get engrossed in cooking again.

After an hour or so, Medha Tai's forceful voice gets me out of my immersion.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Medha tai asks Sai who is standing just outside the kitchen and looking at me.