More than just Feluda (Fanfic)

Lunch

1966:

He was sitting on his desk, writing. She came in the room with a plate.

"Mitter babu, you didn't come downstairs for lunch."

"I'm busy right now. Keep it there, I'll have it later."

"Later? It's already very late!"

"Sindhu, just keep it! Don't disturb me, please."

"Alright, but remember to have the food."

"Hmm."

She left the plate near his desk and went for her work. Coming back after half an hour, she still found the plate lying untouched and him still in his own world.

"Ohho, see, the food is all cold. You still haven't eaten."

"It's hardly been a few minutes. I told you I'll eat."

"Eat when, during dinner?"

"I'm trying to work here! For god's sake stop annoying me for this! I'm not a child..."

She took a chair in the room and put it besides his. "You do behave like one a lot of times..."

Next she brought the plate, sat in the chair and held a morsel of food to his mouth.

"Here. Eat."

He rolled his eyes. "Sindhu you're too stubborn."

"As if you aren't." She smiled teasingly. "Come on now, I'm feeding you because you're working! If you have time for all this chit-chatting then you better finish it yourself."  

He opened his mouth and she fed the morsel. He continued and she kept feeding.

"And that's the last one! Good boy!" She said pulling at his cheek.

He smiled. "You're spoiling me like this. Then later when I have to go for some case, I miss you."

"Who would I spoil, if not my Felu Baba!"

He shook his head and grinned.

"Sindhu..."

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"Oh my god, what's with this formal talk now?"

"It's not formality. I'm letting you know I value your efforts, while I can... Sometimes it gets too late, and you don't even get enough time to thank your loved ones properly." He was looking at her, but his mind was far away, eighteen years back in time. 

He took her hands in his and went ahead, "Thank you for everything. I'm very lucky to have you in my life."

She kept looking at him without a word. There in his place she saw a little boy all of ten, who lost both his parents in a traumatizing event, clueless of why or how it all happened. And now so many years later when he found happiness and a close relationship again, that fear of losing it all in moments came back to him. Her eyes welled up.

"I'm very happy you came in my life too. And very, very grateful. For giving me this family, house and life. I promise I'll always be there for you through everything."

"I will always be there for you too, my darling... Never leaving or letting you leave, I promise..."