Midnight Kitchen Services | ✓

2 | padhus & mint chutney

─── ★ 𝐀𝐘𝐀𝐍𝐀

Ayana was far too excited to cook properly. But she managed to finish the task before opening time for the service. When her brother arrived to help her pack the meal - padhus & mint chutney - into containers, she burst into a incoherent string of words that Anand had a hard time deciphering.

After attempting (and failing) to calm his sister down for nearly 20 minutes, he finally arrived at the root of the matter. Her long time crush had ordered from her service.

"Don't you see?" Ayana stamped her two feet in rapid consequence. She didn't seem any different from an excited child.

Anand blinked and let out a sigh. "All he did was order from your service, sister dearest."

"After a year of him not knowing me, I'd say this is progress."

Anand stared at her. "That's just pathetic."

"Shut up." She pointed at him, as if in warning. "Don't rain on my parade. But you need to understand Anand, this is my chance."

"Sure." Her brother got back to packing the meals.

"Don't be like that." She dragged the last word, whining.

"Look, think about it." Anand turned back to her. "The two of you are in two completely different courses. You guys don't share a single class together and probably won't for the rest of your university life. You guys don't even have the same club. How are you going to strike a conversation with him? More importantly, how are you going to keep the conversation flowing?"

Ayana sat back down, her shoulders drooping along with her facial expression. The excitement had overshadowed the reality of her situation. 

"He might not order again, too."

One more blow. Anand watched her looking like a kicked puppy. He, as a general rule, didn't like making his sister sad.

"Fine. You might have a chance at this."

Ayana perked up, the corners of her lips quirking up. "You think so?"

"Yeah but you need to have a plan in place. What's your first move?"

"I don't know."

Anand nearly dropped the parcel. "You've been talking to me all excited without having any plan on how you're going to win this guy over?"

Ayana blinked, her lips easing into a wide grin. "That's where you come in."

Her brother eyed her with justified suspicion. "What do you mean...?"

"I was hoping you can help me make a plan!"

"The only thing I'm helping you with is packing the food. You're on your own for everything else."

"You're my older brother. If I can't ask you for help, who can I ask?" Ayana pulled on the best pout she could. It didn't work on her brother.

"Nope."

"Oh, c'mon-"

"No."

"I ain't doing matchmaking again."

"You helped Vikram but you can't help your own sister?"

"Absolutely not."

"Why can't you-" Ayana's words were forced to a stop when she heard the phone ringing. She picked it up, her eyes widening at the caller ID.

"Hello, this is midnight kitchen services. How can I help you?"

"Hey, this is Raghav. I ordered last night too."