Meena Ma'am (18+)

Part 5: Ravi, please stay for dinner!

I was dripping wet standing at her door, wondering if I should ring the doorbell one more time or knock on the door. The thunderstorm was at its loudest, and with the rain pouring down, I wasn't sure if there would be electricity inside or if she had heard the doorbell.

I rang it one more time and also knocked on the door. I heard her footsteps mixed with the sound of her payal. Such a sweet sound it was! I heard the door unlock from inside. She must have been thinking who the heck was at her door at this time and in this heavy rain.

As she opened the door, my heart skipped a beat. There she was, glowing in the light of a candle, her face even more beautiful than usual. I was right; there was no power, as often happens when heavy rain hits.

I looked at her and into her eyes with a smile.

"Who is it?" she asked, raising her candle and trying to shield it from the wind. Her eyes were wide as she searched for who might be at her door at this hour. "Who is it?" she asked again.

"I'm Ravi, Ma'am!" I answered a bit loudly, as the wind was blowing hard and it was difficult to hear.

"Ravi?" she said, her voice a mix of excitement and worry. She clearly wasn't expecting me at this time.

"Ravi, what are you doing here? You're completely soaked! Why are you out in the rain at this hour?" She asked numerous questions. I could see her saree fluttering in the wind from outside.

"Come in," she said, protecting her candle and opening the door wider for me.

"I'm all wet," I said.

"No problem, just come on in!"

She closed the door and locked it from the inside. 

"What is this, Ravi? What are you doing in this area at this time? Don't you know it's going to rain today?"

I nodded, trying to catch my breath. I was nervous and excited at the same time. I was finally at her place!

She hurried to her bedroom and brought me a towel. I began rubbing my hair.

"Where is your phone, Ma'am? Why are you using a candle?"

"My phone's battery is dead. Thank goodness I had candles," she said, rushing to the kitchen to turn off the gas, which had a cooker on it making her food. 

"Leave that. Tell me what happened and why you're here?" She then looked at me, waiting for an explanation about why I was at her place.

"I've solved your problem! I found a new place for you to stay," I said, letting out a big sigh and smiling.

Her face lit up, and I saw a smile spread across her face. "Really? Wow!" she said. "Thank you so much, Ravi. You have no idea how stressed I was, thinking about how to find a new house. You're such a sweet person for taking the time to sort this out."

"Sit down; why are you standing?" she said, looking at me. "And tell me about the place—how big it is and how much the rent is." She got excited and asked me a flurry of questions.

"Hold on, Ma'am, I'll tell you everything, but before that," I pointed to my wet hair and clothes.

"Oh yes, I'm sorry, you'll catch a cold; go inside and change, there are some of my husband's clothes; see if you can find something to wear to keep warm," she said, pointing toward her bedroom.

"Oh no, Ma'am, don't worry, I don't want to bother you. There's no need to change the clothes," I said, trying to act brave even though I secretly wanted exactly that. I forced a smile and added, "I just came to tell you the good news, but then the rain started, and that's why I'm wet. No worries, I'll leave once it stops."