Beyond Duty

Part 6 Wake up Mermaid

THE SURPRISE

The next day, Arjun and Virat planned their surprise attack on Sakshi. They arrived at her house with mischievous grins, eager to make a memorable entrance.

As they slipped into the kitchen, they saw Sakshi absorbed in her pizza-making, her back turned to them. Flour dusted the countertops, and the smell of garlic and cheese filled the air. They exchanged a glance, silently agreeing to go through with their plan.

Virat and Arjun crept closer, and with a synchronized count of three, they lunged into the kitchen with exaggerated howls and monster growls. “Raaaaar!” they roared in unison, flailing their arms around like wild creatures.

Sakshi spun around, her face going from confusion to sheer terror. Her eyes widened, and she let out a scream so loud it might have shattered glass. Her hands, previously kneading dough, flew up in alarm, sending flour and bits of dough flying in every direction.

"AAAAHHH! What in the world?!" Sakshi shrieked, her heart racing as she clutched her chest. She turned to face them, her face a mix of shock and fury. "You two are absolutely ridiculous!"

Arjun and Virat burst into laughter, clutching their stomachs. The sight of Sakshi’s flour-covered face and her stunned expression was priceless.

Sakshi, now red-faced with a mix of anger and embarrassment, tried to regain her composure. "Do you have any idea what you’ve just done? You’ve turned my kitchen into a disaster zone!"

Virat, wiping tears from his eyes, stepped forward, looking genuinely apologetic. "We’re really sorry, Sakshi. We didn’t mean to scare you that badly."

Arjun, still chuckling, added, "Yeah, we just thought it would be a fun surprise. Didn’t expect you to react like that."

Sakshi, now fuming, crossed her arms. "Fun surprise? I thought I was going to have a heart attack! Look at this mess!" She gestured to the flour cloud that had settled over everything. "And you two are standing there, laughing. Great."

Virat, trying to defuse the situation, said, "We really didn’t mean to cause this much chaos. We’re genuinely sorry."

Sakshi sighed, her irritation slowly melting into resigned amusement. "Fine. Since you’ve already done enough damage, you might as well sit in the drawing room while I clean up and finish making the pizza."

Virat nodded in the yes.

But Arjun, with a sheepish grin, said, "Actually, I’d like to help you with the pizza. It’s the least I can do after scaring the life out of you."

Sakshi eyed him skeptically. "You? Help with the pizza? Last time you were near food, you almost set the kitchen on fire."

Arjun’s face fell slightly, but he quickly recovered. "Come on, Sakshi. I promise I’ll be good. Just give me a chance to make it up to you."

Sakshi hesitated, then reluctantly agreed. "Alright, but you better not mess things up further. And if you do, I’m holding you responsible for every piece of flour that lands on my kitchen floor."

Arjun, with an exaggerated bow, said, "I accept the challenge."

Virat left both of them and headed towards the drawing room.

FLIRTING IN THE KITCHEN

As Sakshi and Arjun began to work together in the kitchen, he, trying his best to be helpful, carefully spread the sauce on the dough while Sakshi looked on, arms crossed. "So, you really think you can handle this, huh?"

Arjun grinned, "Absolutely. I’ve got this under control. And you know, it’s kind of nice to be here with you, even if it’s in a flour explosion zone."