BROKEN BUT BEAUTIFUL

10. Dinner night

Kartik rang the doorbell of the house, holding a gift in his hands. After a few seconds, the door opened and there she was standing, wearing an apron over her t-shirt and shorts, flour dusted on her apron and her cheeks and her hair tied in a loose bun.

"Come inside." She gave him an awkward smile.

"Ye kya haal bana rakha hai aapne apna?" He asked her while coming inside.

"Actually aaj house help jaldi nikal gayi, unke bacche ki tabiyat kharab ho gayi thi. Toh khana main hi bana rahi hoon." She replied

"Sorry todha late hogaya. But you please sit, the food will be ready very soon." She continued and gestured for him to be seated on the couch.

"No, it's ok. Instead let me help you." He showed his concern.

"Not at all. I invited you for dinner. Main aapse khana kaise banva sakti hoon. Aap yaha par..."

"Chaliye. Kitchen kaha par hai?" Cutting her in the middle he went inside finding the kitchen, keeping the gift on the dining table.

"Kartik!" She went behind him.

"Kartik please understand. Mujhe accha nahi lagega that I invited you for dinner and aap aake apna dinner khud banayenge." She said coming into the kitchen.

"Priyanka, you understand. Mujhe koi problem nahi hai and I know cooking very well. And by the way, don't you think that it would be more fun, when we cook together first and then eat together?"

"Yeah right. Ok!" She finally agreed after thinking for a few seconds.

"Okay, so what are we cooking?" He asked while he took a glance of the kitchen countertop. She told him about the night's special recipes and then they started off their work.

They got the food ready in almost half an hour, having cute conversations and some fun banters in the middle of their cooking.

"Wow! The food smells so delicious." She said while inhaling the aroma of the different dishes they prepared.

"You are totally covered in atta." He came near her, wiping the flour sticking on her forehead and cheeks with his hands. She looked at herself, discovering the flour on her clothes and face.

"I think i should change. You go sit in the living, i will just change and come." Saying this she went into her room, meanwhile he came and sat on the couch of the living room, waiting for her.

After a few minutes, she came out of her room, changing into a top and trousers. He turned to see her holding her mobile in his hand. She was on a video call with someone. She came to sit beside him, holding the mobile.

"Papa, meet Kartik!" She turned the mobile towards him. He saw a middle aged man, his hair and beard mostly turned grey, holding a file in his hands and merely looking at the screen.

"Hello sir!" He greeted him respectfully.

"Hello beta! Enjoy the dinner ok!" Her father replied, glancing at the mobile screen.

"Sure sir!" He said with a warm smile.

"And papa...." She turned the mobile  towards herself and tried to say something to her father but he cut the call saying he has some urgent work and doesn't have time.

"Come on Kartik, let's have dinner. It's getting late." She said while getting up from the couch.

The disappointment on her face didn't go unnoticed by him. He felt bad for her, but he also knew that he couldn't interrupt in her relationship with her father. He stood up and went behind her towards the dining table.

__________

"Wow! Itne acche dinner ke baad dessert mein ice cream is like sone pe suhaga." She said while having her scoop of ice cream. They were sitting in the balcony, after having their dinner, enjoying the moonlight and light wind breezes.

"True. Waise apne bahut badiya khana banaya tha." He said praising her.

"Ohh right! Mujhe to laga tha that someone else also in the kitchen helped me to cook those delicious foods." They both chuckled at her statement.

For a few minutes, they were sitting in complete silence, adoring the beautiful moon in the night sky.

"Kartik!" She broke the silence after a few minutes.

"Hmm?"

"Jab meri badi behen ki 22nd birthday thi, tab mumma papa ne unhe ek watch gift ki thi. That watch was so beautiful, ki uss din maine zidd pakad li thi woh watch mujhe hi chahiye. I was 10 years old at that time. Di ne bina kuch kahe, woh watch mujhe dedi, bahut pyaar jo karti thi mujhse." Her voice crackled at the last sentence.

He turned to look at her side, who  was still staring at the sky. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she was so strong to stop those tears from flowing down.

"Birthday ke kuch din baad, mumma and di died in a car accident. Tab se di ki yaad mein woh watch maine apne paas hi rakhi hai. That watch is really special to me." She tilted her head on the side to look at him, who already had his eyes stuck on her.

"Jab ye watch kho gayi thi aur bahut dhoondhne par bhi mil nahi rahi thi, I was really close to shatter. But phir aap mile, aur aapne mujhe tootne se bacha liya." She continued, looking straight into his eyes.

He cupped his cheek with his one hand and wiped the tear with his thumb that unknowingly escaped from her eye. He said nothing. Instead, he held her hand and sat there in silence.

When someone shares something to you, being in a vulnerable state, they don't need any piece of advice or solution. Instead they just need your presence, they need you to listen. All they need is a hand to hold and a heart to understand them. That's all a vulnerable person needs.

_________

Kartik parked his bike and was walking towards the door of his house when his mobile made a sound. He took it out from his pocket and saw that there was a message from her.

'Thank you for the gift. I really like it.'

A smile appeared on his face looking at the message. He replied to her message and slipped the mobile again into his pockets.

He gifted her a book. When they were sitting in the cafe the previous day, he remembered she mentioned that she likes reading novels, especially the fictional ones. So he thought why not?

Freshening up, he moved to his bed. After scrolling through his mobile for some minutes, he decided to sleep, but couldn't.

He went out of his room to the balcony. Standing there at the railing, he was constantly staring at the night sky. He was deep in his thoughts when he felt someone's tap on his shoulder. He turned behind to only find his mother.

"Iss waqt yaha kyun khada hai?" She asked while taking a step to stand beside him.

"Nothing! Bas neend nahi aarahi thi toh."

"Tell me. What are you thinking?"

"I was thinking about Priyanka. You know what mumma, woh jaisi bahar se dikhti hai na, andar se waisi nahi hai."

"Matlab?" She asked frowning her eyebrows in confusion.

"She always shows her funny and joyous side to everyone in the outside world. But andar se she is broken mumma. She hides her pain inside."

"Did she share something with you?"

"Nothing much. She just told me about her mom and elder sister, who died in an accident. Lekin I know abhi bhi unke mann mein bahut kuch hai."

"Usse time de. Jab usse lagega ki woh tujhse sab kuch share kar sakti hai, toh woh apne dil ka har dard tujhse share karegi." She said holding his hands in reassurance.

"But remember one thing, woh tujhpe bharosa karke jo bhi bataye, never break her trust. Ok?" She continued her statement, to which he nodded at her.

..............