Conditions Of Shashank | 18+

Chapter 42: Comparison

"I will do all the work, Kumar. You relax, it's Sunday," Ishika said while cleaning the kitchen counter before starting to cook.

"You have a slight fever. You need rest," Ujjwal replied, rolling up his sleeves.

"You’re right, but until we find a maid, let me manage the work," she said, turning to see him, now seated at the dining table with his sleeves rolled up.

"I want to help you," he insisted.

She eventually agreed.

She grabbed three bowls, filled one with peanuts, and left the other two empty. Placing them on the dining table, she explained, "Look, you need to shell these peanuts. Put the kernels in this bowl and the shells in the other."

"Got it. Three minutes. This won’t take more than three minutes," he boasted.

She nodded with a smile.

He began shelling peanuts.

A while later, she glanced back and placed a hand on her forehead. "You mixed them up! Both bowls have peanuts and shells."

He realized his mistake and apologized, "It won’t happen again."

"I want to eat the fruit you bought yesterday," he said while fixing the mess in the bowls.

"Sorry, I was so tired yesterday that I didn’t wash them."

"No problem. I’ll wash them."

"I’ll do it... Wait-" But he was already went to wash the fruits.

He returned with washed grapes and sat down.

A little later, when she glanced back again, he quickly abandoned the grapes and resumed shelling peanuts.

Seeing this, she chuckled, "Someone said this would take three minutes,"

"Has it been three minutes already?" he asked, feigning innocence.

Due to the cold weather and travel, she had developed a slight fever. While Ujjwal suggested visiting the doctor, Ishika dismissed the idea, saying it wasn’t serious.

While she kneaded the dough, he helped chop vegetables.

Turning to him, she asked, "You didn’t have cold water or ice cream in my absence, did you?" She knew he caught colds easily.

"No."

After chopping, he handed her the vegetables for cooking.

"What should I do next?"

"Kumar, you can rest now."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded.

...

After dinner, he didn’t let her do any more work and insisted she rest in the bedroom.

Once he cleaned the dining table, he noticed the floor was dirty. Before mopping, he decided to do the laundry. Quietly opening the bedroom door, he took her bag, picked out clothes she might wear over the next three days, and added his own clothes from the previous day into the washing machine.

After starting the washing machine, he mopped the house, then watered the plants.

When the machine buzzed, signaling the clothes were done, he transferred them to the drying rack, as they were still slightly wet.

He drank some water and walked to the bedroom to check on her.

The room was dark, with curtains drawn. He tiptoed to the bedside lamp and switched it on.