FROM DARE TO LOVE (Editing)✔

CHAPTER 25

After bath, I climbed down stairs into the living room, dressed in an orange cap-sleeved crop top and three by fourth white Capri pants. I tied my hair as loose pony.

Adnan is sitting on the sofa watching football match, thank God he is watching something other than business.

I hear Vimala frying pakoras, I cringe thinking about the amount of oil she must be using. I am not going to have it, as it is I have been careless in Lakshadweep with my diet. I need to make up for it, loose the extra calories I might have gained.

I make my way into the kitchen. Vimala is busy with the pakoras, I see the oil, expected.

She is startled to have me sneak up at her from behind. I smile at her, she smiles back. I asked her to make the pakoras, I will make Tea. She nods, she is little disappointed when I add that I will skip the Pakoras and have digestive biscuits instead.

Adnan smiles widely as I enter the living room carrying the tray with two tea cups, Vimala following me closely, she is carrying a tray with a plate full of pakoras and biscuits, there is a small cup which is her tea cup and three small round plates.

'It is safe to drink?' Adnan teases me when I informed him that I made tea. I fake anger and he laughs.

Vimala places the pakora filled plate on the table in front of us. I place few Pakoras and biscuits in Adnan's plate and his eyes widen

'Itna saara?' he says but I insisted 'Bhai, you have lost so much weight...have this chup chap' I say like a typical mother scolding her kid. Adnan then insists me to have some pakoras too, I refused but he kept insisting and I give in. I made faces as Adnan place few pakoras on my plate.

Vimala takes her cup and snacks and sits on a small stool at the edge of the sofa, while I and Adnan sat on the sofa.

We enjoyed the family time watching the match, surprisingly Vimala also takes interest in the match. She once cheered for the other team accidently.

I am disappointed as the team we were supporting lost; Adnan makes me feel better by saying

'Loosing or winning doesn't matter, the fight is what matters. Our team played very well, they gave tough competition'

I smile and hugged my brother.

It's around 9pm, and I am done watching a movie. I felt my stomach rumble with hunger

'Vimala, how much longer for dinner?' I called as I lay on my bed to my side propped up on my elbow. I removed the eye phones

'Vimala?' I called

'Didi, who Saheb' comes Vimala's worried voice. Saheb, what the hell is Adnan doing? I closed my laptop and jumped off my bed.

I hurried downstairs and find Vimala emerging out from the kitchen looking worried.

'Didi...Saheb...I insisted him many times but.... Saheb is.... he...is cooking' Vimala informs. What? Bhai and cooking? It's like fire and ice. I smell something burning. Oh no! Adnan must be stopped else he will burn down the house.

'Bhai!' I say. The kitchen is filled with smoke, Vimala rushed in the kitchen and opened the window letting the smoke out. I coughed and could hear Adnan coughing too.

'Alu!' he sighs disappointed. I glanced at the burned chicken and rice. The chicken he has made resembles a coal.

I had to drag Adnan out from the kitchen, I asked Vimala to clean the mess. She nods her head; she then tugs the edge of her saree into her petticoat and gets to cleaning work.

'Why Bhai! You know you can't cook?' I say frowning at him. He pouts and looks down at the floor and then back at me. He is looking like a small innocent kid.

'You had been away from home and I wanted to do something special for you...'he says looking down again

'Aww...mera Bhaiya... (I pinch his cheeks; he frowns and moves my hand) we will order something from outside...cheer up' I say throwing my arm around his shoulder. He smiles sadly.