MANIK
Imagine that moment, when your entire world turns upside down. When the whole universe conspires against you. Imagine all your plans turned against yourself only. Horrible, ain't it? That's exactly how I felt.
My mouth was burning and invisible smoke erupted from my ears. Tears started welling up and it was difficult for me to sit back. My eyes hurt with the enormous amount of spices, for I've hated spicy food. I couldn't hold back. My eyes and my mouth was on fire. I started coughing badly, "Uhhh.. " Tears rolled down and I started jumping on my seat.
"Water.. Water", I shouted and she got alerted.
"Manikkk.. Manik kya hua", she said and I wasn't in the state to reply. My eyes were reddened and my mouth was intolerable. "Waterrr", I shouted again.
She looked for a moment and then saw the bottle on the table. She immediately opened the cap and filled in a glass and handed me over, "Manik, lo pani piyo"
I was coughing badly and I couldn't even gulp water.
"Manik Sir, what happened", concern dripped from every word and she patted her hand on my back, trying to make my body stable.
I tried drinking water, but my continuous coughing didn't help me. She saw me struggling and immediately took water from my hand and started making me drink it, by holding the glass in her hand, "Manik Sir, drink", she offered and I drank it with great difficulty.
I drank it in a gulp, but the intensity of the burn didn't subside down. "Mo..oooree", I said clearly struggling with my voice. "I wanttt mor..more. The spiceee I..is killing me"
Her hands instinctively went to grab another glass and she did the same process, of making me drink. I drank it again and for a while, the storm inside reduced off. But yet, I could still feel the numbness over my tongue. My ears were emitting fire and my nose and eyes, were swollen in red. My condition was the worst. I somehow sat over the chair. Her eyes rolled on my condition were I was almost on the verge of collapsing.
"Waiter", she said and soon he arrived, "Two scoops of Vanilla ice-cream"
He nodded and went away. I was still sitting there sulking. Soon, the waiter served us and put the tray over there. He went back. Nandini glanced me and pushed the plate towards me, "Eat"
I saw her ashen eyes and I immediately withdrew the plate back and denied, "No you've". I was coughing badly.
"How stubborn. Look at the way you're coughing Manik. Why won't you eat that?", she spitted fire, more than what I felt inside my stomach.
"Be..becaa.. " coughs "I don't... Likee" coughs "Vanilla"
She heard me saying with difficulty and when she realized what I said her eyes darkened. I saw her giving an intimidating look.
"You're unreasonable. I'm not here to please your taste buds. Eat it", she said sarcastically.
"I wo..won't", I coughed badly.
"Manik Sir, I'm saying for the last time. You've to have it", she shouted and I shook my head in denial.
I saw her flapping her arms in frustration while I still dealt with my throat.
"I'm left with no option", she muttered and next I knew, was her hand in her mouth.
Apparently, Nandini instead of using a spoon dipped her fingers in the ice-cream and started feeding me, or actually shoving the cream in my mouth.
I was shocked, beyond imagination. I gulped the cream and looked over her face. She had no creases and was very calm about it.
My mouth was hung loose when she again fed me the Vanilla and it's essence spread on my burnt mouth. For a while, she continuously fed me the Vanilla ice-cream and I was just observing her contours. She emptied the scoop in my mouth and a deep relief ran over my body. The burning sensation subsided and the lasting effect of the spices lapsed.
