Living In Oblivion

05

After changing into loose black pajamas and a grey T-shirt, Avanti walked out of the bathroom, gently wiping her face with a towel. She strolled over to the small balcony, hanging the towel over the railing. Returning to the bathroom, she stood in front of the small mirror, using her hands to tie her hair in a neat bun. With a graceful flick, she switched off the lights and headed out, her eyes scanning the room for Divit.

Her gaze paused for a second at the closed door of the adjacent room, surmising that he must be inside. Determined, Avanti proceeded to explore the rest of the place. After a brief exploration, she entered the kitchen, her eyes widening with each step. The sink was overflowing with unwashed dishes, leaving her to wonder how long it had been since anyone had bothered to clean up.

Avanti contemplated whether it would be considered snooping if she opened the cabinets and fridge, given that she had just moved in. Pushing aside her doubts, she opened the fridge, her eyes curiously scanning the contents—milk packets, soft drinks, and some stale food. Closing the fridge, she turned her attention to the cabinets, one by one.

A pang of disappointment hit Avanti as she discovered nothing but stale food. Hunger gnawed at her insides, a feeling she couldn't ignore. The last time she had eaten was lunch, and it had been hours ago. Avanti closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, her thoughts drifting to her favorite dishes that her mother would lovingly prepare on demand.

"Ahem, ahem." Avanti jumped in her place, opening her eyes to find Divit standing there. He remained silent but mentally rolled his eyes at the situation. Hearing her rummaging through the cabinets, he had come out of his room, only to find Avanti searching with hopeful eyes. He concluded that she must be hungry. Approaching her, he took in her attire and the way she had tied her hair in a loose bun, and he couldn't deny the attraction he felt.

"Sorry, Sir, I'm just hungry, so I was..." Avanti trailed off, scrunching her nose in embarrassment, and offered him a sheepish smile.

Narrowing his eyes at her, Divit gave her a pointed look, tilting his head sideways. Shaking his head, he walked past her, opening the cupboard above and taking out a few packets of instant food and snacks. He then opened the adjacent cupboard and turned towards her, showing her the flour container and packets of crushed spices. Opening the fridge, he pointed at the basket of tomatoes and the onion basket placed on top.

Avanti couldn't help but grin at the sight, relief flooding over her—she wouldn't go hungry that night.

"I don't keep many groceries, so this is all we have for now. On the other hand, I could order something for you since I'll be ordering my food as well," Divit suggested.

"Thank you, Divit Sir," Avanti paused, looking at the pointed look he gave her, but she shrugged it off and continued, "but this is more than enough for now. I can easily cook something, and there's no need to order anything. I'll cook for both of us," she smiled politely.

"Sure, you can, but there's no need," Divit replied, climbing onto the countertop and sitting there.

"Okay, you can eat however you want from tomorrow, but today, let me cook for you. Consider it a thank you for allowing me to stay with you," Avanti sighed, glancing at him with hopeful eyes.

Divit visibly stiffened. It was a rare occurrence for him—someone requesting him to cook his food. It wasn't a big deal, but at the same time, it was. He hadn't been accustomed to this kind of attention. Since college, he had been on his own, and he never realized he might enjoy such gestures. He simply nodded and mumbled an "okay" before walking out of the kitchen. He sat on the sofa, switching on the TV.

"Rude," Avanti mumbled, raising her eyebrows, and then sighed. "Or not?"

Shrugging off her thoughts, she grabbed a few tomatoes and stood on her toes, attempting to reach the onions for chopping. However, her short height prevented her from reaching. She looked around for a stool but couldn't find anything, so she walked to the dining table and dragged a chair. She could have asked Divit for help, but for some reason, she felt it would be awkward.