Safe haven [Yourstoryindia]

#Chapter 5 : A Day to begin

Hello... Here is an update. Hope you like it. Keep reading.

           Anusha was helping Rashi in kitchen for lunch when Alvin came and flashed a perfect smile to her. She smiled back and continued with her chores.

'What is on the menu today?' He asked to Rashi and looked around to see what is happening in the kitchen.

Rashi was chopping vegetables and Anusha was frying chicken pieces. They liked to work together in the kitchen. Obviously Rashi was the one who cooked but Anusha helped her in other things.

They always worked with a practiced ease in the kitchen and that was always a perfect girl talk time. Anusha filled her in with all the office gossips and Rashi would tell her about Ninnu's daily developments.

But today they were quiet. Anusha was revisiting her memory lane and Rashi was warily eyeing her friend.

'Todays special is chicken fried rice.. Hey..do you want to join us for lunch?' Rashi asked  as she glanced Anusha one more time and turned to continue the chopping. 

'Yeah yeah.. uncle and aunty have a get together..Riya and I were planning to go out for lunch, but this is as good as that. I really love your food Rashi... I will bring Riya too'. He said looking at Anusha. She just nodded and avoided any more interaction.
She was pretty much avoiding him for the past week. It was awful to do so. Despite of her best efforts, he was still standing there, giving her his best smile. He is a nice guy, she knew it. But she was afraid of making friends. She hardly made any friend for the past years, Arlene was an exception though.
She was not looking for a friendship now, actually she was not looking for anything that need her efforts or attention. Once she was someone, with lots of friends but somewhere she lost all of them, except Rashi, who came to her again and again until she left with no choice other than opening herself to her again.
Anusha fried all the chicken and placed them in a plate and started with salad. Alvin was staring at her and she could feel his eyes on the back of her head, but she didn't turn around to meet his eyes.

'Are you going to church today?' Rashi asked him, who was leaning on the kitchen table.

'Oh yes.. I have got my rental car. I will be going in the evening.'he replied without moving his eyes from Anusha. Rashi was busy in cooking that she barely noticed where he was looking.

'Then take Anusha with you. You can go together and I don't have to worry about her.' Anusha frowned at her friend

'why Rashi? I can take care of myself. Why do you bother him?' Alvin stood there watching there exchange without a word.

'you people are going to the same place, so why do you think you are bothering him. Just go together and comeback and that way I don't have to worry about you. You always loss the track of time, when you are there. Since Alvin is here, he will bring you home in time and I don't have to worry'. Rashi told as a final decision, by looking at her Anusha knew that Rashi won't back down now.

Anusha knew why her friend is so adamant about this, she remember that today is her mom's birthday, and she was trying to help her. So she nodded to him.

'Yeah... let us go together..be ready by 4.30' he said as he left the room.

By lunch time, food was ready and Alvin and Riya joined them. Riya played with Ninnu for sometime and came to kitchen with Ninnu in her arms. Anusha and Riya exchanged smiles as they set the table. They had lunch together and Riya was chatting away like a chirpy bird and that made Anusha smile. They had a great time together and made silly jokes on each other.
After cleaning the kitchen and washing the dishes, she was about to go to Mukund uncle's home, as in queue  Riya and Alvin came to her