Chained✔

14.You are beautiful

"Main murg mussallam aur biryani manoonga."

"Nhi hum banayenge."
"Tum kuch aur banao na."

"Humein yeh banana hai toh hum yehi banayenge."

"Maine socha hai main yeh banoonaga toh main yehi banoonaga. Tumhe nhi pasand toh kisi aur ke saath compete kar lo. Tum pasta ya aisa kuch bana lo na."

"Pasta aur biryani koi combination hota hai kya?"

"Toh mughlai cuisine mein sirf biryani hai kya. Recipe book kholo aur kuch aur bana lo."

"Aap jaisa badtameez aadmi humne nhi dekha. Hum dua karte hai ki aapki biryani jal jaaye."

"Tumhe jo karna hai karo main toh biryani hi bannoga."

"Tum log aaj dinner toh doge na humein." said Harsh and Mri from the other side of the room with a amused expression on their face.

"Hum aapko best dinner denge Papa , inka humein pata nhi." said Zoya

"Main hi dinner banata tha itne saal toh aapko bhi pata hai ki dinner toh aayega." said Aditya smirking.

Aditya and Zoya stood at the opposite ends of the kitchen and started cooking dinner with full zeal and enthusiasm. Soon the kitchen was filled with steam and a variety of fragrances. Zoya had set up the tandoori and was setting the skewers with spiced mutton to make kakori kebabs and on the stove she was frying pieces of bread and making rabdi for shahi tukda. Aditya on the other hand was busy garnishing the biryani and was then onto making the  murg mussallam and rotis. After an hour or so Zoya's kebabs were ready and so were Aditya's dishes. Zoya was taking out the kebabs from the skewers when she suddenly shrieked in pain and Aditya turned to see Zoya standing with a burnt finger. Aditya rushed to her and said "Zoya, theek ho tum?"

Zoya whimpered  and said "Humara haath jal gya. Bohot dukh rha hai."
Aditya looked at her fingers and sais "Ruko do minute."
He bought a bowl full of ice cold water and dipped her fingers in it.
He then said "Hilna mat yahan se."
Zoya did as she was told and Aditya cane with a gauze strip and ointment. He wiped her fingers dry and then carefully wrapped her finger with the gauze and said "Itna uchla mat karo na. Kya ho jata agar do minute baad tum seekh se nikalti kebab toh?  Khud ka dhyaan khud nhi rakhogi toh kaun rakhega."

Zoya stood silently and looked at Aditya with puppy eyes and Aditya looked away and said "Ab shaanti se udhar baitho, main khana parosta hoon."
Zoya said "Are hum theek hai. Hum kar lenge."
Aditya said "Haan zaroor . Aur phir poora haath jala logi."

Zoya watched him arrange everything and thought how much their relation had changed in the past 2 months. From leaving for work together  everyday to having cups of coffee during the lunch hours together. They got to know so much about each other. Not everything but quite a lot.

Aditya was still very serious but he had opened up a lot. He used to laugh and sometimes share some jokes too. Zoya genuinely liked his company and the more she got to know him she used to get awestruck by the amount of knowledge he carried.

And Zoya had
found an amazing companion in him. He cared for her though he didn't show it but Zoya knew and she was happy.  But that didn't mean that they had stopped bickering. It was something they loved doing because both were highly opinionated and had found finally found someone who challenged them.

Aditya served the dinner and Mri looked at all the food gleefully while Harsh could hardly stop himself from salivating. Aditya said "Ab bataiye aap log kaisa bana hum dono ka khana aur hum mein se kaun better khana banata hai."
He whispered to Zoya "An dekhna kaise haarti ho tum.".

Zoya whispered back "You wish."
As Harsh and Mri dug in , Aditya and Zoya looked on waiting for their reactions. Harsh said finally "I am sorry but I can't decide who is better. I mean I have had Aditya's food for so long but it still tastes fresh and as for you Zoya honestly I have never tasted anything so delicious. I relished every bite of that Shahi tukda. Main toh keh rha hoon tum dono baitho aur khud chakh ke dekho."
Aditya and Zoya sat down and had what they had made. Zoya immediately let out a moan after having the first bite of Aditya's biryani and mussallam and Aditya smirked but soon stopped smiling as he was taken aback with the intricate flavours of the kebabs.