Sea Mist

Chapter 4

ARNAV walked down the stairs and saw Khushi in the kitchen, stirring a pot over the stove. She had been practically invisible in the past week, somehow managing to keep out of his way.

Had he done something to offend her during the UPS repair? Being intoxicated always lowered his guard and that was not a good thing. As far as he could remember he had been very careful – although, it had taken him super human effort to resist himself when she had moved her hands from his back and almost slipped them into his waistband. No Arnav don't go there, he warned himself. They had been put into an awkward situation and there was no point in reading more into it. But there was no harm done in asking for cup of coffee, was there?

"Can I get a cup of coffee?" he asked her, leaning on the kitchen counter.

She started a little as she heard his voice, and then she turned around. "Sure." She said as she went about preparing it for him. She placed the cup on the counter.

Her nonchalance was beginning to irk him.

"How do you know I like to drink in a steel cup?"

"Aunty told me." She stared back at him, her khol-lined eyes simmering with annoyance.

He had felt the oddest sensation when she had wiped the sweat off his fore head, looking at him with those beautiful almond shaped eyes. But he knew better. He wasn't one of her college boys drooling at their teacher.

She wore a long two layered kurta -- a printed blue on plain red, with ties at the sides of the waist on top of white skirt with a red border. One of the strings on the kurta had come undone and in a bid to resist the compulsion to tie it up for her, he stepped out of the kitchen.

As Khushi walked into the dining with some plates, she saw Ratna's children, Kushal and Ankita, walk into the house, Ratna in tow. The boy came running toward Arnav and wrapped his arms around his waist.

"Arnav uncle, thank you for the cricket kit!" The eight year old Kushal who had just lost his two front tooth, smiled proudly.

"Hey Kush!" Arnav affectionately ruffled the child's hair. "have you been selected for the school team yet?"

"Of course!" he shouted loud enough for the entire house to hear.

"Thank you for the book Arnav uncle." Ankita said in a low voice.

Ratna walked up to him. "You spoil them with all these expensive gifts Anna," she said her face beaming with happiness.

"I am not spoiling them," Arnav said, "I am encouraging their talent. Kushal is crazy about cricket – he could become a cricketer one day." He looked at the girl, "Ankita, the book I gave you was written by a girl who is just a little older than you are. She is the daughter of an acquaintance of mine from Bangalore. I believe she had blended Indian mythology into the modern times and written an action adventure that young people are reading these days. I am sure you will find it interesting."

The girl looked at Khushi. "Akka, you will help me if I don't understand something, won't you?"

"Sure." Khushi smiled back.

Arnav turned toward Khushi, "Can we get some extra breakfast?" he asked her, "we will all eat together in Ma's room today." Then he smiled, "Please?"

Khushi looked at Arnav's face for a moment, "Of course."

A little later, Khushi and Ratna walked into Mrs. Rai's room armed with idlis, sambar and chutney. Soon everyone had a plate in their hand.

"Khushi, you are outdoing yourself each day," Mrs. Rai, complimented her, and then looked at Arnav, "she is learning Mangalorean cuisine by looking at videos on the internet."