To Where It All Began ✔

35. BONUS CHAPTER III: QUESTIONING HIS OWN REALISATION

The next day Shreekant went to Amna's house to have lunch. He pressed the doorbell and waited patiently for her to open the door. As the door creaked open, he saw a visibly distressed figure with disheveled hair with spots of her dress and face covered with flour.

Shreekant let out a burst of huge laughter, "What happened to you? Why are you like this?" She glared at him, gesturing him to come inside at the same time, "Because of you... Can't you like simple dishes like noodles or chicken or fish fry... Making Maharashtrian dishes are very difficult"

He was not listening to her... He was too appalled seeing the condition of the kitchen, which was way worse than Amna herself. "I can't believe that I came into the house yesterday. By the way, what Masterchef dish were you making?"

Before even she could say anything, he barged into the kitchen and understood the tale of the great war Amna was fighting, "Puran Poli and Kothimbir vada..."

"Yes... Now you go and sit, I will bring the food within a few minutes." Just then another doorbell rang and Amna got startled by it. She rushed to open the door and she opened it, she saw Sarita standing in front of her. Amna tried to hush her but she barged into the house with some tiffin boxes, "What condition is this Amna? I told you not to conduct your dangerous experiments with cooking... But you again. Thank god, you told me... I made and brought what you asked for"

A moment of silence prevailed which was ultimately broken by another laughter by Shreekant while Amna looked at both of them pouting her puckered face, "I tried... But the ratio of everything is so difficult. I made many but all of them are a disaster"

Sarita too laughed now and then turned to Amna, "You go clean yourself... I am keeping the food here on the table. You both can have it whenever you want"

Shreekant stopped her, "Aunty, why don't you join us for lunch?"

She moved her hand gesturing a no, "I have already eaten... This little demon can create earthquakes in the kitchen. I had banned her entry into anyone's kitchen"

Amna whined like a child looking at both of them, "I can cook... It's him... He likes complex dishes" After a few more minutes of laughter, Sarita left the place while Amna excused herself to go into her room.

A couple of minutes later she called Shreekant to the dining table and served him the food which Sarita had brought. After serving him, she went into the kitchen and came with another plate of some pieces of half-burnt, half-cooked pieces of failure. She was going to throw it in the dustbin when Shreekant stopped her, "Wait... Bring that plate here" 

She hesitantly took the plate thinking that again he will make fun of her, "Make my fun... You won't understand I wasted four hours in this" She turned her face away but then she heard, "It's not bad..."

"I know it's not bad... It's very bad"

She turned her face again and saw him eating the ones that she had made and almost yelled, "Oh... Why are you eating this? Eat the one's that Sarita aunty gave"

He chuckled, "I liked the food not because of the taste, but because of my mother who used to make it... This food may not be that good but the person who made it is really good"

She smiled at his comment, "Then shall I take Sarita aunty's food away? You liked mine, right? Then eat that" Seeing his slightly changed expressions, she immediately said, "I was joking... Eat peacefully"

After having food, they chatted for a while and Shreekant gave Amna the passes for the New year's mascarade party organized by the Mhatre Group. A couple of days passed like this... Few meetings... Some irregular messaging and stuff.