Chapter 31: chapter 31

Mowri , looked at the set table and was happy with her efforts. It was the first time she had made the entire breakfast for Arnab  . Though shethought she had made a little extra but she could eat that for lunch too. There were parathas, toast, omelets, fresh cut fruit, orange juice and tea.She knew Arnab   liked to take tea in the morning and of course coffee was for her. She hoped he liked it. She didn't drink any tea so she rarelymade it. At Chandigarh there were servants in the house to do these things so she had only madeparathas one time. And they had turned out well.She heard Arnab   come down the stairs.It was a two story quarter allotted to Arnab  . A small patch of grass in the front and a small porch in the back with a small shrub fence to demarcate the property from others around them. There was a small driveway where Arnab   parked his car. He had told her that this quarter was normally allotted to officers with higher ranks but he had gotten it because they didn't have a smaller unit available for him. Itwas a strangely structured house. Right off the entrance to the right was the sitting area with a sofa set, a couple of chairs and a coffee table. The television set was mounted on the wall so it didn't take much space. Then going further there was an open area which Arnab   used as a dining space with an oval dining table and six chairs. The kitchen was a huge room. Lots of storage space with a small space for pantry and another allotted to the fridge. The tiles were old and well used but they were clean. It was not their own house to make changes and she didn't complain. In Delhi she had stayed in a one room apartment and had paid an atrocious amount as rent. So small spaces didn't make her feel uncomfortable. There were two bedrooms and both were upstairs. One Arnab   used as his office where he had a book shelf and a computer table and chair and a small bedroll on the side.He told her last time Jay had visited him he had used that room for himself. The other of course was his bedroom. There was a double bed, a dresser and two wardrobes. He told her he had bought an extra one before he had come to Ambala for their wedding. The thoughtfulness had impressed her but she had come to expect it of him. She had yet to unpack she had been tired. They had had an early dinner that her mother-in law had packed for them and then she  had gone off to sleep while Arnab   had workedin the other room. She had heard him come in to the room at about two in the morning.She had risen up early and had quickly showered.She had found it a little irritating as the bathroom was not attached to their room. And then there was only one. So she had to carry all her toiletries and clothes to the bathroom and at that it was really small. Then she had prepared breakfast. She needed to tell Arnab   they needed to go grocery shopping as they were out of supplies. She made whatever was available to her. He had his breakfast sharp at eight. While she had been busy in the kitchen Arnab   had gone for his morning jog and had come backand gotten ready to leave. As she waited for him at the table she saw him come down the stairs. This was the first time she had seen him in the uniform. And she couldn't look away. He was made for that uniform she decided. Man was he handsome. She looked all the way from his neatly combed short hair down the tall lean length of him all the way to his shining black boots. He carried his cap in his hand as he walked towards the table."You didn't have to get up early" Arnab   said casually, "you were tired, you could have slept in," he said."l am an early riser, Mowri , replied finding hervoice and getting her brain to function. She could drool later over how good he looked. "And I rested well last night" she said and shrugged.Arnab   came to an abrupt halt when he looked at the table. It was as if she had cooked for the entire colony."Are we expecting company?" he asked in a strange voice."No," she said confused, "why?""Who is going to eat all this?" he askedincredulously.Mowri , looked at the table and then at him."You said you had a hearty breakfast," she replied."Yes, I did"' he said as he sat on the chair, "but I never said I ate like an elephant" he said and smiled.That smile took the bite off the words. And she looked away sheepishly. She had thought she had cooked ait too much but she wasn't sure how much he would eat. Though she had sat atbreakfast table with him the past week but therehad always been this much food on the table. What she had forgotten was there were othermembers in the family to eat as well."Sorry" she said quietly."Hey" Arnab   said alarmed, "l appreciate your efforts Mowri ,, it is just that either you should have made the parathas or the omelets together theyare a bit too much," he said."I didn't take an offence to what you just said," Mowri , replied, "I wasn't sure how much you ate. Though in Chandigarh I watched you but most of the time I was busy so," she said and shrugged.Arnab   didn't comment further. Poor thing she had made so much effort and all because he ate breakfast. She didn't and the last time she had tried changing her habits she had had a stomach upset. She had risen early to make so much for him and he had been critical. He shook his head at himself."It is alright Mowri , l am sure you don't mind finishing off the parathas for lunch," he said gently with a smile and she nodded."We have to get a few things for the house," she said, "if it is okay with you maybe we can go tothe market in the evening," she said."Sure," he said, "I might get a bit late," he said thoughtfully, "but I am sure I will be home by seven. Can you wait till then or is it urgent?" he asked as he took a bite of his omelet."Yes, seven would be fine," she said."Great" he said sipping his tea. He saw her watching him keenly. He wasn't sure why was that but she answered him soon enough."How is the tea?" she asked."It is nice," he said.She looked relieved and he raised his eyebrows."I don't drink tea | haven't tasted it ever either so I don't know if it came out okay or not," she told him, "my tea making skills are therefore a little rough' she explained with a small smile."The tea is fine but Preeti had warned me about it" he said with a smile and at the look of surprise on her face he explained, 'she told me you probably could make tea but I should be beware if Kulraj was to offer me a cup," he saidwith a wink.And Mowri , burst out laughing. She didn't know what else to do. It may not be funny for people who did not know Kulraj but she knew her and her skills in cooking which were next to none.She would probably win the reality show for the Worst cooks in India if there was one like that.She laughed unconsciously unaware of the look of awe on Arnab  's face.Arnab   wasn't sure what was so funny that Mowri , had burst out laughing but he sure as hell wasn'tgoing to get into the technicalities. If he had thought a smile changed her face her laughter turned her into a different person altogether. Her laughter was so ful of life he had yet to hear a sound like that. Uninhibited, unconscious andpure. Her eyes crinkled and her wide mouthed laugh displayed her pearly white teeth turning herface into one big beautiful fun loving expression.Anybody who saw her in this moment would never believe how unsmiling she usually was.He knew he would treasure this moment for a long time God knew what would make her laugh again."Kulraj is so funny" Mowri , said in between her laughs, "one day she decided to show everyone how wrong they were about her cooking skills soshe decided to surprise everyone with lunch. By the time we came the kitchen was on fire" she said still laughing at the memory, "she had gone to roast the brinjals to make bharta but she didn't know you do it on a low flame so she almost torched the entire kitchen,' she said and grinned,"'she did manage to salvage the dal and kheer" she told him, "only the dal had burnt even before it could cook properly and she hadn't tasted what she was putting in the kheer so when we took a bite it was bitter with all the salt she had put in it" she said and smiled fondly at the menmory,"that day beeji banned Kulraj from entering thekitchen area." She still remembered that day with so much clarity. Later they had had a field trip teasing Kulraj. They still did.Arnab   laughed too."So it means no lunches or dinners by your sister" he said with a smile."Nope not even tea parties," Mowri , said with mirth. Arnab   watched her as she sipped her coffee. He had heard how fond she was of Kulraj and he had seen her with Preeti too. They knew howto deal with her unlike her other sister Simrit.What was it that he was missing? How could she share a good relationship with everyone except her mother or Simrit? There had to be something that they had done to push Mowri , away.Patience he told himself. He needed it around her. Knowing her he knew he would probably need every ounce of it. Or maybe not. He was still working on what made her tick and every time he thought he had nailed it there she wentagain throwing him off."Thank you Mowri ,," he said."You don't have to," she replied, "taking care of you is my responsibility too you know' she said."No, Arnab   said, "l wasn't thanking you for the breakfast" he said and smiled as he rose from his chair, "I was thanking you for making my day with that laugh. You should do it more often it makes you look beautiful" he said with a twinkle in his eyes and at her lost expression that was currently making her look adorable he nodded and left. He would fret over that comment later. For now he felt good. And he wanted to feel that way. He just hoped he would have a good start to his day every single day. Only if people could let them be.*************