Moran - Dare to Love

Part 5

“Unpalatable!.. bakwas” He says in his deep voice. 

“The fish is boiled for too long.  And you added too much salt.”

Monami feels as if a bomb has exploded within her.  She walks over to him, takes the plate and brings it back to the other side of the table. "Maine kaha tumse tum kha sakte ho.. nahi na toh taste- taster kyon ban rahe ho? "

Then she sits down, picks up the fork and knife, and eats in silence.
(Mujhe nahi maloom kise khate h fish😭.. isse jyada nahi research kia..)

Karan gives no reply.  He just stands there, like a quiet tree.  The wind is howling outside.  But inside the house, it’s a sharp contrast.  Everything seems so still and quiet.   The flickering flames from the gas stove are the only movement. 

Suddenly, he walks over to her.  She keeps her head facing down towards the table and pretends he is not there. In the corner of her eyes, she sees him leaving a man’s jacket on the back of one of the dining chairs.  His fingers are slender but plump, not skeletal as Koel has described.

Monami is a little stunned.  But she chooses not to comment.

Then he turns around, and walks into the kitchen.

*****

He rolls up his sleeves. After washing his hands under the faucet, he stands before the chopping board and starts filleting more fish pieces.

He places the pieces of fish on the plate neatly, then one by one he puts them into the pot, and scoops them out quickly, like an experienced chef.

Soon he holds up another plate of poached fish, put it on the table pushes it in front of her.

  "Poached Fish aisi hoti hai.."

    Monami looks up at him.

    All that work just to prove he can do a better job?

He is standing very close to her.  Close enough for Monami to see his face. He is not wearing a mask anymore.  But he is wearing a pair of chunky complicated looking glasses with bits of red beam showing on the sides.  They are so big that most of his face is covered.

Night vision goggles?

His house has no hand held torches because he wears night vision goggles?

Even with the goggles on, Monami can tell that he has attractive facial features.  A slender and straight nose, thin lips and a nice jaw line,  Well proportioned and …smooth, not like ‘crumpled concave’ as Koel described.

Monami protests in silence and refuse to try his fish.  She continues to finish what is on her plate.

Without saying another word, Karan heads back up the stairs and once again, his tall white shadow disappears in the darkness.

   Monami is alone again.

She picks up the jacket.  This looks familiar.  Ah, it belongs to Faizi.  It was hanging on a cloth rack on the day of their interview.   Half way through their conversation, he stood up, walked over to the jacket to retrieve his mobile phone. 

She suddenly remembers what Faizi said.   Karan is an eccentric guy with no friends.

So, Karan is socially challenged and lack interpersonal communication skills. 

That thought makes Monami feels a little better.  Unable to contain her curiosity any longer, she picks up the fork and knife again.  She chooses the smallest piece of fish fillet she can find from his plate and puts it in her mouth.  Then she moves the remaining pieces of fish around the plate to make it look as if she has not touched the plate at all.