Shrishti Reborn

Chapter 18. Raghav cooks for Shrishti

'Hello.'

Shrishti watched with swollen and tear filled eyes as the message flashed on the notification section of her phone. She had just finished sobbing her heart out as she remembered her past life and the mess she had created. Not only had she ruined her life but also so many people had been affected by her decisions. Raghav seemed to be just another casualty after so many others. As the message flashed in front of her, she swore to herself. She would do better. Her Pappa, Arpit, Daljeet and now Raghav; she had ruined everyone's life in her last life. But this life would be better. She would make sure these four and anyone else, whose life she affected, will not be harmed by her actions ever again.

Wiping her tears, Shrishti typed back as a reply, 'I cannot believe you are Raghav.'

'Then don't believe.', came the reply. She gasped. The message felt flippant and sassy. She had no idea that Raghav could even be sassy!

'Well, well!', Shrishti murmured, 'You are turning out to be someone totally different from what I have assumed about you for years.'

'Why don't you talk with me here?', she typed, 'Why so silent?'

The reply that came had Shrishti in splits, 'I am bad at typing.'

She right away dialled the number that she had never used till now.

'Hi Raghav.', she murmured the moment the call connected before bursting out laughing.

There was nothing but silence from the other side but that did not bother her. She continued to laugh for few minutes before she spoke up, 'I cannot believe this! The reason you don't talk much online with me, is not that you are busy or you hate me or dislike me or you don't like to talk but this!', she nearly shrieked at the end of the sentence, 'Seriously! You cannot type?'

'I never said I cannot type.', came the response. The tone was monotonous as usual but Shrishti sensed that he was being defensive.

'But you just type bad. How is it better than not knowing how to type?', she teased him and for few seconds, he did not reply. And then he chuckled, leaving her wide eyed. She had never heard him chuckle before.

'You win.', he told her.

'So.....', she murmured, 'Now that I know your secret, can you please tell me why you are not putting up photos of your cooking online? I mean, don't you think it would be great marketing tool for your future plans?'

She waited for the answer eagerly.

'I am bad at taking photos.', came the response and she could not help it. She burst out laughing again. This guy was too much!

'How about I help you?', she asked, once her laughter died down.

'Huh?'

'Why don't you cook something for me tomorrow?', Shrishti ordered Raghav, 'I will come for lunch, take pictures and then eat it and post the photos on my account with my review about it. If even a handful of my followers checked you out and even a single one of them followed you, you will basically have a new customer for your future restaurant. What do you say?'

'Errr......'

'Oh come on! I am not asking you to sign away your money or something! What is the hesitation for?' She nagged him.

'Ok. Fine.', came the response.

She grinned brightly, 'Great! See you tomorrow.'

She cut the call and ran out of her room to inform the cook that she was not going to be home for lunch next day.

Next day, Shrishti eagerly went over to Raghav's house in the noon after Arpit sent her a message. Raghav opened the door and she followed him to the kitchen. Inside, Arpit was already sitting by the kitchen counter, leaning over the pot, trying to see in. Raghav knocked on Arpit's head lightly as he passed by. Arpit looked up with a whine but grinned when he saw Shrishti. 'Finally! You are here! Now we can eat! I have been hungry since he started cooking. But he refused to let me eat, saying you need to see it first.'