A Chance to Love

Chapter 18

Prem

I moved to sit comfortably on the bed resting my back on the headrest and signalled her to sit beside me too. She sat near, a comfortable distance between us. It's been a couple of months that we started talking. As much as things are comfortable between us, we like to keep some limits to our intimacy. We think we should maintain distance until we are certain that we want to spend the rest of our lives with each other. Although I'm already there, I don't mind waiting for her. I hope these meetings will help her to reach there soon.

We talked about a few things before she asked me for lunch. I hadn't noticed that she had brought in lunch with herself.

"You brought lunch?"

"Yeah.... Actually, I carry lunch whenever we go for long duration on field because there are kids with us too at times. But today we got free early and I actually had prepared something of your choice so that was the foremost reason of my visit." she said smiling and opened the packed food to reveal my favourite Malai Kofta with Golden Curry. I can't help the smile that crept up my face.

"How did you know? It's been ages since I ate homemade food and that too my favourite."

"Ages! But Kiran says you always feed her homemade food!"

"Ah that... well I can't count food cooked by me to be homemade because I never felt the same satisfaction from it." I said slowly trying to keep the sadness I felt at side.

"I understand," she said placing a hand on mine "I won't say I can feel what you do, but I do understand" she finished smiling warmly making me smile in return.

We began to eat and I can't explain the content I felt after all these years. I somewhere have convinced myself that I won't ever feel the content, but my luck. The love of my life has returned that content and has somewhat filled the hollow that was there unnoticed.

We ate in silence until my phone rang. It was Bitto.

"It's Bitto" I told Preeti before picking up the phone "Hey my baby, how are you today?" I asked her cooing like I usually do and Preeti smiled looking at me.

"Hey Bhaiya" Bitto's voice seemed bit off key.

"What's wrong Bitto? Are you okay kid?" I asked worriedly.

"Yes Bhaiya" she sighed heavily "I'm just feeling a bit lonely."

"Why? What happened?" I'm getting anxious now.

"Nothing to be worried about Bhaiya" she comforted "It's just that I didn't see Preeti Di whole day today. She went early to the field and didn't return to college. Moreover, I'm just so habitual to having either of you around me all the time that having seen no/ne of you is just making me anxious. And the day haven't even finished." she exclaimed.

"Do you want me to come over there? I'm finished with all my work." I asked her immediately, "Anything for my baby, right?"

"Can you do that?" she asked excitedly.

"I can turn the world upside down for my baby sis and you know that." I said.

"Oh Bhaiya, I love you. And..." she paused.

"And..." I encouraged.

"Can we have dinner together? And would you mind if I'll call Di and her brother along?" she asked and I smiled.

"Yes and No" I said and Preeti raised her head in question "Yes, we can have dinner together and" I looked at Preeti "I won't mind if you'll call Preeti and her brother along" I finished smiling widely and Preeti's eyes widened. She started shaking her head in no motion, where on the other side Bitto squealed excitedly.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you Bhaiya. I'll call Di right away and let you know. And yes, I'll be ready by six, so that we can pick them up by seven. Okay?" and before I can reply "Bye Bhaiya." she said and cut the call.

I turned to look at Preeti shaking my head at Bitto's antics, only to find her worried expressions.

"Hey! What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? You are asking me what's wrong?" she exclaimed loudly, a frown etching on her face "You just allowed Kiran to call us over for a dinner with both of you. What if Ammu would say something or we said something. She'll find out and she'll be angry that we hid about us," she said worriedly.

"Relax, nothing will happen." I said placing a hand on hers, "We're just going out for a dinner. Ask Aman not to say anything about me in front of her and not to call me Jiju, that's all. Moreover, we can certainly manage to be in the same place without giving ourselves out. We are adults Preeti." I said and she relaxed a bit. Well perks of being an activist, just a little push and she can hold herself in any situation.

"Hmm... You're right. I shouldn't panic. We can manage this." she said and smiled.

We resumed to our lunch and had just finished when Preeti's phone went off. It was Bitto.

"Hello!" Preeti answered it "Oh, okay... Okay I'll just ask Ammu and my parents and let you know? ... Okay okay, I'll make sure that I convince them and will join you for sure," she said and glanced at me smiling "Okay... yeah seven is fine by me... Yeah okay, I'll see you then... Bye Kiran" and thus we got a family dinner finalised.

We wrapped up our conversation early and I dropped her off at her place and informed her that I'm getting Anand over to dinner too. Then I called Anand to learn his whereabouts and thus proceeded to meet him at the Banquet Hall only.

I reached and he was already waiting for me and over the moon with excitement.

'Oh so much for keeping the secrets'

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