SERENDIPITOUS|✓

Chapter 27

Radha was busy making the breakfast, manoeuvring her way all the while from the counter to the shelves to the sink and the stove when she saw Mrs Yadav entering the kitchen.

She smiled at her.

"Radha, dear, what a pleasant surprise. Good morning." Mrs Yadav greeted her first and she smiled just some bigger.

"Good morning, aunty. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did, daughter. Don't mind me, but what has got you in such a happy mood?" Mrs Yadav asked her, raising her eyebrows playfully and Radha barely could conceal the blush growing on her cheeks.

"Oh, nothing, aunty. Just slept well I guess. . ." she answered, slightly flustered and immediately turned to the stove when the cooker whistled.

"Mmm, what an amazing smell. Let me guess, is it kheer?" Mrs Yadav then asked her, delightfully.

Radha giggled.

"Yes, aunty, it's Kheer, I hope you don't mind but I've made the rest of the breakfast as well," Radha said apologetically gesturing to the different foods placed on the tray in front of her with a sheepish smile etched on her face.

Mrs Yadav just shook her head.

"No, no, dear, I don't mind at all. On the contrary, I am really hungry now," She said with a hand petting her stomach, "--seeing pancakes and paranthas stacked on one plate are just adding to my appetite."

Radha chuckled at the statement.

"Everything is almost ready, it will just take a minute more to switch off the stove," Radha answered stirring the kheer and saw as Mrs Yadav walked around the kitchen.

"You know, my son adores kheer and I would've loved to go and inform him about it but he's not in his room. I even checked his bathroom!" she confessed slightly tensed and Radha's hand immediately stopped working.

Feeling guilty, she felt an immediate need to tell Mrs Yadav the truth and was just about to narrate her yesterday's night's events when another entry made its way inside the kitchen with his hair ruffled into a mess and yawns gracing his lips.

"Good morning, ladies," Krishn said yawning, to both her and his mother and she saw as Mrs Yadav's distress finally melted into a smile.

"Krishn, where did you sleep all night? I checked your room, you weren't in there." Mrs Yadav asked, confused, turning to her son who just rubbed the back of his neck and came and stood in front of the stove beside Radha.

"Mhmm, I think I smell Kheer here," he said sniffing into the air around the kitchen Radha's face immediately broke into a smile remembering the last time she saw Krishn like this, sniffing into the air with an empty bowl in his hand and a spoon hanging from his mouth, his head almost inside the pot.

What a long way they had came since then.

"Yes, Radha here has made the breakfast today, your favourite kheer too." Mrs Yadav replied, praising Radha and smiling at her son.

Krishn turned towards Radha with a shy smile on his lips. However before he could say anything, his mother asked again.

"Where were you, Krishn? At the night?" she asked with lines of distress spread on her face, Krishn turned to his mother and gently held her shoulders.

His smile turned mischievous.

"Actually, ma, I couldn't sleep the whole night. A kitten's wailing kept me up." Krishn answered staring at Radha who now had her head ducked down and lips turned into a small smile.