Sacrifice And Realisation (BOOK #1) ✔

Chapter 26

As Dheeraj's car pulled out of the driveway, Sanchi gave a victorious smirk at an astounded Vihaan and averted her gaze from him eventually.

***** 

Sanchi spent the whole day at the bureau working on different files and sometimes assisted by Arjun for providing various information. She also took out some free time during the lunch break to discuss with her plans for uniting Vidya and Dheeraj.

"Arjun, you aren't goi-ng to have your lunch at the can-teen from now onw-ards. I know you stay all alone at the police quar-ters and don't get to have home coo-ked food. So I'll fetch you lunch from home mo-st of the time." Sanchi offered him an extra lunch box she was carrying with her.

Arjun accepted the box smiling brightly. "I've found a great friend in you. I had nearly forgotten how home cooked food tasted like. My mother is a great cook, you know."

"You are your-self a great fri-end and help-ful in need. Thank you for drop-ping me home last night," Sanchi said, thrusting a morsel in her mouth.

"Calling me a friend and thanking me don't go hand in hand, girl!" Arjun laughed. "By the way, you were pretty late last night. How was your husband's mood?"

Sanchi's face slumped at the mention of Vihaan. Pressing her lips tightly, she uttered, "He did-n't say a thing."

"Oh I thought... I mean the way he behaved last day.." Arjun fumbled, taking a morsel from the lunch box given to him.

"I'm sorry Arjun, for his beha-viour last day. He was actu-ally...unhappy with me. My ana-lysis wasn't up to the mark and..." Sanchi lied.

"Please Sanchi, I know you are lying to me. You shouldn't be because I know him. This is normal actually. He's your husband and any husband may feel jealous to see his wife with someone else." Arjun laughed. "By the way, you are also an awesome cook. Vihaan Sir must be appreciating the tasty dishes cooked by you daily."

Sanchi nodded, not knowing exactly what to respond to him. "He does-n't like spi-cy foods at all."

As they continued enjoying their lunch together and giggling on humorous stories narrated by Arjun, Vihaan came out of his cabin to take a stroll in the common room. His careful gaze caught Sanchi's jolly face again and a sharp pang of utmost jealousy cut across his chest.

His limbs faltered to make a movement ahead and Sanchi's warnings solidified it. He also noticed the lunch box in Arjun's hand and his stomach growled. He hadn't eaten anything for lunch and Durga hadn't even packed his lunch that particular day. Durga was under the impression that Sanchi was taking care of these things for her own husband.

"Arjun had never brought lunch boxes for himself for the number of days I've been seeing him here. Just to use the opportunity to share lunch with her, he has started carrying lunch boxes!"

As Vihaan pondered, more shock was on his way when he saw Sanchi taking the empty lunch box from Arjun's hand and fishing it inside her own Tiffin bag, zipping the opening together. Vihaan stiffened in rage. "She fetched her own hand cooked food for him and here I'm starving without a lunch!"

Vihaan made a rapid exit from the common room and locked himself inside his own cabin.

* 

The lunch time was getting over and Arjun prepared to leave for his own work. "I'll meet you later, Sanchi."

"It's al-right and remem-ber our plans. We'll exe-cute it tomo-rrow," Sanchi reminded him.

As Arjun left the room, Sanchi reached for her Tiffin bag again. Carefully taking out two different lunch boxes, she knocked at Dheeraj's door. When he allowed her, she entered and smiled at him.