Pooja quickly got a jug of water, pouring more in the glass. Preeti handed it to Pandit, urging him to drink.
"Pooja didi, thoda meetha laa do zara, sirf paani se nahi hoga." The panic in her voice was clear to all.
Pooja got three gulabjamun.
"Yeh khaa jaldi se... teeno kha le... isse theek ho jayegi jalan." She shoved the plate in front of him, constantly rubbing his back.
Pandit was not feeling the effect of chilli anymore, he had stopped coughing... more by shock at Preeti's reaction than anything else... but he gobbled down all three gulabjamun without any resistance.
"Theek hai ab woh... tu itni chinta mat kar." Munna came over to them.
"Main nahi karungi toh kaun karega... aapko toh pata hai iski kya haalat hoti hai mirchi khane se... zara akal nahi lagata... mujhse nahi bol sakta tha agar daal chahiye thi... aur paneer diya na abhi... tujhe pasand hai isiliye diya hai... sab kuch khana zaroori hai kya?" Preeti blurted out in anger.
Naina got up and came to stand next to her sister, placing one hand on her arm.
"Dekh na Naina, kaise kaam karta hai yeh... pagal karke rakha hai mujhe... bas khaane ke baare mein hi sochta hai... kuch aur nahi dikhayi deta." Preeti was on the verge of crying.
"Preeti, main theek hun... bas thodi si daal khaayi thi... abhi toh itna meetha kha liya ki mirchi ka koi ata pata bhi nahi hai." Pandit said in a soft voice.
Naina wound her arm around Preeti's shoulder, "Sab theek hai, Preeti... Pandit bhi theek hai... tu dheere bol... chachaji ne sun liya toh sab yahan aa jayenge."
Suddenly, Preeti snapped out of the haze that had surrounded her... she looked at Naina, and nodded.
When her eyes shifted to Pandit, they turned into saucers, realising that she was still holding his shoulder by one hand and keeping the other on his back.
She pulled away both hands, as if she got a shock.
"Sorry, maine shayad sabko dara diya... woh main khud darr gayi thi... isko mirchi se bohot takleef ho jaati hai... ek baar maine teekhi paani poori khila di thi fifth class mein... ek hafte tak bimar raha tha yeh... tab pata chala... isliye laga kahin aaj fir se meri wajah se bimar na ho jaaye." Preeti started explaining the reason for her sudden panic.
"Koi baat nahi, ab toh sab theek hai na... chalo sab khana shuru karo." Swati smiled at everyone, holding Munna's hand to make him sit back and eat.
Naina pressed Preeti's shoulder, "Tu bhi baith ja... ab aur koi badmashi nahi... chup kar ke khana kha le."
Preeti nodded, sitting down on the other side of Naina.
"Toh hamari teekhi teekhi saaliji humein teekha khilane wali thi." Sameer rested his cheek on his palm, looking at Preeti... trying to make her lighten up.
"Woh... zyada nahi daali thi... bas baaki sabse zara si tez thi... jisse aapko chida sakein." She looked at him sheepishly.
Pooja didi told the plan to everyone... they wanted to add extra chilli in one dish, extra salt in another, and extra sugar in his sweetdish. And when he would have complained, all would have disagreed with him... giving his saalis a chance to laugh at him and joke that he had forgotten the taste of normal food after falling for Naina.
"Bura mat manna Sameer, ab saaliyan aisi masti nahi karengi toh shaadi ka mazaa kaise aayega... inn dono ne toh Varun ji ke saath itni badmashi ki thi ki pucho mat." She tried to justify their prank.
