April 8, 2019
Sreedevi
Enna da ithu?? Nethu full ah pathut iruntharu... innaik enna da na pesuraru
I glance over the mug to see him leisurely washing the vegetables whistling. I finish drinking the coffee and move inside the kitchen to wash the mug but I have to wait behind him until he finish. He casually tilts his head and see me waiting there.
"Ohh sorry" he moves aside.
Ajay has said n no of sorries to me for the past one year. When he blocks my way, when he touches me accidently, when his phone rings loudly around me and so. But this tone of him was different.
I wash the mug and keep it in the shelf.
"Naa kichadi panna poren.. Unak okay ah?"
My eyes widen at his informal way of saying unak instead of ungaluk. I turn towards him and blink at him.
"Enna nga? Okay va? Illa vera ethavuth panlama?"
I nod at him "okay thaan"
He smiled showing his dimples.
Damn!
That smile. Where was he hiding this beautiful smile of him all these days?
He snaps his finger at my face, only then I realise that I was staring his smile. He raises his eyebrow, I shake my head and he smiles again.
Not again!
He moves to the kitchen counter and places all the washed vegetables there.
He takes all the ingredients and arranges it there. He turns towards me.
"Enna pathut nikura?" He chuckles "Vaa.." He says.
I realise that I dont know how to make kichadi. I have heard its easy but I have never made Kichadi ever. I slowly walk towards him and stand beside him who is arranging the vegetables in an order. Perfectionist for a reason!
"Enna pannanum?" I ask him completely clueless.
He looks at me confused.
"Illa enak kichadi panna theriyathu" I confess.
"Ohh apdiya? Okay.. Naa solli tharen athe maari pannu okay?"
"Okay"
"Okay first roast the rawa for 2 mins"
I nod my head and take the semolina packet. I heat the pan and pour semolina on it before roasting it. Ajay cuts tomatoes, onions, green chilli, ginger beans and carrot.
I off the pan after roasting it while Ajay almost finishes cutting ths vegetables.
"Roast paniten" I say with a pout.
Its the first time I am cooking under someone's instruction after 8 years. Back then it was my mom who used to be my coach in how to be an ideal wife coaching classes.
She used to coach me how to be an agmark wife material by always advising me on how to behave, how to dress, how to talk, how to stand, how to sit, how to shit blah blah.
The only interesting fact was cooking. She teached me cooking so that I can cook for my husband and in laws as it is the primary job of a wife. The first question that all those aunties who approach my mom after seeing me in a function, ask is - "Unga ponnuk samayal lam nalla varuma?". As I was a girl who has crossed her 20, ofcourse that question is a mandatory.
My mom was always proud to say "haan athellam nallave varum"
But I saw cooking as a basic need for survival and learned it.
"Naa panren.. Nee pathu kathuko okay?" He says and I nod.
I feel a little ashamed. My ego gets hurt when he says that I should learn from him. But we are not perfect right? We should learn from others. Ajay is also not perfect. There might be some dishes that he may not know. Maybe I will teach him those.
He heats another pan and pours oil on it, simultaneously explaining me the process. He adds mustard seeds, dhal,
green chilli, onion and sautés it. He then adds ginger and curry leaves along with tomato.
"Naa en friend veetla irunthen la?" He says casually adding turmeric to it.
"Haan?" I ask.
He stares me for a second before clicking his tongue.
"Oh unak theriyathu la?"
I blink at him.
"Naa Chennai vantha puthusula oru friend veetla irunthen.. Avanuk kichadi romba pudikum.. Avan panrathu pathu thaan naane kathukuten" he adds green peas, beans and carrot to it.
I chuckle amusingly. Not for the thing he was blabbering but the fact he was talking to me soo friendly. All these 18 years I know him, he had never been soo friendly. This was completely new, and for some or the other reason I didn't feel uncomfortable.
I never liked mingling with people and talking unnecessarily. I have never got that comfort with anyone except Asif. I would get uncomfortable when people who are extroverts would over share unnecessary stuffs with me.
"Naa sonnathu comedy ah va irunthuchu?" He asks with an innocent face.
I chuckle loudly.
"Haiyo illa.. Neenga pesrathe enak athisayama irukku" I say the truth.
"Yen nga naa enna ivlo naal ooma ya va irunthen" he says with a chuckle adding 3 cups of water to it.
I click my tongue glaring him.
"Seri seri.. Sorry" he suppress his laugh "illa enak romba bore adichutha.. Athaan nee enna lam panra apdinu unna summa 2 days observe pannen.."
I gasp at that information.
Bore adichuth athunala pathana?? Adapavi!
"Ana nee atha thappa nenachuta-" he says and I interfere.
"No no thappa lam nenaikala Ajay... Enak neenga panrathu konjam wierd ah irunthuchu.. I thought you lost your mind along with the job" I said in a low voice.
Now it was his turn to gasp.
"Enna paithiyam ne nenachutiya?" He asked shocked and I slowly nodded my head.
He shut his eyes tight in embarrassment.
"Sorry"
We say in the same time and chuckle.
He adds the roasted semolina on the pan and mix it well. After finishing it, he prepares a simple cocunut chutney. He transfers some of the kichadi into a plate and keeps some chutney at a side and gives me. I taste it and moan to it taste.
"Epdi iruku?"
I show a super sign and he grins.
We eat the breakfast together.
By evening, Ajay was simply scrolling through his facebook sitting on my bed while I was arranging my wardrobe.
My phone rings showing "Amma". I attend the call without any interest. I keep the phone between my neck and shoulder continuing my work.
"Sollunga ma"
"Devi.. Enna di panra? Saptiya?"
"Mm thuni ellam aduki vechut irunthen ma"
"Mapilai enna panraru?"
"Avuru inga thaa irukaru
"Seri seri nee geetha kalyanathuku varuva thane??"
"Geetha kalyanama? Epo?"
Ajay looks up at me frowning. Geetha is Krishnan uncle, one of my relative and our common family friend's daughter.
"April 20.."
"Apdiya?"
"Ama.. Neeyum mapilayum epdiyachu vanthuru"
"Naa avarta ketut solren ma"
"Mm epdiyachu vaa di thangam... Unna pathe evlo naal aachu"
I roll my eyes.
"Haa okay bye" I said and cut the call.
"Geetha ku kalyanama??" He asks me.
"Ama.. April 20" I said folding the clothes.
"Ohh.. Okay" he says and sits back.
Kadavule ooruke poga vendam nu nenachen.. Ipo enna panrathu..
Hey guys,
How was the chapter? I know this story is turning into a cooking channel but I am ao sorry guys.. Cooking plays a major role in their bond that's yet to form.
I had exams last week. So please forgive me for not updating.