Phillis POV
I woke the next morning to the smoke alarms screaming and Martha's shouting that could be heard from the kitchen.
" Child you are going to set my kitchen on fire!"
" No I won't Martha! Just help me open up some windows! And shut off those damned alarms. I swear the neighbors can hear them!"
I leapt out of bed and raced to the kitchen afraid the two women of my house would tear each other apart.
But when I got to the kitchen I stopped.
Victoria was in the kitchen in her pajamas, hair pulled back into a messy bun. She was next to the stove holding a rolling pin and I noticed a pan of fish frying in the stove.
It smelt amazing and my stomach growled. Before this food had been just food. It needed to be somewhat appealing but with Victoria food was an adventure, each dish bringing back long forgotten memories.
I watched as she picked up a ball of dough and expertly rolled it out into a perfect thin circle, then place it on a flat pan to cook it, expertly picking it up with her finger tips to flip it over.
I watched as Martha turned and almost cry out when she saw me, but I put my finger to my lips to motion her not to say anything.
The kitchen was her department but in the past two months I had been here more times than in the past two years.
But it was Victoria that had my attention.
She was singing.
As she cooked she sang and hummed a little tune in hindi that I didn't understand but she looked different today.
She was happy.
" Martha! I'm all done now. There's plenty here for you , Stanford and the other girls. Make sure you eat while its hot or it doesn't taste as nice." She said as she dished out some fried fish, cut lemon and some of the steaming hot rotis onto a plate.
" I need to hurry and eat and have a shower or I am going to smell of fried fish all day! What are you making for Phillips breakfast?"
" I'll have what ever you've cooked."
I watched her spin around and stare at me.
' Phillips ! What are you doing here? And where's your shirt? " She said turning a cute shade of pink.
It had been exceptionally warm last night so I had removed my shirt.
" Last I checked this was still my house." I reached out and took the plate from her. " Thanks! Meet you on the balcony?"
She nodded shyly, trying not to stare and I turned with my plate and walked back upstairs.
" Child you better not be stealing my job!" I heard Martha chide her jokingly. " Now go on, get your breakfast and get going. Best not to keep that husband of yours waiting too long. I'll be up with some tea soon," and Victoria groan in despair
*******
" What possessed you to cook fish first thing in the morning?" I asked her as she sat down with her breakfast.
" Its tradition with my family. Mum always cooks fish for breakfast the morning after Diwali. Dad will go and take the used pooja stuff to a nearby stream and bring back fish on the way home."
" Why not dinner?"
" too busy." She said with a mouthful of food in her mouth.
" I've got a major exam next week and an assignment due Monday.
Its hard at the moment without much internet access at home, I spend whatever free time I have in the library downloading articles and stuff onto my hard drive then reading what I can at home, that and the textbooks.
I'm going to be nose deep in work all weekend.
Simmi sends me stuff if I've missed something but she's been lovey dovely land with this boyfriend of hers."
' You don't like him?"
" I haven't met him, Simmi says he's busy or its too soon or makes up some other half arsed reason.
All I know is that he's a legacy jock.
But I don't like how he's affecting her, she misses class and she's always distracted, she's smoking so much more and I am worried, her parents arn't exactly the type open to a multi racial relationship."
' Hey why were your parents so upset when I asked for their blessings last night?" I said wanting to change the subject, she wore a face full of worry and there was probably more behind her fears.
" you don't know?" she asked puzzled and I shook my head no.
" With Indians, son in laws and the boys family in general are treated like gods, and if they visit the girls home they are usually treated extremely well, their every request fulfilled. Mum must would have been so happy you were there last night, she's probably bragged about it to all her friends and relatives already. Its not common for a daughter and her husband to return home for Diwali, especially the first one after marriage."
' She did that thing to you as we left, that you've done to me, the black thing from the eyes...what does it mean?"
She looked at me puzzled again and then realized what I was talking about.
" ohh, do you mean with the khajal? Its this old superstition that if you wear something black, or have a dot of Khajal it will deter the evil eye, its something to do with 'nazar utarna'. Its something Mum has always done with me and my brother, and I guessed it was something that the Balaji's would appreciate."
" Hey I got you something, I was going to give them to you last night." I walked back to the room and pulled a sleek laptop bag from under the bed and handed it to her.
She opened the bag hesitantly but her face changed instantly when she saw what was inside,
" oh my gosh! Its beautiful! Its this really for me?" she cried out as she pulled out the sleek Macbook Laptop.
" Check the side pocket."
She unzipped the side pocket and pulled out a brand new smart phone.
'These haven even been released on the market yet! Simmi has been raving at how high tech these are and how her brother has got one on pre order! How did you get one?"
It felt good, watching her get excited about something I had bought for her.
' the laptop has the contents of your old laptop installed, and you have unlimited data on your phone, as well as your old number as well as an upgraded memory card. My IT guys have already integrated the contents of your old phone onto the new one and you are also set up wirelessly at home, wifi, printers, security cams - the lot!"
" So no more restrictions from today?" she asked with a puzzled look on her face.
' Yes, no more restrictions, you can come and go as you please, talk to whomever you please, come home whenever you please and even if you want, you don't have to have lunch with me once the Balaji deal is signed off."
'Why? what's the catch?" she asked suspiciously.
'Why? Because you haven't done anything to betray my trust. I gave you a 25k credit card , you could have just gone and bought a new phone laptop and no catch. I am serious about what I said weeks ago, I want to give us a chance, if you will let me, and considering after diwali is considered a new year, a new start, I figured it could be a new start for us as well and that I also need to treat you more fairly.
You also have full clearance at my office at Main street, walk in whenever you want and they will let you into my office no matter what I am doing."
I didn't give her a change to respond, walked to the room and picked up my phone and typed in a quick text message.
Her phone binged beside her and she giggled as she read it.
" Good morning Victoria' it said simply.
"Phillip?" she called out hesitantly.
' Yes?" I said turning to her but before I knew how, she had wrapped her arms around my waist ,her head on my chest.
' Thank you, thank you so much." She whispered before she pulled away and dashed into the bathroom.