I was in kitchen preparing lunch and cutting fruits for everyone. Papa and Akhil dad went to papa's shop. Papa wanted to show around the city and his shop to Akhil dad. Anshul is in his room. Keerti, Neeta maa and mummy are sitting in a lawn discussing about wedding and diwali's preparation.
Siddharth in his room doing meeting with his client through his laptop that's why he didn't go with dad and papa. After morning incident I avoid both Siddharth and keerti. Keerti didn't leave a chance to tease me and Siddharth didn't leave a chance to make me blush and increased my heart beats.
All the time when I think about him and last night that how we confessed our love and came more close to eachother, I started blushing and smile to myself.
'Ting tong...'
Door bell rang and I saw Anshul came in kitchen.
"Anshul go open the door." I said while cutting the fruits.
"No, last time I opened the door, now it's your turn." He said while taking the bite from the apple.
'Ting tong...'
Door bell rang again.
"No, last time I was the one who opened the door and I always opened the door. You never open when it's your chance. Please go na... I'm busy right now." I said looking at him annoyingly.
"So you can open the door now." He shrugged his shoulders and walked out from the kitchen.
Who says he is my brother. He is my number one enemy. We both find a chance to get alone in the house so we can beat each other's ass because if mummy finds out we both are fighting she grounded both of us atleast for a month. But we both love eachother and love to annoy eachother.
'Ting tong...'
Door bell rang again so I put the knife aside and sim the gas stove. I wipe my hand with towel and walked towards gate.
***
I opened the door and saw a face which I least ever wanted to see in my life, Riki, my most unwanted cousin. Actually her real name is Rukmani. She doesn't like her name so she changed it from Rukmani to Riki. She is from my mother's side. She hates me but I don't hate her I just don't like her. I saw her after 5 five years she live in Delhi so we didn't encounter eachother much.
"Hii bimbo, what took you so long to open the damn door." She said while giving me her annoying smile. She used to call me that name from high school.
"Kitchen.." I said.
"Yeah..at your right place." She said while pushing me aside and walk in.
"Where are others." She asked turning to me.
"Lawn." I said, closing the door.
I walked to the kitchen and off the stove. I took a plate of cutting fruits with me and walked to the lawn. Riki is sitting with everyone and talking and I saw keerti is sitting there with a frown on her face. Looks like there introduction didn't go well.
I put the plate at table and sit beside keerti.
"What happen?" I asked keerti.
"Is she your cousin?" Keerti asked me while folding her hands infront of her chest.
"Yes, why?" I asked.
"Sorry bhabhi to say this, but she is a bitch." She said, looking at her angrily.
"I know. " I said while shrugging my shoulders.
"That's like my bhabhi...at least you agree with me." She said while giving her beautiful smile.
"Okey..but what she did to you?" I asked.
"She gave me her handbag and ordered me to put inside. She thought that I'm her servant." She said with a frown.
"Then what did you do?" I asked her.
"Maa and Isha aunty is here otherwise I showed to her, her right place." She said while looking at her angrily.
"When were you come Riki." Anshul said while coming to the lawn with Siddharth.
Siddharth was eating the apple. In these days I came to know that he loves apple in fruits. So I always make sure we have enough stock of apples in home and I never forget to gave him when he engrossed himself in work because that time he forget to eat anything.
"Just five minutes ago." She said looking at Siddharth.
"Hii...handsome, I never saw you before here. Are you and Anshul friends?" She asked Sid forwarding her hand to shake.
"No, dambo.. He is my jiju." Anshul said while eating the apple.
"Hii..I'm Siddharth, Preeti's fiancé. " Sid said while shaking his hand to her.
"Hii..I'm Riki, Preeti's favourite cousin." Riki said.
I rolled my eyes at her comment.
In your dreams..
We all are sitting in a lawn and talking. Keerti and Anshul talk about their studies and pub-g game, mummy and Neeta Maa busy in there own world and Riki sticks with Siddharth like a glue. She is talking him like he is her fiancé not mine and my blood is boil when Siddharth also took interest in her talk like they both are long lost friends and meet after ages. He trying to steal a glance from me but I didn't look at him when he is looking at me.
"Preeti beta make some coffee for everyone." Mummy said to me. I nodded my head and got up. I turn to Anshul when he called me.
"Preeti don't make for me. I'm going to meet my school friends. Jiju you want to come." Anshul asked to Siddharth and he shake his head as no.
"Bim...I mean Preeti makes mine little strong." Riki said giving me her fake smile
"Do you want anything Rukmani?" I asked her with a fake smile. I heard keerti giggles and Siddharth look at me confusingly.
She got up and walked towards me.
"You are so lucky bimbo that I was not in a town when his proposal came to you. other wise Siddharth is my fiancé not yours. He chooses me not you. You don't deserve him. He is too handsome for his own good. " she whispered in my ears.
My face fell listen her comment. She always knew how to hurt me. I didn't say anything and walked from there to kitchen.
I put pen on stove and pour some milk in it. I started cutting salad for lunch when I heard a footsteps in kitchen. A familiar man cologne reached my nostrils and I know who it is.
"Water.." Siddharth said.
I know he is standing just behind me but today I'm not going to affect it which is a pure lie because he is effecting me standing so close to me. But I am not going to give up.
"Asked Riki, she will be very happy to give you." I said not turning to his side and keep cutting salad.
"Are you jealous?" He said with smirk on his face.
"Why would I be jealous." I said.
A pair of arms snaked to my waist. He hugged me from behind and put his chin on my shoulder.
"Siddharth what are you doing? Someone will see us." I said while trying to free myself.
"No, first tell me why are you ignoring me." He asked me.
"I'm not ignoring you." I said while removing his hand from me and this time he let go of me.
He hold me by my shoulder and make me turn to him. I keep my face lower. He lift up my chin with his forefinger and thumb. I looked into his and saw he is looking at me with concern.
"I noticed you are upset, when Riki came here. I was talking to her because I thought you like to see me that I try to know your family." He said gently.
I didn't say anything just look at his eyes.
"You don't like that I talk to her?" He asked me. I shake my head as no.
"No, it's not like that. I'm happy you are trying to know my family." I said looking at him.
"Then what happen? Why are you looking so upset? Is she say something to you? Preeti I know you are hiding something to me and I can tell just looking into your eyes." He said with concern.
How he knows I am hiding something to him about her?
"She used to bully me in school and she is the one who told the boy, my crush in school, that I like him. She also spread the news in whole school." I said looking into his eyes.
"But why she did that?" He asked me.
"She is his girlfriend. She is the same cousin of mine which I told you about. She always wants what I like. She bullied me more when I got higher marks than her. I don't know why but she always hates me." Tears welled up in my eyes remembering all things which she did to me but I don't let them fall from my eyes.
"Preeti..remember one thing., people always get to jealous with one who is better then them and have everything and you have everything, beautiful family, job, you are the most beautiful girl and most important you have beautiful heart which no one have." He said while carsing my cheeks with his thumb.
"...Just ignore them. When they jealous of you. Take it as a good sign and think that you are doing good when they something bad to you. Because action speaks more than words but never let them hurt to your dignity." He said lovingly while caressing my cheeks with love.
I sniffed and nodded my head as yes.
"...and don't forget you have most handsome fiancé in the whole wide world." He said.
I chuckled softly at his comment. He knows how to change my sore mood into happy one. He chuckled too.
"You are so full of yourself." I said amusingly.
"What..? I'm only saying the truth." He said while shrugging his shoulders. We both laughed softly.
"I love you, Don't let this smile go from your face." He said looking at me lovingly. My cheeks turn into pink. I tucked a strand behind my ear. He always knows how to make me blush.
"I love you too.." I said and hold his hand.
"How was your meeting with a Clint." I asked him.
"It was good. He is impressed with my work. I think deal is ours. In next meeting he will finally decide what he want from us but just he will stop being a pain in ass." He said while making a weird face.
His tongue is so blunt and swears so much. I chuckled at his expression.
"Now Can I have my coffee please.." He said with a smile.
"Oo..I'm sorry, I totally forget about that. You go sit with everyone. I'll bring the coffee." I said while turning off the stove.
........................................................................
Papa, Akhil dad and Anshul came home at lunch time. Riki continuously try to flirt with Siddharth but this time he didn't talk to her and after lunch she left with a sore mood.
At evening everyone is sitting in the living room. Mummy, papa, Akhil dad Neeta maa playing cards and Siddharth, keerti Anshul and I playing ludo. Mu ballast in ludo was opened last so I was behind from all of us and Siddharth is winning the game.
We all playing against eachother but Siddharth secretly helping me without Keerti and Anshul's knowledge So I can say I have highest chance win after Siddharth if Anshul let me pass peacefully from his home because I am sitting between Siddharth and Anshul and his ballast is chasing my ballast badly and only four step away from his and another one was just outside of my home only a step away to enter the safe zone. He so wanted to cut my both ballast but Siddharth is chasing Anshul's ballast means we all are stucked.
"Bhabhi pray to god He won't get four dots." Keerti said while looking at the game closely.
Please god not four, not four...
"Watch me girl..I always get what I want." Anshul said while shaking the dice under it's case.
It was an Anshul chance to flip the dice and I am praying to god that he can't get four dots because my ballast is on stake. I looked at Siddharth and he is grinning looking at me.
I gasped when he hold my hand under the table and make a lazy circles with his thumb at the back of my palm. Now my heart beat is faster than before and my whole focus on Siddharth hand but I keep my mind straight and slowly remove my hand under his grip because any one can see our joint hands easily. I focus back on the game and continue my prayer.
Anshul flipped the dice and I wants to die because it shows four dots.
"Wwoooww..." Keerti looked the dice in shock.
I looked at him to show some mercy but he gave me smirk and replaced my ballast with him without breaking eye contact with me.
He is such a devil brother. Always went behind my ballast in ludo.
After Keerti next turn was Siddharth and he flipped the dice.
"Karma is a bitch Anshul. Bhayi take the revenge ok his wife." Keerti said while clapping her hands because Siddharth got a five number and Siddharth cut Anshul's ballast from which he cut mine.
"Sorry brother.." Siddharth said while replacing Anshul's ballast with his. I pressed my lips together to suppress my laugh because the look on Anshul's face was worth to watch.
Siddharth flipped dice again and it was six so he flipped the dice again and this time it's my turn to get panic because my ballast which was one step away to reach it's home and wants six number to win is in danger now if Siddharth get five more number.
Siddharth flipped the dice again and I wanted to cry because Siddharth get five number. Siddharth looked at me sympathetically.
"Come on jiju cut your wife's ballast." Anshul said while rubbing his both hands together in excitement.
"Siddharth..Please don't." I said looked at him. I am urge on cry. Because at once I wanted to win this game. If I can't win at least come second because with Anshul he never let me win the game.
"I'll move another ballast. I don't want to cut her ballast." My lips curled into a smile when Siddharth said looking at me.
"No jiju..It's a cheating..You cut mine..now you have to cut her also." Anshul said.
"Ha bhayi it won't a fare game then." Keerti also insist Siddharth and they both behind Siddharth to cut my ballast until he didn't agree.
"Okey..okey..fine..I will cut her ballast. Sorry Preeti I can't do anything." Siddharth said while cutting my ballast and replaced it with his.
Keerti and Anshul shout in happiness and high five because they got a chance to win the game.
Game continue and at the end Siddharth win the game, Anshul was second, keerti was third one and as usual I was the last.
"I beat you Keerti." Anshul said while slap keerti's back like a boy.
"Aawee...It hurts." Keerti said while rubbing her back but then she hit him back with a much force that Anshul straddled from his chair and glared at her.
"Anshul..." I said in a warning when Anshul hit her again.
"Keerti.." This time Siddharth gave warning keerti but all went in vain then both started doing fight with eachother and keep slapping each other's arm. I and Siddharth looked at each other and hold their hands to stop them hitting each other.
"Anshul behave." I said while glaring at him while he was busy dodging keerti's attack and give her a teasing smile.
"Keerti stop doing that." Siddharth said while stopping keerti and pulled her chair closed to him and far from Anshul.
After sometime they both stop fighting and started talking like nothing happened between them.
I and Siddharth looked at both of them and shake our heads.
"Neeta ji every year, at Diwali we went to our village. We celebrate Diwali in our village with Ramesh brothers. It's kind of a get together of our family Preeti's tayi g (paternal brother's wife) called me today. Preeti's have two uncle from her paternal side. They were not make it at her engagement. So they all wanted to meet you and Siddharth ji. So, if are you okey then we can go to village tomorrow?" Mummy asked to Neeta maa.
"Isha ji I think this is the great idea. We shall go. That's how keerti and Sid will know about Indian agriculture life and we can meet all your family members." Akhil dad said.
"Okey we will leave tomorrow at 9 a.m for our village. It will hardly take half an hour to reach there and this morning Anit ji also called me that they will celebrate Diwali with us. So I called them and they directly reached to village. " Papa said and everyone starting playing again.
Siddharth, Anshul and Keerti started playing carom but this time I won't play with them because I know Anshul will beat me in this also.
"Mummy, what should I make for dinner?" I'm getting bore so it's better I start make dinner rather then sitting here and watching everyone playing. Well I don't have any problem as long as I can watch love of my life but it's getting late and I should start doing preparations for dinner.
"Mummy I want rajma curry and rice for dinner." Anshul said while hitting the striker.
"No, mummy please," I said while pleading to her.
"Sis, I hadn't eaten rajma curry since I came home. so you better make it." Anshul said. Now everyone is looking at me.
" Bhabhi I also wanted rajma curry for dinner." Keerti said excitedly.
"What happen, why Preeti don't want to make rajma curry." Neeta maa asked to mummy.
"She hates it. She can live hungry whole day but never eat rajma curry and Anshul love rajma curry like her girlfriend." Mummy said and everyone start laughing. My cheeks turn red in embarrassment and I looked down.
"Sid also hates rajma curry. They are perfect for each other, like sole mates." Akhil dad said. I looked at Siddharth and he is also looking at me lovingly. I blushed under his gaze and turn my head to hide my red cheeks.
"Yeah.. but he can eat if chef is great." Neeta maa said.
"Looks like you are exception Preeti beta, cause everyone loves rajma curry." Akhil dad said.
"Indeed she is..." Siddharth whispered under his breath but I heard it. Not letting me more center of the attention I leave from there.
........................................................................
The dinner is ready. Everyone is sitting on the dinning table. I was sitting beside Siddharth because everyone already taken their sits, so I don't have any choice. It's not like I didn't like or I have a problem to sit beside Siddharth. It's just that keerti didn't leave a chance to tease us to death when we are together.
"Preeti you make best rajma Curry in this world. I always wonder how you can cook rajma curry superbly when you hate it." Anshul said while shoving a spoonful rajma curry in his mouth.
"What are you going to eat when you don't like rajma curry." Siddharth whispered. I look at everyone and everyone is busy in their own talk.
"I made a potato curry for both of us." I said while serving him.
"Actually I want some rajma curry." He said while picking up rajma curry bowl from table. He served himself then take a spoonful of rajma curry and put in his mouth. I look at him curiously that he like it or not.
He turn his head to my side. "It's really amazing..you should try." He said while serving me rajma curry.
"Please..No..I don't want to taste it." I pleaded him. He fakes glare at me.
"I don't like rajma curry either but I want to eat it because you made it and trust me it's really amazing. One spoon of rajma curry won't harm you." He said while forwarding his rajma bowl towards me .
I nodded my head and take a spoonful rajma. My hands are shaking to reach my mouth. I don't want to eat it. I really hate rajma curry.
I put rajma curry in my mouth and closed my face. I make a weird faces when its taste reached my taste buds. A reason why I hate rajma coming to my head and I feel like vomit it. I coughed hard and Siddharth immediately gave me a glass of water. I drink whole glass of water.
"Are you alright?" He asked me while patting my pack.
I wipe my mouth with the back of hand and nodded my head at Siddharth's question.
"I don't know that you are worse than me with rajma curry." He said while chuckling.
........................................................................
All elders are retired to their room and Keerti, Anshul , Siddharth and I set in a living room talking to each other. We all are sitting on a floor on a cozy carpet with a blankets. Keerti set beside Anshul and I set beside Siddharth.
"Tell us about something Preeti bhabhi." Keerti asked Anshul.
"She's always a naive." Anshul said.
"What do you mean?" Keerti asked.
"You know what she did to Shivani di's brother in law." Anshul said while holding his laugh. I looked at him with wide shock eyes and shake my head telling him not to say anything.
"What she did?" Siddharth asked taking interest in the conversation.
"When Shivani di newly married, she came home to celebrate her first teez with us and Anit jiju's cousin Himanshu came with her. We all went to watch movie the same night but for a reason I and Shivani di came home early and Himanshu wanted to eat pizza so Preeti take him to domino's. She ordered pep peroni pizza. The funny part is they both are pure vegetarian especially Himanshu. Preeri didn't what is the pop peroni and she make him eat chicken pizza and you know, he didn't even know that he ate chicken until Preeti saw a non vegetarian sticker on dominos box. Dude you must see his expression when he came to know that he is no more vegetarian." Anshul said controlling his laugh and all of them broke into laughter except me who turned red in embarrassment.
"What would I do ? He didn't speak to me and didn't tell me which pizza he wants and I didn't know that pep peroni is a non vegetarian pizza." I said lowering my head in embarrassment.
" Bhabhi you are really a naive." Keerti said between her laugh holding her stomach.
"You know what Anshul what bhayi did to his best friend Nick." Keerti said.
"What he did?" I asked while taking interest in conversation this time.
"Bhayi set a sexual moans as Nick phone's ring tone and call him in the middle of board meeting. Nick is speechless and dad scolded him after the meeting." Keerti said with a laugh.
I look at him and he smirked.
"He was annoying me before. I just took my revenge." He said while shrugging his shoulders.
"Bhabhi is naive and bhayi is devil. Both perfect for eachother." Keerti said.
I and Siddharth looked each other with so much love and emotions. He must be devil for everyone but he is my Angel who comes on earth only to love me.
*****
After that we all talked in random things when anshul speak suddenly.
" Preeti..I'm hungry please bring me some rajma curry." Anshul said.
"Bhabhi..for me also." Keerti said while raising her hand. I looked at Siddharth asking him if he want but he shake his head as, no.
I got up and go to kitchen and heat up rajma curry then took it to living room in two bowls.
I gave Anshul and keerti their bowls full of rajma curry.
"Jiju told us why don't you like rajma curry because this is one of the most favorite Indian dish." Anshul asked while eating his rajma curry.
"I don't like it's colour and it's look like the insects in the curry but I don't hate that much until chef is good." Siddharth said while looking at me and I lower my head try to hide my red cheeks.
"Bhabhi you told us why you hate rajma." Keerti asked.
"Yeah Preeti told us. You never told the reason behind that why you hate rajma." Anshul asked me.
"Are you sure you both wanna know? because mine is worse. You both may start hating rajma curry." I asked them and they both nodded their head.
"They look like a dead cockroach to me. I mean when you cut the rajma in between a white pulp is visible and cockroach blood is also white so I felt like I'm eating a cockroach rather then dish." I said while making a yucky face.
Anshul spit his rajma hearing me and Siddharth laughed beside me looking at Anshul and keeti's expressions.
"Eewww..gross...you disgusting Preeti. How could you think like that about my favorite dish. You and jiju both are same." Anshul said while putting his bowl aside.
"I'm not gonna eat it." Keerti said also putting her bowl aside.
........................................................................