Richa and Rudra spend the day in Orphanage. Richa felt happy after spending time with the small kids there. For some time, she forgot her pain, surrounded by the innocent smiles.
They got out of there around 8:38 in the evening. Rudra asked her if she wanted to go somewhere for dinner but Richa denied, Richa always cooked her mom's favorite dishes on her birthday and death anniversary. So she decided to cook at home, she invited Rishi too because she wanted to thank him for bringing her to the Orphanage today.
They entered the house and..........
Rudra felt at home after so long. Everything was the same as he remembers. The furniture, the paintings on walls, those beautiful couple picture frames of Him and Richa. Everything was familiar to him. He even rememberd when and from where he bought each and every item.
Richa watched him looking at everything so admiringly...
"Rudra loves to decorate our house"
"His taste is good, it shows every where in the house "
Rudra praised himself, feeling amused by talking about himself from the prospective of a third person.
Richa looked around lovingly...
"Yes, it's true "
Richa's eyes teared up again. So Rudra tried to change the topic....
"Do you need any help in kitchen ??"
"For making my kitchen looks like a natural disaster"
Richa said sarcastically...
"Are you insulting my cooking skills "
"Oh, how dare I ??"
"You better not "
"Never... "
They both laughed out loud, then looked at each other and laugh a little more shaking their heads.
Rudra got into the kitchen and opened the fridge, he looked inside then turned towards Richa and said....
"I will peel the peas for 'Matar Paneer' and 'Matar pulaao', you start with the rest"
He said that and brought out the basket of peas from the fridge and placed it on the kitchen counter.
He opened the last cabinet and picked out a round glass bowl for keeping peeled peas and started peeling them.
He felt Richa's eyes behind his back and realized his mistake.
He came into this house for the first time, at least for Richa's knowledge. So how can he behaves as if he knows everything. He slapped himself internally and started to think about something in his defense.
"Hey, we may be not similar in cooking skills but we are surely similar in organizing our kitchen "
Rudra said without looking back at Richa.
When he didn't got any reaction he looked at her, she was stairing at him questioningly...
"I too keep the large glass bowls in the last cabinet "
"So, you just pick up the right cabinet where I kept the large glass bowls because you too keep them at same place as well as me"
Rudra felt uneasy but nodded his head.....
"Okay...... .. but how did you know that I was going to cook 'Matar Paneer'
and 'Matar Pulaao', I m completely sure that I didn't tell you about what I was going to cook ??"
Rudra's throat went dry.....
He didn't know what to say now....
"Ummm.... I saw the basket full of peas and a packet of fresh Paneer besides it, so 'Matar Paneer' was a easy guess and 'Matar Pulaao' is my most favorite. I just thought that we could make at least a one dish of my choice. after all I am your 'Guest' , but it's ok if you don't want to cook 'Pulaao', it's completely fine with me "
Rudra said all this without batting an eye....
Richa was still stairing at him without saying anything....
"I will cook the 'Pulaao' "
Rudra smiled then got back to peeling the peas and held his tongue for keeping anymore mistakes by talking nonstop.
Richa's mind was disturbed,
'Was that really a coincidence that he picked up the correct cabinet.....
Did he really took a guess about 'Matar Paneer' by looking into the fridge......
Was he telling the truth about 'Matar Pulao' being his most favourite.
Why he wanted to visit the Orphanage today of all days....
Were these all things are purely coincidental ........
Rudra felt that Richa was quite, like she was thinking about something very hard. He kept his mouth shut and just helped her quietly through out the dinner.
Richa set up the dinning table and they sat quietly.
"Hmmmmm...... Richa you are a great cook"
"Really..... "
"Yeah, this Pulaao is so good, Soooo Yummy "
Richa just smiled....
Rudra kept eating and talking....
"Rishi.... "
Rudra looked up at her.....
" Why you wanted to visit the Orphanage today?? "
"I was crossing from there few days ago when I saw that Orphanage, I just felt like going in but I was with my boss and as usual his wife was angry with him for some reason so he was in a hurry to reach home. That's why I couldn't visit that day but I really wanted to. I tried few times after that day too but got stuck in some work or something else"
"Why today ??"
"No specific reason, I was feeling a bit low today. Just wanted to lift up my mood so I went in search for a good book and a good friend, and because right now you are my only friend so I wanted to spend some time with you. Than I thought about visiting at the Orphanage so I went there. I am sorry You didn't enjoy there ??"
"No, I really loved spending time there, with those kids I really do"
Rudra smiled happily.....
"Rishi.... "
Rudra looked at her again without saying anything....
"You still don't remember anything about your past "
Rudra's smile faded....
How can he tell her that he remembers everything.....
Everything about her and his life with her....
Rudra shook his head in refusal....
"It must be hard for you to live without any memory of your life before "
Rudra just smiled a little but didn't said anything....
"You have no family members who can help you to regain your memories ??"
"No, I am an Orphan "
Richa looked into his eyes, searching for something....
"How did you know ??"
"There was a Doctor in Singapore, Who was friends with me before the accident. He told me few things about myself "
"Wanna share with me... "
Richa asked looking into his eyes again
"My name is Rishi Malhotra, I was living in Singapore since two years, with my wife Riya "
"Your Wife ? , where is she now ??"
" I was told that she died in an another accident a year before, she was pregnant and they both have died on the way of hospital "
"You were told. ??"
" Yeah, I don't remember anything about her too"
"Oh... You.... You don't remember her at all"
"No... "
"There must be some stuff of her in your house, you should have at least felt connected with somethings, like her clothes and your pictures together. Didn't you ??"
"No, I didn't felt anything, anything at all "
Richa felt a little strange about it....
"Dr. Karan told me that I was raised in an Orphanage and wanted to have my own family very much. So I went into a depression after loosing my family.
I started drinking without any control and met with an life threatening accident, in which I have lost my memory"
"I am sorry Rishi "
"It's ok, I don't remember anything so I don't feel any pain about that too"
"I just feel lonely sometimes "
Rudra said with a pained expression..
Richa looked at him with understanding and put her hand on top of his folded ones.
"I know this feeling very well "
Rudra nodded his head and hold her hand in between his palms.
"I can understand your pain too Richa, I m Alone too, like you."
"We are together in this "
"We are together in this "
They both said Together.....