Just then, I hear Sunita Aunty’s voice and turn around.
“Nisha?” she calls softly, taking a tentative step forward before stopping dead in her tracks. Her eyes sweep over the chaos.
“Did a tornado pass through here?” she asks, her eyebrows raised in disbelief.
I let out a half-laugh, half-groan. “This is me cooking.”
She walks further into the kitchen, careful not to step on a spoon, and stops right in front of me.
“Beta, why didn’t you call me to help you?” she says, brushing a bit of flour off my cheek.
I sigh, my shoulders slumping. “Because I wanted to do it myself for Sidharth.”
Her expression softens immediately, a knowing glint in her eyes. “Sidharth?”
I look away, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. “It is supposed to be a thank-you dinner,” I mumble. “For taking me skating.” My eyes take in the chaos, then flick back to her. “But clearly, the universe has other plans.”
She chuckles. “Well, the universe may be messing with your plans, beta, but your heart is in the right place.”
I nod slowly, the lump in my throat tightening. “He’s doing so much for me, Aunty. More than I ever expected. He puts me first without even thinking twice. And even with…” I stop mid-sentence, the words catching in my throat. I don’t want to mention Prakash and worry her again.
Sunita Aunty watches me quietly for a moment. “You don’t have to hold everything in, Nisha. You can talk to me.”
I inhale sharply, trying to find the words. “It’s just… with Prakash still out there, it’s all too much sometimes.” A bitter smile tugs at my lips. “And you know what’s funny?” I glance at her, my eyes watery. “When Sidharth’s around, I don’t feel afraid. Not even a little.”
Sunita Aunty nods, her grip on my hand tightening ever so slightly. “He’s your safe place, beta. Let him continue to be that for you.”
A tear slips down my cheek before I can stop it, and she wipes it away with her thumb. “No tears,” she says with a smile. I smile back at her, and she nudges me towards the counter. “Now, how about we save this dinner before Sidharth ends up with food poisoning?” she teases, rolling up the sleeves of her salwar. “Come on, let’s see how I can help you.”
I catch her hand and shake my head. “No. I mean… I’d love your guidance, but I still want to do this for him myself.”
“Are you sure you can handle this without my help?” she asks playfully, raising a brow.
I shrug, smiling shyly. “Not really. But I still want to try. For Sidharth.”
She watches me for a moment, a strange mix of pride and nostalgia softening her face.
“In that case, I’ll let you cook in peace. Tell Sidharth hello from my side.”
I blink. “You’re going out?”
“Yes,” she says, patting my cheek. “I’m going to visit my friend. Also, I think you two could use a little privacy.”
My face burns instantly. “Aunty!”
She grins like the devil in disguise. “Now don’t go all shy on me. I can read young minds. But make no mistake, tomorrow morning, I’m grilling you about how dinner went. So be prepared.”
I shake my head as she walks towards the door. But just before she exits, she pauses and turns back. “You’re glowing, Nisha. Don’t let fear take that away from you.” And with that, she’s gone.
I stand still for a moment, letting her words sink into my bones, before taking a deep breath and getting back to the task at hand.
Twenty-five minutes later, I stand in front of the dining table, taking in the setup. The plates are neatly arranged, candles flicker softly, and I’ve even managed to fold the napkins into little triangles, probably the only perfect thing in this entire setup.
Because the rest… well, it looks kind of weird.
My eyes keep drifting to the bowl of aloo matar. The potatoes look fine, but the peas seem overcooked, if that’s even a thing. And the gravy? Either too thick or not thick enough, I honestly can’t tell anymore. There’s rice too. It’s clumpy, though.
I chew on my lower lip, still debating whether to dump it all and call for backup biryani, when the doorbell rings. That’s my cue. No time to order now. This is it.
