Accidental Attachment

Tender

Vikram

I sat on the swing, pondering over what had happened.. I helped Sree drape a saree!

Grandma had asked me to call Sree, and I entered the door, to find her frantically trying to drape a saree.

As soon as she saw me, she covered herself fully with the saree and I closed my eyes. Grandma was unbelievable. She was conservative, but I didn't think she would want Sree to wear a saree.

Sree asked me to call Veena ma and when I informed her Ma was out, she panicked on how she was going to wear the saree.

I remembered helping my sister to wear sarees at times, so I offered to help.
As soon as I told that I cursed myself..

"Great acting Vikram,.. You hate her but you want to drape her saree", I thought.

" Let her assume I have bipolar disorder ",

I went near her and asked her to wrap it again around herself..

I could understand she was nervous,.. I told her that I would focus only on the saree.
I told that to myself too.. " Don't let yourself get carried away Vikram, only the saree", I thought.

Once she wrapped it around her, I took the end of the saree to pleat it for the pallu.. The saree was soft and had a characteristic smell.

I focused hard, I didn't want to mess up. Sree will look so pretty in this.. She will look pretty in anything.. Still

I told her to remove the shawl from the blouse so that I could put the pallu on,..
I went near and placed it on her shoulder. Her hair strand touched my hands.. I could see her eyes on me.. I wanted to look at her..

I perfected the pleats and asked her to use a safety pin to secure it. Pinning it myself.. Would have been too much.

I took the top of the pallu and wrapped it around her once.. I could see her eyes on me but I couldn't loose myself in her eyes now..

I then asked her to tuck the saree.
I bent down in front of her to do the bottom pleats.. I was draping a saree for my to be wife.. I thought and for a second imagined myself doing this, when she became my wife..

Since I had to do it properly, I had to pleat really close to her waist..
My breath staggered when my eyes went there.. I concentrated back on the saree.

This time I didn't ask her to tuck it in, I took the pleated part and went close to her and tucked it inside her in skirt.

My fingers brushed against her soft waist skin.. I felt something, I had never felt before.. I perfected her pallu once again and looked into her eyes..

Her beautiful eyes.. She looked so pretty.. I couldn't take my eyes off her.. My Sree.. My fiancé..
I have to leave before I lose control, like in the swimming pool.

So I left. I started daydreaming about her, while sitting on the swing

I saw grandma coming out from the kitchen.

A servant came and spoke to grandma telling he was new to work, sent by the previous servant, and grandma took him to show the cattle.
Ya there was a cowshed too here..

Where was Sree? I wondered and went inside the kitchen to see her chopping onions slowly.. I recollected the engagement.. When that aunty..

Sree wasn't that good in cooking, why was she doing it.

"Sree, what are you doing now? ", I asked

" Can't you see ", she asked

" Why are you cooking? ", I asked