Match Made At Punishment

Part 11

Sana's P.O.V. 

Roopaji came out of the bathroom and seemed to be very happy. Laying with my phone on the bed, I asked, "What's up?" "Huh?" She said lost. "What happened? Whose thoughts are making you so lost?" I asked. "Shut up! You only talk nonsense. Can't a person smile for no reason?" She said. "Ok, you don't have to get loud. Chill. I think this song will be perfect for you," I said and turned it on on my phone. 'Just chill chill, just chill,' it played. I got up and held her hands saying, "Come on, let's dance." I began doing the steps of the song as she left me went her way. I followed her dancing and held her shoulders from the back and swayed her from right to left as she tried to get ready. "Hey, you don't look like someone who didn't sleep the entire night. Where did you get this energy from all of a sudden?" She asked. "From Sidharth," I said carelessly while dancing. She looked at me with a smirk and I stopped. She raised her eyebrows at me. I took the song off and went to the bathroom with my towel. "Oh God! Will she think something else?" I asked myself. I went back to the room and said, "Listen, there is nothing going on between Sidharth and I, huh! We are not even good friends. So, don't think anything wrong." "When did I ask for an explanation? And what do you think I am thinking?" She asked. I stood silently. Why am I explaining myself? "I...I just thought of clearing the air so that you don't think I like him or anything like that," I said. "Sana, but I am not thinking like that. I don't need you giving me justification," she said. "Why am I still giving an explanation?" I quarrelled with myself silently. I went back into the bathroom. After taking a bath and getting ready, I entered the room and saw the envelope that Inspector Tripathi left with me yesterday. I opened it up and began reading, "Do daily chores at the home, including, washing the clothes, cooking three meals a day, cleaning the home, cleaning the bathrooms, making the groceries, posting letters, obeying all the orders of the elderly citizens while there..." And the list went on and on. In short, I had to live the life of a maid at the home and do everything that a servant does. I sighed and threw the paper aside. 

I left the room and went outside to see everyone waiting. "Is breakfast not here as yet?" I asked. "The judge sent me a copy of the list of things you are required to do while here. One of them is cooking three meals a day so he temporarily discontinued the caterers that normally cooks. So, you are in charge of cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner," Sharad said. "What? But I can't cook! I have never cooked a single dish in my life. How am I supposed to do this?" I exclaimed. "I'm sorry Sana but that's what the judge ordered," he said pitiful. I sighed and looked at everyone. "We have our fixed meal timings. Breakfast must be served by 8, lunch by 12, snack and tea by 4 and dinner at 8," Virenji said. I looked at the time and it was only fifteen minutes away from 8. I went to the kitchen and looked around. Going to the fridge, I got some cheese and butter. I found some mayonnaise and mustard and some black pepper, milk and chilli flakes. I quickly grated the cheese, added the rest of ingredients and made a paste. I got bread and made sandwiches for everyone. I left the kitchen with the tray in my hand and rested it before everyone. They took it and looked at it confused. "What is this?" Roopaji asked. "Sandwiches," I said. "But what's the filling?" She asked. "I only had time to make this. From tomorrow, I'll try to make a good meal," I said. They took a bite into it and in a few minutes, it was all gone. "What sandwich is this? I have never tasted anything like this," Roopaji said. "It's an international snack I learnt when I went on vacation," I said. "To which country?" Daljeetji asked. "A small Caribbean island," I said. "Where is that?" Preetoji asked. "Umm...Brian Lara," I said. "Oh! You mean the West Indies," Virenji said. I nodded. I learnt this trick a few years ago when someone asked me about the Caribbean. Since Brian Lara is known to everyone, just simply taking his name can help anyone identify where I was referring to. Cool trick. 

After breakfast, I went to Roopaji and pulled her aside from everyone else. "I need your help," I said. "What is it?" She asked. "I need clothes," I said. "You have an entire suitcase," she said. "No! I mean, I need a Punjabi suit for tonight," I said. "You are going to wear a Punjabi suit tonight?" She said giggling. "Yeah, why?" I asked. "Nothing. So, you want me to take you shopping?" She asked. I nodded. "And what about lunch?" She asked. "I'll cook it when we get back," I said. "Hey, this isn't any trick to avoid cooking, is it?" She asked. "What? No! Of course not," I said. "Ok, but for lunch, I want 'baigan ka bharta' and it must be good," she said. "Ok," I said. "Let's go," she said. I'll still get the recipe online but I needed to win this bet with Sidharth and for that, I must be a complete Punjabi tonight. I got some money and left the home with Roopaji. We went into the busy, crowded and noisy town. Everyone were trying to push their way through the small lanes and bull carts were taking most of the road space. Roopaji brought me into a small shop and instructed the shopkeeper to show me some suits. "This one ma'am," the man said showing me the first. "No," I said. "Do you have any specific colour?" He asked. "White," I said. "Ok ji," he said and brought out some more options. I went through them all and finally decided on one. "Tusi bahut sundar dikhogi isme madamji (You will look very beautiful in this one madam). Aapke liye, sirf 1000 rupees ji (For you, it's only 1000 rupees)," he said. "Ok," I said and pulled out my wallet. As I was about to take out the money, Roopaji stopped me. "Tusi ekdam pagal ho (You are so stupid)," she scolded me. She then went on to bargain and quarrel with the man to reduce the price. "Roopaji, it's ok," I said trying to calm her down. "Arrey, kya ok hai! (Hey, what ok?) Yeh aadmi tusi loot rahe ho aur tum keh rahi ho ok? (This man is robbing you and you are saying that it's ok?) It is not ok," she said. 

After half an hour of arguing, the man said, "Aap iska 800 de dijiye. (Give me 800 for it)." I paid him to end it there and left. "Tenu bahut kuch sikhani paregi. (I have to teach you a lot)," she said leaving the store with me. I bought some accessories to go with the clothes and then we went back. I was so tired and my ears hurt with the noise. "Since when did noise irritate me so much? I live in the city and I am used to it. Perhaps this place is starting to grow on me. The peace and silence here is relaxing to me," I said. I took my phone and went to the kitchen to start lunch. I looked at the recipe for 'baigan ka bharta' and started cooking. I also learned how to cook dhal and rice. While chopping the onions, my eyes began burning extremely and I closed them. Tears were flowing from them. Suddenly, two hands held mine, stopping me. I opened my eyes and looked at Sidharth frowning at me. "Why are you behaving like you are a professional cook and chopping onions with your eyes closed?" He asked, "What if you cut your hands?" "My eyes," I said. I raised my hand to wipe my face but he grabbed onto it. "Wait, don't touch your face otherwise it will burn," he said. He pulled out a tissue from his pocket and wiped away my tears. I looked at how much he cared for me and how much he was doing for me. "Thank you and sorry," I said. "For what?" He asked. "Thank you for saving me from cutting my hands and for wiping my tears," I said. "And why sorry?" He asked. "Because you lost a patient. If I had cut my hands, you would have gotten a patient to treat but you lost me, sorry," I said. A small smile came to his face as he shook his head. "I admit I love treating patients but I can't endanger a person so that I can make money, right?" He said. "You're different, doc," I said smiling. "I have to say sorry as well," he said. "For what?" I asked. "Your rice is burning," he said. I finally came back to sense and smelt the burning. Quickly, I rushed to the stove and turned off the wrong gas in a hurry. Realising my mistake, I turned off the rice. Sidharth stood laughing hard at me as I sighed. I lighted back the stove with the dhal and went back to him. 

"Haha, very funny," I said. I continued chopping the onions while he went to the fridge and poured himself a glass of cold water. He came back to me gulping it down and rested the glass next to the chopping board. "I hope you are ready to lose tonight," he said and left the kitchen. I looked at the empty glass and took it to the sink. After I finished cooking, I served the food and invited everyone to join. They all left the preparations for tonight and sat down to eat. Their faces dropped as they looked at the food. I felt bad. Regardless, they took and went and sat down. I looked at them as they ate and tried to observe their expressions. "Is it bad?" I asked worried. "Why don't you taste it?" Sidharth asked. I took some of the rice and it was extremely sticky, mushy and soft. It was over boiled. I took the dhal and it looked alright. Next, I took the 'baigan ka bharta' and that also didn't look and smell too bad. I tasted a bit and it was all bitter in my mouth. I quickly took a napkin and spit it out. There wasn't any taste in it and the burnt rice only tasted bitter. I looked at everyone and said, "I'm sorry. I'll make something else for you all." "No need," Roopaji said, "Just bring us the salt." I took the table salt and carried it to them. They adjusted the salt and ate the food without complaining. What are these people made of? They are eating food that doesn't even taste good without any complaint? I frowned and looked at them. Going back into the kitchen, I felt disappointed. I went to the fridge and looked for something else to cook but there were hardly anything. "Sana," Sharad said behind me. "I am sorry. I messed up lunch. I would make something else but there are hardly anything to cook," I said. "Here's the grocery list. You have to go into town to buy vegetables," he said handing me a paper, "And here's the money." "I don't know how to buy vegetables," I said. "You will learn. And don't worry about lunch. The dhal and baigan ka bharta was ok. It just needed some salt and it was good," he said smiling. "But everyone is working really hard and they couldn't even get a proper meal because of me," I said. "It's ok. They understand it is your first time," he said, "It wasn't terrible for a first time." I smiled. "Hurry and go and come back," he said. I sighed and nodded. 

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