Little Book Of Red Lies | Shubman Gill ✓

4. Dastaan-e-Palak

Theme song - Saddi Galli Aaja 

Rahul Arora

"Could you stop looking at the door Arjun? I'm telling you they're not going to show up to help us with the dinner." 

"I know. But I can't help it. I mean maybe..." he raises his volume as if they'll hear him above their laughter.

"...maybe some people will realise that cooking dinner for four is not an easy task and would voluntarily come to help then the world would be a better place." 

"Then let's just order. Why put ourselves through the misery of making Palak paneer with parathas!" I have been given the task of chopping paneer into small aesthetic squares while he's making the sabji. 

"And let go of the chance to irritate them?"

"No, certainly not." I say with a smirk. So that's why we're cooking Palak paneer instead of dal palak! Kavi and Sara get agitated when anyone meddles with their dal palak, even if they're only suggesting palak paneer. For them it'll be dal palak to the end of the world. And for Arjun and me, it'll be troubling them to the end of the world. 

I almost chop my finger off when I hear thunderous laughter from Sara's room. That certainly was Kavi. 

"Anyone would think that your sister had gone to a stand up show instead of a date. That guy what's his name...sh se tha kuch toh..."

"Shubman." Arjun says without meeting my eyes. That guy can be pretty focused when it comes to cooking. 

"Yeah, Shubman. Seems like he's a funny guy." 

"Hmmm." I drop any hope of conversation and concentrate on cutting the paneer. Anyways he'll be needing them soon. Just when I pass them to him the door opens to reveal our smiling sisters. 

"What's cooking? Except for romance..." Kavi smirks as she nudges Sara, who shakes her head. 

"Your favourite." Says Arjun as he turns to face my sister. So he is keen to answer her questions but not mine. Kitna pasand hai isse Kavi ko tang karna! 

He opens the lid to let the smell of palak float in the air. As soon as it reaches her, Kavi sighs. That's my cue to add the paneer. 

"RAHUL .....NOOOOOOO....." she shrieks in horror but it's too late. Kavi looks at Arjun with disappointment.

"I don't know what I was thinking. I should have known. Not everyone can be a gentleman like Shubman." 

She eyes Sara who is measuring the flour that we'll need for the four of us. 

"Well everyone has their ways of showing that they care. Didn't Arjun make you hot chocolate a couple of hours ago, Kavi?" 

And that is why you can't help but love Sara. No matter how much we annoy her, she takes nothing to heart and is the quickest to defend us. 

I look at Kavi who has let her long locks of hair cover her face. I wait for her to respond but she is busy taking the flour from Sara to start making the dough. Weird. 

Arjun glances at her for a few seconds before he resumes stirring. 

We are all working in silence until I can't take the awkwardness. 

"The date went well, I assume from all your giggles that we heard." 

"It did. Shubman is a wonderful guy." She holds her plate dreamily before setting it on the table. I catch Kavi rolling her eyes. I wonder when I'll get to see her like this. 

As far as my memory goes, Kavi has never had eyes for a particular guy. And I would know if she liked someone because we are the kind of brother and sister who share everything with each other. Especially if there are feelings involved. Not out of choice though. We just happen to blurt the wrong thing and then the other comes to know about it. That's how the prodding begins until one of us gives up. 

I do remember Kavi hating guys. There was one in school who was very good looking and popular but she hated him because he was a bully. Then there was this guy who would stare at her and she hated him because she believed he was a creep. Then there was this guy she was paired with for a project and she hated him because he was lazy. 

Is she into girls? 

Before I can mull on the question I see her seek Arjun's eyes and say, "The Palak paneer is not bad, monkey." 

Which in my sister's language is a way to say, "I'm sorry for not appreciating your hot chocolate and even though you annoy the heck out of me, I love you."

"Thanks, moody." Arjun says with a twinkle in his eyes. What he actually means is "Apology accepted." 

I grin. Now that everything is okay between them I can finally enjoy the food. Sara's phone pings next to me, displaying her wallpaper. 

Shubman and Sara smile at us from the screen. And I smile back at them. 

I hope my sister finds someone like Shubman. 

***** 

Prayers. When we pray from the depth of our hearts, they're bound to be heard. Just not always in the same way we hope. But always for the better. Always. 

*****

A/n - sheesh the tension between Arjun and Kavya... do you think Arjun and Shubman have a history? 😉