Chapter 17: Chapter 17

*Prathap Pov*

“I never have seen you this nervous. Are you this intimated to cook in front of Anny?” Deepak asked standing beside me as I continued to stare at the corridor from my cabin and I kept the door open to know that she is here the moment she enters the place.

Nervous? To cook? Of course not! I am just checking whether she will come or not. What if she decides to not after thinking about yesterday’s incidents again?

“I am not nervous.” I replied still standing in the same position and continued to lean to the table behind me.

“Right! By this time you would have gone to check whether everyone is there and everything is ready.” He mumbled and I turned to frown at him before turning around to check my phone.

“Don’t worry! Even though I still think of her mostly as an actress or a celebrity than a fiancé of my boss, I don’t think she is the type to put others down.” He added assuring me.

“Why do you think her just as an actress?” I asked frowning at his words.

“Maybe because I think you should confess to your friend once and see how it goes. I don’t think you should give up.” He replied and I turned to stare at him.

“Why?” I asked in a confused tone.

“Well, you liked her for all these years and you both know each other. Isn’t that an advantage and also very important for a couple?” he asked shrugging.

I turned back to check my phone while thinking whether she got surrounded by the people outside but then someone will inform me if that happens.

“I am not right?” he asked when I didn’t reply to his words.

“Liking someone for a long time and knowing each other as friends? I don’t know whether that is important or not but I know something that is pushing me towards Anitha.” I replied messaging her where she is.

“What is it?” he asked in a confused tone this time.

“I never acted out my character or ever felt jealous or this nervous as you said. All the time my friend used to talk about her feelings for someone else or when she ignored my intentions, I always felt hurt. I felt hurt that I can’t take a step forward and express anything properly near her. And I know that’s because of the hold on my mind called friendship. But why didn’t I ever broke that hold and grabbed her to express my feelings? Why am I able to feel all those things clearly and even express them this free right now?” I asked myself more than him.

“So, stop thinking about whatever I told you before and be normal with her. She is coming here or being at this place not as a celebrity but as my fiancé.” I pointed out while patting his shoulder and he slowly nodded his head.

“I will take some time.” He mumbled and I smiled nodding at him.

“Am I late?” we both heard a voice and turned to find her standing in the corridor while walking towards my cabin.

“I found everyone rushing in the dining area and felt something happened. Is something wrong?” she asked looking at Deepak.

“No! His cooking is really popular and we always have a full booking for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So, everyone will be busy like that during weekends. Shall I get you something?” he asked clearing his throat.

“No! I had juice before coming here.” She replied smiling at him and he smiled back seeing that before leaving us alone saying he needs to check whether everyone is ready to open the place soon.

After he left, she turned to stare at me while I was staring at her from the time I heard her voice. She smiled politely and I sighed realizing there is no way she will be comfortable with me like before.

Yesterday, she was right with whatever she said. I was feeling guilty? I don’t know! But I was definitely trying to not be so close to her in Shrishti’s presence.

She has every right to be mad at me but I don’t want her to be uncomfortable at the same time. So, I smiled back politely before gesturing her to follow me.

“Bharghav doesn’t feel bad?” she asked when I reached closer to her and we both started walking out.

“About what?” I asked glancing at her.

“That your dishes are more popular than his and that you always get full bookings.” she explained and I chuckled at that.

“No! He said he will quit if it happens during the days he works here. As it will be hard to do it continuously for five days. And he was there when I was getting trained to cook where I met him first. He taught me a few things too. So, he is proud of me more than feeling upset about this.” I explained and she slowly nodded.

“And it is better to not have so much work for his age.” I added and she frowned hearing that.

“What happened to his age?” she asked with a confused look.

“He will be forty soon.” I replied and she stopped walking before placing her hand on my shoulder.

“You are lying, right? I thought he just crossed thirty or mid-thirties. He is so energetic and his actions show how young he is.” She started praising him still not believing my words.

“I guess age doesn’t matter when your heart is young. I am so happy he is my fan.” She added smiling brightly which was not the case earlier as she was a bit stiff.

“That’s because of the freedom I give as his boss and doesn’t let him work too much.” Saying that I continued to walk and let her hand drop from my shoulder while she rushed behind me.

What’s so young about him? Even I do so much work but she never praised me and not even my cooking and doesn’t even want to accept the fact completely that she likes my cooking way better than his.

I started the preparations and turned to look at the place where she is sitting like she did when she saw his cooking as it is safe to keep away from the staff and the cooking platform.

She smiled looking at me and I slowly smiled before turning to start cooking with a smile on my face.

****

“Why are the customers not ending?” I asked Deepak as he entered the kitchen to pass the orders.

“I wanted to tell you during the break time but you were busy looking at Anny while she was on the phone. Anyway, someone saw her in the restroom and updated it on her fansite. So, the customers increased for lunchtime.” He explained and I turned to glance at Anitha who is also listening to the conversation.

I already warned the staff to never post about her unless they take permission from her but seems like we missed the restroom part where the customers also visit.

“We will not be able to serve everyone who will come after a few. Ask the reception to stop taking reservations and also apologize for that before sending them away.” I said turning to stare at him.

“We will be well prepared for dinner time.” I added and he nodded before walking out to follow those orders while I sighed before calling everyone to just bear it for some time.

By this time we generally take a break but today we have work for an extra hour and also prepare more for dinner time.

Finally, after finishing, I served two extra plates before gesturing everyone to have the food and glanced at Anitha who is sitting silently with a worried look.

“Let’s go!” I mumbled and she nodded standing up before following me out to the cabin and I sighed leaning back to the chair.

“I am sorry! I shouldn’t have let them know that I was here.” She said sitting down.

“You didn’t do anything and it’s not like I am doing this for free. They are paying for the food they had, remember?” I asked smiling and she nodded before glancing at my plate.

“Do you want to rest your hands?” she asked standing up before shifting her chair to my side.

“I will help you.” She added when I just stared at her.

“Because you feel bad the reason behind this is you?” I asked stopping her and she stared at me for a second before shaking her head in negative.

“The moment you started cooking I already thought about how much your hands must be paining and even your staff’s.” she explained and shifted her hands to take the plate and passed a bite near my mouth.

“Then are you going to help everyone?” I asked not leaning forward to take the bite.

“No! Only you as I am your fiancé and not theirs.” She replied smiling and I smiled back before taking the bite.

“You took a small break before too to prepare for lunch. After finishing your lunch, take a nap and I will wake you up when you want me to.” She assured me and I nodded while calmly eating the food she is feeding me.

“Why does it taste so much better right now?” I asked after hesitating whether to say that or not as it felt a bit cheesy.

She rolled her eyes but didn’t react a bit. I guess I shouldn’t say anything cheesy later and with that thought, I silently enjoyed the lunch and stayed awake until she finished hers too before closing my eyes with a smile while she took out her script to read.

I am glad she is going to stay for dinner time too but I will ask her to stay in the cabin itself or my place. It is not good for her to stay that long without being used to the smoke and everything.

Even during Bharghav’s time, she stayed just for lunch and that too for a short period. Today I forgot that she needs to take care of her skin and also about how she is not used to staying and didn’t say anything.

Anyway, she doesn’t look mad at me and that’s enough. With that thought, I drifted off into sleep with the assurance that she will wake me up.

*Anitha Pov*

At present, I am lying on his bed with the script before my eyes but my mind is still thinking about his presence in the kitchen and the command he has to finish the tasks and also give them out.

I thought seeing him cook a simple dish was too much for me but today was like a blessing. Maybe I am his fangirl now for the way he cooks and of course for his cooking.

However, I felt bad to see him working so hard, and mainly when his work increased because of me.

I should have been careful while covering my face but I shifted my glasses just for a second to wash my eyes feeling the effect of all that smoke.

I sighed shaking my head while taking out my phone to see the pictures I took secretly. I smiled looking at them while thinking about the conversation I heard today morning when I reached his cabin.

I was about to leave when I heard his manager’s words that it is right for him to be with Shrishti and he kept quiet for a few seconds but I am glad he kept the door open otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to hear the whole conversation after that as I already took two steps away from the cabin.

After yesterday’s talk, I was already fine but today’s conversation made my heart fly for sure. I controlled so much to behave normal and of course, used my acting skills a bit.

What I wanted to do at that time was to rush his side and ask him whether whatever he said is really true or is he saying just because we need to act as a couple. But his voice didn’t feel fake and he is not that good at lying for sure.

He even sent me dinner earlier as it will be late before he comes to his place and he will have his dinner downstairs as per the message. It was too much but ignoring the quantity I finished it with a smile on my face.

I sat up hearing the door opening and found him walking towards the bedroom with a tired look on his face but a smile is covering his face.

“You didn’t feel bored to just read that script?” he asked entering the room and I shook my head.

“Deepak said he will lock up for me. Thank you for accepting my invitation like this and also for staying here. Is your manager picking you up or shall I drop you?” he asked looking at his phone.

“It’s okay! I will call her.” I assured him before standing up while holding my phone and stepped out of the room to call her.

I turned around after calling her number and found him moving in his room to take out a towel from the hanger on the wall and unbuttoning two of his buttons while yawing in the middle.

“You want us to come and pick you up?” I heard Keerthi’s voice reaching me.

“Keerthi! Come and pick me up only if I call you after a few minutes. If I don’t call you again, then can you bring a pair of my clothes to his place tomorrow morning?” I asked in a low voice.

“Wait for a second!” she mumbled in a confused tone and asked me to repeat and I did calmly still staring at him as he looks like waiting for me to tell him that Keerthi is coming to pick me up after the call before going to freshen up.

“Okay! But I want you to look at the details I gave you about the houses.” She gave out a condition surprising me.

“I didn’t bring the files.” I mumbled sighing in relief.

“I will send you a soft copy. Don’t worry about that.” She assured me.

“Fine!” I mumbled before cutting the call and walked back into the room and he turned to stare at me.

“Is she coming?” he asked and I took a deep breath to say the next words.

It was he who always asked me to stay back and the reasons for those are because of my safety or something important always.

I don’t want to lie to him saying she will not be able to come for two reasons. One would be because I don’t want to lie and the second would be he may get ready to drop me.

“Can I… can I stay over for tonight? I asked her to not come.” I added and he stared at me with wide eyes after hearing that.

“I can call her right now to come if you don’t want me to stay.” I assured him before unlocking my phone.

However, he immediately took it away from my hands and I turned to stare at him after that action of his while he stared at my phone in silence.

“You are not angry anymore?” he asked lifting his eyes to stare at me.

“No! Not after I heard your conversation with your manager today morning. I want to say that even I act out of my character because of you. Even I get jealous easily even for normal things because of you. Even I get angry easily like yesterday because of you. Even I don’t know the extent of my feelings but I want to do whatever I want to even if that makes me stupid.” I replied honestly and he took a deep breath while looking down.

“The words you say… the words you say have so much impact on me. Do you know that?” he asked shaking his head in a confused tone.

“I will massage your hands for letting me stay.” I added trying to hide my satisfied smile.

“Okay! I will go and freshen up.” Saying that he placed my phone on the nightstand and took a step towards the washroom while I stared at my phone with a frown.

What is with that reaction at the end? Was I too much by being this bold and asking to stay back? I am disappointed by his reaction for sure.

“What!” I got startled when he suddenly turned me around while holding my hand before pressing his lips to mine.

I stared at him wide-eyed and before I can react he already stepped back with a smile covering his face.

“I actually thought of doing that after freshening up as I am covered in my sweat but I couldn’t resist. I will do it properly again after returning while holding you.” Simply saying those words he walked towards the washroom and stepped inside before closing the door behind him while I just stood there still staring at the space with shock filling my whole body. That peck was definitely powerful than the kisses we shared before.