That morning was romantic, blissful. I was happy, and it felt like I was in seventh heaven, obviously with respirating lungs, a circulating heart, and a conscious brain... to wake up in Dr. Ishaan's embrace that too continuous listening to his heartbeat.  It felt good...Nah it felt beautifully serene, cock-a-hoop.

Our relationship is turning healthy and hearty. Even his deportment started changing towards me. Like last night, he even apologized to me this morning with a red rose since the reason behind his morning apologies quite surprised me...okay to state frankly it was amusing. Seriously amusing. And the reason was; his aggressive behavior on our very first encounter at Kanpur road. 'Stop! Stop babbling!' something similar to this he shouted, I guess. My stupid arrogant moron is turning cute.

I love him. Yeah. I really love him but there is something in my heart, which never lets my tongue speak out those three magical words in front of him. I knew he loves me, incredibly, and also made me his weakness. After hearing his last night words,  'Ishika, I don't want to lose you', I contemplated that in any condition I shouldn't let Dr. Ishaan get to know about my well-wisher or that person, who is plotting a plan to kidnap me. I can't tense him further. I have to find my unknown kidnapper by myself and also keep myself safe for Dr. Ishaan. He needs me. He requires me. He might have made me his weakness but I want to be his strength. His only strength. 

I made my way to the kitchen to assist him in making breakfast.  Yeah, my eyes, fingers, and senses knew that I don't even know how to operate a stove. Wait! the stove is the farthest thing I don't even know how to use a microwave. I find it complex. It's complicated more than a person experiences in a triangle love story.

All of the blame goes to my Dada he never let me walk in the kitchen. My house had at least two to three cooks and not only me even my Mama had never been to the kitchen. 

Still, I acted completely shameless a few minutes ago in front of Dr. Ishaan Sharma and lied 'I knew cooking.'

How could I not lie!? 

Being a man. Being a laparoscopic surgeon he took out time from his busy schedule and learned cooking, and what about me? What if he makes a shame of me? That I don't even know to operate the stove. So, I took a simple and sweet option...I lied. But had no idea my own lie will turn heavy over me...had no idea it will end up with me stepping inside the kitchen that too, to assist him. 

*********

The moment I stepped inside the kitchen sharp, acrid stench of garlic swirled in my nares, irritating my nares. I rubbed my nares with the back of my hand and smiled at Dr. Ishaan. He wore a clean black apron, stood against a marble kitchen counter, and was blending something that appeared white, sticky, and thick in consistency which I guess was butter with help of a green-color silicon spatula. As I was nearing the distance between us the stench of garlic was increasing. 

"Ahh! You came. Come over here! Wear that apron," he commanded blending the butter with garlic and some chopped green leaves...I guess to be leafy vegetables. "Use that vegetable cutter and knife to chop the veggies." He set everything ready all I have to do was unfold the apron, put it on. Which I did, meanwhile he continued his blending work. "I washed them already. And yes please maintain cleanliness...dispose of the waste in the dustbin, one below to this counter!" I tilt my head...yeah there is a dustbin. "Wait! You know how to chop right. You can do it?" 

Yes! I can chop man's Banana. In case of emergency, like last night I poke a man's banana when he tried to assault me. That Dastard!

"Huh! Hmm...Yeah...I can. I can chop...veggies!"

Dear Ishika, You have turned a fibster and if you continue this habit...then that day is not far when your own tongue starts cursing you. Bad Ishika Mishra. Very very bad. 

 If he had seen my face he would have noticed that unconfident expression dominating on my face than the assuring one. "By the way, What are you blending?" I asked to gain the courage or could say to divert the topic.

"Oh, this blend is of butter, crushed garlic, black pepper, and chopped coriander for garlic bread."

"You are making garlic bread." He nodded. "That's all!" I asked happily. 

"No!" My smile dropped. "Garlic bread and vegetable soup for Adi and Chaya. Bread toast and scrambled eggs for Anu with tea. Bread toast and half-fry for Vansh along with black coffee. Porridge for Granny and Ananya." I gulped a mouthful of saliva. No...that saliva was not because of my exciting taste buds it was because of my anxiety. "By the way, I forgot to ask. What would you like to have?" This time he shifted his gaze from garlic bread blending mixture to my face. Soon I exchanged my anxiety or nervousness with a big smile something I can call that as a manful one that comes only in difficult situations.

"I..!" I was staring at that blending bowl, mincing the inner part of my lips in anticipation. Then I saw the bowls of different color capsicums, tomatoes, onions. Two liquids were getting boiled in different steel pots, one water, and the other milk on the Stove. "What you will have, I will have the same."

"That's not possible, my love." He replied huskily, his expressions turned ironic and playful. He put down the silicone spatula and turned to my side, standing very close. Leaving no space for air between us. 

"W-why, why can't I h-have?" I asked, my tongue trembled. I gulped another mouthful of saliva.

"Because," he loomed over me mumbling against my lips, "I am having your lips in breakfast!" Saying he crashed his lips against mine.

Sametime...

"Shanu!" We both heeded towards the source of the disturbance. As expected, Dr. Adi stood in front of us with a mobile clammed in his one hand and mouth agape. "Oops! I will come later!"

He was late, cause, with exasperation roasting, Dr. Ishaan grabbed the kitchen knife, and taking forward steps chased Dr. Adi,  watching that his legs moved to take back steps.

"Rhino, Hippo, elephanty, buffalo, pig!" Muttering curses Dr. Ishaan hunted his prey. 

"God promise. My life promise. My soul promise. My oxygen promise. My blood promise. This time. I had no intentions to interrupt you both...it's your mobile beeped with someone's message. And yeah...yeah I didn't even check whose message it was. I thought...I thought." Dr. Ishaan approached him as there was no space Dr. Adi glued his body against the wall.  "Run Aditya. Run..." encouraging himself, pushing away Dr. Ishaan he ran out of the kitchen for his life.

"Ishika, low both stove flames, I will be back in a minute." Dr. Ishaan barked before casing him.

What? Wait! How? 

I inspected and examined that weird stove. Okay. I got it. It had four pan supporters and four control knobs. Great. But the first question, where should I tilt the knob? 

I took my fingers to the first knob...All knobs have a small white arrow at the tip, of which the first and the third are directing to the top and the second and the fourth to the bottom. 

The second question, which knob controls which pan supporter? I was facing the greatest confusion of my life at that moment. 

Shit! At least. At least, when I was a kid...I should have played a kitchen-kitchen game with my dolls rather than a doctor-patient game.

A sudden blast of kitchen gas cylinder incident flashed in front of my eyes and ceased my fingers motion before they attempt to tilt any of the knobs. My heart beat faster. 

 Let it go. It's better to leave. My life is more costly than that milk or water. I calmed my heart. All is well! All is well!

Task no: 2- Chopping of vegetables.

I took a vegetable wooden cutter and a big kitchen knife. 

In my life, I have known the two best use of kitchen knives. Number one: To butter the toast or bread, if I don't find any butter knife on the dining table. Number two: In case of emergency, one can cleanly slit the throat of a human being. 

And yes please maintain cleanliness. His words replayed in my brain. 

I gave a once-over to the kitchen. The walls were white painted with teal color cabinets fixed against the wall, above the kitchen counter. And for every hmm...four steps there is one dust-pin.  And every fourth hanger contained one clean cotton kitchen cloth. There is one large-size sink and one dishwasher. He is an insect of cleanliness.

I let out a sigh, took one green capsicum, and scrutinized it by holding the green pedicle in front of my eyes. I kept that on the cutter and stabbed the knife on the capsicum. The knife's tip stuck in the pedicle area and jammed. I raised that knife at my eye level and pulled out that capsicum, which stumbled from my hand and landed in the boiling water pan. 

"Ayee! Ayee! Uhh!" I jumped as I burnt my fingertips while fishing that capsicum from that boiling water. I rubbed my fingertips against my hip. I took that tender capsicum with a cup-shaped large spoon and threw it on the counter, wetting the surface. Soon I cleaned the water with a kitchen cloth and didn't realize that milk reached the brim of the pot and...and in a blink of a moment that white burbling liquid started depopulating out of the container. 

I pull out all the nearby clothes from hooks and placed them on that use-less white liquid, which continued streaming from the container to the stove then over the marble countertop. While wiping that liquid with panic, I pushed the bowl of tomatoes and onions. It took a flip of a downturn and spread all over the counter and a few fell on the floor. The countertop tomatoes and onions dipped in the milk stream. I transferred all of them to the sink and open the tap. Water from the tap came with great speed, harshly hitting the sink, and showered the droplets all over my apron, soaking it. 

I took a step back trying to protect my apron. Unfortunately, a tomato got crushed under my feet. 

PHACHAK! 

"Eww!" I took another step and gave a red stain to the kitchen's mirror-like clean floor.

Please maintain cleanliness...

"Ishaan. Trust me man I had no intentions to interrupt you..." I jerked my head towards the door with fright and trepidation to see Dr. Adi, standing in front of the kitchen with his mouth open-widely. 

Trust me I had never seen a man opening his mouth as wide as Dr. Adi's with an extremely astounding expression, gaping the mess or muddle or jumble(It's the individual choice to name that) I created in the kitchen. Dr. Ishaan stood beside him was gawking in his mobile, while the other hand holding the kitchen knife. 

"...I was speaking about last night and early morning's disturbance you elephanty..." saying he shifted his gaze from the mobile to Dr. Adi and was about to tilt his face towards the kitchen. But. Dr. Adi grabbed Dr. Ishaan's arm and spun him so that his back should face the kitchen. Then hugged him tightly, holding Dr. Ishaan in his position.

"Oh, God! Ishaan I missed you, I missed you so much the...the whole night." Dr. Adi was swaying his hands, gesturing me to run out of the kitchen. Which couldn't be possible, as they both stood blocking the entrance of the kitchen.

"Leave me, you elephant seal. Let me go!"

"No!" he tightened his grip and was mouthing me to "Go". 

I stood, biting my fingernails with fright, anxiety, angst, fear... Never. I never did this. Onychophagia. It's a bad habit. 

"You are suffocating me! Leave! All of a sudden, why you started behaving like a gay with me?" Dr. Ishaan was trying to push him off but couldn't overcome his grip. 

"Go!" he said loudly, this time. 

"What?" Dr. Ishaan pushed him off, eventually.

"No. No. No." Dr. Adi was busy protesting, Dr. Ishaan already took his one eighty-degree rotation, his front facing the kitchen. The moment...the exact moment he turned around his breath got hitched with eyes wide open, ready to fell out of his eyeball socket.

Second time for that day: Trust me, I had never seen a man opening his eyes as wide as Dr. Ishaan's with ultra-extremely astounding expressions.

"What the fuck, you did?" He yelled out, still standing in the same position. Intermittently I was glancing at him and the kitchen mess.

"I will...will explain! Dr. Ishaan" 

"Didn't I say to low the flame?" He asked with clenched teeth.

"Actually, I tried...and ...and...Okay. I am sorry. Dr. Ishaan, I lied I don't know cooking. Okay. Let me confess I had never been to the kitchen...okay. I don't know how that complex, weird thing works also." I rambled and stammered because of anxiety, fear, fright, and all synonyms of fear.

"You. Dumb-headed. Girl! You. Mess. My. Kitchen!" Emphasizing each word he stomped his foot one after, directing towards me, and stepped on a solitary round-shaped tomato, which didn't remain in the same shape as it got punctured into a flat shape. And that too much clean, glassy and slippery floor didn't help Dr. Ishaan. It didn't even show any sympathy to him... and...yes...nice guess he slipped. His butt landed with a thud on the floor.

But the 'PHACAK' voice of another tomato below his arse took domination over the thud voice. 

"Oh, Shit!" Dr. Adi exclaimed.

I finished biting my right and left-hand fingernails. Only foot nails are left, which I can't reach.

"Why you guys are barking at this early hour of the morn...Oh, Shit!" Anu also exclaimed watching her younger brother sitting with widespread limbs on the floor, with a red stain below his arse.  

"Please! Don't get confused, it's a tomato, not hemorrhoidal blood!" Dr. Adi clarified to Anu. Anu gave once-over to my mess and gaped at me.

"Who did this?" Anu queried.

"Ishaan's inamo...aorta. By the way, Shanu baby what is that word?"

Just a glare was enough for Dr. Adi to seal his mouth, which he did the moment Dr. Ishaan rotated his head at Dr. Adi.

"Okay. It happens. Sometimes. It happens. Okay. We will help you. We will clean this mess." Anu tried protesting on behalf of me. Then tying her hair in a bun she stepped inside the kitchen.

Dr. Ishaan jumped, standing on his feet. Ash-brown eyes intensely glaring at my small, innocent body. 

"Nobody is going to step inside my Kitchen?" Dr. Ishaan announced.

"Fine. We all will go and set the table in the Garden. What do you say small kiddo? Will you join us?"

I nodded, beaming brightly at her, ignoring the grilling Dr. Ishaan Sharma, and took a step. Dr. Ishaan blocked me. "She is not coming with you guys!"

"But Kiddo!" Anu was stepping inside the kitchen. My lava-like boyfriend whirled around, barrelled to the kitchen door, and slammed the door. He bolted the door. I gulped shifting from one foot to other in anticipation. 

Dear Guardian Angel, It's time for to you show up. Please come and save me from this demon.

He walked back silently to me, eyes glued to my composure.  

"Hihi!" I tried to melt him with my smile.

"Shut your mouth! As you lied to me, you are going to reimburse for your lie."

"Ohh! That's all. How much should I pay?" Asking, I searched my empty jeans pockets. "Shit! no money in pockets but...I have a lot of money in my account. I can even write one of my Dada's factories in your name. You remember that factory where we had our first encounter. Yes, that one..."

"Shut up. Stop babbling. Not money, my dear cuckoo!"  was it necessary for this moron to stress that last word. Okay. To satisfy my ego I will assume cuckoo means 'long-tail bird' both a mad person. "You will make breakfast for all of us and before that clean the floor!" He commanded, without any shift of his glaring gaze, he lifted his hand towards the hook...I think to fetch a kitchen cloth.  He was swaying his hand to catch hold of any fabric. When nothing came in his grip, turned his head to find all hooks empty.

"There!" I pointed at the kitchen cloth's population which were dipped over the milk stream.

"You are an insane, crackbrained girl." I puckered my face, lips rolled out ready to cry. "No. I will not melt. Not now. Not for at least a couple of hours. So, normalize those facial expressions. For now, you are not my girlfriend. You dunno me. I dunno you."

That morning time was crawling like a turtle...Very, very, very slow along with Dr. Ishaan's commands and Granny's and Anu's concerned door knocks.

Commands were not only heart-hurting but also waist aching and numerous. Numerous means for every five seconds. Like...

1) Mop the floor properly. It should shine like glass.

2) There. Mental head, not there below the stove. Yes. Clean it! 

3) See that tomato, not that one you dumb the next one, yes that one you didn't wash properly.  Wash it.

4) You blind, dumbass there are few seeds stuck to your slipper sole. Come on mop the floor once again. Wait! First, wash your slippers

5) Squeeze that cloth properly! There should not be any drop of water. Hash! You don't even know how to wash clothes. Twist your wrist and squeeze out the water, you mindless girl. 

6) This cloth is still smelling milk. Then throwing that cloth on my face. Wash it!

All I did was huffing and puffing with cleaning then huffing, huffing, and cleaning and huffing, puffing and sighing and cleaning...

Finally, I got exhausted and...and collapsed on the floor.

to be continued...

*******

The chapter is dedicated to all my readers... Your Comments and votes are acting as a booster dose of AstraZeneca Vaccine to my writing speed.

Should I state it as good or bad? But once if I start typing on my laptop my fingers will not stop and end up writing at least 4000 plus words...same happened with this chapter. Actually, I enjoy writing and I fell in love with my dear Ishika Mishra. I started typing and kept typing, typing, and typing. So. I planned to divide this chapter into two parts. By the way, Part-B is more hilarious and romantic also.

And. Yes. It's a kind request from your author to shower the love towards this chapter. And next chapter is on its way to arrive in your notifications, either tonight or in a couple of days.

Comment your favorite part. I will tell mine in your comments.