Florist, Anya is determined that this will be the year her career blooms like the sweet jasmines she's tended to. She's in for a rude shock when she rents a building only to find out that it's been given to gorgeous and confident Kaynath, who owns h...
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Varkey wasn't there that day, or the next one. Forty-eight hours of relentlessly thinking about it burned a hole in her mind so much that even her dreams were filled with him, smiling, granting the keys and paperwork and Kaynath, helpless, her mouth gaping open like a dead fish.
Two days of homemade ghee, butter and payasam that she could smell from the floor above made her weak in the knees and almost made her give it up. She spotted Kaynath busy in the restaurant a floor above, the glass doors providing a perfect view for her jealousy to brew hotter than her grandmother's spicy fish curry.
Kaynath walked briskly, a note in one hand and directing people to instructions as she gestured wildly. The sunlight caught her yellow dress and she looked down, arms crossed, eyes piercing Anya.
Anya looked back, defiant as Kaynath shook her head in contempt. She could almost hear her voice. Petty child, aren't you?
Kaynath leant forward, her chin propped up on palm in amusement as she lifted the other hand, beckoning her to come in. To be frank, Anya was sweating, the sun slit through her eyes making her squint at Kaynath.
She kicked at the marble tile as she rounded the corner and went up the stairs as Kaynath turned around to face her. "Finally come in, huh?"
"Only for some A.C. Don't get any ideas," she blew a strand of hair out of her face and untied her hair, shrugging it loose as Kaynath watched waist length curls bounce before she tied it into a bun again.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night," she chuckled. "Sweets?"
Anya shrugged. "As long as they don't have raisins."
"Insane. All of them do," she gasped, a hand over her chest in mock horror. "Have a ladoo."
Anya grabbed the orange laddoo and broke off a chunk and inspected it closely and finding no raisin, bit into it. She closed her eyes, the soft delicate sweet crumbling and melting in her mouth instantly. She opened her eyes to find Kaynath staring at her inquisitively as she leant on the table, arms crossed.
"Huh," she said with an intense look.
"What is it?" Anya swallowed the ladoo and felt her breath catch, her anxiety bubbling up,
"I can sense your feelings from here you know?" she mused, eyes twinkling, one hand playing with the end of her yellow floral hijab.
"From eating your desserts?" Anya questioned and then immediately regretted it as she felt embarrassment crawl up her skin like earthworms.
"Well yea, you know this is my special gift. So," she shrugged. "I can sense your emotions if you're close enough in my vicinity."
"I honestly thought it was the opposite. Huh," Anya frowned. "Culinary people imbibing their feelings into food, affecting the taste and all."
Anya wondered if the sweet, soft dessert that melted in her mouth and brought her instant relief meant that Kaynath also felt the same while making it. Relief and the first spell of cold rain on a hot summer day. She felt her cheeks burn for an unknown reason.
