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"Jiji" drishti called me

"Girl..lower your pitch, you'll make me deaf"

"Oh.. sorry jiji. I was telling you that mumma papa and me are going to ketaki masi and keshav masaji's anniversary party and we'll return at night because they live in another village."

"I know, mumma already told me that as I recently got engaged so I should not go out as it may cause evil eye on me"

"Arre my innocent jiji, I meant you have jijaji's number, call him" she said as if it's my bestfriend's number she is talkkng about.

"Nooo, what will he think of me?"

"What? That his would be wife wants to talk to him"

"I can't"

"That's on you but let me tell you jiji, you won't get this opportunity everyday. And no one is going to hear you"

"You go, I'm not calling him"

"As you wish jiji" she shrugged and went away.

Then ma came

"Rini, beta, you will be staying alone whole day, no matter who comes, don't open the door for anybody. Not everyone has good intentions." She said while caressing my hair.

"Ok mumma"

"My lovely daughter" she kissed my forehead and left.

Soon three of them left, not before giving me instructions to keep the doors and windows closed. Check stove twice when I turn it off if I use it. Keep light switches off if I'm not using that space and what not.

Now I'm alone, sitting on my bed, holding a pieace of paper, not just a paper but it has Mishra Sir's number on it, given by himself. Girls of my class will trade their VCR with sir's number. But no way I'm going to give it away.

Should I call him or not? What will he think of me? But he gave me his number so that I can call him. What if he is busy? What if anybody else pick it? No he lives alone. But what if he is with Rajeev Sir? They seems quite close. Urgh..ok so I'll call him and wait for him to speak, if someone else answered the call, I'll cut it. Hm this sounds like a good idea.

I carefully picked the receiver and dialled his number. First ring...second ring..third ring...fourth ri..

"hello" sir answered. I released a breath but soon realized that it was too loud.

"Dharini?" He asked

"He..hello sir, h..how did you know it was me?"

"I just knew it" I can feel he's smiling

"O..ok. are you b..busy?"

"No..I was bathing actually, when I came out, I heard telephone rings."

"O..ok"

"Dharini why do you keep stuttering when you talk to me? Am I look too intimidating to you?"

"N..no sir"

"They why? Huh leave it. Why did you called?" he calmly asked.

"Huh?"

"Why did you called me?" He asked again

"Uh..um actually I'm a..alone today and today you are also not b..busy. so you can teach me e..early"

"So you are asking me to spend my whole day with you?"

"No sir.."

"Well I don't mind"

"B..but mumma told me n..not to let a..any..one inside"

"Am I just anyone Dharini?"

"No"

"We're going to live under one roof after few months. Don't worry I won't touch you without your consent. If that is what you are thinking about."

"No sir, you are w..welcome here"

"Ok dharini I'll be there's in an hour"

Oh my god Mishra Sir will be alone with me for the first time that too here..at my home. What should I wear? Should I wear suit? As if you know how to wear saree, my conscience mocked. Urgh.

After trying many suits, I settled for this.



I quickly washed my face, made plait hairstyle, applied cream, then powder on my face, when I was about to apply mumma's lipstick, bell rang.

Oh ship! He came

I quickly ran towards door, during this I accidentally stood on my own dupatta (scarf) and fell gracefully on the floor. I'm lying, I fell on my butt, also twisted my ankle in the process. Great just great..owwww owwwww

The bell rang again.

I somehow managed to stand up and went towards door limping and rubbing my butt. Uhh why am I so clumsy? I managed to ask "who?" to make sure it sir.

"It is me Dharini" he said

I opened the door for him.

He is wearing a light blue shirt and beige pants.



"Hello Dharini" he said

"H..hi sir"

"Are we going to talk here?" He asked

Oh I forget to invite him inside

"P..please c..come"

He chuckled and followed me behind.

"So Dharini since you are alone, we can study in living room" he offered.

"O..ok sir"

"What happened to you?" He asked after noticing my catwalk.

"I twisted m..my ankle" I'm embarrassed to tell him that I fell because I couldn't hold my horses.

"Is it paining a lot? Do you need any assistance?" He sounds concerned.

"No sir, I..I'm ok now"

Liar.

"Ok if you say so" he replied.

****
With him I didn't have track of time and realized when I heard borborygmus.

From him.

He is hungry.

When I looked at him, he didn't seem to notice that I'm looking at him because he is so engrossed in checking my answer that he didn't even care that he is hungry or the fact that I heard his stomach's growling.

"S..sir, wh..what would you like to have?"

"Huh" he suddenly looked at me, not understanding what I asked.

"Food"

"Uh..um anything you can make in short time, because we still have 1 chapter to complete!"

"Ok"

I quickly went to kitchen and put some potatoes in cooker then added water to boil it.

I decided to make potato paratha. I quickly took wheat floor to knead.

Suddenly sir came in kitchen. I turned and found him looking here and there in the kitchen. I realized he is here for the first time. I didn't gave him my house tour.

"W..what happened sir? Y..you need a..anything?"

"No I check your answers, they are all correct so I came here to give you some company"

"O..ok" I don't want his company right now. He is making me nervous.

"Do you need any help?" He asked

"No" I said suddenly and regretted.

"Okay. But I want to let you know that I can cook well" he said teasingly

"Ok" I said.

***
After I made first paratha, I served it to sir.

"Dharini, make for youself as well. I will wait for you. We will eat together."

"It will be..cold" I reasoned.

"It's ok. I don't like to eat alone and its worth it."

How sweet of him

I quickly made four more parathas for us. Then served 1 in my plate as well and sat far from him.

I'm nervous. How can I sit beside him . He will think that I'm clingy.

He suddenly stood from his place and I thought where is he going then he came and sat beside me.

I know I'm blushing mess by now.

He sat so casually and comfortably beside me that it feels that he belongs here.
With me.

"You cook so good Dharini, the paratha is so delicious" he said

"Thank you" I cooked for him for the first time and he liked it. This made my day.

After finishing food, he started teaching me again without wasting time.

He tutored me till 4 PM.

"Dharini, only revision is left in most of the subjects by now. I hope you practice every day"

"Hm" I replied. Will he stop coming here?

"What happened?" He asked

"N..nothing"

"Something is bothering you. Tell me"

"W..wil you not t..teach me now?"

He smiled and said

"I will be always there for you Dharini"

I couldn't stop myself from blushing.

Indeed he proved this.