23-12-2018, 02:38 PM
A few days later, my mom told me that Kusumtai (Swati's mother) had invited us to dinner. My mother had begged off, since she had a lot of answer papers to grade. But she had promised to send me (talk about the hand of fate!). She had also told Kusumtai to cook something light & simple, since I was still recuperating from my illness.
***
Kirti, Swati's younger sister was in her last year of high college. She was an even better student than Swati. She was very diligent and hard working, attending coaching classes after college so that she could score well enough in the college leaving examination to gain admission to the best college in town. Kirit, the youngest and the only son was a bit roly-poly, jolly, dreamy, happy-go-lucky boy. Although he eventually proved himself to be the brightest of the lot, he had given no inkling of his future brilliance up until then. At that time he was off on a camping trip with his boy-scout group.
***
"It is open!" I heard Swati shout when I reached her home & rang the bell.
It was around 7 PM. Dusk had just fallen. There was nobody at home except Swati. Her dad Laxmanrao was away (as usual) on one of his long & frequent business trips. Her mom Kusumtai was at her clinic; she was expected to return after 9 PM. Kirti was at her coaching class, expected back by 8:30 PM. Kirit was going to return only the next day. Swati was busy in the kitchen, perhaps trying her hand at cooking some additional dish to supplement the efforts of the cook, who had already left for the day after making dinner.
"Sit down & make yourself comfortable. I'll be out as soon as I have finished kneading this dough." Swati called out, peeping out of the kitchen.
"Alright." I said, taking in Swati's visage. She was dressed in an informal, workaday cotton sari. She also wore a cotton apron that covered her front. She didn't betray any awkwardness about our meeting at my farm a few days back. I did feel a bit shy, though. I also felt nervous & excited, just to hear her voice and be near her again. I tried to distract myself by reading a magazine lying on the center table in the living room.
"Sameer, will you please tie this apron again?" Swati called out.
She stood in the doorway between the kitchen & living room. She held her hands in front of her since they were messy with partly kneaded dough. The knot of the apron had worked loose behind her back. Her face glowed with the sweat of her exertions in the hot kitchen. She was trying to blow back a strand of hair that had fallen across her brow. There was a streak of flour on her cheek. Her bright, expressive eyes looked sexy; there was a peculiar "look" in them.
***
Kirti, Swati's younger sister was in her last year of high college. She was an even better student than Swati. She was very diligent and hard working, attending coaching classes after college so that she could score well enough in the college leaving examination to gain admission to the best college in town. Kirit, the youngest and the only son was a bit roly-poly, jolly, dreamy, happy-go-lucky boy. Although he eventually proved himself to be the brightest of the lot, he had given no inkling of his future brilliance up until then. At that time he was off on a camping trip with his boy-scout group.
***
"It is open!" I heard Swati shout when I reached her home & rang the bell.
It was around 7 PM. Dusk had just fallen. There was nobody at home except Swati. Her dad Laxmanrao was away (as usual) on one of his long & frequent business trips. Her mom Kusumtai was at her clinic; she was expected to return after 9 PM. Kirti was at her coaching class, expected back by 8:30 PM. Kirit was going to return only the next day. Swati was busy in the kitchen, perhaps trying her hand at cooking some additional dish to supplement the efforts of the cook, who had already left for the day after making dinner.
"Sit down & make yourself comfortable. I'll be out as soon as I have finished kneading this dough." Swati called out, peeping out of the kitchen.
"Alright." I said, taking in Swati's visage. She was dressed in an informal, workaday cotton sari. She also wore a cotton apron that covered her front. She didn't betray any awkwardness about our meeting at my farm a few days back. I did feel a bit shy, though. I also felt nervous & excited, just to hear her voice and be near her again. I tried to distract myself by reading a magazine lying on the center table in the living room.
"Sameer, will you please tie this apron again?" Swati called out.
She stood in the doorway between the kitchen & living room. She held her hands in front of her since they were messy with partly kneaded dough. The knot of the apron had worked loose behind her back. Her face glowed with the sweat of her exertions in the hot kitchen. She was trying to blow back a strand of hair that had fallen across her brow. There was a streak of flour on her cheek. Her bright, expressive eyes looked sexy; there was a peculiar "look" in them.