*****
The peeking of the sun woke her up. She opened the window and saw that the day was bright. Priyanka dragged her lazy legs on the floor to get to the bathroom. Her head ached from thinking about Karan and Atharva. Why did the Lord send them now?
She took a quick bath and went to meet her mother in the kitchen. They were going to prepare a meal for the doctor.
She was surprised that Kamala was spending so much on this doctor. The food in the house was not enough to last for two days and her mother was preparing a feast for a rich guy, who would probably forget the kindness, she had shown.
"Mother, I think you are preparing too" Priyanka could no longer hold herself. She let it out. "We don't have to spend our all...on this man."
"This is the man, who treated your brother without asking for a dine" Kamala reminded her of the great favor, the doctor had done for them. It seemed her daughter had forgotten so soon.
"I know, mother" Priyanka leaned against the door. Kamala was not getting it. "I'm not saying we shouldn't give him anything. But think of it, he is a rich guy who eats fancy and expensive food. He won't cherish you..."
"I think you are being stingy," Kamala bends over the wood-burning stove. The firewood created smoke instead of fire, she knelt to blow it with her breath.
Priyanka took a hand fan on the floor and walked to the fireside. She blew it with the fan, in no time, there was a fire.
She put on a kettle on top of the two stones under the wood grate.
"There is no point arguing with you, mother. You always win."
Kamala smiled. She opened the little cardboard by the right and removed two sachets of dry coffee. Placing them on the tray, she put a tiny spoon too.
Priyanka was surprised. Her mother even went ahead to buy coffee for the doctor. She did not whether to appreciate her effort or not?
"Mother, where did you those sachets of coffee from?"
"I bought the yesterday evening" Kamala answered, taking the parathas from the fire. "Why are you asking?"
"Am I not supposed to ask about it?. You don't have a job to earn money from neither do I. we don't know how long Srita is going to keep me at the tavern. They might decide to send me away one day."
Priyanka took a glimpse at her mother. She was generous, kind, caring, and innocent. She treated everyone with respect even though they did not return it. That's why she had many failures in life. The world did not cherish people. It was a matter of survival. A fight to live on the planet Earth, no one cares about virtue now. Whoever survives, is the winner and she did not want her family to lose in this game.
"If you insist, mother. But I don't have any money for food if you give the doctor everything we have at home"
"We will survive, dear," Kamala told her. She was dishing the food to the plate. "Priya dear, do you remember those teacups, your father bought us?"
Priyanka nodded. Of course, those were her favorite mugs. They were hidden in the cupboard. It was one of those items, her father bought before dying. He wanted them to have tea and coffee just like the rich. A tear escaped her eye. It landed on her cheeks. Quickly, she wiped it off before Kamala sees it. She will join in and cry her lungs out. They haven't gotten used to his death. To them, he just pass away yesterday.
"What do you want to do with the cups, mother?" She asked,
"Bring them out, dear. We will serve coffee to the doctor" Kamala uttered, with a hope that she will bring them out.
"Aah!...no mother. I refused" Priyanka shrugged her shoulders and looked away. She knew that Kamala was going to play the role of mother Indian again.
She did not insist. Kamala took the stainless cups from the bowl and placed them on the tray. She wanted to move it to the living room when Priyanka stopped her.
She brought out three white mugs and replaced them with the stainless cups "are you happy now?"
"Thank you" Kamala smiled at her. she knew that her daughter was going to change her mind and hand over the mugs to her.
Priyanka arranged her room after that. She helped Krish to dress up while her mother cleaned the kitchen.
She did not understand why her mother was obsessed with this doctor. Who was he?
"Is he Worthy of this?" She looked at the tray of food that was placed on the old table in the living room.
A knock came on the door. Her heart skipped for no reason. What talk about the devil? He was right outside her house. Kamala yelled from the kitchen urging her to open the door. She nodded, grabbing the doorknob. The door opened and she came face to face with him!
The stranger with a bike. He also gave her a ride home yesterday. What was he doing here? Priyanka was shocked. Her hands froze as he looked at her with some confusion.
Was he following her now? She closed the door, immediately and leaned on it.
Her heart thumped abruptly within her chest. She could not breathe properly through her nose. Priyanka took a deep breath and exhaled through her mouth. What was happening to her?
Last night, she tossed throughout, thinking about him and today, he appeared on her doorstep. Did he have a sleepless night? was this fate?
Many thoughts ran through her mind as she held the doorknob tightly so that he can not get through.
Priyanka shut her eyes. She was going to faint soon...