AN: Hi! Here’s a new TS based on the recent eppys.. The idea is from the show but based on my imagination… Hope you like this combo! 😉
Not Proofread. Kindly excuse the errors…
Happy reading! 😀
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THE AVNEIL COMBO – POHA + HALWA
PART ONE
Today Avni was dressed in a simple yet beautiful, light pink and yellow off-shoulder kurta with delicate white embroidery and a light blue legging to go with it. Anyone who didn’t know what was happening in her life wouldn’t have guessed that she was a newlywed bride and today was her ‘Pehli Rasoi rasam’, a traditional custom where the new bride enters the in-laws kitchen for the first time and cooks something for her husband’s entire household and in turn receive blessings and gifts!
But Avni was Avni no matter which name she went by, she always liked it simple… So instead of going with some heavy brocade saree, she thought this would be more comfortable in the kitchen…Practical as always… And well, these were the exact thoughts that ran in Neil’s mind when he saw her in the morning that day… Simple yet elegant…
They had shared a room the previous night, but he of course had taken the couch as he had originally planned to take during his fake marriage plan with Rhea… He was brought up a gentleman by his parents and he would upkeep that title till his last breath!
Avni on the other hand had a disturbed sleep…She knew she could trust Neil but being a girl and to sleep in a strange room with strange guy was difficult… Which was when her brain casually reminded her that the strange man in her room had a designation now… and it was something called a ‘husband’! She angrily glared at herself in the mirror for the very unhelpful reminder and proceeded towards her impending doom… err to the official meeting with her not so-happy mother-in law and pleasantly happy Grand mother-in-law! She had to literally struggle to push her feet forward as it was almost frozen in fear… Holding a gun seemed easier than this! Uff…
Finally when everybody was gathered around in the living room, her grand mil asked her what she was going to cook today. Avni who had been caught up in all sorts of thoughts wasn’t exactly prepared for this vital question! And now she was struggling with “ummm s and “errs! Then like they say when no one comes to help, mom comes… She blurted out “Poha! “Ji aaj mein poha banaungi…”
Now that was a shocker for everybody seated there! Well not that poha was any less delicious but for a custom it seemed too simple to everybody… Well everybody except Neil that is… He knew which poha she was talking about… The poha which she had made for him when she had taken care of him after his accident… the same poha which he had then thought she had bought from Ali’s cafe… the famous Ali-Avni combo poha… But now since he knew that she was that famous Avni, he also knew that she had cooked that poha herself and man that was delicious… Well after all if it was good enough to be a restaurant special it was surely worthy enough to be a pehli rasoi food too!
Meanwhile Her Mil had vehemently taunted her for even suggesting Poha and her grand Mil was delicately trying to dissuade her from making it… But one look on Avni, Neil understood that she had suggested Poha because she of course had no clue how to cook anything else! So he decided to jump in and save her… His heart unhelpfully reminded him that “yeah Neil you should of course save her… she is you dear wifey after all!” He then mentally shushed his stupid heart saying that he was helping her only because he was a just police officer and nothing else and that if she failed this kitchen test, she might run away again… His heart then laughed and said, “Oh you poor Neil… Tch tch…believe what you like, we know the truth, don’t we?” So in retaliation he blurted out, “No! It’s nothing like that!”
Which was heard by everyone present there and they were all giving him weird looks! He then realized his blunder and smiled sheepishly and said, “Woh I mean, Poha is nice nah mom… Bebe I have had her Poha, it is very delicious…” On hearing that his mom was furious! She said in her own inimitable style of speech, “Tillu, you eating her poha?! When? Muhje pata tha isliye this girl sitting in mandap without telling anyone!” And on the other hand bebe was impressed that Neil had actually eaten something cooked by his wife already and was all high praises for her! So she was now eager to taste that delicious dish herself and so before anyone could say anything else she asked Avni to go ahead and start making her famed poha!
Avni smiled happily and gave a grateful smile to Neil who for some unknown reason was slightly flushed and was avoiding her gaze… She gave him a ‘something is wrong with this guy’ kinda look and left for the kitchen…
After some time:
Avni was nicely caramelizing the onions to release it gentle sweetness which was the highlight of her mom’s poha… No extra added sugar, just the natural flavours of the veggies enhancing the dish… She was proud that she could make a mean poha just like her mom always did… At least one thing of her mom’s she still had… Aman was still very far off from reach… and that thought had made her a little morose…
Meanwhile, Neil who was loitering outside the kitchen was caught by his mom! She asked, “Tillu what you doing here?”
Neil, ” Woh mom kuch nahi, main tho aisi hi paani peene jaa raha tha…”
Mom, “Oho paani tho dining table ke upar ke jug mein bhi hain, nah?!”
Neil was caught off guard but then his quick Police brain helped him and he said, “woh mom ordinary paani nahi, Nimbu paani peena tha na isiliye…!”
Just when his mom was going to snub him again, his darling bebe had come to save him! And all Neil could think was that his mom might have undergone some secret IPS training! She looked like she might be better at questioning hardcore criminals than him, simply by looking at the way she sometimes questions him, her own Tillu, then what would happen to others… God!
Anyway his saviour, his bebe said “arrey bahu jab tumahari pehli rasoi thi, tab bhi tumhara pati, iska dad yaani mera beta, woh bhi tho aaya tha kitchen mein! Yaad nahi hai kya tujhe? ” His mom started blushing… His bebe continued, “Tab maine tho usse nahi roka tha… Abb tum kyon rob jhad rahi ho?! ” His mom was all caught in “woh main…woh main… .” Meanwhile his bebe just signaled him from the side to go ahead into the kitchen and even gave a knowing look!
God Neil was embarrassed… and embarrassed was an understatement! He was beyond embarrassed… He just wanted to check on her… He was worried, well not because you know the husband wife thingy, no certainly not, it’s just because he was afraid she will burn down the house in anger against him! Ok, that seemed ridiculous even in his head, but hey that was the truthful reason! Nothing else… But that tidbit that his dad too had sneaked into the kitchen during his mom’s rasoi rasam was ok, just awkward! And now his bebe and his mom must be thinking he too was going in to romance his wife! Arghh… Elders are tiring!
But when Neil finally came inside the kitchen he saw that Avni was staring off morosely into the space… He knew what must be going on in her head… So he decided to snap her out of her fugue…
He went near her and made a sound, which jolted Avni out of her fugue and she turned towards him at the sudden sound… He kept coming closer and closer towards her… Avni was visibly gulping and sweat beads were forming on her forehead and just above her lips… She was vibrating in tension like a tightly wrung wire of a guitar! But he didn’t stop and went real close to her ears and whispered…something… But all Avni could hear was the sound of her own highly pressurized blood rushing in her veins… So she said, “uh..?”. He smiled and said a little more audibly this time, ” Patni ka kya duty hota hai?” She was frozen hearing his words… But he then continued in his seductive whisper and said, “Pati ko bhukka nahi rakna…” Her hands almost started to shiver thinking about the line of his thoughts… He then gently kept a hand on her shoulder and she was almost ready to run… but before she could react, he himself slightly pushed her aside! He then took a carrot from the platform and said, “Mujhe meri carrot se koi alag nahi kar saktha! Samjhi Ananya! Mere aur meri carrot ke beech mein aane ki kosish bhi nahi karna!” Saying he happily munched and crunched on the darling carrot and left her there to cool down!
Avni was all hot and cold at the same time! She didn’t know whether she should be angry on herself or him! On herself because she thought he could do something like that and ofcouse on her own line of thoughts… And on him because he had wantedly riled her up!! That man was incorrigible! Arggh!
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TBC…
AN: So? Any thoughts? 🙂 Will update part-2 in few days…
My other Avneil works:
1. Bol na Mahi Bol na – Neil’s Version (An AVNEIL ONE SHOT)
2. AJEEB DASTAAN HAI YEH- AVNI’s POV (Avneil OS)