Served with Love

by Priyanka Menon

  Now, standing here with her in his arms, his mouth on hers, fingers in her hair, her hands splayed across his chest, his need for her scared him. It overwhelmed him. But he didn’t want to name the emotion he felt for her. He wasn’t ready for that. Pakhi was the kind of woman you took home to your family. She was the kind of woman you’d want to be with always.

  But Abhimanyu had always lived life on his own terms. And he couldn’t compromise on that.

  With this thought, he pulled away from her. Her breathing was shallow and he could see the rise and fall of her breasts. Her eyes were closed, as if she was soaking in the moment, and her lips were swollen and parted. Abhimanyu couldn’t resist. He kissed her again, a soft kiss on her swollen lips. Her eyes opened, and she blinked several times, readjusting to the light.

  Hastily she stepped out of his embrace, and straightened her hair and clothes.

  ‘This is getting to be a habit now, Ms Mehra!’ Abhimanyu teased her. He was rewarded with a hard glare and the swift colouring of her cheeks which told him that she was anything but angry with him.

  ‘I want that last piece…’

  But Abhimanyu had already forked the last morsel of fish into his mouth. Damn the man! Pakhi had been eyeing that piece for ten minutes. And now it was gone. She could have hit him, but he had let her have most of the kakrar jhaal. Still, on principle, she was angry.

  ‘Sorry,’ he smiled at her, but she knew he was not sorry in the least.

  ‘You did that on purpose, Abhimanyu,’ she flung at him, her tone accusatory.

  There was a momentary pause and Pakhi wondered whether she had pushed him too far. But he simply said, ‘As much as I love hearing you say my name, Ms Mehra, I do not intentionally deprive people of food, even if they have already polished off most of what’s on the table.’

  ‘Hey! I like my food, all right,’ she began only to be cut by him.

  ‘Yes, I know you do. And I can’t tell you how glad I am to meet a woman who enjoys eating her food more than just looking at it.’

  ‘Are you saying I eat too much, Abhimanyu?’

  ‘There it is. My name again. Thank you. And, no. I don’t think you eat too much. You enjoy your food. And it’s a welcome sight. Trust me.’

  ‘Yes, well, going by your ex-girlfriend’s figure, I can see why you think that,’ Pakhi muttered.

  ‘Ah! You mean Tamara. Have you been stalking me on the Internet, Ms Mehra?’ He was teasing her again.

  And Pakhi was caught like a deer in the headlights of a car.

  ‘Ummm … I…’ She searched for the right words, but was saved by the buzzing of her mobile phone.

  ‘Yes, Papa. I’ll be careful. Don’t worry. You have a good night. I hope you’ve taken your medication. Yes? OK. Goodnight.’

  She cut the call and walked back to the dining area. Abhimanyu had cleared the table and was nowhere to be seen. She walked into the small kitchenette to see him working at the counter. He fascinated her like no man ever had. And it wasn’t just because he knew his way around the kitchen. Well, that too. But the way he moved in the kitchen fascinated her. Even now, with his back to her, she knew he was probably coming up with something exotic and she couldn’t wait to try it.

  Crap! All I can think of is eating all the time, she said to herself.

  He turned around then, with a tray in his hands. On it was a tall glass of what looked like hot chocolate. Pakhi was a bit disappointed. She’d expected a quick-fix dessert but not hot chocolate, for God’s sake.

  ‘You made hot chocolate,’ she stated blandly, the disappointment clear in her voice.

  ‘You don’t miss much, Ms Mehra,’ he replied, his voice gentle.

  ‘Yeah, well, I hope you enjoy your hot chocolate. I’m turning in for the night.’ She turned to walk out of the kitchen, but was stopped by his hand on her waist.

  ‘Wait, Pakhi,’ he whispered into her ear. ‘You have to try this.’

  He was too close to her now and Pakhi couldn’t hold herself back any longer. Slowly, she leaned back against his chest, inhaling the heady combination of his cologne and the chocolate. He moved the tray to one side, just as she came to rest against him. She was tired and her feet were killing her. She needed a bed and a good night’s sleep.

  ‘Abhimanyu,’ her voice was barely audible. ‘I’m not really a hot chocolate person,’ she declared.

  She felt him smile as he kissed her head, ‘We are all hot-chocolate people, Pakhi.’

  He moved his arm around her waist and shifted slightly so that he stood beside her. She was partially resting against him as he pushed them both towards the living room.

  She murmured in protest when he moved her forward and made her sit on the sofa. He perched on the edge of the centre table opposite and placed the tray beside him. Pakhi’s eyes were closed and she was almost slouching on the sofa. He pulled her feet up onto his lap and began to massage them. On any other day, she would not have let him, but he knew she was completely exhausted.

  ‘Mmmm … that feels so good,’ she moaned.

  ‘I know it does, baby,’ he whispered softly. ‘You’re tired.’

  ‘I am,’ she agreed as she slid a little lower.

  ‘If you try my hot chocolate, I promise you’ll feel better,’ he said.

  ‘Abhimanyu, I told you, I…’

  Pakhi forgot what she was going to say. All that came out of her was a low guttural moan as she tasted the hot chocolate off the spoon Abhimanyu had put into her mouth.

  ‘Oh, my God,’ her eyes flew open and she sat up straight, wanting more.

  ‘I told you,’ Abhimanyu smirked. He placed the glass in her hands. ‘Before you drink it all up, I want you to do something.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I want you to smell it,’ he said in a low tone.

  ‘You want me to what?’ Surprise laced her voice.

  ‘Ssh … you’ll wake Abhi,’ he admonished gently before saying, ‘I want you to smell the hot chocolate.’

  ‘Abhimanyu, I’m really tired. I…’

  ‘Pakhi, for once in your life, will you just do as you are told?’ he cut her short. ‘Smell the goddamn chocolate.’ He all but thrust the glass under her nose.

  9

  It was like happiness. The hot chocolate actually smelled like happiness. When Pakhi told Abhimanyu that, the grin that spread across his face warmed the very core of her heart.

  ‘Wow!’ she exclaimed in a whisper. ‘But it’s not just chocolate,’ she continued.

  ‘Yes?’ Abhimanyu egged her on. ‘What do you think it is, Pakhi?’

  He watched her as she inhaled the aroma again, eyes closed, as if meditating. He knew he was getting in deeper than he should. But he was constantly drawn to her. In Mumbai, she would only have to walk through the kitchen doors and without even looking up, he would know she had come in. If she came into his cabin to discuss the day’s menu, he would find himself wondering if she would let him take her out for dinner. He could have easily left the menu selection to her, because he knew she was pretty damn good. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He loved those ten to fifteen minutes he’d get alone with her. He was being selfish but he honestly couldn’t help it.

  Even now, as she sat in front of him, it was all he could do to not take her in his arms and taste the soft fullness of her mouth. And he was just about to do that, when her eyes opened, and she blurted euphorically, ‘Chilli!’

  Momentarily disorientated, he stared at her, dumbfounded. ‘What?’

  ‘You’ve added chilli to it, no?’ she was waiting for him to confirm her deduction, her eyes twinkling in anticipation.

  Abhimanyu nodded, but his mind was reeling. He’d been spending too much time with Pakhi, he decided. He needed some space to gather his thoughts and wits before he made an utter fool himself. He’d made her hot chocolate, for crying out loud! When was the last time he’d done that for a woman? Hell, when was the first time he’d done that for a woman?

  Before Pakhi could say
anything else, Abhimanyu got up from the couch, dropping her legs from his lap. With long and decisive strides, he walked to his bedroom and banged the door shut.

  Pakhi flinched at the noise. What the hell was that about? What the bloody hell did he think of himself? Any moment now, Abhithi would start crying, the noise obviously having woken her. Pakhi braced herself for it, but she couldn’t hear any crying. She padded softly to her room. Abhithi was still sound asleep, the rise and fall of her small chest indicating that she hadn’t been disturbed in the least.

  Well, that was a shame. It would have been nice to roast Abhimanyu over the coals for being a selfish piece of … well, there were a few names she would like to call him.

  Walking purposefully to his room, she didn’t bother to knock and simply opened the door. She walked in to find him pouring brandy into a glass. His back was towards the door, and he still hadn’t seen her.

  At least that’s what she thought before she heard him say, ‘Don’t you know how to knock, Ms Mehra?’

  Pakhi wanted to throw something at him. There was a mini vase on a small table next to her. She contemplated throwing it at Abhimanyu’s head, but decided she was above throwing tantrums and things.

  ‘Did you forget there was a baby sleeping in the next room, Chef?’ She said the last word with as much disdain as she could muster into her voice.

  At that he turned around, an apology already forming on his lips when Pakhi cut him short. ‘You know, honestly, I don’t understand your mercurial temper,’ she said angrily. ‘One moment you’re this very likeable person, and the next … I want to throw something at you right now!’

  Abhimanyu just stared at her. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had spoken to him in such a way.

  She was pissed. And he knew she was right. He’d behaved badly. But for the life of him he couldn’t understand why. Or he did, and just didn’t want to acknowledge it.

  He got up from his bed, and walked towards the door where she stood, hands on her hips, as if ready for battle. She had more to say. He saw her open her mouth, but he didn’t let her. Instead, he slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her close to him. Her hands were splayed across his chest in an effort to steady herself.

  ‘Sshhh!’ he whispered softly. His palm was pressed into the small of her back. He pulled her even closer to him, so that she was pressed up against him, her breasts flush against his chest.

  ‘You’ll wake her up, Pakhi,’ he whispered again. But this time he was close, much too close. So when Pakhi turned her head slightly to face him, her cheeks brushed against his beard, and he covered her mouth with his.

  Pakhi melted into Abhimanyu’s arms. Her hands began to move upwards from his chest, her fingers meshing into his hair, loosening his ponytail. She sighed into his mouth and that was too much for Abhimanyu. He crushed her to him as his tongue plunged into her mouth, ravaging her. Pakhi wasn’t prepared for the intensity at first, but slowly her senses took over. She stretched up on her toes, her breasts brushing against his chest, as her tongue began to duel with his. Her teeth nipped at his lower lip as he cupped her face with his hands. Their breaths came out in short rasps, the only sound in the room.

  Slowly lifting his head, Abhimanyu tried to catch his breath, but Pakhi pulled his head back down.

  He laughed then, soft and shaky, as he was out of breath. This woman was a fireball of passion.

  ‘Pakhi,’ he sighed as he touched her forehead with his. They stood like that for what was an eternity. Somehow, this was enough. It felt enough. He hadn’t felt this way in a long time. Come to think of it, Abhimanyu couldn’t remember a time when he had ever been this content. Standing there, with Pakhi in his arms, he was content. He was happy. He would have given up all his wealth right then if somebody asked him to. He didn’t want anything else right at that moment.

  And then, Pakhi sighed. And Abhimanyu realized then that it was this woman who made him feel this way. He was content when she was with him. Her presence brought him a sense of peace he had never known before. He could have kissed her again for this gift, but he wanted more now.

  Bending down, he swiftly lifted her into his arms. And Pakhi went willingly, her head resting against his shoulders, her arms tightly wound around his neck, as if she didn’t want to let him go. He smiled then, slow and shy.

  Sensing his smile, Pakhi looked up at him quizzically. ‘Yes, Chef?’

  He looked down at her and his smile turned into a full-blown, thousand-watt smile, his eyes crinkling. ‘Oh, nothing, Ms Mehra. Just an epiphany.’

  ‘Really? Care to tell me about it?’ she asked, smiling.

  ‘I could tell you. But I’d rather show you.’ And he sank down into the mattress with her.

  Abhimanyu woke with a start. What was that noise? What the hell was that noise? He tried to get up, but that’s when he noticed he was holding something. Rather, he was holding someone. Pakhi!

  She was in his bed, in his arms. She was … snoring? Like a freight train! As he wrapped his head around that bit of information and tried not to laugh and wake her up, Abhimanyu drifted off to sleep again.

  As the sun’s rays filtered through the blinds, Pakhi squinted awake. Reaching out for a pillow, her hand came into contact with something warm and hard. Her eyes flew open as she realized who was sleeping next to her. Spread across the fourposter bed, Abhimanyu was sleeping on his stomach, his face turned towards her, one arm around her waist. His hair was spread out on the pillow, and his lips were parted.

  The initial shock of waking up next to Abhimanyu had worn off and Pakhi’s mind was racing now. She slowly moved out from under his arm and got out of bed. As she stood up, she saw their clothes strewn all over the floor, and a languid smile lit up her face. Donning his shirt, she sat back down on the bed. This was a very special situation. Abhimanyu was asleep, with not a care in the world. And here she was, with what looked to be all the power in the world at the moment.

  What should I do, she wondered.

  Should I draw circles on his back? Or tickle him perhaps?

  Her eyes then rested on his broad back, and her heart began to race wildly. Her breath caught as he moved and the duvet slipped lower.

  She quickly got up from the bed, not wanting to get distracted. Her insides were already heating up from the sight of Abhimanyu sleeping. She tiptoed across to the mini bar. In the refrigerator, she found a small packet of mixed nuts. This would do nicely, she thought, and her eyes glinted with mischief. She padded back to the bed and this time she sat down on Abhimanyu’s side of the bed, almost falling off. The man occupied nearly three-quarters of the bed. Gingerly sitting on the edge, Pakhi placed the cold bag of peanuts on his lower back. He shifted slightly, and the packet slid off. Picking it up again, she traced the length of his back with the packet. His back arched this time, and the duvet slipped further.

  Pakhi got quite an eyeful now! But she was determined to have her way – no distractions! She lifted the duvet and covered the very enticing view. She was about to place the packet on his back again, when she heard him say, ‘Pakhi, I swear to God if that thing touches me again, I’ll make you scream.’

  Pakhi stared at his back. In her shock the packet fell from her hand and landed on Abhimanyu’s back. And that was enough.

  ‘That’s it!’ was all she heard and in a flash she found herself pinned under him.

  ‘In the mood to play, are we, Ms Mehra?’

  Pakhi’s eyes flew to his as he settled himself between her legs. He’d caught her wrists with one hand and pinned them over her head. His other hand was too close to her right breast, which was now conveniently exposed, because she had not buttoned his shirt all the way up.

  ‘What do we have here?’ he whispered as he gently kneaded her breast and bent his head down. The duvet slipped away again, and stayed that way for a long time.

  10

  Breakfast was fairly simple. Abhimanyu and Abhithi ate peanut butter and jam sandwiches, and Pakhi had frui
t and cereal. Abhimanyu wanted them to have an early start to their gastronomic excursion.

  ‘Abhi, you have to finish your milk too. OK?’

  ‘No,’ Abhithi shook her head.

  ‘Abhi, you have to, baby. Otherwise how will you run around all day?’ Pakhi tried to reason with the three-year-old.

  ‘He,’ she said, pointing to Abhimanyu who was busy watching the exchange between aunt and niece, ‘Cawiee me.’

  Abhimanyu burst out laughing at the solution Abhithi offered.

  ‘Oh well,’ he said to Pakhi, who was staring at him incredulously, ‘That solves our dilemma, doesn’t it? No milk.’

  ‘What? No,’ Pakhi began, ‘You can’t give in to every tantrum of hers. She has to have her milk.’ Looking at Abhithi she said, ‘Abhi, c’mon. Drink your milk.’

  Tears welled in the little girl’s eyes but Pakhi was quite used to her tricks and remained unmoved. ‘No crying. Drink your milk. Now, Abhi!’

  The tears began to fall in earnest now. Abhimanyu was getting a little upset at the way Pakhi was speaking to Abhithi.

  ‘Hey! Easy there! She’s just a baby,’ he tried to reason with Pakhi.

  ‘Yeah, well, all this is just drama,’ Pakhi responded.

  ‘That may well be,’ Abhimanyu continued, ‘But she’s a baby, Pakhi. You have to go easy on her.’

  ‘Fine!’ Pakhi threw her hands up. ‘I’m going to take a bath. When I come up, you two had better finished off that milk.’

  Abhimanyu and Abhithi watched Pakhi walk into her room and close the door.

  ‘All right then, baby girl, we’ve managed to piss off your Ooaa,’ he said, and almost immediately regretted his choice of words. Crap!

  In an effort to cover up his mistake, he quickly added, ‘Let’s drink our milk now and show Ooaa that you’re a good girl.’