Bittersweet

Chapter- 4

"Don't pour too much of vanilla extract, it won't give a proper texture," Bhuvan said brushing the pan.

"Okay, then 2 tease spoons are enough right?" she asked noting it down on her notepad.

"Yeah, that's enough and bake it at some 160c so that it won't pop at the top and also cake will have a juicy texture," he advised. Noting that too in her recipe Sathya closed her pen.

"Thanks, Anna," she smiled.

"Is this your first time trying baking?" he questioned.

"Yeah, I am not much interested in the baking side before. But now I like to try It," she answered blushing and that is because of her husband. She wanted to do something to him for taking care of her.

Nodding his head Bhuvan continued to clean the pans, Karthik who is cleaning the kitchen slab heard what they were talking about even though he doesn't want to hear anything. If it was before Sathya's marriage she would ask her doubts to Karthik but now he is not even turning to her side and she forgot his existence.

Sathya went inside to take her bag as she is already late, that time her phone started to Vibrate. She took it out and saw Raghu's number. She still hasn't saved him in her contact list since she is so confused in which name she has to save. Husband? Raghu? Tall-guy? Stern-face?

But she doesn't have time to think about this in her routine life, it gave no chance for her to sit simply and breathe for a moment like she has nothing to do.

She attends the call and Raghu said he's waiting outside in a tired tone. Replying that she will come in two minutes in a low tone Sathya ended the call. She looked at his number again.

How should I name you? she thought.

It's been a week since they married. In this time she was very careful in talking with him, she only talks about what he required as he doesn't show any interest in listening to what she wanted to tell.

She identified her heart was racing whenever he hug or kiss her but they are all momentary. Sometimes when she tries to talk with him after they have s*x, he answers a few of her question and turns to the other side, that way she found his full name is Raghuram and his dad's name was Shivaprakasam. He did his schooling and college in Coimbatore and then for work he came to Chennai. He doesn't have any siblings and parents died when he was very young. She doesn't know anything fully cause he is so constrained.

But Sathya feels he is not that bad, she literally seeing every day how much he is trying to protect her, he cares for her or else why he is waiting for me outside after his tiring work, he can ask me to come by my own, but he is different, she thought and looked his number.

Ah...Let me decide you later, she turned off the phone and came out telling bye to her colleagues.

She is so tired and her legs were aching more than usual. Thankfully tomorrow, the Sunday she is taking leave and Raghu will also be at home.

Taking rest and trying baking are the two great plans in her mind.

She bought all the ingredients when the last time she went to buy groceries with Raghu. He only paid the bills for that too even though she insisted on giving her money.

She likes that feeling she gets whenever he shows his protectiveness on her. It is so beautiful to have someone by your side which she doesn't have before.

And she slowly likes to see him, she secretly started to admire him without her conscience. Now her heart started fluttering to see him waiting for her.

With a smile on her face, she went near to him, Raghu turned his gaze from somewhere to Sathya. He didn't smile but that doesn't mean he is not happy to see her.

He took a quick glance at Sathya from head to toe. She is wearing very normal clothes but she looked perfect for his eyes. He gripped his bike steering when he felt a strange feeling in him.

He nods his head asking her to sit behind and he started the bike. When they reached the apartment she walked before him to their house. Gazing her Raghu followed her on the stairs. She must be tired and he can notice that from the way she walks, slowly and clumsy.

"Sathya," he called out her name for the first time and she turned to see him surprised, totally.

"Huh," her half-closed eyelids were wide open now.

"Do you have work tomorrow?"

"No," she nodded as no and only half of the sound came from the mouth.

"Oh..." He walked passing her.

They entered into their house and Sathya closing the door behind headed to their room. She picked up her pajamas and after taking bath she came out of the bath to find Raghu was changing his pant into a pair of shorts.

Sathya looking away,

"Do you want coffee?" She asked.

"Yes," he said.

She went to the kitchen and prepared a nice coffee, which has tasted heavenly to Sathya when she sipped it for tasting.

She came out and Raghu was already in the balcony sitting on the floor. Giving his cup Sathya sat beside him gazing the stars.

It is unusual as he never comes out of the room after they came from work unless if he doesn't have dinner.

But what happened now? She thought and looked him in sideways.

"Why you... Want to be a cook?" He looked at her.

"That's a long story," she chuckled.

"Tell me then, I want to know," he added which even more surprised her.

"Ah... I like to watch my mom's cooking when I was young. But that time I never thought I will determine to take this as my profession and I am not in the idea too. I remember when I was studying the tenth standard one day after finishing the special class I came to home all drenched in the heavy rain. My dad was sick at the time so my mom and dad went to the hospital in the morning itself. I was so hungry like I could eat even the grass. But to my bad luck or something, my mom hasn't cooked anything on that day. I waited for them but then I decided to cook.

That was the first time, I still remember that rainy day I prepared Rice and sambar. It tasted better than my mom's. But when I was about to eat my parents came from the hospital they had the food that I prepared. My mom was surprised after tasting it she questioned me unbelievable. That day my dad had a lot than usual. I felt so happy to feed my parents with tasty food.

After they went to sleep then only I realized they were more hungry than me. I slept that night without eating since they left nothing for me but the satisfaction that I got is what the reason for choosing this career."

"Though I got great marks in my twelfth grade I enrolled into my passion. My relatives thought I have chosen a wrong career seeing our economic status cause girls won't get many jobs as a cook. But I am an exception," Sathya told her story reminding those time, she looked at Raghu he was intently watching her what she is saying. Realizing that she finished he averted his gaze.

"Boring story right?"

"No, you are different from what I thought," he said and looked away.

Different? Then what he thought about me before? She asked herself.

"This hand, what happened to your finger?" She questioned

"I lost it in an accident," he replied.

"Oh..." She nodded but she couldn't believe at all.

She wanted to ask another one question that his arms and legs are longer than usual she found that so silly. Perhaps I haven't seen any tall guy that's why he is looking different for me, she brushes it off and stretched her legs.

"Your native is Ooty?" She asked Raghu.

"Yeah, but I came to Coimbatore and stayed in the hostel until I finish college." He replied.

Sathya heard Raghu studied in GCT which is a top college for engineering. He was a state level champion so he easily got accepted in that college. In the second year of engineering, he won the Commonwealth gold medal.

For three years he worked in a government job, later he left it and joined the private company.

"You are now stopped running?"

"Yeah, After commonwealth, I had an injury and I couldn't make it to Olympics then I stopped running totally," Sipping the coffee he said to her. They watched the stars that were shining brightly today.

She doesn't want to ask about his parents cause she thought he might feel so she remained mum.

"Why you married me?" Raghu suddenly asked her when she was about to get up.

She looked at him, his eyes were fixed on her. "For my parents," she replied.

Raghu let her go, he thought whether he did wrong to her? She doesn't know anything about him... What happens if she knows will she take that as easy? He thought.

This one thought is killing him from the moment he married her.

When he went to sleep Sathya was already in the bed. He laid beside her, for a few minutes he doesn't touch her then without his control he hugged her and kissed her nape.

Sathya turns to his side and kissed his lips. He was surprised and he couldn't control it after that. They made love because in each other's arms they felt so secure and peaceful like they were home.

Next day Sathya woke up very late, she searched for Raghu who was standing upside down(sirsasana) in their living room.

She looked at him in a surprise. Noticing her he fell down and looked at her.

"Ayyo, is that hurts?" She asked

Raghu smiled, "No," he told and looked at her, her face which was so bright and happy.

"Okay," she nodded and went back to their room. Raghu standing in that place felt his heart was trembling.

Later in the evening, Sathya started preparing the Vanilla strawberry N cake. She made it very carefully with gratitude. The output looked fantastic.

She took a picture before cutting a piece for Raghu.

From the morning he was busy with his work, and now he was reading a book. Sathya smiling went to him carrying the cake. Even she doesn't taste it, she wanted him to taste it first.

He looked at her and the plate. Taking one spoonful of that cake into his mouth he was speechless. It tasted so good. Everything was perfect.

"How is it?"

He just stared her without answering.

"The cake?" She again asked.

"Yeah I like it," he told and Sathya smiled.

"Okay if you want another piece you take it on the kitchen," telling that she went to the terrace to collect the clothes that put for drying.

Raghu took another spoon and placed his hand on his chest to feel this sudden strange thing when he had to see her eyes.