CHAPTER OMELLET SEASONED WITH PEPPER

**Present**

"If you're done laughing can we focus on the situation now?" I asked coming back to the present

"Tell me a way to fix this." My hands are pulling at the scalp. If I don't figure a way out my head might as well end up bald by the time of marriage.

"Fix what? I mean, I'm sorry. I know you don't like him and stuff but I don't find anything wrong to fix here. And I would say actually its good that he came. Now you can just ignore him and go about your life. You know like those relatives we hate but still we smile and talk to at--"

"What's your point?" I asked getting more annoyed with all her rantings

"MY POINT is who care if he's your ex or not?! Just treat him like a normal colleague. On occasions he asks for anything put that fake smile on and help that birdbrain with it. And you told me he's not here to stay. So just nod your head and smile, in a few months he'll be gone on his way." Neha explains as a matter of fact

"Why didn't I think of that?..."

"Because Dr Thomas no matter how much time passes I'm always the brightest amongst us!" Neha said sarcastically

"Ya, you are" I said laughing

After that call with Neha I slept peacefully that night thinking how much sense it made when I looked at the things in that way. She was right.

FEW MONTHS.

I only have to see him for a few months and I can deal with that. Acting nicely with him for a few weeks was a good bargain for not seeing him ever again. So when I went to work the next day I was determined to not let his presence affect me.(After all I was a professional. I see needles, blood and nasty infections throughout the day. I can endure him.)

But nothing ever goes according to plan for me. (I swear even the sea might dry up if I plan to go on a beach trip)Because the more I tried to ignore him the more imposing and irritating he became to the point that I wanted to poke out his eyes with the stitching needle!(This is the problem the more time I spent with him the more I start thinking like a psycho than a doctor) But it's only the first day, I will not go down that fast. I have week's maybe even months ahead of me before he finally leaves for good.

"Hy Jia, you wanna grab lunch with me?" Krishna asked suddenly poking his head into the lounge

Oh God… haven't he heard of the word knock?!

"Hello…? Excuse me….? Jia…..? Dr Thomas…..?" He starts waving and dancing in front of me as I continued to ignore him and type twice more hardly

"Jia…!"

"JIA..!"

"JIA!!"

"WHAT?!" I snap unable to take it anymore

"You want to grab lunch? Its nearly 3 now." He smiled showing all his pearly white teeth like an innocent child

"No" I turned right back to the monitor starting to type from where I had left

"Why?" He asked coming to stand in front of the desk

"I ate." I replied without removing my eyes

"Thara ma'am said you didn't." He retorted leaning down to meet my eyes

"I'm not hungry." I said again without making an eye contact

"Why?" He whispers straight in my face with his head on top of the screen

He and his whys!!

"I don't think its any of your business. So if that's all can you leave? I got work to do." I finally snap pushing his head of the screen with a glare that I thought clearly conveyed my feelings

With that being said I return back to typing. From the corner of my eyes I watching him discreetly to make sure he leaves but for all I care he might as well as been deaf cause instead of leaving he walks all the way behind the desk towards me.

IGNORE JIA... IGNORE.... JUST IGNO--

I stop typing or rather poking the poor keys to death when I feel his hand brush my shoulder as he leans in supporting one hand on top of the table and one on the chair which I'm sitting in to look at my screen.

THIS IDIOT---

I turn my head towards him to say what exactly I don't know, as I stare at his face which was closer than I had expected. Way….. Closer….. He was reading with his nose scrunched up like he always does when he's concentrating. Not at all minding our closeness. As I come back from the initial shock I notice that there are faint stumbles now on his face like a omelette seasoned with pepper. Back in the days if he's life depended on facial hair he might as well as have died trying to grow some.

I smile remembering the first time I saw Krishna with a moustache. It was during our last summer holidays I had gone away for my cousin's marriage and we hadn't seen each other in almost a month.

**Last summer**

"Jai where are you going? You better help me unpack or I'm throwing all your stuff out!" My mom threatens as I rush out of the house with my bicycle

"I'll be back!" I shout back to her as I lift up my bicycle to climb down the front stairs

"I know you'll be back but where are you going?" She yells at me from the front door as I set my bicycle down and climb on top of it.

We had just got back from my cousin brother's marriage in Maft Arz. It takes around 6hr on train and another 2 or 3 in traffic in total from Grayson hills to Maft Arz resulting in my mother visiting her only sister once or twice a year. If anyone is not familiar with Indian marriages let me just inform you its not an occasion where you just go, wish the bride and groom, have food and leave. No no.... Not in this country. Over here marriage is considered as a group project rather than a simple 2 person presentation. Which means that if there is a marriage in your family or at your neighbour's house you are as good as an event manager. You area of work spans from serving chai to anyone in your sight to arranging flower, food, photographers, room for guest and so on. Both my mom and dad has atleast a PhD in this area.(I'm still working on it. I'm pretty sure by the time it's my turn I'll be a fully experienced event manager.)

**Maft Azar is the place where Jai's aunty lives.