27 - When life meets major crisis(S1)

                                    

                                          

|AT THE BREAKFAST TABLE|
As the meal was being served, Rajmata and Bua Sa entered and took their seats. 
They were the only ones present at home right now. Niharika stood beside the table, facing them with her hands joined together.
One of the maids served their plates. As they were about to start eating, Bua Sa eyed the food and asked, "Who made the breakfast? It looks different from the other day," addressing the maid.
"I...I m..made it," Niharika said, looking down.
"What?" Bua Sa exclaimed.
"Why? Who let you enter the kitchen?" she questioned.
Niharika, still looking down, heard the sound of someone getting up from a chair. 
Bua Sa shouted, "Suman Sa, who let her enter the kitchen?"
Suman came forward and explained, "Hukum asked for it. It's her first rasoi."
Rajmata listened to everything silently. 
Bua Sa, in anger as if Niharika had ruined her day, commanded, "Suman Sa, ap hamara breakfast humare room mein fir se apne hatho se bana kr bheja dijyega."
"Ji Ashwini," Suman said with an old, weary sigh, eyeing Niharika.
Bua Sa left the table, leaving only Rajmata. She, too, got up without touching the food made by Niharika and said to Suman, "Suman, we are not feeling hungry. Send this food to charity." 
She left the table without looking at Niharika, seemingly unaware of how she had hurt her. Niharika's feelings went unnoticed by Rajmata.
A tear escaped from Niharika's eyes as she saw both Rajmata and Bua Sa abruptly leaving the table. 
She quickly wiped it away before anyone could notice, but Prithvi, coming downstairs, seemed to have already noticed.
"I'll call you later, after confirming." Prithvi said, ending the call, his gaze fixed in her direction. 
she started taking the food she had prepared back inside. 
Prithvi, seemingly having witnessed her being left alone and her food abandoned, marched toward her. 
Just as she was about to turn, Prithvi intentionally took quick, calculated steps towards her, almost causing her to bump into him. 
She flinched at first, but then their eyes met, exchanging a glance. Realizing that she was on the verge of falling, he placed his hand on her waist to prevent any fall.
They stood like that for a moment, their eyes locked.
Then she broke eye contact, looking down, as she felt her eyes on the verge of giving up, as if they were about to get watery once again. 
Prithvi took his hand back from her waist, adjusted his blazer, and cleared his throat before speaking.
"Are you okay?" Her looking down again, composing herself, she nodded silently, feeling a rush of emotions she couldn't quite understand. 
She took a step back, returned to what she was doing, and started taking back her food.
He asked her, standing there looking at her, "Where are you taking all this food?" he said, white-lying as if he hadn't seen, as if he hadn't witnessed everything through his own eyes.
Still busy with her task, she didn't reply.
"Back to the kitchen?" he asked again, trying to get her attention, which was more focused on the table.She nodded in agreement but didn't say anything. She took her food back in a bowl.