HIS LAST VALENTINE
The bouquet was so exquisite, at first glance Shaurya believed it to be part of the mammoth floral order that had been placed to accentuate White Chilis' decor today to appease the patrons who gave the pseudo-holiday the importance it didn't deserve. Bloody Fools: all of them, but their numbers were endless as confirmed by the fact that the restaurant was completely booked for the evening. The provision of an extra romantic atmosphere made decorating the restaurant a necessary evil needed for his bottom line, so Shaurya had reluctantly agreed to the expense. At least, he thought, it wouldn't be a repeat of last year's chintzy explosion of balloons and streamers that Vicky had first proposed. Staring at the arrangement of three dozen flawless deep red roses set in the elegant silver mercury glass vase, he nodded begrudgingly. "These will do. Place them over there on the sideboard. I'll send someone over to receive the remaining arrangements, "he stated satisfied with the quality, but already dismissing the deliveryman. "Vicky!"
The young man called him back, "Pardon me Saab, my instructions are actually to deliver these directly to a Chef Sharma. I was assured that she would be in to receive them."
"Excuse me? What did you say? This isn't my order?"
"Um...uh." The deliveryman stuttered, referring to his clipboard to confirm the delivery instructions. "Recipient: Chef Mehek Sharma care of White Chilli's. Is she in?"
Shaurya looked upon the flowers with new eyes. "Mehek!"
Not only in the open-planned kitchen, but throughout the restaurant, multiple heads turned immediately upon hearing the harsh summons: all but one, who remained entirely focused on her task. In almost complete unison, the others stared at their hapless co-worker, wondering if the tension that had been building for the last two weeks would finally come to a head, with her deliberate ignoring the restaurant owner today. However, just as everyone was sure that Shaurya Sir would completely lose the plot, the woman in question straightened up and looked over shoulder, in the direction the bellow came from.
Shaurya clenched his fists. Even after all these years, and despite being aware exactly what Mehek Sharma thought of him, the guileless expression on her strikingly beautiful face, hit him like a punch in the stomach. Knowing the innocence he saw there to be nothing but a facade, his reaction to her infuriated him. She was still the little cock-tease she had been back in high-school. Judging by delivery she had received, she was still applying her tricks on another unsuspecting fool. Some gullible man who believed that to her, he was her whole world. He watched as her eyes widened when she caught sight of the floral delivery and finally approached. Thank God, Shaurya thought, she would be squarely in his past by the end of the night and she would have no doubts of her place.
******
In an ideal world, the beautiful display would have come from the man she had loved forever, but when she read the card that had been affixed to it, she was almost as happy when she recognized the scrawling penmanship. Her secretive smile, gave nothing away as to the identity of her admirer, nor did she offer a name, as she replaced the card and its small envelope to the holder. Absently, she collected the arrangement and headed back to her work station.
"Hello, Mehek Sharma, do you really think there is a place for that in my kitchen?"
Mehek stopped, blinking, and then began laughing at herself. "You are absolutely right, Shaurie, I have no idea what I was thinking. It must have been the excitement of receiving them." She looked around the room and then turned back to her boss. "Do you mind if I place them on the sideboard until the end of my shift, Sir? I think they would look lovely resting there, and I will be able to view them from my station."
"Put them down and get back to work," he growled.
Scowling, Shaurya collected the vase and took it over to where he had originally suggested it be displayed. His anger at his chef had increased ten-fold with the utterance of one word, and he had to get away from her, and her deviousness. If she thought herself subtle, by referring to him by the pet-name reserved for those close to him, she was dead mistaken. Once she had leave to call him thus, but no more. Not when he knew the malice behind the dig she had transformed the endearment into. He noticed the card set in the middle of the round bouquet, and unable to help him-self reached for it to learn the identity of her benefactor. Nimbly, an arm reached around before he could, and the slip was whisked away.
"Excuse me, that's private."
For a minute they just stared at each other, until Mehek swallowed and averted her eyes. "Um...I've almost finished the engagement dessert piece we need for tonight, if you would like to inspect it, Sir?"
~~~~~~~~
Seven years earlier:
Picking up the topic that the entire school was abuzz with, Shaurya attempted to get some information from the girl beside him.
"Are you excited for Valentine's Day, Mehek? Are you hoping for something special?"
The girls beside him shook her head. "I'm not like most of these girls, clamoring for attention and gifts from every boy they know. February 14th is just another day to me, Shaurie."
"Well that's plain wrong. If anyone deserves something special on Valentine's Day it's you, Mehek." He watched his companion's cheeks warm. She probably didn't believe him, and in all honesty, he had no idea when the plumpish teenager, had become so appealing to him, but she had. They would never had crossed paths, if not for her masterful aptitude for calculus which was getting him through the course that could make or break his year. "Tell me, what has been your favorite gift, you've ever received?" He waited for her to tell him, so that he could make sure whatever he got her topped it. The access to his step-mother's money that he had now, would for the first time, be put to a noble cause.
She shook her head again. "I've only received Valentine's gifts from my family, just the usual chocolate," she confessed.
Shaurya put his fingers under her chin, and lifted the bashful girl's head up, so that she could look at him. "Then the boys around here are fools: complete fools," he reiterated. "Bolo, Mehek, what would you like for your first real Valentine's Day gift?"
She stiffened suddenly, and clearing her throat straightened up and moved away from him. Shaurya looked back over his shoulder expecting to see one of their instructors, or at the very least a prefect glaring at them, but found no one.
"How about your test results, Shaurie? You still haven't told me how you did. A good result would be enough of a gift for me."
"Actually, I'm a bit disappointed with it," Shaurya said, pulling the paper out of his backpack. He passed the sheets to Mehek, whose worried expression had his hormones raging. Surely a pout wasn't meant to be as sexy as hers was. He watched her as she scanned for his mark.
"91%!" Her eyes shot up to his and impulsively she hugged him. "Oh congratulations, Shaurie. I'm so happy for you. How can you be disappointed with this grade?"
Bereft that she had let him go far too soon for his liking, Shaurya grinned sadly. "How can I not, now that I am finally getting this stuff down. If I'm finally understanding it, then that means I won't need tutoring anymore, and if you are not tutoring me, then how will we meet, Mehek? Unless..." He was comforted by the fact that his words had some affect on her when the morose expression his words had caused gave way to a spark of hope.
"Unless, what Shaurie," she asked.
~~~~~~~~
The night was more of a success than he had expected, and on noting who had come for dinner, Shaurya's spirits lifted even higher. This couldn't have worked out any better. All the players were here tonight: it was a veritable high-school reunion at White Chili's tonight. During a brief lull in service, Shaurya came back to meet Mehek. "Okay, we have the ring," he announced. Has the chocolate held up?"
Mehek led him to the cooler were the delicate chocolate orb lay intact waiting for the diamond that would be placed inside of it, and then presented to one very special woman.
"Be careful with it, Mehek, I suspect this cost a fortune," he said opening the box and displaying the enormous ring to her. She gulped, "My God...this is..."
"Incredible isn't it?"
"If you are into that," Mehek replied aghast at the waste of money that lay before her. Obviously wealthy, the groom had to be completely in love, or the biggest show-off known to mankind, she thought.
Shaury frowned at her reaction. She was definitely not hiding her distaste. "Anyway, the plan is that you come out and present the dessert to the bride-to-be. You have done an excellent job by the way. From concept to application, everything is exceptional. Thank you Mehek."
She basked in his praise, reminding him of the teenager he had once adored, and for a minute he was unsettled. But then he remembered and got over the feeling.
"Can you give me about ten minutes notice, so that I can change into a fresh jacket, Shaurya," she asked.
"Oh definitely. Everything should be perfect."
**********
Mehek looked at her watch. The kitchen had officially closed, and she still hadn't been called out to deliver her creation. She wondered what was taking so long, and wished that it would hurry up and happen so that she could leave. Sara, her best friend, and Trey, also a fellow high-school friend, had come to dinner tonight and she hoped that she would have the opportunity to meet them, before they headed home. It would be awful to disrupt their night: especially this very special night for the married couple. Ironically though, the other reason that Mehek was anxious to get out of here was because of another set of diners. She cast her eyes towards the table, and felt sick to her stomach to see Shruti and her BFF Tanya there. They had also attended school with them, albeit a year ahead. The two biggest witches on campus. Mehek still couldn't believe how someone as sweet as Sara could be related to Shruti. Sara would never have done the things her cousin-sister thought acceptable. And probably still did, Mehek thought maliciously. Both of them; Shruti and Tanya looked like bloody hookers in their obscene minidresses.
"Mehek, it's time."
"Thik hai, Shaurya."
As they passed the sideboard where her bouquet rest, Shaurya stopped suddenly. "Shit," he mumbled, and then looked back at his chef. "Mehek, I need a rose...do you mind?"
"Nahi go ahead, it's okay."
She waited as he took one of the blossoms, and then followed him. Confused still, they circumvented the dining room until she reached the table she had spied from afar. Her eyes darted around as she looked for the man who would propose, and wondered which of the two women were getting engaged. And then she heard the beginning of the conversation that would tear her world apart. "Namaste Tanya, Shruti; you both remember Mehek don't you?"
Bitch 1 wrinkled her nose, "Vaguely, I think," Tanya said.
"She's Sara little friend, you know from high-school."
"The fat girl? Oh yeah, I remember. You do look a little different now I guess."
Mehek blushed.
"Behave Tanya," Shruti retorted, although her eyes spoke of her enjoyment of the situation. "Is this for me," she asked of the chocolate decadence Mehek carried.
"It is indeed. Mehek's very own creation. Happy Valentine's Day, Jaan," Shaurya said.
And then after passing Shruti one of her roses, the only man she had ever loved, got down on one knee to propose to the woman she hated most in the world. Mehek dropped the plate and ran.
*******
"You won't get away with this, none of you. Every police officer in the city will be on the hunt for you as soon as you step out of the door. I personally guarantee it."
His would-be engagement disrupted when the gang of men barged in, Shaurya fearlessly stood up to the thugs, giving his remaining staff time to escape to the back unseen. Ideally all of them would be able to make their escape and raise the alarm.
The leader of the gang, took his revolver and pistol-whipped the hotelier before getting one of his accessories to relieve him of his valuables and then restrain him with the zip-ties they had brought with them.
Shoving the businessman on to the ground when he was done, the thug stood up. He bagged the man's phone, wallet and watch and then handed huge diamond solitaire he had taken from the man to his leader. "He could be right boss," he growled.
"Nahi, there is no could be, about it. Khanna Saab is absolutely one hundred percent right. The law will be on our tails in minutes, if they aren't on their way to stake out the place already. Which is why we are going to safeguard our exit." The sinister man raised his voice, his next words making it clear why their first act had been to secure all the men present. "It's Valentine's Day boys, and I think it's time to secure our date for the evening," he diabolically announced bringing everyone's attention the three women in their midst.
She had swiped her face in an attempt to hide her tears when her co-worker dashed towards her in the back room. But when the frantic hostess was followed by the kitchen porters in the same condition, Mehek realized that something was wrong. And that's when she heard the cacophony from the front: the screams and grunts punctuated by a single gunshot. Mehek jumped at the sound.
"We're being robbed, I don't know how many... But they're all armed."
Mehek's concern immediately switched to her friends who were still present in the now closed restaurant and yes, even for the man who had just ripped her heart out. "Did anyone manage to press any of the panic buttons," Mehek asked, as she tried to tune into what was happening in the front of the building.
"I don't know, I don't think so."
"Don't worry about it, we will call for the police, but first thing first we need to get out of here. Head for the back door...quietly, call the emergency number as soon as you are outside" she instructed the hostess. "I'll be right behind you."
"I have a safe...in the back room," Shaurya pointed out, hoping the prospect of more money would sway the men, from their leader's suggestion. "You can have everything in it, plus tonight's taking, just leave..."
The burly leader of the group who had invaded White Chili's grinned maliciously. "Oh, don't worry, we will surely help ourselves to contents of your vault, Shaurya, but, that won't be the only thing we will be leaving with." His eyes strayed, and then he nodded to one of his cohorts. The man walked over and grabbed the hand of the woman his boss had indicated and brought her in front of the man.
"Sara...No. Don't you touch my wife, you bas***d. I'll f**king kill you."
Instantly a weapon was trained on the man, and the frightened woman tore away from her captor to run to her husband. She threw her arms around him sobbing. She screamed when she was ripped away from Trey and taken back to the leader.
"Hello again, Jaan... Sara is it?"
The hysterical woman shook her head. "Please no," she sobbed. "Don't hurt him, please," she begged with folded hands.
"Aw you are sweet," the man said. "Not to mention very pretty." He raised his hand to her shoulder.
Behind her, Sara, heard the sound of a struggle, followed by the sound of flesh connecting with flesh. She resisted turning around, as not to anger the man any more than he was already. "Please don't hurt me. I'm pregnant," she stated. "I'm going to have a baby."
Amazingly, her words had some effect on the man, and he smiled softly. "Well that changes things just a bit." He looked over her shoulder in the direction of the young woman's husband who looked poleaxed. The goon's eyes returned to Sara, now narrowed with suspicion. "You're not lying to me are you now, Sara?"
"Nahi, I just found out." She turned around and faced the man she loved. "I was going to tell you tonight when we got home. We have our first doctor's appointment in two days."
His eyes full and his lips trembling, the man nodded to his wife. "I love you Sara."
"Oh, this is sweet. Congratulations to you both, but you were my first choice Sara. What am I to do now?" He looked over to the two women who had tried to make themselves as inconspicuous as possible. "Would either of you care to take sweet Sara's place, and guarantee us safe passage away from here. Either of you?"
Both women stood silent. Tanya turned her head away, refusing to even acknowledge the situation.
"Shruti di," Sara called out in a desperate appeal to her older relative. She knew a moment's relief when her cousin stood tall and looked squarely into the face of man holding her sister. "I wouldn't believe a word she's said. She's definitely lying."
Across the room, Shaurya closed his eyes in disgust. He understood that the women were frightened, but he couldn't believe that this woman: his almost fiance had just betrayed her young cousin the way she had. Trey's shout had him opening his eyes again. The leader had made a decision and was now about depart. Things were about to turn ugly real fast.
"Stop!"
Almost to the door, the man leading Sara away, turned, as did his compadres, to see the new addition to their group: a blotchy faced chef standing there.
"She's not lying. She sent me a picture of her home test. She is really going to be a mother. Please don't hurt her," Mehek begged with folded hands. She pointed at her own chest. " I'll come with you. Take me instead, but just leave her be...please."
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