Page 32 of A Lab Rat's Guide to Fated Love
A Cluster of Crescent Moons
December 2018:
Shoja, Himachal Pradesh
Nori
Nori rolled over to her sidethe next morning, still half-dreaming of golden-browned mushrooms in creamy Alfredo sauce. Only, it wasn’t a dream, but a lingering memory of dinner from last night. There were probably leftovers in the fridge. The thought made her hop out of bed and rush through her shower, before she made a beeline for the kitchen to scour the refrigerator for pasta that wasn’t there.
But a different delicious aroma hung in the air. A blend of aromatic spices, caramelized onions, roasted peanuts, and a sharp tang of… mustard oil? She didn’t know she had mustard oil at home. Her mouth watered in sync with her stomach making a demanding grumble while her eyes swept across the spotless kitchen counters. There were no pots or pans on the stove and no trace of food in sight.
Vir had already finished whatever it was he’d cooked.
Nori pressed her lips together, ignoring the burning disappointment in her chest and another loud grumble from her stomach.
Whatever.She could roast her own damn peanuts, thank you very much.
With a huff, she reached for the cupboard in front of her to look for ingredients. She had no idea what she was going to cook, but she sure as hell was going to cook it in mustard oil—that she definitely had somewhere in her pantry.
“Aha!” she exclaimed, locating the bottle on a lower shelf, right as the front door swung open and Vir stepped inside holding a bunch of leaves in his hands.
“Hey, you’re up.” He beamed. “Look! I found these growing right outside.”
Coriander leaves. He’d found her grandpa’s old herb garden. Or whatever was left of it.
Nori chuckled at his barely contained excitement, before catching herself and quickly looking away. When she glanced back a moment later, she found him watching her still. His careless grin widened as their eyes met and she clenched her jaw against the familiar warmth as it began trickling down her chest.
Shehatedit.
“Yes,” she spoke calmly, ignoring the sloppy contents of her ribcage. “There used to be an herb garden outside. Not much left of it anymore.”
With a quiet nod, Vir took the leaves to the kitchen sink to rinse before making his way to the dining table.
“I’m making sandwiches. Would you like some?” she offered, still salty, but not enough tonotat least offer him the food she was making, anyway. Unlikesomepeople.
“Oh, do you not like poha? I just made some.” Vir frowned, taking the lid off a large bowl on the table, before twisting off some coriander leaves from the freshly washed bunch and sprinkling them over the fluffy yellow rice cuisine.
The subtle resultant change in aroma instantly made Nori’s mouth water, and she pressed her lips together to keep them from quivering. That was the only place she hadn’t looked.
“It smells really good,” she mumbled, watching the fragrant steam rise in swirls from the bowl. She was so hungry she could cry.
“Help yourself,” Vir said, stepping away. “I’ll be right back.”
Nori filled up her plate and started shoveling spoonfuls of hot, delicious poha into her mouth, all while resisting the urge to let out a satisfactory groan as perfectly roasted peanuts crunched between her teeth.
Vir reappeared with another small plate that he slid next to hers before taking his seat.
Nori’s next spoonful paused inches from her mouth at the sight of what was on the plate, neatly cut and resembling a cluster of small crescent moons—guava slices. With the seeds removed.
She bit down on her bottom lip to make it stop quivering again.
Vir looked up from his plate, likely sensing the abrupt shift in her mood. Because of course he did.
She glared at him.
Cutting aguavafor her? And scraping the seeds off each slice? Who did he think he was?
“Is something wrong?” Vir frowned. “Why are you so… so angry?”
