"Why should I be the bad cop?"

• ♡ •

Later the next morning, Heer walked out of the room after a bath. She had been thinking about the offer. She had enough savings to be the source of her spending for the next three to four months. She had decided to take Kabir's help. She still hadn't mentioned about the travel that was a part of the contract once the troop was ready. Of course their kiss had totally threw her off track.

She found him seated on the floor, with his back against the sofa while his laptop was on the table with a few papers. 

"Hey," she called for his attention.

He looked up at her surprised, she wasn't wearing he usual office clothes instead she had on a sleevless tunic with capris. Her hair was wet and she wore a white hair band. 

"Not going to office?"

"Took work from home today," she spoke sitting on the sofa a few inches away from him shoulder. 

He turned to look at her, "Did you submit your resignation?"

"Not yet, umm I need your help." She spoke thoughtfully.

"My help?" He asked a little surprised.

"Yeah, I need you to go through this contract once. Raghav gave this to me. Also, I will be required to travel for the performances that will tentatively be held four and half weeks later. The travel and accommodation cost will be looked after by the theater administration." She spoke as Kabir took the papers from her hand and flipped through them.

"Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, Kolkata and Jaipur!" He read the cities.

"Yeah, and there will also be four shows in Mumbai!" She added.

"I am in between something, I will go through this in a while. Is that okay?" He asked looking at her.

"Yeah, cool. I will get to work until then. But Kabir, are you okay with the travel part. I mean... do you think Advika will be okay? I will be away for some five weeks or so."

Kabir looked at her puzzled. Would he be okay with her away for almost on and a half month? Advika would surely not be okay. She was too attached to Heer. "We should be able to convince her," he spoke. 

Heer looked on with uncertainty, "You sure?"

"Yeah." Kabir answered nodding.

"Okay! By the way, is Hema Taai not coming today?" She asked referring to the maid.

He looked at his watch, "she will come in fifteen minutes!"

"Okey-dokey!" Heer exclaimed getting to her feet. Kabir looked at her retreating figure and then glanced at the contract. He had to convince Advika, this was Heer's dream. He kept the papers aside sending the mails he had to.

* * *

Over lunch Kabir discussed the contract with Heer. Heer liked the fact that he let her help in little ways in the kitchen. She was preparing the buttermilk while he was making the rotis. 

"I think you should demand a fifty percent payment by the end of three weeks. By then they would have the pre-booking start. So they can definitely pay you. Apart from that, the contract seemed pretty fair." Kabir told her as they sat on the stools.

"You think I should?" Heer asked doubtfully, "I mean I have no experience in this field."

"That's why I said at the end of three weeks. That will give them a fair time to judge your dedication and work." Kabir answered, serving the gravy into two bowls.

"What if I don't do well?" Heer asked nervously.

Kabir turned to look at her. "Heer, stop overthinking. You said you were a part of theater throughout the college years."

"Yeah, that was like some six years ago!" Heer muttered.

"Look, there is going to be uncertainty. You're doing this for yourself. So I don't see why you care whether you will succeed or not. The important part is you always wanted to do it. You won't regret leaving the offer."

"But .."

"Eat," he ordered cutting her off. 

She made a face, "You have to be grumpy, don't you?"

"I am not grumpy!"

"If you are not grumpy then I have two horns on my head. Do I?"

Kabir chuckled, "stop watching kids movies!"

"They are fun," Heer smiled eating. "And, you definitely should teach me how to make a few gravies. "

Kabir smirked, "Sorry, the recipe is a secret!"

"Come on!" Heer muttered. "By the way, have you ever featured on cooking shows?"

Kabir's smile faded. "I used to, when I was a chef. Now I am more of a businessman running his restaurants."

"Did you work as a chef in your own restaurant?" Heer asked curiously.

"You talk a lot while eating! Bad manners!"

"Ugh, you could just answer!" Heer shook her head in disapproval.

"Yes, I used too. No more questions!"

"What about Advika's birthday plan? Did you think of something?"

"I meant no questions of any sort!" Kabir spoke looking up at her. His gaze drifted to her fingers as she took a sip of the buttermilk. His eyes lingered at the ring on her finger. He wondered if that ring was from Rajeev. If it was why hadn't she taken it off?

"Kabir!" Her loud call made him blink away from his thoughts. 

"Come on, I have work to get back to  please tell me. Can we please bake the cake for her instead of ordering?" 

Kabir let her words sink in, " You didn't put baking powder into the batter the last time!"

"Okay, that was a small error. And because you were looking at us like a cop on duty." Heer defended herself.

"Not putting baking powder into a cake mix is not a small error," Kabir spoke putting a morsel into his mouth.

"Fine, that's why I said we!" Heer spoke.

"I will bake the cake," 

"That's cheating. It was my idea and I want to do it."

"I will let you take half the credit," Kabir shrugged focusing on his food.

"I don't want the credit for something I didn't do. Kabir, I want to.."

"Fine, we will bake the cake. The party invitations are your domain."

"Cool, and I will take care of decorations too!" Heer spoke eating.

"No way, I am doing the decorations." Kabir spoke up.

"Please, you are going to do nothing!" Heer rolled her eyes. 

"I am.."

"Cool then, I am making the snacks for the party," Heer spoke holding back her smile.

"Fine do the decorations, the cooking is entirely on me!"

Heer smiled, "Perfect!"

Kabir smiled to himself as he ate. Like he didn't know what she did there.

* * *

Kabir was tiding up the kitchen post lunch and making soup for Advika. His thoughts were stuck at Heer's questions. He couldn't help but reminisce the days when he used to teach Varsha his new recipes. He sat on the stool in the silence of the kitchen. Why did she have to leave him? Things were so perfect. They had the perfect plan for future. A lone tear left his right eye.

"Kabir?" Heer called softly as she walked over to stand beside him. 

He looked at Heer after rubbing the tear that left his cheek wet. "Ugh, the contract is on the table outside." He spoke up to deviate her attention.

"Are you okay?" She asked softly. He looked up to find him looking at him with eyes full of concern. He rhand was on his shoulder. 

"I am fine," he spoke nonchalantly getting off the stool.

"Friends share things," Heer spoke and he looked up after switching off the flame. His eyes met hers briefly before he walked out of the kitchen. Heer sighed and walked over to the water dispenser. She guessed it was do with Varsha. Could someone really love another person so much that they couldn't move on at all?

She walked out of the kitchen and glanced at Kabir. He looked at her and stood up straight. He had papers in his hand. She walked up to him, and took the papers. But he didn't leave them. "I was remembering Varsha. I used to teach her new recipes."

Heer's face fell, "I am sorry, I didn't think..."

"Don't be. Not your fault." He replied cutting her short, his lips forming a tight smile.

Heer simply nodded and decided to leave him alone. She didn't know how she always managed to scrape at his wounds. 

"Heer, I can teach you a few of them." She heard him say. She looked over the shoulder and smiled, before hurrying into the room. Her momentarily smile was gone. She hated when she scratched at his wounds while he was always the balm to hers. 

* * *

Heer was waiting for the pharmacist to deliver her order when a voice made her turn to her side. "Bhau, I sent the message of my order. Order number 120." 

"Hi," Heer greeted Dev. He was dressed in denims and a pale turquoise colored tshirt. 

"Hey!" He smiled at her. 

"You're still around, I thought you would have left!" Heer smiled noticing the dimples that formed on his cheeks as he smiled.

"No, no. I had gone to visit mom, seems like I will be staying here a couple of months more. I won't be surprised if I end up being a permanent Mumbaikar." He smiled.

"Madam," the pharmacist handed her a brown paper cover. Heer took it and peeped inside. She frowned noticing a couple of medicines and then a pack of sanitary napkins which was from a different brand than she ordered.

"Sir," he handed a pack to Dev who took it and paid the bill.

"Bhaiya, I don't think this is my order." Heer spoke to the pharmacist handing back the paper bag. He frowned taking it.

"Whisper, eno and paracetamol." The man spoke looking up.

"But I ordered,"

"This..." Dev spoke handing her the cover which was in his hand.

Heer looked puzzled an took it from him. She peeped inside to find the packet of sanitary napkins and hand wet wipes she had ordered. "Yeah!" She muttered looking at the pharmacist.

"Sorry, I would have interchanged..." the man behind the counter apologized.

"No worries, Bhau," Dev smiled at the older man.

Heer pressed a momentary smile and made an online-payment. "Bhaiya, payment successful," she showed her phone screen.

"Thank you, Ma'am!" The man smiled.

Dev smiled walking back with her. "That's for Bhabhi, she isn't keeping well. So I offered to pick it up for her."

"Of course," Heer smiled at him while he grinned.

"So, you were saying you will be around. Nice we can have a few more face offs." Heer smiled as they slowly walked towards the apartment gate.

"Yeah, sure." He smiled. "I win them any way!"

"Haha in your dreams, yes! So how is Adi? He didn't come too. You should ask him to come even if you aren't there. We can all play."

"Yeah, Adi had his unit tests on!"

"Oh, Advika's is around the corner." Heer spoke.

"You seem to be a very doting Chaachu," Heer smiled complimenting him. "And Devar!" She added.

"And a good brother too!" He chuckled adding. "Actually, things  aren't good between my elder brother and his wife. Hence, mom summoned me to make peace. But I don't think I am able to do that. Anyways.." he sighed realizing he was talking too much.

"It's okay, really. I hope they solve their issues soon. Aditya might be going through tough time."

"Yeah, that's why his superman is here!" Dev smiled referring to himself as superman.

Heer giggled, as they walked into the apartment.

"See you later then!" Heer spoke turning to him with a wide smile on her face.

"Sure, see you!" He wished and then walked ahead. Heer smiled looking at his retreating figure. He was a nice guy. She blinked at her thoughts, hurrying towards the lift lobby. 

* * *

"Advika, why haven't you finished this?" Heer asked exasperated as she noticed the teacher's remarks on the margin of paper in the book. 

"Because maam erased the board," Advika pouted.

"How did everybody else finish it then?" Heer asked folding her arms.

"They write fast!" She argued.

"Which means you write slow, Advi?" Heer narrowed her eyes at Advika.

Advika looked away. "I finished this," she spoke showing her the Environment science book."

"Advika, tell me why didn't you complete this?"

Advika pouted and then looked away.

"Advi, no hiding and lying to mom!" Kabir spoke up as he entered the room with a plate full of apple slices.

"Rishi took my stationary pouch and hid it. And he snatched my pen."

"Why didn't you tell maam then?" Heer asked.

"Why didn't you snatch your pen back?" Kabir said at the almost same time.

Advika looked at her father and then her mother. "Mom said it isn't good to snatch things,"

"It is not wrong if they are yours," Kabir pointed out while Heer rolled her eyes.

"Okay, you go and complain to maam tomorrow, I will write a request to maam to change your place. So from tomorrow I want all the notes to be completed." Heer said decisively.

Advika nodded in affirmation.

"I am going to ask Akanksha's mom to send the notes. But Advika, this is the last time. I want you to finish all your notes at school and if you don't complete it in class finish it in break time." Heer spoke typing a text message on her phone.

"After you finish eating!" Kabir added feeding Advika a slice of apple. 

Half an hour later, Heer entered the kitchen to drink water. "Teaching your daughter bad habits I see?"

"What did I do?" Kabir asked glancing up at her.

"Seriously? You asked her to snatch?"

"Well, it was her pen, so why not? Besides I am not going to raise my girl to be a complaint box who can't fight for herself. She needs to.."

"Kabir, not at this age. You can always tell her that it's okay to fight back when she is sensible to know when to do it that way. But not now. She's going to be a bully otherwise."

"Come on, Advika would never be that way!" Kabir muttered.

"She's very stubborn already. Thanks to you, she always gets what she wants. So she doesn't accept things that don't go her way." Heer spoke and drank water.

Kabir looked at Heer, "She's known loss too. I did what I did, to let her know I will always be there to make things go her way."

Heer sighed placing the glass on the counter. "I know Kabir. What I am saying is that, we need to teach her how to adapt. So there have to be "No" as answers to her demands too."

"I get it. Let's play good cop bad cop. You will always be the bad cop!"

Heer smiled, and then shook her head, "that's mean. Why should I be the bad cop?"

"Because I can't be mean to my princess," he whispered back.

Heer looked at him and smiled, "Fine!" She agreed softly and sauntered away.

"Bad cop," he called and she turned around. 

"Thank you!" He smiled.

"You look better when you smile than with grumpy face." Heer said and walked away with a stupid smile on her face.

Relatively a very relaxed chapter, compared to the previous?

Would love to know your thoughts!