Raghav was working on his laptop. He was getting bored due to the monotonous work. He had a meeting early in the morning and then he did not have any pressuring work. So he sat there relaxed and checked the mails.

An idea struck in his mind, and he took out his mobile from the table and called Vicky.

"Hey Vicky!" Raghav spoke as soon as Vicky picked up the called.

"Haan Raghav, tell me!" Vicky replied in a low voice.

"What happened da? Why are you sounding low?" Raghav enquired him.

"Nothing much da, just bored. That's why I took a break now."

"Same here machan, we have been used to doing difficult works all the day, now we have got some free time and it feels strange." Raghav chuckled.

"Why won't you tell? I'm the one who is working for you and you are sitting idle whole day!" Vicky replied furiously.

"Hahaha I agree."

"Is it raining there?" Vicky asked curiously.

"No machan. Why?"

"Because Mr. Raghav has finally admitted the truth that I'm working for him." He told sarcastically.

"Don't damage me okay?!"

"Haan haan. What are you doing?"

"As you have dropped in the idea of taking a break, I'm gonna drink tea and continue my work."

"Great great! I'm starving here and you're enjoying royal treatment huh!" Vicky told him sadly.

"Why da? Your mom is not home?"

"No da, mom and dad are not home today. They have gone out to attend a wedding."

"Then you do one thing, pack your things and come here! Let's work together and I'll ask maa to cook lunch for you also."

"Hey don't trouble aunty da, I'll order from nearby restaurant."

"You would be craving to have my mom's food during school days and now you're neglecting?"

"Not like that da..." Vicky dragged...

"Wait a minute, I'll ask amma what's for lunch."

Raghav walked towards the hall, where he found his mom cutting the vegetables. He took a carrot from the table and started munching it as he shook her hand.

"What's for lunch maa?" Raghav asked her.

"Vegetable pulav da. Why are you asking suddenly?" she asked him curiously as he doesn't ask about the menu much.

"Just for general knowledge maa" he winked as he walked back to his room.

"Machan, amma is preparing your favourite veg pulav da, pack your bags and come soon" Raghav told Vicky excitedly.

"As you are compelling me so much, I'm coming there." Vicky replied.

"You need not come if you are not interested da... It's okay machan, I understand.."

"Deii.."

"Cut the call and come here within half an hour" Raghav warned him and ended the call.

He did not inform his mom about Vicky's arrival as he wanted it to be a surprise for her. He very well knows that his mom will cook some extra pulav everytime because, even if Raghav visits Vicky's house, he would ask him to drop a box at his place. So he remained silent and continued his work.

After fifteen minutes Vicky reached Raghav's flat and rang the doorbell. Sharadha went to open the door.

She was surprised to see Vicky there. Within a minute her smile dropped and a frown appeared on her face.

"Hi maa! How are you?" Raghav greeted her.

"Good." She replied in just a word and walked towards the kitchen.

Vicky stood there clueless as he could not why Raghav's mom was acting weird.
He went to Raghav's room and found him totally immersed into the laptop.

"Machan!" Vicky called him.

"Heyy! I was about to call you da! Come come." Raghav welcomed him and moved aside and gave him space to sit on the bed.

"Did you fight with your mom?" Vicky asked Raghav.

"No machan, why?" Raghav replied confussed.

"When I came inside, she seemed to be angry. Actually when she opened the door, she was surprised to see me... But within a second her expression changed. Even when I greeted her, she replied in just a word and left." he explained.

"She was okay sometime back. Don't know what happened."

"Leave it, let's talk about it later and now let me login in my laptop." Vicky told as he took out his laptop from his bag to connect for work.

"Did you forward the quotation mail to TL?"

"Yeah da, I sent it before I left home as Rajesh had informed that was urgent." Vicky replied and settled himself on the bed.

Shraddha had finished the cooking and she checked the time. It was 1PM. As Vicky and Raghav were working busily, she decided to set the table first and then call them to have lunch.

She went to their room and found Raghav talking to a client in a meeting. Vicky was working on his laptop and looked up as she walked in.

"Do you want anything maa?" Vicky asked her in concern.

"Lunch ready." Sharadha replied as she looked away from him.

Vicky was feeling very strange with her behaviour. He decided to ask it when they had lunch as now Raghav was in a meeting and he did not want to disturb him.

"Okay maa, we will come after Raghav completes the meeting." Vicky replied.

She just nodded and left the room. Within few minutes, Raghav's meeting got over and they both joined her for lunch..

Sharadha served the lunch for them and served for herself too. As they started eating, it was unusually silent. Everytime when Vicky came there, they would be happily laughing and chatting. But today it was very silent. Vicky nudged Raghav's shoulder and signed him to ask his mom, why is she silent.

"Maa, what happened?" Raghav broke the silence.

"Nothing da, why are you asking?" she replied casually.

"Then why are you not talking to Vicky?"

She glared at Vicky and started eating.

"I'm not gonna interfere in this. You resolve it by yourself machan. All the best" Raghav told Vicky.

"What did I do maa? Why are you angry at me?" Vicky asked her innocently.

"Don't you know why?" She asked him furiously.

Vicky nodded his head horizontally with a very pathetic face(adhan pa pavamana moonju).

"I'll kill you!! Don't keep that face." She warned him as the strict teacher hidden inside her started coming out.

"Maa..." Vicky whined.

"How can you forget your first year relationship anniversary Vicky?" She asked him in a straight voice.

"That.. how do you know?" Vicky asked her while his eyes turned towards Raghav, who was grinning at him.

"I have my own ways to know about things. Now answer my question!" she snapped at him.

"I... I forgot maa." He gulped saliva and struggled to answer.

"How could you just forget it da? You roaming around with your mobile in your hand right?"

Vicky looked at her confusingly and nodded his head.

"Then why can't you keep a reminder on your anniversary? You've studied engineering for four years and you can't even use technology wisely. " she started scolding him.
Raghav who was controlling his laughter all this while, started laughing.
Vicky turned towards him furiously.

"You are the reason for everything and now you're laughing at me?"

"It just slipped from my mouth da, that's why I told her. Else why would I tell this to her?" Raghav explained.

"I thought you invited me to have lunch, and now I understand what you meant" Vicky told him thoughtfully. He turned towards Sharadha, and "I'm sorry for that maa. I won't repeat it again." he apologized cutely.

"Good for you" she told and stood up from the chair.

Their banters continued for some more time. Raghav and Vicky resumed their work after lunch. In the evening, Vicky left to his home and Raghav started typing his story.

He had typed the prologue of the story already and he just had to proofread it. Once he felt it was perfect, he updated it on the website and waited for the reviews.
As he was replying to the comments there, he received a message from "mad_medico" too:)

To be continued