Title : Bake me some Love

Quick Summary : A way to a man's heart is through his stomach!

Characters: Daya, Shreya

"No Doze Cafe" was a comfy little place in the heart of the town. A man was sitting on one of the squashy chairs around a Chestnut Brown table apparently waiting for someone for his gaze kept flitting towards the door.

'Sir, may I take your order?'

'No, I am waiting for someone'

'Sir, May I take your order?'

'Umm... sometime later, maybe?'

'Sir, your order please?'

'Sorry... the person I was waiting for didn't come. I think I will just leave'

This scene had happened for seven days in a row and finally Joe cracked on the eighth evening.

'Sir if you don't want to order anything, I am afraid you will have to leave!' said Joe irritably.

'I have already told you I am waiting for someone' said Daya loudly.

'Since last seven days? Well for whosoever you are waiting, the person doesn't seem to be interested in meeting you! Don't you think so? You have blocked the table sir! Other people are waiting outside! So unless you have to order anything, I suggest you clear off -'

'Joe! This is not the way you talk to the customers!' said a girl.

Daya looked at the her seeing her for the first time. She had a round face, should length face and was quite good looking.

'I am sorry Shreya but I can't help it. I am watching this man from last week. He walks in, sits here without ordering anything; staring into oblivion and then leaves. What's the point of blocking a table if you don't want to place an order?' said Joe angrily.

Shreya looked at the stranger. He looked distraught and lost. His face was calm but she could sense that his mind was in a turmoil.

'I - I am sorry. I will just leave' said Daya as if he had only realised what he had done.

'Sir, why don't you try our Vanilla Cupcakes? We have just launched them and I would like you to taste them. Joe can you please get them?' said Shreya.

Joe opened his mouth to argue but Shreya threw him a warning look and repeated - 'Please Joe, can you get them?'

A minute later, Joe kept the Cup Cakes before him. They indeed looked delicious. Daya took a bite and wow! They sort of melted in his mouth and were very soft and spongy. They were truly amazing!

'They are marvelous' he said to Shreya who was waiting by his side anxiously, to see his reaction.

She smiled at him and said, 'I am glad you liked them. Enjoy'

Then she took Joe by his arm and went away.

After some time Daya approached the cash counter. 'How much for the Cupcakes?'

'It will be -' Joe began but Shreya cut him across.

'Umm... actually these Vanilla Cupcakes are new. So we were handing out free samples'

'Oh. Okay. Thanks, they were really very good.' said Daya and walked away.

'What did you do that for?' Joe rounded on Shreya furiously as soon as the door swung shut behind Daya.

'What?' asked Shreya.

'You didn't charge him for Vanilla Cupcakes!' said Joe angrily.

'Yeah. He looked so distressed. I really thought good food would make him feel better. So...' said Shreya.

'Don't you keep giving out stuff free of cost like this! We are already waist deep in debt!' said Joe.

'I know Joe! But he looked so sad. He didn't have a clue of what he was doing. He seems a very nice guy. I wonder why he is so sad.' said Shreya.

Joe raised his eyebrows as high as they could go. 'Do you know him?'

'No. What makes you think so?' asked Shreya.

'Then how do you know he is a nice guy or not? He might be faking it!' said Joe.

'Well... it was just a guess...' said Shreya.

Joe's face broke into a malevolent grin. 'You haven't got a crush on him, have you? I mean he was quite good looking!'

'What nonsense!' said Shreya in outrage.

Daya ambled out of the Cafe, the taste of the Cupcakes still lingering in his mouth. He had been coming to that Cafe since past week but he hadn't even bothered to look at its name.

He now turned to look. "No Doze Cafe", it said.

A small poster on the glass door said "Everything is 100% Gluten Free"

Below that another colourful poster said "The only Four Time Winner Of Food Network's Cupcake Wars! Tingling the Taste Buds with famous Vanilla Cup Cakes since last three years"

Daya's eyes narrowed as he finished reading. Anger rose inside him and he went back inside the Cafe. A tinkling bell rang loudly as Daya pushed open the door rather roughly.

'Yes?' Shreya asked with a smile.

'Why the hell did you lie that those Cupcakes were free samples? Look if you think I don't have money to pay for your Cupcakes, then -' Daya began.

'You misunderstand me sir. We want people to taste -'

'You are baking those Cupcakes since three years! Do you think I am stupid? I read the poster pasted outside on your door!' Daya roared.

Everyone turned to look at them. A few of the onlookers giggled.

'My intention was not hurt you. You looked really disturbed and I thought those Cupcakes will make you feel good. It was just a friendly gesture on my behalf, really' said Shreya rather calmly.

Daya was now staring at her slightly open mouthed as if he couldn't believe anyone could be so kind.

'Thank you for your generosity. But I would really like to pay for those Cupcakes' said Daya.

'All right. That would be two hundred bucks' said Shreya.

He made the payment and then moved towards the exit but stopped short at the sight of Joe.

'I am sorry for the inconvenience caused. This won't happen again. If I can do anything to for the damage caused...' said Daya.

'No... it's fine honestly... I am sorry I was too rude...' said Joe awkwardly.

'You asked if you can do anything for the damage caused?' asked Shreya.

'Yeah' said Daya.

'You could come here everyday,you know and boost our sales' said Shreya smiling.

Daya laughed. It was spontaneous laugh and it came straight from the heart.

'Sure' he said.

The next day onward, Daya was the Café's regular visitor after his office hours. It almost felt like home. He forgot all his worries when he was there. He would sit and observe people as they came and went. Joe had quite warmed up to him since that day and he let Daya sit as long as he wanted whether he ordered anything or not. Daya liked Shreya's company as well. They had became quite good friends in a short span. Daya being an introvert and a shy person didn't talk much but he couldn't help noticing how strikingly pretty Shreya was. And to add to that, the food was really delicious. Soon, Daya had tasted everything which the Cafe offered - Hazelnut flavoured Coffee, desserts, cupcakes with colourful frosting, cookies, brownies, fudge and things he'd never seen before. Everything looked fresh and delicious and ready to be devoured.

One fine Sunday morning Daya walked in to find Shreya missing. He wasted no time in asking Joe where she was.

'Oh, she has gone to meet the landlord.' said Joe.

Before Daya could ask the reason, the door burst open and Shreya came in looking extremely delighted. She flung her arms around Joe and said in an excited voice, 'Joe! We have done it! This place is ours now! Our very own. The landlord signed the sale deed'

'It was quite a scene. Lucky the Café was empty.' thought Daya. He felt rather neglected as they continued their enthusiastic talks completely ignoring Daya's presence and leaving him standing awkwardly in the background.

'Hey' said Shreya smiling when they were finally done.

'Well... Congratulations!' said Daya.

'Thank you so much' said Shreya happily.

'So shall I brew all of us a foaming mug of Hot Chocolate to celebrate?' asked Shreya.

'Sure!' Joe and Daya agreed promptly.

Daya mood remained happy throughout the day. He didn't know why but seeing Shreya happy made him feel great. It felt as if it was something personal. That evening before leaving he went to her and then he did something which he had never thought he would ever do.

'Shreya, I feel so happy for you. I haven't known you since long but honestly, I know how much this means to you. I could see it in your eyes' he said giving her wrist a warm squeeze.

Shreya's eyes were glazed with happy tears as she stared at him. Without realising what she was doing, she moved closer to him. 'She is going to hug me' thought Daya. But then she stopped short and suddenly looked very awkward. 'Oh... Thank you' she said in a shy voice and went away.

Few Days later -

The watch on his hand showed that it was 10 pm. Daya had been busy in completing his work papers and he had lost the track of time. He looked around to see that the Cafe had been closed. Joe was busy moving the chairs.

'Where is Shreya?' Daya asked him.

'She would be in the kitchen. Take the back door and turn left. That's where you will find her' said Joe.

A delicious smell of Chocolate chip cookies filled his nostrils as he arrived outside the Kitchen door. He saw cookies getting baked in the oven. Shreya was standing near the kitchen counter, pouring batter into the the cookie molds.

'Can I come in?' asked Daya.

'Oh yeah' said Shreya.

'Those cookies smell lovely' he said.

'Oooo... thanks' whispered Shreya.

Daya picked a piece of paper. Wow, is this the recipe for the Cookies?'

'Yeah that's my signature recipe. We have got to know the right ingredients. That does the trick' said Shreya.

'Do you make everything yourself?' asked Daya.

Yes. I simply love cooking.' said Shreya.

'And you are an excellent cook. That's what I love the most about you' said Daya without thinking.

He heard her gasp. 'I mean I love your cooking very much' said Daya quickly.

'Oh yes. Right. Thanks' said Shreya.

'Shreya? How much more time are you gonna need?' Joe asked poking his head inside.

'Umm... I was thinking of baking these cookies. We are short of them. ' said Shreya biting her lip.

'I really need to hurry' said Joe.

'Oh go on. I will leave around 11.30' said Shreya.

'Oh no way. You not going home alone so late at night' said Joe.

'I will stay. I haven't got any work. I will drop you home' Daya offered. 'Only of you don't mind' he added to Shreya.

'Will you? Oh great! The thing is I have a train to catch tomorrow early morning. And I can't wait to go home and sleep.' said Joe.

'No problem.' said daya.

'What say, Shreya?' asked Joe

'That's fine with me' said Shreya.

'Okay. Great then. I will see you soon.' said Joe.

'Happy Journey Joe.' said Shreya.

'Yeah and you take care' said Joe and left after bidding them Good Night.

'So starting your own bakery has been your dream job since childhood or what?' asked Daya as if there had been no interruption.

'Oh no. My career choices kept shifting from one to another. I wanted to be a Journalist, Paranormal Expert, A spy, an engineer, etcetera, etcetera', said Shreya.

'A spy? That's interesting. Who were you going to spy on?'

'On handsome hunks. That was a dream job of me and my best friend since High School' said Shreya and Daya laughed.

'So how did this idea come to your mind?' asked Shreya.

'I've always loved cooking. I used to try new stuff. Inventions in cooking never scared me. My Dad guided me on the right path. He encouraged me to take cooking as the Career. When I was in last year of my College, I participated in a Pastry Making competition and secured first runners up prize. It sort of boosted my morale and in the same year Dad gave me the most wonderful gift of my life. It was my Admission letter into a culinary school abroad. It was like a dream come true' said Shreya.

'Wow your dad must be proud of what you are today' said Daya.

He thought he heard a stifled sob but there was 'DING' of the the oven timer and Shreya went to pull out the freshly baked cookies.

When she returned she didn't say anything more about her father and even Daya didn't pursue the topic further. Then Shreya baked some crispy Cinnamon Rolls for both of them which Daya enjoyed with a relish. Finally at 12 o' clock they left for home.

Two Days later, 11.30 pm

It had been a tiring day for Daya Due to mounting work pressure he hadn't been able to visit Shreya's Cafe since last three Days. Daya was thinking of going to bed when his cellphone rang. He smiled seeing Shreya's name flashing on the screen.

'Hi Shreya' said Daya.

'Where have you been? I haven't seen you since last three days!' said Shreya shrilly

'I have been busy with work. Missed me, have you?' said Daya.

'No. Obviously not. Why would I miss you?' said Shreya.

'How am I supposed to know that?' asked Daya.

'Oh, Shut up! Anyway can you come over at the Cafe sometime?' she asked.

'Now?! Why? Is anything wrong?' asked Daya.

'No nothings wrong. It's just... forget it... if you are busy then...' said Shreya sounding hopeful.

'Oh no. I will be there in 10 minutes.' said daya and hung up.

Ten minutes later at 11.50 pm Daya found Shreya in the Cafe's foyer.

'What's up Shreya?' asked Daya.

'Thanks for coming. I didn't think you would really come' said Shreya.

'Of course I would come! But have you seen the time? A beautiful young girl with a handsome hunk at night, what does this signal?' he asked in a naughty voice.

'Shut up!' said Shreya blushing furiously.

'Where's Joe?' asked Daya.

'He's is at his home. Must be asleep' said Shreya.

'Hmm... so Joe is just a friend' said Daya.

'What?' said Shreya.

'I thought you and Joe might be dating' said Daya.

'Me and Joe? No way! He is just a friend. A very good friend I may add.' said Shreya.

'Hmm... and we don't usually call friends during such unusual times during the night' said Daya mischievously.

'What do you mean?' asked Shreya sharply.

'The guy whom you will date would be so lucky. You are one amazing Chef.' said Daya.

'How could food be the only deciding factor? It is one of them, maybe. But obviously, a man has to like so many other things in a woman before he falls in love with her. Else all men would have wanted to marry Women who are Chefs. And what if the woman is an exceptional cook, but is very rude or horrible?' said Shreya.

'But you aren't like that! You are kinda cute and good looking as well' said Daya.

'Thanks' said Shreya going red in face.

'Are you going to tell me why have you called me here?' asked Daya changing the topic.

'I didn't want to stay alone tonight. You see... well actually... it's my birthday in about five minutes' said Shreya.

'What? You could have told me earlier! We would have planned something then.' said Daya.

'I like silent birthdays with least people as possible, to be honest. Joe and I watch a movie and have dinner outside on both of our birthdays. But I thought I should try something different this time. I wanted to be with someone tonight. I was feeling really lonely. So... I called you. I thought may be I'll bake us something and then we can chat for sometime.' said Shreya.

'Nope. You are not going to bake anything on your birthday. We have four minutes in hand. Let's see what I can do. I will have to blindfold you' said Daya getting up.

'No way! You are not touching my Cake Batter' said Shreya.

'Oh no. Don't worry.' said Daya and tied a blindfold around her. He had spotted a bread loaf, salad leaf and some cheese. He knew what to do.

'Look, don't spoil my kitchen. I have just cleaned it' said Shreya.

'I won't mess it, I promise. Now sit still' said Daya.

In next to minutes, Daya had prepared a huge sandwich with a burning matchstick in the middle which acted as a candle.

When he removed the blindfold, Shreya was in for a pleasant surprise. 'Oh, it looks lovely!' she exclaimed her eyes gleaming with happiness.

And then without warning, she burst into tears.

'Shreya! What's wrong?' asked Daya, completely bewildered.

'Nothing' she murmured.

'Tell me what's wrong. NOW!' said Daya rather sternly.

'Dad! It reminded me of my father. He would have done such a thing' said Shreya.

'Er... where is he now?' asked Daya softly.

'He - he passed away in an accident when I had gone abroad for my higher education. I didn't even get to meet -' she said and broke down again.

Daya felt really sorry for her.

'Just remember one thing Shreya, our loved ones are always with us. Wherever your father is, I am sure he is watching over you and is extremely proud of your achievement' said Daya.

Shreya was so overcome with emotion that she flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Daya was taken aback by her act and didn't know what to do. It felt good to feel her close and he put an arm around her rather awkwardly.

A minute late, Shreya broke the embrace feeling very awkward. She wiped her tears quickly.

'Sorry' she mumbled and took a small bite of the sandwich. She almost choked on it. He had added too much pepper and chilly in it and the salt was missing. The Chilly almost burned her tongue and her eyes watered once more. Daya obviously thought she was still teary eyed because the recollection of the sad memory so he didn't pay any attention.

'How is it?' asked Daya.

'Oh... er... I love it' said Shreya who couldn't be frank with him.

Daya was about to take a bite but Shreya snatched the sandwich away from him.

'What?' he asked

'I will add more Cheese' said Shreya

'I have already added a lot of Cheese. Let me taste it' he said.

'No. Just wait.' said Shreya

'I have messed with the sandwich, haven't I?' he asked.

'No, honestly -'

But Daya had grabbed the sandwich and taken a huge bite. "Gosh! it's so spicy! And it tastes disgusting without salt! Why did you lie Shreya?' he asked as he gulped down water.

'I didn't lie it was really good' she persisted.

'You are lying! I know you did it because you didn't want to hurt me' said Daya to which Shreya didn't bother to comment.

Then they enjoyed the sandwiches and ended up chatting for entire one hour.

At 1 am, Daya dropped her home. 'I will see you around then. A very Happy Birthday to you' he said.

'Daya... um... I was wondering you know... that we could hang out some more. Get to know each other, better' said Shreya.

He looked away. He knew what she wanted. What she really meant. They were good friends which was great. But he knew they could be something more. But then what about her? For whom he sat waiting for hours in the Café? He had truly loved her. He wasn't at all sure what was he supposed to do.

Shreya saw him deep in thought. She feared some of his depression and frustration might come back.

'You deserve someone much better Daya' she said placing a hand on his shoulder.

Daya turned to look at Shreya. 'How do you know?' he asked her, surprised.

'I just know. Please don't spoil your mood thinking why she didn't come to meet you' she said.

'Yeah. She must have had her reasons for - for not coming to meet me' said Daya sounding sad.

'I think she must be really stupid if she decided to ditch you' said Shreya.

Daya stared. 'You think so?'

'No doubt about it' she said. She looked hopeful

It was a very hard thing to decide to move on. But it seemed like the right thing to do. Shreya had firmly stood by his side when he needed it the most although they were complete strangers. She taught him to laugh and forget the sorrows and she was a wonderful cook. Truthfully, he didn't dare to fall in love for the second time. But she made him - with her loving nature.

'Do you know that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach?' he asked her.

'Yes. Though it sounds highly over - rated ro me.', she murmured not quite meeting his eye.

'No. It isn't. Trust me.' he said.

Shreya smiled at him and Daya smiled back. This was certainly a new beginning for both of them.

*** THE END ***

A/N - Updates for 'A feather from my heart' and 'When CID stumbled upon Captain Jack Sparrow' coming soon.