A Scandalous Proposition by MM George Read Free Book Online Page A

work with Dhruv Gupta.”
    “Ah, we know Dhruv!” said Chacha. “A good boy, that one,
head firmly on his shoulders.”
    “She’s a believer in the great Indian food tradition,”
drawled Ranbir sardonically. “Just the other day, I heard her extolling the
virtues of aloo paratha s oozing with butter.”
    “Ah, aloo paratha s!” sighed Chacha.
    “Your favorite breakfast, beta ,” smiled Mrs. Dewan.
    “Yes, Ma, I remember the wonderful paratha s you used
to make for us. Their aroma would fill the house and make our mouths water.
Now, thanks to Dr. Singh, all I get in the morning are sprouts and juice and,
if I am lucky, whole wheat toast without any butter.”
    “Ajay, you know you have to keep your cholesterol levels
down,” remonstrated Chachi. “Ranbir has told you so often to keep oily food to
a minimum, at least till your reports come in normal.”
    “Don’t worry, sir, I can make you a breakfast that is both
delicious and healthy,” said Mira confidently. “I know Mr. Dewan has some
strange ideas about firangi food, but Indian food, made properly, can be
just as nutritious and much tastier.”
    “ Arre beta , call me Chacha,” said the elder Mr.
Dewan. “ Chalo , at least I have someone on my side now. What will you
make?”
    “How about paratha s?” she smiled.
    “No way,” cut in Ranbir. “Chacha is on a strict diet and is
not allowed fried food, especially potatoes.”
    “But I wouldn’t fry them,” said Mira, smiling sweetly at
him. “You can cook paratha s in the tandoor. You can use a mixed flour
with bran in it. And, why potatoes? You can stuff paratha s with so many
other things— paneer , carrots, peas, broccoli, even soya.”
    “Have you had any professional training?” asked Chachi, a
trifle disdainfully. It was plain to see that she was not too happy with the
idea of her husband treating the ‘staff’ with such familiarity.
    “Yes, ma’am. But also, my mother has been very unwell and
she has become very fussy these days. I had a long talk with the nutritionist
at the hospital and she gave me lots of ideas. So we have been trying out new
recipes to tempt her into eating.”
    “Di’s cooking was famous in Meerut,” Reema put in softly.
    “ Achha ? Then we must get you to cook for us also,”
said Chachi. “Maji, the next time Maharaj goes on leave, we can ask Mira to
cook for us, no?”
    There I am, put firmly in my place, thought Mira wryly.
    A voice cut in. “Chachi, what’s the point of getting Mira to
cook for us?” asked Ranbir. “We eat simple food at home, not the kind of
catering fare she is used to making. It might be better to ask Reema to cook
for us when Maharaj goes to visit his family. She will make us the kind of food
we are used to, won’t you, Reema?”
    Reema nodded shyly. “I am not as good a cook as Di, but I
can try,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
    Mira looked down at her plate, concentrating on the chapati and the gobhi ki sabzi that reposed on it, digging her nails into her
palms to keep herself from making a sharp retort. So Ranbir was pushing Reema
forward in his family’s eyes, but he didn’t have to put her down to do that.
What did he mean catering fare?
    As they got up from the table, Ranbir called out to his
cousin. “Tarun, why don’t you show the girls the rest of this floor so that
they know where everything is? Dadi, if that is okay with you, of course?” Dadi
nodded her assent and Tarun lost no time in going over to Reema’s side.
    The sisters followed Tarun through the floor. Mira found
herself gawking at the luxuriously laid out space. There was a large living
room, a section of which had been used to create a TV viewing area. “In case we
all want to watch something together,” proffered Tarun helpfully. He led them
to the opposite side, “The rose garden’s this way.”
    Mira’s eyes opened wide. A full-fledged garden on the third
floor? Tarun caught her incredulous look. “Dadi loves roses, so