14. An Invitation

[•Nuri's POV•]

(From the next morning)

×××

I went there early and was greeted by Ferit bey, "Good morning" he said, "Morning" I replied and smiled. "Nuri!" Cried Idris and came running to hug me. I hugged and kissed him, "Hey there, big guy!" "Hello" he replied. At that time I remembered, "Uh, Ferit bey... I have to leave early today, I have the demonstration" he glanced at me once and averted his gaze back to the tab and nodded. His eyes seemed glued to it, at least give me a proper reply, what a man.

×××

After Ferit bey left, Idris came near me "After lunch, Bashir abi will come to take me for drawing classes... Uh... Nuri, I feel guilty for doing a bad thing" he said, I stopped grating the onion, "What did you do?" I asked bending down, "You won't get angry at me will you?" "First tell me what you did" I said, "Well, last day Ferit abi was going to hire a new chef. She made vegetable soup for lunch and while she wasn't looking, I put a teeny bit of salt into it" he said, "A teeny bit?" "Umm... A lot of salt" he said and bit his lip.

I held both his hands and spoke seriously, "Dear, why did you do that?" "So she would be fired, also I didn't like her one bit, as soon as she came, she started pinching my cheeks, but the real reason was for you to come back" he said and smiled. "Idris, look, what you did was really bad and naughty, do you realize how sad the lady must have been?" I asked frowning, "I am sorry" he said with his puppy eyes, "Promise me you will never lie or cheat or do anything like this ever" "I promise" he said and hugged me, "Nuri, will you tell abi? Can this be our little secret?" He asked, "Hmm... Just this once" I warned him, he nodded agreeing and had breakfast at the kitchen table while watching me work.

Even that day passed smoothly and my demonstration was a complete success! I secretly wanted to thank Ferit bey for helping me but I never will. The next day when I went to work, I first saw Idris at the table with a plaster on his hand. I rushed over, "What happened?" I asked kneeling down, "Why don't you tell her Idris" said Ferit bey frowning at him, I didn't notice him standing near the fridge.

"Nuri, after class, we went to the park. I wanted to climb the bars alone, so when abi went to buy ice cream I tried climbing, but I couldn't so... I fell down" he said with his puppy eyes, "You made me so worried, I did say that I would help you" said Ferit bey even angrier, "Does it hurt now?" I asked him, "Yesterday evening it did, but now since you are here it doesn't" he said and smiled, biting his lip, I smiled at his stupidity.

"Nuri, since I can't go to drawing class for a few days, will you stay here with me, till abi comes back from work?" "Idris, she has to go to her University, don't you Nuri?" Asked Ferit bey, "As a matter of fact, I don't have to for a long time, I passed my demonstration with good grades so next year I am a senior, so now we have a break" I said and smiled, "Yippee!" Said Idris raising one hand and hugged me with the same.

"But won't that be overtime?" Asked Ferit bey, "If you want you can make it official till this trouble maker gets better" I said tickling Idris, he chuckled. "I will show you the picture I drew yesterday, I'll go get it" he said and went to his room. At that time, Ferit bey got a phone call, "Morning, Miss Nazmiya... There's no need for it, Nuri has agreed to do it... Yeah, prepare them... Till he gets better... I am coming, Alright, bye" he said and hung up.

I looked at him wondering why I was in the conversation. "I had asked Miss Nazmiya to find somebody to look after Idris but since you accepted, I don't have to do it" he said and smiled. "Thank you for agreeing" he said and gave me the warmest smile, I nodded and smiled back. "But you still have to sign a few papers Miss Nazmiya brings in the afternoon" I chuckled, "That's fine" I replied.

×××

"See you buddy" said Ferit bey and kissed Idris. "Bye-bye abi" he replied. "Bye" he said turning to me and I nodded. It was a fun day, I read stories to Idris and we watched a movie of Robots, it was so funny. I signed a few more papers in the afternoon and even the next few days went by calmly.

The fourth day after I canceled my resignation, I found Ferit bey still in the kitchen wearing regular clothes, "Good morning Nuri" "Morning Ferit bey... Won't you go to the company?" I asked, "No, I will stay home, I will have guests soon. You don't have to make dinner or look after Idris today, but make lunch for two more people, okay?" "Four total?" I asked, he nodded, "Okay" I said and started searching for the menu.

Ferit bey came and sat near the table with his tablet, "Ferit bey, are you gonna sit there while I work?" He sighed, "Is there a problem, Nuri?" "No, no, I just wanted to make sure" I said and tried smiling. When I read the menu, Indian recipes were also included, "Uh... Ferit bey, aren't these... Umm... Indian?" I asked, "Yes, the guests are from India, Mumbai" he said, "But the ingredients?" "They are all here" he replied and returned to his tablet. I searched the fridge and shelves, he was right, then Idris came into the kitchen and happily had breakfast.

When it was near lunchtime, I heard a voice similar to a doorbell, Ferit bey got up from his chair and went towards the staircase. I leaned to the side to see better. He headed downstairs and after a few minutes came upstairs with two people, a man and a woman.

He lead them into the living room and I watched curiously through the sidewall. He greeted them "Welcome Mr. and Mrs.Kapoor" and shook their hands smiling, "Thank you Mr.Ferit" said the man and they caught me looking. I quickly jumped back, "Who is that?" I heard the lady ask, "Uh... She's my chef" he said. The lady leaned back and beckoned me to go there.

I smiled and went near them. "It can't be, can it?" Asked the man looking at me, he seemed younger than my father but older than Ferit bey. "Huh?" I asked not understanding, "Are you an Indian?" He asked again. "You can tell?" I asked back surprised, and the couple chuckled. "It's a surprise for us too, what's your name?" Asked the lady, "I am Nuri, it's nice to meet you" I said and held out my hand, they both shook it, pleased.

Ferit bey lead them to the living room and I was standing nearby. "It is so cold now in Istanbul" said the lady, "Yes, what about in India?" Asked Ferit bey, "It is cold but still fine" said the man and smiled. "Nuri, can you bring us coffee?" Asked Ferit bey and I nodded.

×××

I took the tray and placed the cups on the table, "Here you are" I said and smiled at the guests, "Thank you " said Ferit bey and smiled gazing at me in that same different way, that moment, I suddenly felt my heart race, "Your... Welcome" I somehow managed to say, and I stood near the table waiting to pick the empty cups.

"So, do you know Hindi?" Asked Mr.Kapoor, the lady nudged him at this question, "थोड़ा सा (a little bit)" I replied. "That's nice! Why don't you down, you are not a stranger anymore" he said, I smiled and Ferit bey shifted a bit to the side and I reluctantly sat down near him.

"So Nuri, tell us a bit about yourself" said Mrs.Kapoor, "Umm... I am currently doing a course on Gastronomy at a university here" "Oh... So is that why you came to Turkey?" She asked again, I nodded, "I want to be a professional so that I can help run our lodge better" I said proudly. "A lodge?" They asked in unison, "Yup, my father owns a lodge in Trivandrum" "Oh, so you're from Kerala, is it?" He asked, I nodded. "Next time we go there, we'll come and stay at your place" they said, I chuckled, "Sure, we'll be glad" I replied.

×××

"Abi, when can we remove the plaster?" Asked Idris rubbing his eye and came into the living room, "Hey there, buddy" said Ferit bey. "Abi who are they?" Asked Idris looking at the Kapoor's. "Hello little man, you must be Idris right? How is your arm?" Asked Mr.Kapoor, Idris nodded, "It's better now" he said and smiled. "They are my business partners, Mr. and Mrs.Kapoor" said Ferit bey.

"How do you know me?" Asked Idris, "We are coming from the hospital, we talked with your grandfather" said Mrs.Kapoor. "Nuri, I am hungry" said Idris looking at me. "Okay then I will bring lunch for all" I said and got up, "We can sit outside" said Ferit bey, I nodded and got up to go to the kitchen.

The Kapoor's were pleasant people. I really liked them and they liked me it seemed, they appreciated my cooking, "We fell in love with it the first time" said Ferit bey, it was the first time he appreciated something I did, I felt proud and shy at the same time. I figured out that the Kapoor's ran a company called Kasturba corp. They made and owned ships since I didn't know much about them, I avoided asking more questions.

Ferit bey was the president of a company called 'Martı Teknolojileri' he said that it meant 'Seagull Technologies' his company owned, and invested in ships. They both were millionaires and I felt it as a privilege to have lunch with them.

While they were gonna leave, Mrs.Kapoor asked, "Won't you come to the party?" "Huh?" I didn't get it, "We have designed a new ship, it's inauguration will be after 3 days and there will be a party on board" "A party on a ship?" I asked fascinated, the Kapoor's laughed. "Since you haven't been to one, you can join us" they said.

"Won't you bring her, Ferit?" Asked Mrs.Kapoor looking at Ferit bey, he gave her an uncertain look and then looked at me for my approval, "Won't I be disturbing your work?" I asked, "Of course not! So it's decided, we hope to see you both at the party, see you then!" Said Mr.Kapoor. "Wear a beautiful gown, okay? We will be waiting" said Mrs.Kapoor patting my shoulder, not gonna happen. "Bye!" They said, I gave an uncertain smile and waved.

They went back down the stairs. "She wants me to wear a gown!" I said to myself disgusted. "Well you have to" said Ferit bey, who was standing near me. "I won't ever wear one again in my life! It itches all over, I really suffered when I wore it for my Aunt's wedding, so I prefer my regular clothes" I said and smiled annoyingly, "Nuri, Kasturba corp. is a very important alliance for us, I don't want you to disappoint them and weaken our bond, be a lady for at least once in your life" he said and walked to the kitchen.

"Cold log" I mumbled, "Can you repeat that?" He called, not even turning to face me and sat back near the kitchen table with his tab. I went to take my bag and leave, "If I was a guy, it would have been so nice, all I have to do is wear a suit!" I said, making sure he heard me clearly. Ferit bey chuckled and looked up at me, the way he looked sometimes was so mysterious and different that my heart rate goes up like the Everest. "Uh... I will say bye to Idris and leave" I said and went to his room.