Chapter 39
When Manisha got home, she hurried to the kitchen, hoping to catch the remains of the meal her dad had cooked.
She spotted Sammy standing in front of the open refrigerator.
“Not quite,” Manisha replied, pulling up a chair to the counter and settling in.
Sammy grabbed a few Tupperware containers from the fridge. “Dad made his special pizza. Want some?”
“Definitely. Man, I’ve missed it,” Manisha said eagerly, her mouth watering at the thought.
Sammy popped a couple of slices into the air fryer, the smell of melting cheese filling the kitchen. “Was that Rohit Khanna who walked you home?” he asked, glancing at her. “I saw him through the window.”
“You saw him through the window? From all the way back here?” Manisha looked at him wryly.
“Okay, guilty. Older brother’s prerogative,” he stated with a shrug. “Anyway, what happened to that guy?”
“You tell me,” Manisha said, deflecting. “You guys were friends, right?”
“We weren’t super close, but yeah, he’s a good guy. When he got into his tech business, we lost touch. Wait, hold up…are you two dating?”
“No, we’re just friends,” Manisha said. “Right now, I’m not dating anyone. But there’s someone I really like.”
“Alright, well, that’s a start.” Sammy grabbed the pizza slices out of the air fryer, placing them on plates. “Ouch, hot! Incoming.” He sat across from her at the counter.
Manisha picked up a slice by its thick crust. “Remember when we were kids, and Dad would make us chop up all the veggies for the pizza? We’d play Pokémon to see who got the honours?”
“Yeah,” he said, smiling. “I also remember winning every time.”
“I won a few times!” she protested.
“Sure, sure. Keep telling yourself that.” He rolled his eyes at her. “So, what’s going on with this guy you like?”
“Nothing yet. But I’m meeting him in a couple of days,” she said, a mix of excitement and nerves in her voice as she thought about her first date with Sunil at the Emporium.
“Look, sis, relationships are tough, and it’s a jungle out there. Everyone’s hunting. But I think—I know—that even in the jungle, you’ll find your soulmate.”
“Wow, thanks for the extra cheese,” Manisha teased, gesturing to her pizza. “Manny really turned you around. My brother talking about soulmates—never thought I’d see this day.”
“Alright, alright. That’s enough cheese.” Sammy grabbed a bite of her pizza, ignoring her protest.
“Hey, that’s mine! Get your own!”
Sammy wiped his hands with a paper towel, his tone softening. “Can I tell you what I think is the secret to love? Like, the real thing?”
“Yes, please.” Manisha leaned in, keeping her pizza out of his reach.
“Friendship. Be open to falling in love with someone who’s your friend first. I mean, it all happened fast with Manny, but I fell in love with the friendship first. That’s the secret sauce.”
“Friends with benefits?” Manisha joked.
“No, you idiot. Actual friendship. Just sit with that for a bit. One day, you’ll wake up and realize the person you’re in love with is your best friend.”
Manisha thought about her email friendship with Sunil and realized that’s exactly what had happened between them.
Sammy stood up, stretching. “You may also want to lay off the drinks on your first date.”
She playfully tossed a napkin at him.
“You better pick that up before Mom gets home and says that’s not how they do it in the Indian shows.” Sammy kissed her head before heading to the door.
“Friendship, Manisha,” he called back. “That’s the secret sauce. You can always add the toppings later.”
“Goodnight, Sammy.”