four | with vanilla flavored pancakes

                                        

                                              

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Akshay looked up, wondering if the peculiar girl would rush outside and stare at him again, lips parted. When he heard the sound of the door open and subsequently, the door close, Akshay knew he was building castles of expectations in the air. Progress didn't build in just a minute. That would take time. 
He slipped on his helmet and turned on the engine, revving it to make the delicious rumbling sound he loved to hear. He wasn't a dedicated biker but when he did ride his motorcycle, he liked to drive it the right way. The biker way. 
As he breezed past on the surprisingly empty road, his mind wandered back to the butterscotch girl. Ishara. He knew her name now but before, she had been nicknamed with the flavor of toast she bought every week, in his head. 
It had really just started as simple curiosity. He had instructed the delivery man to observe the person who had ordered the toast for the second week in a row. The delivery man had grumbled, initially. But when a wad of cash was dangled in front of his eyes, he shut up and quickly got to work. After two weeks of listening to the delivery man's account, which actually told him nothing useful at all except for the fact that the person happened to be a girl, he had decided to hijack the man's delivery. The delivery man was paid extra.
The first time he had followed the maps on his phone and headed to her house, he wondered if his curiosity was worth all this trouble. But then, he remembered too that his curiosity was rarely sparked and rather than killing the cat figuratively, it led him to striking gold. 
His curiosity about them microwave oven at home when he was eleven, had led him to discover the wonderful world of baking. That had then resulted in culinary school.
His curiosity about this side of the town - the quainter part filled with bakeries and little, cozy cafes - had led to him opening Sweet Bakes along the main road, right opposite an office complex. The office workers often gathered at his bakery, drifting in because of the sweet smell like zombies attracted to blood. That had led to more sales and, more money for himself and his brother. 
Now, his curiosity about the peculiar customer had led to him striking gold again. He had discovered a pretty girl hiding behind the door, anxious to say anything more to him than a few words. He wondered about her circumstances and her reasons. But more importantly, he wondered about why he was so interested in her. Ever since meeting her the first time, his mind had only thought about the butterscotch jam in his cupboard. His fingers only typed in butterscotch related recipes on his phone. 
How very curious. 
Akshay wasn't particularly reluctant to accept his inner turmoil. He trusted his gut, which was telling him now - keep going in this direction. Keep hijacking the deliveries and keep talking to that girl. 
The promise of gold lingered. 
Once he spotted his bakery, he parked the motorcycle in the small parking space next to the building and headed in, helmet tucked between his arm and the side of his chest. 
"There he is, the man of the hour! How long does it take to you to deliver a damn parcel to the neighboring street?" A man looking identical to him, mumbled as he lay on the sofa, lazy as a cat. His twin brother was only too eager to hear about the customer. Except, instead of accepting his own interest, he chose to use vague, dismissive remarks. 
The twin telepathy, however, informed Akshay about what Aadi truly wanted to hear. 
"I finally got a name."
Aadi looked up at him from his magazine.
"Ishara."
"Ishara?" Aadi tested the name out loud. "Well, that sounds a little generic."
Akshay grew unnaturally defensive, "It's a fine name. Quite cute, really."
"Is it the name that's cute or the owner of it?"
"Both." There was no hesitation.
"Well? What else did you garner today?"
"Nothing else."
"Nothing more?"
"Nope!" Akshay announced, happily. Aadi stared at him for a moment before going back to his magazine. When he heard of vessels clinkering in the bakery's kitchen, he rolled out of sofa and trudged to the area, peeking in. Akshay had pulled out his butterscotch jam and was eyeing the tart he had made earlier. 
"There's gonna be a new addition on the menu this week, huh? One that's butterscotch related? Again?"
Akshay winked at him. 
"And all you know is her name."
"There's a little trick I have in mind."
Aadi, the lankier twin brother, leaned against the frame of the door, "And that is?"
"I plan on putting up butterscotch tart on the menu but..." He trailed off, with a mischievous smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes. "It's only going to be for three days."
The brother contemplated it for a few minutes before his eyes lighting up, "I see. That's a great idea."
"Aren't I a genius?"
"Now I wouldn't go that far..." Aadi replied, dubiously. He promptly received a kick to his shin. "Well, then. Shall I go update the menu on the app, then?"
"Yes, of course. Also, where are Shlok and Yamika?"
"They went to get some food for all of us. The store's not too busy and I've already packed away all the deliveries."
"Got it. Also, add vanilla flavored pancakes on the menu. There's something I need to test." Akshay's mind wandered away as he contemplated new butterscotch recipes. It was the only leverage he had in his hand. That and the butterscotch french toast. Aadi recognized that his brother was no longer in the mood to talk and quietly sauntered back to the sofa, flopping down on it. 
On his face, a light smile lingered. The promise of an eventful near future had him excited. Not that he would admit it out loud. 
The promise of his twin brother finally finding the love of his life made him happy. Aadi listened carefully. When the sound of vessels clinkering made their way to his ears again, he said loudly, "Isn't a certain someone a little too infatuated?"
"Shut up!"

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