The next day,... she went to buy cooked food because
As a self-proclaimed foodie...who hated to cook food, she knew the apocalypse wouldn't just bring disasters—it would bring a culinary dark age. This was her last chance to save the flavors of her world.
Her first target is the city's most famous samosa shop, which was filled with all kinds of people. On every other side, people are standing with a bowl that contains a small samosa that is small like heaven.
She squeezed into a space at the crowded counter and ordered one with gravy, wanting to taste it first, then buy. She hadn't had breakfast yet, and her stomach was growling in hunger.
The wait was less than anticipated. Finally, the vendor placed the samosa before her, steam rising from its crispy golden surface, with its perfect triangular shape with sharp corners that are crispy and tempting her to break it and put it in her mouth.
It was so hot and frequent that her mouth filled with saliva. She watched, mesmerized, as he pressed the samosa in the middle with his thumb, making a place that he filled to the brim with rich, spicy gravy before serving it to her in a bowl made of stitched leaves.
This was her favorite way to eat. She broke it from the side corner, dipped it into the gravy, and put it into her mouth. Her eyes fluttered closed.
The crust of the shell gave way to the soft, papery warmth of the potato masala with a slight flavor of the gravy.
A surprise piece of paneer offers a soft, creamy texture. It was more than food: it was a memory that she might never get to see.
"Wow," she muttered to herself, the taste a stark contrast to the future's nutrient solution and coarse bread.
Invigorated, she followed with a single kachori, its lentil filling complex and filled with spices.
A piece of jalebi so fresh that it had just come out of the cauldron, so that the hot, sugary syrup burst in her mouth, melting instantly and washing away the spice with heavenly sweetness.
For a moment, she wasn't in a dusty shop; she was in a paradise she thought she'd never taste again.
The moment of peace was shattered with her fierce resolve; she couldn't stop the disaster, but she could at least prepare as much as she could.
With that thought, she approached the shopkeeper, a middle-aged man with a weary and kind face, standing.
"Your food was incredible," she started. "I had a big order for you to do; it's for a big party."
The man smiled politely. "Sure, man, is the shop taking orders for a big party? What is your order?" he asked.
Ruhi leaned in, her voice dropping to a serious, confidential tone. "I need five thousand samosas. And another five thousand of the paneer variety. Also, five thousand kachoris and five thousand jalebis."
Hearing that, his hands paused, and his eyes widened in disbelief. He asked in suspicion, "Are you sure that much can even be enough for the entire city?"
Ruhi kept her expression natural and non-sultry and said in a confident voice, "It's for a big office party for an entire building. Last-minute order, Catrine falls through, you'll be saving the day.
As she scanned the code and paid the 50% advance, "The rest will be on the delivery," she said.
Seeing that he needed it, she first ran to the nearby hostel so she could get some from the warehouse fast and transfer the food to the space so it wouldn't get cold.
For the rest of the day, she hit every street and stole or shopped for different chaats like pao bhaji, chole bhature, pani puri, and potato chaat, leaving nothing left.
From sweets shops to the famous restaurant, ordering all the famous dishes on their menu in big sizes, every time with a different excuse—sometimes it's a wedding, parties, or family functions—all kinds of ideas were used.
She ordered some at once and some in parts, delivered to her warehouse while she lived here, and collected everything in her space.
She ordered 500 plates of steaming poha from one vendor and a thousand plates of chole bhature from another.
She booked the entire available stock of a beloved dessert shop—a thousand boxes of gulab jamun, rasmalai, kaju katli, and barfi. Also, the same form in different shops.
She contracted a major restaurant to prepare 5,000 full Indian thali meal sets—complete with dal makhani, paneer butter masala, naan, and rice.
Completely exhausted but satisfied, she finally returned to her apartment late that evening. As she collapsed onto the sofa, she turned on the TV in the background.
While flipping the TV, she stopped on a new show, making her alert, who was just about to fall asleep.
—confirmed reports of a massive volcanic eruption off the coast of Oceania. The scale is unprecedented, and tsunami warnings are being issued across the Pacific Rim..."
Ruhi's blood ran cold. Her breath caught in her throat, her mouth turned dry, and her mind went blank. "No, this is not possible," she whispered, her fingers turning icy.
This wasn't supposed to happen for another two days. Her carefully written timeline that she had noted after her rebirth was already crumbling, making her panicked. Her hand started to shake.
The careful indulgence of the day was replaced by a... cold, sharp fear. The world wasn't waiting for her to be ready. There was no time to be leisurely; every second was more precious than gold.
Ding...
Her phone chimed, in front of her upcoming terror, snapping her out of her daze.
It's the delivery order for a dessert shop, which had come to deliver the order.
Suppressing her fear, she stood up and got ready. Panic was a luxury that she couldn't afford. Right now, action was the only antidote for her racing heart.
In the next few days, Ruhi lived in the warehouse house, collecting the orders and sending them to her space.
It was exhausting, which gave my mind peace and happiness after seeing the tower of food in her space.
Finally, the last truck rolled over, and after the last batch of ladoos entered her space. Her eyes fell on the empty warehouse.
She closed her eyes and focused inward and checked the space after a long time.
Her conscience drifts over the various food items that she has stored these days, all piled over like a mountain.
There were endless shelves of fresh produce and vegetables; now it was joined with organized cooked food that the city had to offer; the scale was dazzling and overwhelming.
A slow smile spread on her lips, the first glimmer after the news, and she decided to do her best as much as she could.
But after seeing all the food, she realized that she would not die because of hunger, at least.