In the car, Anika gave him the directions to their decided destination.

"Waise main aaj zyaadi philosophical toh nahi ho gayi naa." She broke the silence like always, looking at the road ahead. She for one,couldn't trust his driving. Not after witnessing his accident.

Shivaay smiled. "Shaayad...,Waise ..th...thank you" he said looking at the road in front. He himself couldn't believe he just said a thank you, to her.

"Arey aapko naa jabhi free advbice yaan aise philosophical lecture chaiye hona...toh aap bas mujhe yaad karna...Mere toh friends naa bolte hain kii Anki tune naa logon ko smajhane mein naa P.H.D kii hain..!" Anika added proudly.

"Yeh...kuch zyaada nahi hogaya..." Shivaay gave her a quick glance.

Anika made a face at him.

Once out of the car, Shivaay looked around bewildered-

"Hum yaahan khana khaayenge.?"

Anika turned towarfs him casually, "haan.."

Shivaay-"Hum bethenge kahan??"

Anika-"Yahin...Khatiya pee..!!" she said pointing at the olden day jute cots.

Shivaay puzzled.."What Khh...Khaattiiyya? whats that??"

"Haan khatiya." she exacliamned dragging him. She made him sit and sat on the opposite one. The small wooden table in between the cots.

Shivaay looks at the khatiya disgustingly -"This is so...uncomfortable...very." He added the last world as the back of his plam rubbed against the coarse material.

Anika ate up her smile and called the man taking the order. "Bhaiya do special Punjabi thaali..!"

Looking at him "Aap veg yaa non veg..?"

"I think I would go with veg." Shivaay said making a distasteful face at her manner of asking.

Anika confirmed the order and turned back at him. She curiously watched his reactions. One piece on earth he was, directly from another planet.

In no time there table was flooded with food from salad to main course.

Anika began eating the food tastefully. Shivaay gradually began eating after organising the bowls in his plate. While he took the spoon and tasted the first morsel Anika had already reached her sixth bite.

'Yummy hai naa...best Sunday treat.."Anika spoke with food stuffed in her mouth.

Shivaay nodded. " its actually nice..but I think wo Paneer ki sabji mein namak kam hain...aur daal mein mirchi thodi zyaadi hai warna the flavours seem perfect" he said in the perfect critic manner.

She gazed at him with raised eyebrows."Arey aap toh MasterChef nikle...lekin maine tipdi nahi karne ko kahan thaa...par, not bad ."

Shivaay -"Tipdi ?"

Anika-"Aap tipdi nahi jaante arey..tipdi...karna...arey wahi jo masterchef karte hain khanne ke baad...!

Shivaay-"you mean analyze?

"Haan!"

"Hmm." He nodded taking another bite.

As they were eating, Anika's eyes widened seeing beyond Shivaay. "Phel gaya raita!"

Shivaay immediately looked at the raita spontaneously. "Where?" Heasked drifting his eyes around the plate.

Anika-"Arey...mere matlab..muhavra tha...wo chodiye aap thoda left mein shift hoiye jaldi..."

"What!" He looked baffled.

Anika-"Left mein shift hoiyeee..."

Shivaay rolled his eyes in disbelief and scooted slightly to his left.

"Arey aap kya kar rahe hainn..!! Mere left kii taraf...yaanii aapke right ki ore!" she scolded him in a soft voice.

Shivaay-"Hey whats wrong with you...theek se bolo...and why should I move..!" He spoke irritated. Being scolded was just indigestible to him.

Anika looked at him impatiently..."Warna mrs.Bhalla hum mein dehk lengi."

Shivaay-"Now who is she.?"

Anika-"Arey wo humare apartment kii secretary. Aap mile thee naa unse wo...oo sorry main bhul gayi aapki memory toh chul ho gayi hain... Arey bahut zyaad baat karti hain ek dum non stop...innhe bhi aaaj hi yahan aana thaa... plz thoda sa shift hoiyee naa..!!"

Shivaay to himself.."tumse zyaada bhi koi baat kar sakta hai"

He smirked. "Tum apartment kii secretary ko avoid kar rahi hoo that's bad...aise logon ke saath toh ache se baat karna chaiye...its good to keep with them."

Anika smacked her head.

"Lekin mujhe abhi baat nahi karna...aap please shift hoiyee naa kyun dimaag kaa dahi kar rahe hain..!!"

Shivaay-"What did you say...dimag kaa..?"

"Dahi...curd..." She said explicitly.

"Oh..what... dimaag ka curd I mean dahi...I mean whatever...Anyways main dikha tha hoon how to socialise with such people...waise wo mere baare mein kyaa jaanti hain? " he asked rather stupidly.

"Yahi kii aap mere pati hain...aur hum saath kaam karte hain aur aap the oberois waale oberoi hoo." She said quickly trying to hide her face with her left hand.

" You watch." He said confidently preparing himself to talk.

He turns to see a short plump lady walking towards them seems like she had already noticed them.He looked at her and gulped..to himself...she dint look like the kind of secretary he was expecting. He turned back at Anika.

"Ab aap hi baat kariye maine apna mooh band rakhungi !" She said quickly forcing a smile on her face."

"That's better." He said under his breath turning towards the lady-"Hello Mrs,Bhalla..!!" he got up to greet her.

Mrs.Bhalla-"Ojii hello shivaay putar...hi anika putar..tum dono kaise hoon...aisa lag raha hain saalon baad dehk rahii hoon...tum don toh apne kaam mein hi lage rahte ho." She sat where Shivaay had been sitting. Shivaay having no option but to continue to stand.

Mrs.Bhalla-"Arey putar too khada kyun hain baith jaa." Shivaay looked around. Was there a chair around?

"Arey Anika Shivaay ko thodi jagah toh dee."Anika moved and Shivaay sat beside her.

Anika indicated him to do the talking.

Shivaay-"So.."

"Arey ek lassi toh lana bhaiya." Mrs.Bhalla's loud voice cut Shivaay's attempt.

Shivaay looked at her weirdly.

Mrs.Bhalla-"Maine tum dono ko disturb toh nahi kia naa."

"No Mrs.Bhalla not at all." Shivaay said modestly.

Mrs.Bhalla-"Aur batao tum dono kahin honeymoon ke liye gaye yaan nahi ?"

Shivaay swallowed and cleared his throat knowing not what to answer.

"Wo ..kaam...kaam mein busy thee iss liye..." he quickly found whatever words he could, looking at Anika awkwardly.

Lassi ordered by the short lady came and she happily began sipping while talking.

Mrs.Bhalla-"Ae le yeh bhi koi bahana huaa...kyun Anika putar tune kuch bola nahi."

Anika-"Main kyaa bolti ab kaam bhi toh important hain naa.."

She finished her drink in a shot."Ab aayi taleje mein thandak...Arey tum dono..." She was interrupted by the ringing of her phone.

While she spoke over the phone Anika glared at Shivaay and he shrugged his shoulders.

Mrs.Bhalla-"Haan jii koi gal nahi...haan jii aa jaao..haan" she talked over the phone.

Ending the call, she told them that her friend would be arriving in next five minutes and spoke non stop about idhar udhar kii baatein, and poor Shivaay had to answer and converse as Anika kept mum.

Finally she made note of her friend, "Chalo jii putar maine chal tii hoon wo aa gayi meri friend."

Shivaay looked in the direction with relief.

Mrs.Bhalla got up to leave. "Bye putar jii.." and then turning.."Waise"

Shivaay in his mind "now what..." he forced a smile..."jii" while Anika controlled her laugh.

Mrs.Bhalla-"Wo aaj raat ko ganpati visarjan ki aarti hain tum dono jaroor aana..!"

Shivaay-"Yes"

Mrs.bhalla-"Aur haan aise dono tohda kaam chod ke time spends kiya karoo warna bache nahi honey waale..!!" she winked at shivaay and hurried away to join her friend on another cot. Leaving behind a completely awkward Shivaay. The woman just winked at him!

Shivaay sat at his place with a horrible expression.

Both complete their meal silently after that and walk out.

As soon as they step out and move towards the car.Anika bursted out laughing.

Anika-"Toh putarjii ho gayii baat kar liya socialise "she said imitating Mrs. Bhalla's tone.

" Just stop it alright .." Shivaay exclaimed exasperated getting in the car.

Anika got in too, unable to stop her laugh.

Shivaay shook his head looking at her-"What's so funny..?"

Anika-"aap ka chera dehkne laayak thaa...aisa lag raha thaa ek vegetarian ko nonveg khila rahe hoo" she laughed looking the other way.

"Itna bhi bura nahi tha..I mean hote hain aise log bhi...its completely fine, for once a while."he added the latter part carefully.

Anika-"Aapke word aur expression match nahi kar rahe..." She laughed.

Shivaay- "Hey enough, stop it"

Anika-"Maine toh warn kiaa thaa..aap hi bade chale maine dekhata hoon kaise baat karte hain " she mimicked him.

Shivaay-"Enough...mujhe office ke directions batao.."

Anika stopped laughing.."Aapka matlab ghar?" she asked confused.

Shivaay-"Nahi OFFICE ke.."

Anika-" Sunday hai! Koi nahi aata..unless koi upcoming event hoo...aur waise bhi Aaj Ananth chaturdarshi hain...office kii chutii hain"

Shivaay-"Company tumhari hain ?"

Anika-"Haan " shrugged her shoulder.

Shivaay-"Great toh hum office jaayenge...tum khulva den naa.."

Anika-"Lekin jaa kar karenge kyaa...saaf safai?"

Shivaay nodding his head in disbelief.

"Nahi...Mujhe previous events kii files study karni hain...upcoming events ki bhii...you see I don't remember anything from past nine months. Nine months!"

Anika-"Arey Doctor ne aapko stress free rehne ko kaha hain...toh aap chill kariye naa.Kyun faaltu ki tension sar par lena."

Shivaay-"Mujhe kaam nahi karne se tension hoti hai. So you are giving me the directions besides tumhe thodi naa kuch karna hai."

Anika-"okay..chaliyae office.."

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