On an Evening in Roma

Your heart got a story like mine...

3:15pm, 15th August 1940.

Antica Domus, Piazza del Colosseo.

Rome, Italy.

There were total ten sets of tables in the restaurants balcony and seven out of ten of them were occupied. Two on their end, where the mishap was taking place and one on the other end of the long balcony were empty. And all the occupants of the seven occupied tables were watching the scene unfolding with unhidden amusement.

Only the main players were unaware of their staring...and the pair near the railing was so absorbed in each other that they wouldn't notice even if the Vesuvius erupted near them.

The waitress's Italian blabbering broke them out of their trance...Anirudh moved back a step noticing their proximity but Durga didn't. She was still looking at him with questioning look.

Gaining his composer he tried to translate the waitress's accusations, "She thinks that we...that we..." but words fail him so he tried to convey message with his eyes.

He saw a look akin to hurt or maybe fear crossed her eyes but it was gone before he could blink.

She swallowed before opening her mouth, "Yeah!!Okay! But why would she think that?" Was it his imagination or her voice really sounded shaky? From the corner of his eyes he saw her grip the a chairs backrest.

"I don't know! I've no idea why she- oh!!" finally realization hit him.

"What? Oh what?"

"Batuk!"

"What about him?"

"She thinks I'm Batuk!"

"Again, why would she think that?"

"Because we look similar!"

"How similar is similar?!?" yeah, exactly how similar are we talking about here that she didn't even notice the 12 year age difference? "Actually that's not important!" she turned to face the Italian girl who was eyeing them with disdain, "Tell me his name ...uhh...name..."

"Nome." Anirudh provided from behind her.

"Yes, his nome?"

"BRC." She replied confidently like it's the most obvious thing.

She frowned, "BR- Batuk Roy Choudhary, of course!" another thought crossed her mind...a painting with that name signed at the corner but she brushed it away, "So you are claiming that this man over here is BRC with whom you had some kind of relationship or something like that."

"But I'm not-" Anirudh tried to protest but she shushed him and signaled him to translate. When he did the girl replied with a simple Si.

"But what if we prove otherwise?" she held out her right hand and Anirudh put his Passport on her palm without having to ask.

Durga, without even checking it herself held it open to the girl, "Read!" She ordered, "What does it say?"

"Anirudh Roy Choudhary!?" The girl blinked, caught off-guard, "Ma come è possibile?(but how is that possible?)" She argued.

Durga slightly nudged him to translate, "she still doesn't believe us...show her my arrival date."

She turned some pages and held out the last stamped page...which stated his date of arrival.

"Sono venuto a Roma due sere fa...dopo due anni..."(I came to Rome two nights ago...after two years...) Anirudh remarked while trying to come forward but Durga refused to leave her post until the whole situation was resolved, "Hai sbagliato. Mi chiamo Anirudh Roy Choudhary. Batuk Roy Choudhary è il mio fratellino."(You've mistaken. My name is Anirudh Roy Choudhary. Batuk Roy Choudhary is my little brother.)