"Yeh hai vo jagah?" Sidharth asked Shehnaaz once they reached the restaurant she was talking about.
"Aha! Yeh owner na Punjabi hai and he knows how to make the best chicken! Chal!" She excitedly gushed, ready to open her side of the door but he didn't budge.
"Kya hua? Nahi aana yaha?" She turned back to him, doubting if he wanted to settle with a restaurant not up to his standard.
"Chal chal." He nodded, walking into the dhaba style place after her and kept checking out for hygiene. The entrance wasn't very clean, making him skeptical because once in, he saw a waiter walking out of the kitchen with trays loaded with food that wasn't even covered while another waiter who passed through him cleaned two tables with the same wet cloth.
"Are you sure this place is hygienic?" He said.
"Yes! It is! Baith na." She replied, assuring looking at the waiter Sidharth had been staring at.
He hummed, taking a seat opposite to hers on a table for two. Once the smell of hot sizzling appetizers being served filled his nostrils, he subsided his thoughts and trusted her words.
"Kya khayega?" She asked him.
"Jo bhi best ho." He shrugged.
"Chicken tikka masala aur Naan! Do plate." She chuckled, making the order for them.
"Khane ka naam sunte hi bhook lag gayi yaar!" He mumbled and she laughed at his cute face.
"Hota hai! Pata, jab bachpan me ghar me chicken banta tha, mai kitchen ke aas paas hi rehti thi. Bana ya nahi abhi tak, dekhne ke liye." She laughed telling him about her antics.
"Mai bhi kam nahi tha, Mom ke peeche peeche aa jata tha kitchen. Not for the food but to be with her. Lekin faida ye hota tha, Mom mujhe kuch na kuch khane ka dete rehti thi toh tabse khane ke liye jane laga." He chuckled, making her smile too.
They were talking while their order arrived, Sidharth pulled out a small hand sanitizer from his pocket and rubbed it into his hands. Shehnaaz saw him doing it but didn't comment, understanding that the eatery was obviously not up to his choices but he still joined because she had asked him to.
"Mmm! This is good!" He exclaimed, tasting the soft morsel of naan wrapped around chicken.
"Bola tha maine!" She shrugged, diving into her food as well.
"Pata ye jagah kuch time pehle hi bani hai. Iske pehle Jo Jagjit paaji hai, matlab owner, unki tiffin ki service thi. Itna acha khana banate the ke log unko catering ke order dene lage. Phir unhone catering ka business chalo kiya aur vo itna badh gaya ke unhone aaj apna restaurant bhi bana liya! Can you imagine?!" She told him.
"That's great. Bande me talent ho toh kya kuch nahi ho sakta." He replied.
"Haina!" She agreed, rolling in another morsel.
"Ye sab tujhe kaise pata?" He inquired.
"Paaji saalon se yaha business kar rahe hai aur nature bada acha hai unka. Mere birthday pe paise nahi liye unhone mere se!" She answered happily.
"That's so sweet of him! Vaise tera birthday kab aata hai?" He replied.
"January 25th." She said, recalling the previous birthday she spent with new people.
"Actually mai na Bindu aur Vicky ko treat ke liye yaha layi thi apne birthday pe last year aur ulta mujhe hi treat mil gayi." She told him further about that day, believing she could get used to celebrating birthdays this way now. Without her family. Sidharth smiled, listening to the girl who could go on and on.
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Strings Of Love
Fiksi PenggemarThis is a story of two different people going through certain phases in their lives they really don't deserve to be in. But such is life, how we face situations we are in, is more important than what we deserve and what not. Because the waxing and w...
