Shri, a writer from Malaysia who had always dreamed of visiting Japan and Misao, a Geisha from Kyoto with a kind heart and an interest for Indian movies. A love between two people from two different worlds who meet but are forced to part because of...
Shree looked at the picture on the back cover and gasped. "This... did you write this book?!" Shree exclaimed in shock. Mitsuo was about to answer but she went on. "Is this why you approached me the other night?!" Mitsuo bowed slightly. "Yep. That's me. I'm the Mitsuo Tadao who wrote that." "Oh my gosh..." Shree gasped. "Can you sign this book for me? And can I have a photo with you?" "Only if you let me accompany you." Shree considered it for a moment and nodded. "Deal." Mitsuo grinned and followed her. "Where are you going?" Shree pointed at a building a little way in front of them. "There." Mitsuo looked up, reading the metallic letters. "Shridhar Industries?" "Yeah," Shree nodded. "I have to go there for something. They're the sponsors for a Pongal event." "Pongal is the one where you guys go to the Batu Caves temple and shave your heads, right?" Mitsuo said, earning a glare from Shree. "What, is something wrong?" "The Batu Caves one is Thaipusam," Shree frowned. "This one Pongal, where you make Pongal Rice to celebrate the harvest. Also, shaving one's head isn't really necessary for Thaipusam. Some shave every year and some shave as a sign of devotion, and some shave as a sign of offering like when they're praying for something." She paused. "But my grandma says that it isn't necessary for women to shave, she said something about trimming just a little of the hair since Murugan doesn't force women to shave. Something like that, not sure what. Have to ask her about it." "Ah, I see... I see..." Mitsuo nodded, pulling out a small notebook. He stopped at the side of the path and started writing something down. "This is valuable information. I might use it for a book." Shree looked at him, amused. "Okay..." They walked in silence before Shree spoke again. "So, what brings you to Kelana Jaya? You even went ahead to take an LRT." "I heard of this place that sells nasi kerabu," Mitsuo said, putting his little notebook away. "Grape fare was expensive, that's why I took the LRT." Shree nodded understandingly. "Yeah, I've heard of it. Nasi Kerabu Kak Hazliza, right?" "Yeah, that's the one!" Mitsuo excitedly said. "Is it good? Is it tasty?" "Never tried it," Shree simply said. Mitsuo sighed, her way of answering reminding him of a balloon being deflated. "Is nasi kerabu good?" Mitsuo asked. "I mean, nasi kerabu in general." "Haven't tried that either." "Are you really Malaysian?" Mitsuo asked in surprise. Shree frowned and briskly walked away. "Oh come on!" Mitsuo went after her. "I was just joking." "The rice is blue, and that makes me feel weird," Shree scowled. "Don't judge me just because I haven't tried something from my country. I'm pretty sure you haven't tried some of your own cuisine too." "Good point," Mitsuo nodded. "But I'm surprised. You're a local here, know the shop, but haven't tried nasi kerabu?" Shree sighed. "Fine, we'll go to this shop later and try it together. Okay?" Mitsuo was struck with surprise, but he slowly smiled. "Sure. That sounds like a nice idea."
Shree and Mitsuo entered the building and went to the receptionist. Shree spoke something to the receptionist in Malay before making her way to the lift with Mitsuo at her heels. "She's at the thirtieth floor," Shree said, pressing the button to go up. "Okay..." Mitsuo nodded, not really sure what this was about. "By the way... what's this about?" "Dance performance on the night of Pongal," Shree said. "The CEO called me to discuss something." Mitsuo gasped. "You're gonna take a kavadi?" Shree groaned. "For the hundredth time, that's Thaipusam, not Pongal! Thaipusam is in February this year. Pongal is in a few days! And not everyone goes for the Batu Caves temple parade or... any other mountain temples for Thaipusam. We're just gonna perform in the temple for Pongal!" "Oh... okay..." Mitsuo nodded, imagining a Zumba performance being done in the middle of a temple. "Wait, there's a parade?" Shree sighed and explained how a procession is done the night before Thaipusam where devotees walk all the way from the Sri Mahamariamman Temple in Kuala Lumpur, right up to the Batu Caves Temple. Mitsuo understood and remembered to write down the details properly in that little notebook of his. The lift soon arrived at the thirtieth floor and the two got out. Shree seemed to know where she was going so Mitsuo just followed. Unless she was planning to do something sinister. What if this 'Pongal Night Event' of hers had to do with something wrong? Mitsuo looked around the place they were in. It was a hallway, crisp with the scent of lavender in the air. "Is this a hotel?" Mitsuo couldn't help but ask. "Because this reminds me of one." "It's an office," Shree answered. "The building used to be smaller. They renovated it into a taller building like... fifteen years ago?" "Oh... okay..." Mitsuo nodded and followed her. Finally, they came to a door labelled CEO. Shree let out an exclamation and knocked on that door, motioning for Mitsuo to wait. "Come in," a feminine voice uttered behind the door. "Come," Shree called Mitsuo. The two entered the room and saw a middle-aged Indian woman sitting at a grand mahogany desk. She immediately lit up upon seeing Shree. "Shree!" The woman got up with a smile. "Hi Auntie," Shree greeted. "I came to discuss about the Pongal dance." 'Discussion about dance?' Mitsuo thought to himself in surprise. "Ah yes," Shruti nodded, motioning for the two to sit down. "You want to have a dance partner?" She gave Mitsuo a polite smile which he replied with a bow before seating himself on the cushioned chair. "Oh no, he just... came with me," Shree chuckled. "Met in the LRT." "LRT ah?" Shruti repeated in surprise. She gave Mitsuo a slight smile before turning back to Shree, urgently speaking in Tamil. "Shree, what is this? You found this guy on a train and allowed him to follow you?" She looked at Mitsuo, who gave her a confused smile. Shree shifted slightly in her seat, moving closer to the table. "Auntie, I know what you mean, but I met him a lot earlier at the place I work at." Mitsuo sat up at the English reply. "Oh, so you know this guy a lot earlier?" Shruti relaxed, still speaking in Tamil. "I see... so you coincidently met on the LRT..." "Is this about me?" Mitsuo asked, recognising the term LRT. "Yeah, and he chased me around at one point to return a hairpin," Shree went on, ignoring his question. "I thought he was a creep and ended up running away. He finally managed to return it when he bumped into us in Selera Old Town." Shruti chuckled. "This sounds familiar. Very familiar, in fact..." "I just wanted to have some banana leaf rice when she appeared there," Mitsuo chimed in, annoyed at being the subject of their conversation. "It wasn't my fault, they said that shop was the best Indian restaurant in Petaling Jaya! And it was delicious!" There was silence at this. "Is he talking about Kamala?" Shruti asked in English. "The one next to Kamala," Shree smirked. "Uma Restaurant." "Aiyo, that's even worse!" Shruti shook her head in disgust. She turned to Mitsuo. "You should try Govind Restaurant. That's the best banana leaf rice in town." Mitsuo nodded. "Noted with thanks." "Where is he from?" Shruti asked, turning to Shree. "Doesn't seem very Malaysian. Korean ah?" "Japanese," Mitsuo answered with a tight smile. "And the name's Mitsuo." "Mitsuo...?" Shruti frowned thoughtfully. "Sounds a little familiar." She suddenly shook her head. "No, wait... no. That's Misao..." "Misao...?" Mitsuo repeated in surprise. He dug in his bag and pulled out a book. A book all too familiar to Shruti.
Yes, it's the same Shruti. She's just older now, that's all. And she has a second nose stud, right above the hoop.
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She aged gracefully, didn't she? Just like wine lol. She also grew up to be the CEO of her father's company.
