"I don't want to be special, I just want us to be friends." Sanyukta looked at Randhir with eyes that could barely focus. "Ok then, you can be my special friend!" Randhir gave her a good-natured smile. "I am hungry!" She mumbled as she tried to steady her eyes on him. "But we just ate!" He protested gently. "Well,  I am still hungry!"She said. "There's nothing in the kitchen, they would not have cooked for us as none of us were home for dinner, unless you want to rustle up something." He told her, even when he knew she could hardly stand still because of the alcohol inside her. 

"Hey, we just became friends, take me out for a bite. I'll just change quickly." Before he could respond she dashed into the bathroom with a tee and a pair of shorts. He had not expected this but he saw no point in arguing with her. He quickly changed into his street casuals and grabbed his wallet, phone and keys by the time she emerged from the bathroom. "Let's go, Randhir. " She shadowed him as he led the way to his car. "Hey, your seatbelt!" He reminded her. She tried to latch herself in but she was so clumsy that he had to assist her. Her breath hitched involuntarily as he leaned close to her and she shivered a little when his fingers brushed her skin for just a couple of seconds.

He was perceptive enough to sense the effect he had on her, although he tried to stop thinking about it. "Say where, is Aunty Maria ok? It is a 24/7, and not far." He came up with the most practical place to eat at that hour. "They know you there, don't they?" She asked softly. "They know me almost all over Goa, so what?" It was the truth. "Then no, I want to go somewhere they don't know you! There will be gossip for sure." She countered him. "I am not taking you beyond Panaji this late." He told her firmly, no matter how drunk she was he was not entertaining her crazy capers.

" I thought the Praça da Igreja is in Panaji.  Let's go already, or the cookie monster will eat everything!" She patted his arm till he started the car and began heading there. She showed him where to park and pointed toward a food cart. "Ros omelette, and my treat!" She dragged him to the place and uninhibitedly ordered the same thing for both, asking the man to add kando-tomat (onion, tomato) in the omlette.  When the piping hot food was dished up it had two buns grilled with butter, a fluffy omelette topped with spicy chicken gravy, then sprinkled with lime juice, freshly chopped onions and coriander to complete it. She paid for these before Randhir could protest.

"Come on and eat before it goes cold.!" He could hardly believe he was taking instructions from a drunk teenage girl. It was not as if he had not eaten here before, the late evening snack was really popular in Goa. All through his teens he had indulged in the street food experience, but that was three years ago and his lifestyle had changed considerably after that. He saw that she was happily tucking into the food, and the other customers were too busy eating to notice either of them. He bit into the food and realised it tasted the same as it did when he was a big fan of the dish. The earthy taste of the curry soaked omelette reminded him of his footloose carefree boyhood.

On their way back he tried to rationalise the recent events. He had dated several girls, they always expected to be wined and dined in style, knowing well that he was rich. He had never been dragged close to midnight to eat off a cart on the streets of Panaji by an enigma of a teenager who had insisted on paying for the meal. He noticed that she had a content smile on her face as they drove back home. "Why did you pay for the food, it can hurt a guy's ego, don't you know that?" He asked her just to kill time. "I owe you much more Randhir, and even when I am drunk I would hate to rob your till, which means I would dislike taking advantage of your goodness, that's all! And we are not dating, like you remind me all the time." She turned her face toward the window as she spoke. 

When they got home she insisted that he bring out the telescope and help her star-gaze. "Hey rich guy, there's no money off your back to show me some real stars!" A few days more Randhir, he reminded himself. She knew of his interest and knowledge in astronomy. He patiently set up the telescope to be able to view the Andromeda constellation, because she had asked to see it. She glanced at the brightest star Alpheratz as he pointed it out. Next she wanted to see the Perseus and Cassiopeia. He was surprised to see her genuine interest in stargazing, unlike most of the girls he had known before. "Why do you think Perseus rescued Andromeda?" She asked him suddenly.

"It is just a legend,  don't get carried away by the romance. And I think she summoned him to rescue her from the Kraken to whom she was supposed to be sacrificed, she must have felt helpless!" He told her matter-of-factly. "Liar, it was because he fell in love with her. He rescued her and then married her, and they had nine children, with him remaining faithful to her always." She replied. "Why did you ask me when you knew the answer yourself?" He asked. "Because I wanted to know if you knew about it! Why would a woman in distress always have to summon help from a male hero? I protest, girls can be quite responsible, you know!"  She argued. "Sure, you are a living example of that! Come, it is time for you to get some sleep, we work tomorrow." He had the final word and she prepared to sleep. In under an hour she was back in his bed, her face turned away from him. "Peace at last!" He smiled to himself and went off to sleep.