"What is wrong with you Sanyukta, stop letting him dominate your thoughts all the time. You are going to meet you mother, not him!" Sanyukta scolded herself as the bus gingerly negotiated the treacherous Konkan ghats. Her effort to enjoy the scenery was marred by the shaded glass window. She felt excited and guilty at the same time, as if she was on her way to a clandestine rendezvous with a lover, having never travelled so far on her own. Though Randhir was instrumental in planning her journey her equation with him was very different, she had to be discreet around him. 

She had worked very hard to maintain her academic grades to convince her mother that she was being a responsible daughter, she even carried her evaluated answer sheets as proof. Her mother was in for the surprise of her life, she still did not know that her daughter was coming over. Sanyukta forced herself to go to the public restroom when the bus made a halt midway during the journey. Although she had expected them to be so, the less than desirable condition of the sanitary facilities made her stomach heave. Why can't they maintain pay-to-use toilets that are continuously serviced? And why is civic sense so lacking among our people? Is the imbalance between our population growth and development of civic infrastructure responsible for it or is it just public apathy, she wondered. 

She had a bite to eat, having carried her own snacks and drinking water along. The remainder of the journey was in the night and she managed to get some shuteye. She only woke up with the sound of the bus making its first halt for passengers to disembark. She checked her watch, it was just 4 am, the bus had gotten into the city well before the scheduled time which was quite unusual. The winter sky was dark and although there was traffic on the highway Sanyukta was nervous about getting off the bus alone in the unfamiliar city. Her fingers fidgeted with the strap of her carry-on bag as she got into a seat in the front of the bus so that the driver could alert her before her scheduled stop. 

After she disembarked the bus sped off and she stood there wondering what she should do next. Should she alert her mother or just hop into a rickshaw and find her way to the address? As she waited there lost in thought a number of vehicles sped by but there was no sign of an unhired rickshaw. She checked her watch, it was half past four in the morning and she realised she was stranded on an unfamiliar road without transportation. Before her anxiety could turn to panic her phone rang and to her relief it was Randhir. She had considered calling him earlier but did not know if it would be appropriate to do so. 

"How far have you gotten, Mowgli?" He asked her.

"I am already here at the stop you mentioned, the bus got here earlier than I expected." She explained.

"Arey, why did you not call me then? I'll be there in under ten minutes. Don't, I repeat don't hire another vehicle and get in touch immediately if you are in a spot of bother!" He nearly yelled at her before disconnecting the call.

Sanyukta stood rooted to the spot feeling both sheepish and relieved. Some time went by before she noticed a car screeching to a halt close to her. The door opened and Randhir walked out. 

"Hi, I've never been so happy to see you, Randhir!" She smiled, unsure of his reaction.

"You almost gave me a heart attack Mowgli! I had asked you to call me as soon as you came into the city!" His face was grave and they stared at each other.

"How could I know that the bus would arrive before schedule?" She countered.

"Had anything gone awry what could I say to your mother, Mowgli? Don't you dare pull another stunt like this again. Now come on, let's get you out of here!" He made her get into the car.

"I didn't know you had a car in Mumbai too!" Obviously she wanted to diffuse the tension.

"There's a lot you don't know, both about me and about how to ensure your personal safety!" His voice gave away his concern for her.

"Drop it Randhir,  I know I'll always be safe when you're around. Look, it is a bit earlier than expected, Mom will be sleeping. Can we stop somewhere a bit?" She asked, her awkwardness apparent.

He just kept driving without saying another word and soon they entered an apartment complex where Randhir parked the car. 

"Who lives her?" She asked him.

"We are going to Dad's Mumbai apartment. Did you expect me to take you to my hostel? Now follow me, you can freshen up and have breakfast before I drop you off to your Mom's!" He clarified.

Sanyukta was not expecting him to take her home with him. She did not know what to say so she simply followed him into the elevator. She noticed that there were only two flats on the floor, a large one and another much smaller. She did not have to second guess which one belonged to the Shekhawats.

"Who's here right now, Randhir?" She asked, visibly nervous.

"Besides the two of us? Only Danny and Groucho!" He replied with a grin. 

The door was opened by a sleepy boy in his late teens. "Sorry Danny, I should have told you before barging in like this. Sanyukta, meet Dhyan Singh, our caretaker and the lord of the apartment when none of us are around. And Danny, this is Sanyukta, our neighbour from Goa. She needs to freshen up and then we'll have breakfast before she leaves! And Sanyukta, now meet Groucho!" Randhir indicated a medium sized tortoise that looked liked it had renounced the world.

"Is he hibernating?" Sanyukta just had to ask.

"He gets a little sluggish at this time of the year. For the rest he just eats salad, excretes and likes to hang around Danny, his best friend. He used to be our pet before Danny decided to adopt him. Now he thinks we are the strangers invading his property. Anyway, let me show you to the guest room, follow me!" He led her indoors. 

"Randhir, is it ok if I take a long shower?" She asked uncertainly.

"Oh for that you first need to apply in triplicate and wait for headquarters to grant you permission! Of course you can, silly. And there are feminine hygiene supplies in the bathroom cabinet along with the usual stuff!" He showed her how to use the shower controls.

"Randhir, how did you..." She stopped midway.

"I am actually a woman in disguise, that's how! The guest bathrooms in our houses are well-equipped for both genders, Mowgli. I'll meet you outside after you finish. Take your time!" He stepped out of the room shutting the door behind him.

He walked over to Danny who had freshened up briskly. "Sorry to wake you up so early Danny! Inki bus kuch jaldi hi aa gayee. Are you stocked up to make anything for breakfast?" He inquired.

"Aloo paratha ban jagega. Bhaiyya, kya Madam yehi rahenge?" Danny asked.

"She will just be here for breakfast, after that I am dropping her to her mother's place. She did not want to wake her mother so we destroyed your sleep instead. And she is just visiting, so don't get ideas and don't say anything to Mom. Simply shak karengey mujh par!" He grinned, helping Danny to get things together for breakfast.

"Aisa kuch hota toh mujhey pata chal jata Bhaiyya!" Danny exchanged looks with Randhir.

They sat down to a breakfast of piping hot parathas and ginger tea. The shower and meal revived Sanyukta greatly. "Bahut badhiya swaad, Danny!" She complimented Danny on his culinary skills. 

"Ready to leave now?" Randhir asked her. 

"Sure why not?" She replied.

"Ok Danny, next time I'll call before I get here. Great parathas man! I took in 2000 calories more than my usual breakfast, need to hit the gym now!" He slipped him some money surreptitiously. 

"Bhaiya, no need for this!" Danny protested politely.

"I insist, Danny! Why don't you ask a girl on a date, have some fun? You have the house to yourself anyway!" Randhir grinned at him wickedly.

"I don't want to lose my job, Bhaiya!" The boy responded. He was more than familiar with the security cameras in the house.

"Ok Danny, hum chaltey hai. Thanks for everything." Sanyukta said to him before following Randhir back to the elevator.

"I almost forgot, here's the stuff you had asked for!" She pulled out a bag from her luggage and tried to place it on the backseat of the car.

"Keep it with you, that way I'll have a valid excuse to pay you a visit." He asked her to return it to her bag.

They left the building and in a quarter of an hour he stopped just before her destination.

"You may want to leg it out a bit. Don't tell Aunty about your debacle in the morning, she will worry. And call me when you think it is proper for me to come over,  I'll be there soon as I can." He called to her before she stepped out on the street.

Once he drove off she walked into her mother's apartment building. The house was easy enough to locate and she rang the doorbell eagerly. The door opened to reveal Anju with an incredulous expression on her face.

"Sanyu? How, when? You didn't let me know you were coming!" Anju mumbled.

"Come now Ma, had I called you how would this be a surprise?" She gave her stunned mother a bear hug. 

"Actually Randhir helped to book my tickets. He also picked me up from the halt. I got here early so he took me over to his Dad's place to freshen up." She continued narrating the story.

"Why didn't you ask Randhir to come upstairs with you?" Anju quizzed her.

"How could I bring him when I know you would be in your nightwear? In any case I have to call him over during the day. Parth has sent something for him." Sanyukta did not see any reason to lie to her mother.

"Call him over for lunch, Sanyu. Our turn to return the favour now!" As Anju went for a shower Sanyukta sent Randhir a text message instead of calling him, she knew he would be in the midst of a workout. 

In half an hour he messaged back. "Would be happy to join you for lunch. Say what time!" Sanyukta grinned to see how readily he had accepted the invitation. The Shekhawat men certainly did not have inhibitions.