"Saachi do you like your food?" I asked her through the meal.

"Yes it is very good" She said looking out of the widow.

I did the same. There was a beautiful garden and the sea was not far away. There was also an old light house some distance away.

"We can take a walk in the garden after lunch if you would like" I said.

"Oh sure" she replied turning to me.

I don't understand why women wear lipstick when going out to eat unless they are going to make a grand entry. It gets smudged as you eat and its imprints are left everywhere- on the cup, on the glass, on the tissue paper, simply anywhere and everywhere.

"What are you thinking of Adrith?"

I was broken from my reverie.

"Um... Nothing you would like to hear" I said rather awkwardly. She had caught me unguarded again.

"What?" She looked at me incredulously.

"Why are you wearing lipstick Saachi? Can't you see the amount of evidence you are leaving of your visit here."

"Eh?" She looked even more confused now and almost dropped her fork.

"No no. Let us continue with lunch. It was our primary motive to come here."

She nodded and turned back to the window. I watched her stealthily for some time. She didn't look elsewhere for one instance.

"What's so interesting outside?" I asked. She had caught me unguarded and now it was my turn.

"The old swing under the Gulmohar tree is not there anymore" she answered rather absentmindedly.

"You have been here before?"

She was from a well off family but this place was way beyond her league. Besides the restaurant had been set up only 9 years back. There was definitely no way she could have visited it sometime in her childhood.

"Oh no no. I ... I just saw it from outside. It caught my eye."

I looked outside. There was no way anyone could see inside given the height of the boundary wall.

"Oh I see" I said. This was very interesting. Either she was lying or there had been changes in the restaurant layout. I would find that out soon.

I excused myself and went to the washroom. I googled up the place. The boundary wall was the same in the first file photos of the restaurant. Good. Now there was no room for ambiguity.

It occurred to me that Saachi had not in the least seemed perplexed with the array of cutlery laid for her on the table. She knew what to use where. She was familiar with the names of exotic dishes. In fact her manners exuded familiarity. A familiarity that was old and unconscious.

As I walked back to our table Saachi was looking out for me anxiously. I smiled at her. I had to tread very carefully. She tried to keep her attention focused solely on me and did not look outside even for once.

"Do you want to go anywhere else from here?" I asked her very gently "I mean you could show me some more places of attraction."

"Well there is the Marine Museum, the old antique shop and some more. There is also a small amusement park" she said "Thanks for offering but I don't really feel up to going anywhere else after this. It is already pretty late. So..."

"I understand Saachi. I asked just in case" I reassured her "I too would like to spend a quiet evening."