"Hello Mom, Sara!" Randhir called out to Renuka and Sara as they walked toward him. Renuka smiled warmly and Sara exchanged a cordial hug with Randhir. "Hope you had an uneventful flight!" Sara was not family but her parents were well acquainted with Renuka and Harsh.  Randhir made small talk, trying hard not to think of Sanyukta lest his eyes betrayed his feelings.  If he appeared distant his mother would sense the difference in his behaviour immediately.  "Why do you look more good-looking each time I meet you! And yes, we had a great flight!" Sara winked at him and he smiled good-naturedly while hauling their bags into the trunk of the cab. 

"Randhir, I have to meet a friend for lunch, Sara and you will need to manage on your own!" Renuka addressed Randhir who merely nodded. Networking was not unusual for Renuka, Randhir knew his mother's lifestyle. If she was meeting someone for lunch so soon after a longhaul flight on a Sunday afternoon surely she had business on her mind. The drive from Newark to Manhattan took them a little longer than expected and as soon as they managed to get into the apartment with their bags Renuka excused herself to shower and change. Randhir showed Sara into the guest bedroom and offered to make coffee while she freshened up. She surprised him by walking into the kitchen well before Renuka. 

"That was quick!" Randhir turned around, offering her a mug of freshly brewed coffee. "Cream and sugar?" He asked her. "No thanks! Hey Randhir, have you been cooking since you got here?" Sara asked him. "Well, just the basics, egg, toast, salad and microwave dinners!" He grinned. He wasn't lying, most of the cooking around the apartment kitchen had been Sanyukta's effort. He was not about to tell Sara that he had been enjoying gourmet meals cooked by his wife over the weeks since he got to New York! "I don't even know if I can cook, never bothered. In any case I live on salads, sprouts and fruit. But I can boil eggs, make toast and plain sandwiches!" She admitted. 

"Great! Your future husband will be proud!" Randhir ribbed her. "You know how it is, there's enough staff at home for me to bother! That is why I eat raw stuff when I am away from home, because more than cooking the winding up is a hassle!" She remarked candidly. "I know, Vidushi can't cook either!" Randhir smiled to remember how different Sanyukta was from the other girls he knew. Ironically, however,  his wife was more independent than him. She made her own money, managed a home, followed her passion for music, was a mother to Aman, and all this while she attended college. His thoughts were interrupted as his mother emerged freshly showered and dressed. "Wow, dare I say, you look smoking hot! If I didn't know better I'd say you are stepping out to meet a paramour!" Sara remarked, looking at Renuka who was dressed in smart casuals.

"I take that as a compliment, Sara, although I will have to ask you to be discreet with your words, I am not sure Randhir would appreciate the suggestion. After all he is completely his father's son!" Renuka smiled. Randhir was caught off guard by the familiarity between Sara and his mother. The fact that his mother had been bonding with Sara was slowly becoming evident and, this called for some strategizing. Was his mother planning on leaving the two young people home alone? Randhir knew he had to act. "Hey Sara, if you are ready let's step out with together with Mom! She can drop us off on the way and we can grab some lunch!" He said, grabbing his keys and phone without giving Sara a chance to react.

"Hush Randhir, where is the rush? Let Sara relax a bit at home. You two can go out after a while!"Renuka glared at him . "And give her a chance to snare me? No way Mom!" Randhir thought to himself. He would do anything to stop himself from walking into a trap. "I am fine, Aunty. If we leave with you Randhir and I can ramble around a bit before eating!" Sara chirped and went into her room to grab her bag as Randhir breathed a sigh of relief. If he wasn't with Sanyukta things would be different. But now he had vows to abide by and he could not afford to give either Sara or his mother false hopes. "Let's go!" He said happily, leading the ladies to the elevator. "Where do you want to go, Sara?" He asked his guest once they had gotten into a cab.

"Bloomingdale's or Macy's!" Sara gushed. "You want to just look around or shop?" Randhir asked her. "Why do you ask?" She quizzed him. "If you plan to shop we'll eat first! Because once you start shopping I'll have to drag you out of the place before you choose to leave!" He replied. "You talk like you are used to taking women out shopping!" Sara was quick to remark. "Have you forgotten that my sister is a style icon? I am glad the stores have enough sense to provide seating for bored men!" He grinned. "Be nice now, Randhir!" Renuka warned him. She dropped them off near the fashion store Sara had opted for and left for her own luncheon meeting. 

"Pick your cuisine!" Randhir asked Sara. "I don't care much about food, I think I told you that!" She said casually. "But a man needs to eat!" He reminded her. "A man needs much more than that!" She said. "Easy, soul sister! Let's just figure out what we're gonna eat, ok?" Randhir cautioned her. "You're in a relationship, Randhir?" She asked him suddenly. "What made you ask that?" He responded with a poker face. "You've not stared at my breasts even once! Most guys I meet start to check me out in the first few minutes of saying hello! You also ignored my cues which means you've got a girl or two stashed somewhere!" She looked curious. "Or that I am gay! Is that what you're asking?" He smiled to himself, the kid was smart, he'd better remember! "Sorry man, I'm just being so unsophisticated! None of my biz, right? But it bothers me if I see an unrelated guy I meet not fantasizing about me, because most fellas do!" Sara confessed. 

"Time to grow up, Sara! Here's a deli, let's get your salad and my sandwich!" He said as he led her through the door. In a few minutes they were eating and laughing as they reminisced about their days in India. Over the next two hours he accompanied her while she shopped for some essentials in the huge store nearby. Just then his phone rang, it was Andy. "Hi Andy, yes, she's already here! When can I bring her over? Ok, shall ask her and let you know!" He had a smirk on his face as he wrapped up the conversation. "Hey Sara, if you are done we can hop across to see an apartment for you!" He said. "Wow, that was fast!" She replied. "Someone I know needs a roommate because the previous one split!" He explained. In a few minutes their cab was speeding along Broadway to Andy's apartment.