By the time Randhir woke up the next morning Yasmeen was already up, showered and was getting breakfast ready. He scooped her in his arms and tugged at her veil gently to try to kiss her but she instantly stepped back pushing him away, muttering an expression of disapproval as she noticed Vidushi looking on with a grin on her face, dispatching him instead to pick up some essentials from the neighbourhood grocer.

Vidushi offered to walk him to the store; she needed some sibling time with him to exchange gossip. As she probed him about the night he told his sister everything, he had no more secrets to keep from her. He told her how it puzzled him that the girl would still keep her face hidden from him even after the intimacy they had shared; he was beginning to believe she was clandestinely masking some blemish or flaw. Vidushi laughed at his concern assuring him that his girl was stunning to look at, she merely felt bound by her faith that forbade her from unveiling herself before non-family members, and he was not yet family to her. She told him that if he really cared about her he should respect her beliefs and be content that at least this 'night jasmine' bloomed for his pleasure in the dark of the night. She was glad that her brother had finally found happiness sharing a roof with his live-in companion, and she agreed to keep his secret from their parents. He confessed to his sister how he was led by impulse and had plunged headlong into the relationship without weighing the consequences, detaching him from her in the future would be heart-breaking to both of them.

Vidushi mulled over her predicament, she was the keeper of secrets to her brother as well as her best friend. It was going to get increasingly difficult for her best friend to keep herself hidden from her brother's eyes, especially if they were to get physically intimate. If Randhir got to know that his sister had concealed facts from him she would be in trouble, yet she felt obliged to help Sanyukta along in her romantic quest. She could not believe her brother had not explored his lover below 'the waist'; she was amazed at his restraint. Her own experience in bed with Parth had been brazenly explosive; after all she had called the shots each time!

When they got back their breakfast was already waiting at the table, there was a fresh fruit platter, akoori with brun pav and freshly infused ginger tea. Brun pav or gutli was a hard roll, slowly baked in wood-fired ovens, crusty like the French baguette, enjoyed smeared with butter and it tasted even better when dunked in a cup of steaming hot tea. Vidushi quite enjoyed its taste, she never had it before, considering it is only available in artisanal bakeries of Mumbai.

It was a lazy day as they enjoyed the nip in the air, the sun warming them up gently. Yasmeen's garden was well tended. It added to the beauty of the little roof-top apartment and its private terrace to which Randhir had added a cozy cane sofa-set and a swing. With the lake view clearly visible from the roof this place was nothing short of paradise. They ordered in some lunch rather than cook so the two sets of lovers could spend the day cuddling and napping in each other's arms instead.

In the evening Randhir drove them out to the lakeside promenade where they enjoyed Bombay chaat by the street side, the tangy pani puri being their favourite, followed by malai kulfi. After enjoying the sunset they headed back home in time to put up more diyas. The boys decided to make some minestrone soup and pasta for dinner, almost turning the kitchen upside down until they were evicted by Yasmeen who managed to have the meal served in time.

At lights out both couples were back in their respective beds. Randhir had some unfinished business left over from the previous night with his young lover, though he once again showed respect for boundaries. It was a remarkable contrast, one side of the house experienced smoldering white heat while the other saw an ebb and flow of sweet love. If the vibrations between two people find resonance then even a little can go a long way helping them find serendipity in their embrace.