As her sessional tests wound up a weary Sanyukta trudged homeward earlier than usual, looking forward to just laze around and relax at home. She called Randhir on the way but since it was the middle of the week he was busy and unsure if he could make it back home. But there was a four day long weekend coming up and they were counting on spending some quality time together. She loved her current life, ever since had been revealed as Sanyukta she had gradually stopped veiling herself, though she did carry a scarf or stole around out of habit. However during her morning riyaaz she became Yasmeen again, she was so accustomed to singing under the veil. She appeared at concerts only when Randhir was busy, wanting to spend all her free moments with him. She felt like a wife now as he insisted on paying for all their household expenses; so she would end up with money to spare with hardly any personal needs. She hosted events occasionally, mostly to oblige her contacts. She still maintained a modest wardrobe; never letting Randhir take her dress shopping and did most of her skin and hair care treatments herself, with Vidushi trimming her hair whenever they managed to meet. Randhir jokingly called her his low maintenance girlfriend.

She would laugh at how she was soon becoming a homebody after having left her home to discover the world. Not that she regretted it, she had learned and experienced so much in life. She loved making Randhir's favourite dishes, especially the comfort foods linked to his childhood in Kolkata, being the only one who doted on him after his Didima. When at home she liked tending to her kitchen garden, harvesting and cooking with her produce. Aman enjoyed gardening too, he was her little helper ever since she moved in here. His favourites were the potted brinjals, okra and the oregano-flavoured fleshy leaved ajwain which he called the pakora plant.  She had placed a stone Krishna idol by her tulsi and night jasmine, although her devotion was expressed mainly in her music. Randhir had added to her collection a magnificent blooming plumeria that Aman nicknamed the boiled egg flower because of its showy white and yellow flowers. 

Her little companion was eagerly waiting for her, she had forgotten that she had promised to help him with his school project. Her fatigue vanished to see the genuine smile on his face when he spotted her. She helped him gather the material and led him upstairs to let his grandmother enjoy her noon siesta. The project was to be a chart about creatures of the land and sea. They were ready with chart paper, crayons, stamping ink and poster colours. She helped him make the outline for a seascape, followed by some grassland and a forest. Showing him how to create shapes for land and sea creatures using his fingers and palms, they together made a myriad world emerge with birds flying in the sky, bumble bees and butterflies flitting over flowers in the grassland, and monkeys, elephants, lions and leopards in the jungle. On the beach they traced crabs while in the sea they made several fishes, jellyfish and even a large sea turtle. She then helped him dab stamping ink on his finger tips and poster colour on his tiny palms and fill in various colours within the borders, washing his palms in between the many shades. She asked him to add in details like spots on the leopard and the butterfly wings and manes for the lions. 

She admired his effort to keep his work neat, his concentration has improved considerably since he had begun training under her. Never the one to shy away Aman asked her what she was making for high tea, directing her to the kitchen with a big smile on his face. This was another perk that he looked forward to when she was home alone, getting her to make a special snack for him. Like Randhir and Parth he enjoyed her cooking and she would delight him by making surprise treats when he was least expecting them. Whenever she spoke to her mother over the phone she gushed about him, assuring her mother that her homely upbringing had paid off well. Anju felt happy Sanyukta was taking care of him, especially after she told her about the boy's family background, feeling confident her daughter would make a dedicated wife and mother some day. 

 Aman rushed with the basket and scissors to the kitchen garden to get brinjals and ajwain leaves when she announced what she was had in mind. Sanyukta quickly set about making assorted pakoras out of onions, potatoes, cauliflower florets, brinjals, ajwain leaves which she planned to serve with some kasundi she picked up in Kolkata. And because Aman loved them so much she also made palm sized gur ka meetha chilla along with plenty of lemon tea so they could have refills. She was setting the table on the terrace with all the goodies and the tea when the landlady's maid appeared, escorting a rather dignified looking elderly gentleman, who was apparently there to meet her.  Sanyukta was taken aback as she recognised him, she had the opportunity to visit his home not too long ago, and though she had not met him formally she knew him immediately from the photographs she had seen. Instinctively she bent forward and touched his feet and offered him a chair inviting him to join Aman and her for tea. If she was shocked she did not make it obvious to him, though he was mildly amused having guessed her state of mind, as he sat down. After all it was not everyday that Nobin Chandra Sanyal decided to pay a social visit to someone without giving notice of his arrival.