Aman sat snugly on Sanyukta's lap in the car with Vidushi and Randhir crammed next to her. Parth was at the wheel and Nobin da next to him. It was a short ride from Powai to the airport. After they reached Randhir and Parth offloaded the bags from the car. "We are not going to the North Pole Sanyukta, what have you stuffed in here?" He groaned. "Each bag only weighs around 30 kgs; we are entitled to as much on our business class tickets!" She retorted and there was a round of smiles.

Nobin da had offered to fly them first class but Sanyukta declined the extravagance. He then used his contact to have them the best seats pre-assigned for their comfort. The farewell was a little emotional, with Sanyukta and Aman hugging each other like they were mother and son. She promised him that she would call him daily and get him heaps of goodies. "Be a good boy and enjoy your holiday!" She told him. "You take care of yourself and come back soon" He replied.

Randhir drew Aman close and kissed him on the forehead. "Champ, don't forget me, and take care of Dadi and Dadu! Technically you are to become my uncle soon!" Randhir and Aman both grinned at each other. Nobin da was going to introduce Shaila and Aman to the family soon. The formalities to enable him to co-opt Aman's guardianship with his grandmother had begun, with his lawyer working out the legal wrangle. The major roadblock would be the boy's father.

Tears glistened on Vidushi's eyelids as Randhir hugged her; he had been her pillar over the years, the only one in the family in whom she could confide anything. She would have to get accustomed to his absence, though he assured her that he was just a phone call away. Randhir embraced Parth next, he was happy that he was returning to Delhi to assist his mother in the family business. Vidushi would have him close to her. The two girls bade each other fond farewell, expressing the hope to meet again after Sanyukta returned from the US.

Both Randhir and Sanyukta touched Nobin da's feet to seek his blessings. "It belongs to you now; take it whenever you want. Madhabi had those pieces made lovingly for Randhir's future bride when he was just a toddler!" He told Sanyukta earlier in the evening when she returned the jewellery he gave her during the wedding; she felt it would be safest in his custody. She assured him that she would take it back as soon as her marriage to Randhir was disclosed to the family.

Randhir and Sanyukta waved out as the car pulled away and they made their way to the gate. The sheer convenience of business class travel became apparent to Sanyukta as they dropped off their bags and collected their boarding passes without delay due to priority privileges, which even extended to the immigration. After their security check she was delighted to follow Randhir to the business class lounge on Level 3. It was practically empty when they got there.

They made themselves comfortable on a plush couch in a quiet corner that would ensure them privacy. Since they had a meal just before leaving home they were not in a mood to eat and drink. They decided to relax because they had an hour to kill before reporting for their flight. Randhir called Nobin da and Vidushi to inform them that Sanyukta and he were safely ensconced in the GVK Lounge after completing the formalities. He also spoke to his parents; notifying them where he was.

Sanyukta and Randhir were dressed in wrinkle-resist cotton shirts and khakis with comfortable slip-on footwear. It was a 16 hour flight departing well after midnight and they would be mostly sleeping between the two meals served on board. "What do you think Mrs Shekhawat? Feels nice, huh? It is just a matter of time before we start a new chapter. I cannot tell you how it felt to set up our love nest in the barsaati, every moment was special! And now we shall build another nest to start a new phase! Hope you are as excited as I am!" Randhir opined warmly.

"I am excited but also nervous, what if something goes wrong when we are living apart?" She knew he would laugh her anxiety off, she wished she could feel as secure as he did in the relationship. This cannot be good; thought Randhir, let me distract her anxious mind. "We must be the only ones travelling business class on this flight with so much baggage." Randhir nudged Sanyukta. "Drop it now Randhir, women think differently from men. Other passengers travel for a short period; whereas you are moving to the US for a few years. I had to pick up the essentials." She replied.

"Clothes, accessories and prescription medicines I can figure, but tava, kadhai, belan, pressure cooker with extra gaskets and grinder are not essentials for a man!" He scoffed. "I am staying with you for nearly two months, how can I set up my rasoi without these things? Everything else is available there; you better learn to manage a basic Indian meal!" She knew he would protest like a typical man. "Leave it! Let's play a game called reminiscence. Both of us have to recall our fondest memories from the time before we met!" She had to come up with something spontaneously.

"Let me start! My earliest memories of Kolkata are of how my cousins and I, the three of us would go to school by cycle rickshaw even as I longed to travel by trams or the ambassador taxis. My uncle would take us for metro joyrides and buy us chanaachur and jhal muri. We would have puchka eating contests and I always lost. I used to love our Marwari weddings because they were so gaudily lavish and had rich food and so many sweets. After the film Hum Aapke Hain Kaun was released every wedding had to have Antakshari and Samdhiyon ki Mehfil even if people sang terribly! I was quite fascinated by my Nani's huge nath which she wore for weddings. Your turn!" She grinned at him encouragingly.

"My clever wife knows how to steer away from a quarrel! Well, I think every happy memory of mine has to be about Didima and Dadu. I used to address them as Maa and Baba; for many years I thought they were my real parents. I loved winter in Kolkata when the weather was pleasant and Maa used to make a thousand delights with nolen gur (date palm molasses). Since you mentioned jewellery, Maa used to make Goyna or Naksha bori during winter. You know how they pipe out urad dal paste through a nozzle over poppy or sesame seeds into decorative patterns? She would express herself through this art, saying it caught her fancy when she learnt it from a neighbour who hailed from Midnapore!"

"She was very artistic, she could draw and sketch very well and I have never seen a woman yield knitting needles with such feminine grace as her. You should have seen the rice flour Aalponas she would decorate the floor with during festivals! Once she made jewellery of Goyna bori complete with haar, kaan bala, nath and bangles and told me they were for my bride. When I did not show much interest she asked me what my favourite figures were and then she made Simba the lion cub, a dinosaur and characters from Toy Story. She taught me how to draw and paint, while Baba taught me math, chess and Monopoly, thus balancing my Yin and Yang! Ok, your turn again!" He said.

"Let us see, I would ask my uncle to take us to the Alipore zoo to see the veteran giant tortoise Adwaita and the Bengal tigers whose enclosure gave off a strong smell. My grandparents were strict vegetarians; they would not even eat onion and garlic. Once in school I tasted someone's Maggi noodles with scrambled eggs, after that I ate fennel all day to hide it. I prayed in the temple for forgiveness until my Bengali friends laughed at me. After that whenever I went for a birthday party and tasted a birthday cake from Flurys I would tell the family that it was eggless." She smiled. When two people ramble on about sundry themes without getting bored they have to be truly compatible.

''Flurys and Naoum's, what memories you just evoked Sanyukta! I remember Robin mama would take us kids to these places. I loved the delectable rum balls, the lemon tarts, and the fruit cake. Maa never stepped onto Park Street if she could help it. Baba stayed with her while Robin mama and us kids would gorge on the Flurys breakfast of fried eggs and bacon- pure heart attack on a plate and unhealthily tasty! To atone for our sins Maa would then make Baba take us to the Kalighat or some other temple and I do not even want to start about the Pujo memories, because there is not enough time! Come on, we don't want to be late for our flight, let us proceed!" He linked arms with her as they began walking toward the boarding gate, looking forward to their first journey abroad together.