By the time they reached the apartment in the Upper West Side it was half past ten in the morning. They hauled their bags upstairs and let themselves in. The place looked expansive and clutter-free, offering a commanding view from the living room windows. Sanyukta was quite impressed by what she saw. She loved being in New York with Randhir, and it had only become possible due to the Nobin da's efforts. When she left her parent's home for good she did not know what to expect. She had never imagined that within two years her life would change so much. 

Of course she missed her family, but to compensate she had Randhir as well as her freedom. "I love this place Randhir, it so chic! She remarked. "It's chic but it is not home, it is just another house that belongs to my parents. I have spent a long time living in dorms and hostels and this place felt the same when I interned here before you came to Mumbai. But it will be different now that you are here, I suppose it will feel like home." He said. He made some calls to India informing his family of his safe arrival while she used the wifi to get onto messenger chat with Aman.

"I am so glad I came here! Actually I would follow anywhere you went, just like I came after you to Mumbai!" She smiled at him and he gathered her in his arms for a kiss. "Come on, we need to get our stuff sorted first!" She said. They moved the bags into their bedroom. "The master bedroom is bigger, but this was my room. Unless you want to check out the other bedroom!" He suggested. "Your room is perfectly cozy, and I love the view from here." She gushed. 

Randhir had lived in this room, it had been his space, that was all she needed to know. "This is a queen size bed, are you fine with it?" He asked her. "Our bed in Mumbai was the same size, which means we can cuddle while sleeping." She winked at him. "So let's begin our honeymoon already!" He advanced toward her. "We need to freshen up first! And I am using our bathroom Randhir, please use the other meanwhile!" She said as she unpacked a bag and got fresh clothes for both of them.

"The house looks like it has been cleaned recently, how is that Randhir?" She was curious to know. "Well, Mom was in New York a few days ago, she must have called in the maid service, obviously she likes it to be kept spotless. She is here every other month, alternating with Robin Mama. We can call the maid too, one has to pay by the hour." He told her. "How much do they charge for an hour?" He was unsure but he guessed between 30-50 dollars. "That is too much!" She muttered. "Get used to the expenses Jaan, Manhattan is home to billionaires; including my parents!" He told her casually. 

"Well, billionaires as well as homeless people who squat on the streets. My husband is not a billionaire yet! We'll clean the place ourselves while I am here, and you have to help. You can call for the maid service once I get back to Mumbai." She said before vanishing into the smartly designed bathroom. She thought of running a bath but took a quick shower instead, rinsing the soap off her body and dabbing herself dry with a towel. As soon as she stepped out of the bathroom he grabbed her and pushed her on the bed. "Randhir wait, let me get the bedspread off first!" She yelled, folding it away.

"Don't kill the romance biwi!" He whispered as he bit her earlobe lightly. His fingers caressed every part of her, and his lips followed their trail as she moaned softly. "Saare pardey khuley hain Randhir!" She cautioned him that the curtains were drawn back. "Who will spy us at this height Sanyukta? Do you think there is a camera drone outside the window?" He laughed at her. "Tum na, purey besharam ho!" She shivered as he dipped his face between her legs, dedicating himself to teasing her with his mouth till she was over the edge. He sat up and smirked at her. 

"I don't hear you complaining now!" He said as he pulled her in to straddle him. She reciprocated his thrusts and they peaked together, gasping for breath. "Round two in the bathroom, how about a close encounter on the counter?" He asked, his eyes still dark with desire. "What will you do when I am back in Mumbai?" She asked, genuinely worried. "I will start taking pills to suppress my libido then!" She paled and he burst out laughing, carrying her to the bathroom and placing her on the counter for a passionate encore! "Meri bholi biwi, tum ho to jahan hain, baaki sab to nadaan hain!" He hammed. "Such cheesy lines!" She remarked as she rolled her eyes.

By the time they changed and left the apartment to explore the neighbourhood it was one in the afternoon. "We are spoiled for choice here, pick what you like." He rattled off choices like Gray's Papaya hot dogs, burgers at Shake Shack, Sushi Yasaka, Hummus Place, Little Italy Pizza and The Great Burrito. They finally settled for pizza at Little Italy on Broadway after he mentioned that he ate there frequently when he was in the city. She found that he was quite right. The food was good, though not too healthy but fine if one was on a holiday.

"We are a short walk away from the American Museum of Natural History. Let's begin with it!" He led her through Columbus Avenue toward 79th Street. Walking at a leisurely pace they got there in about ten minutes. The scale of exhibits in there was impressive. They went to the Akeley Hall of African Mammals, one of the oldest exhibits in there.  It was a two-story hall with 28 dioramas depicting the ecosystem of the animals. The centerpiece of the hall was a pack of eight elephants  in an 'alarmed' formation, seen in the movie Night At The Museum, which also featured many other exhibits.

They continued the tour through Asian mammals, Native American birds, animals and plants, the famous suspended blue whale model in the Hall of Ocean Life, the coral reef diorama, the Cultural life of Asian, African and North and South American people. Sanyukta was excited to see the Patricia Emerald and  the Star of India sapphire in the Hall of Gem and Minerals just as she was while seeing the fossils of Titanosaur,  Tyrannosaurus rex and other dinosaurs. After that they had just enough time for the colourful live butterfly display in the Butterfly Conservatory and the Dark Universe Space Show at the Hayden Planetarium before the museum closed for the day.

They stopped by to revive themselves with some freshly brewed coffee, almond croissant and doughnut at Joe's Coffee on Columbus Avenue. Sanyukta enjoyed the anonymity the city offered them, nobody cared to see the couple shower affection on each other like true honeymooners. On their way home they picked up some groceries like fruit, bread, milk, eggs, butter and other essentials for breakfast and also some salad and sandwiches for dinner.  They had walked a lot on their first day in the city at Randhir's suggestion. Being familiar with the neighbourhood he had advised that the smartest way to get around was on foot.

After they got home Randhir helped Sanyukta unpack the bags and set up the kitchen. She could see that it was the only room that was barely used. Randhir's parents stayed in the city for very short durations and as they were busy they usually made do with take out meals. Sanyukta would be the first to use the kitchen extensively. They had their salad and sandwich dinner and changed into their nightwear before going to bed, falling asleep in each other arms. Overall, it was a day well spent for the young couple in love!