Randhir woke up to a familiar sound, a voice singing the devotional song Laagi Lagan Pati Sakhi Sang, that he had first heard two years ago. He recognised the raag as Hamsadhwani, she would often mouth the tarana while at leisure. It reminded him of their life in the barsaati when the elusive Yasmeen diligently rose early and bathed before she sat down to sing, wearing a veil. He always wondered about her background, she wore a niqab and had a Persian name but chose to sing Krishna bhajans in the morning and was attached to her tulsi and night jasmine, both plants being closely linked to the deity. 

By the time he showered she would have breakfast ready. Initially he found it strange that she kept house and cooked without demanding attention like a typical girlfriend. No girl he was related to, including his own sister would bother with domestic chores. He had never expected to date an unassuming girl like her, albeit with a streak of independence and an insistence on splitting expenses. She managed to strike a perfect balance between academics, their home, mentoring Aman and being a very patient lover to Randhir.

Trying not to interrupt her singing he did his stretches and yoga before taking a shower. He then walked into the kitchen drawn by the aroma of freshly brewed coffee where she was busy making pancakes for breakfast. "Good morning biwi!"He said as he snaked his arms around her waist and kissed her sloppily, unwillingly letting go when she insisted on finishing her task. While she did the cooking he set the table for breakfast, placing the maple syrup, berries and pouring the coffee.

"This syrup is so flavoursome!" She remarked on discovering its original taste. "For the rest of your stay we'll try out as many New York specials as possible." He said, recalling that in Mumbai they hardly had the time to dine out since he was always busy. He wanted to pamper her and show her what the city had in store for a novice. He knew she would not let him splurge, it went against the grain of her personality. "We can enjoy life after we make enough money!" would be her counter. Thrift was practically her middle name. If she was not with him it he would struggle to avoid the temptation to be like some of his peers-bar flies who enjoyed partying with girls.

After getting dressed Randhir and Sanyukta took a bus and reached the Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially known as The Met, located on 5th Avenue. Reaching early made sense to avoid serpentine queues for tickets and the gothic-style building itself was so massive that one needed plenty of time to see what was on display. Since it opened in 1872 the museum had representations from around the world, spanning a timeline of history. Like the Museum of Natural History it had a combination of permanent exhibits and changing exhibits which were staged for a specific period.

Randhir led her to the popular Egyptian Galleries which displayed sphinxes, sarcophagi, the Tomb of Perneb and 3-D models found in the Tomb of Meketre. The massive Temple of Dendur was a walk-in temple, with its intricate carvings of lotus blossoms, vultures and deities. The beautiful rooms that enclose it are encased in floor-to-ceiling glass offering a stunning view of Central Park.  

 Beautiful stained glass windows such as Scenes from the Legend of Saint Vincent of Saragossa, sculptures, altarpieces, furniture and tapestries such as The Lamentation, depicting a dying Jesus surrounded by followers were to be seen in The Museum of Medieval Art. European Sculpture and Decorative Arts exhibits had the famous Perseus with the Head of Medusa by Antonio Canova. Renaissance sculpture and Greek and Roman Art had numerous examples of classical sculpture, vases, and bronzes.

 Modern and Contemporary Art, had some of the most famous works of artists of modern times, such as Balthus, Boccioni, Bonnard, Matisse, and Picasso.  Ancient Near Eastern Art included Assyrian reliefs and statues; Chinese Art, which icluded some exceptional Buddhist sculpture including the Bodhisattva and Amitabha, jades, calligraphy, and period rooms. European Paintings and Sculptures, with masterworks from Cezanne, Monet, Renoir, Rodin, Van Gogh, Johannes Vermeer.

Particularly noteworthy paintings included Wheat Field with Cypresses  by Vincent Van Gogh, Autumn Rhythm by Jackson Pollock , Young Woman with a Water Pitcher by Johannes Vermeer, Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze  and a bronze sculpture The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer by Edgar Degas. Besides these comprehensive display of Islamic Art, Japanese Art with its numerous prints and textiles; Korean Art and South Asian Art were also on display along with Arms and Armour.

 The Met visit was completely satisfying but had taken them a few hours and they were quite hungry by then. It was a short walk to Luke's Lobster on 81st Street for their Noah's Ark order which came with a pair each of half lobster roll, half shrimp roll, half crab roll, chips, a drink, and a pickle. They also opted for a side of crab claws. "The lobster, shrimp, and crab are all sweet and fresh, and the rolls buttery. This is totally worth it!" Sanyukta remarked. "I would not get you here otherwise!" Randhir replied as they headed for a stroll around Central Park, getting off at E 58th Street.

Central Park is a large rectangular park about 3.4 sq km forming a vast green expanse of open space; dividing  the Upper East Side from the Upper West Side in Uptown  Manhattan- a green lung away from the hustle and bustle of New York where our lovers decided to take a peaceful stroll along the winding pathways bordering the water. They nestled on one of the park benches, waiting for the glorious sunset view that would colour the crabapple and forsythia treetops with a golden hue. 

As the sun went down Randhir took Sanyukta in his arms and kissed her tenderly, this was easily one of their most romantic moments. They lingered there until she nudged him to make him snap out of his reverie. They walked out of Central Park to take the subway on 5th Avenue/59 Street to their last destination of the day, the 102 storey Empire State Building, alighting on 34 Street- Herald Sq Station. Since the Art Deco building is a cultural icon of the city there are always massive lines of tourists waiting to get to the two observation decks.

By the time Randhir and Sanyukta managed to get onto the observation deck the sky was dark but New York had come alive in an illuminated cloak, the building itself bathed in colourful LED lights. They had seen three of the several iconic films that featured the building; An Affair to Remember, Sleepless in Seattle and King Kong. The wraparound views were breathtaking and they stayed till it was time to come down and grab a bite.

Koreatown was just a stone's throw away and they opted for a Korean Bibimbop dinner at the Food Gallery 32. With full bellies they took the subway at 34 Penn Station for a 20 minute ride to get back home. Sanyukta made some coffee that Randhir laced with some rum and they watched TV as they lazed around sipping their coffee. Randhir ran a warm bath, adding bath salts and working up a nice foam. Dipping into the bath was the best way to wash away the entire day's fatigue, as they scrubbed one another and cuddled till the water went cold and they decided to call it a day.

 He was ready for another amorous encounter and she was a willing accomplice. For all honeymooners making love had to be a  favourite activity. When she finally curled herself into a ball and slept he stayed awake thinking of their journey together so far. Only after Yasmeen's cover was blown did he figure Sanyukta out, she had opted for the role of his spouse even when she was a mere child and had virtually no access to him. He smiled as he remembered her as a pint-sized kid peering into his haveli kitchen to try and learn how to cook meat even when she was brought up a vegetarian. 

She had chosen her own route to win him over and he admired her spirit while falling for her. Breaking convention they had painstakingly set up a cozy home before they became lovers. He wanted to store as much of her in his heart and mind as was possible. She had been his steady companion for two years and he did not know how to cope with being away from her for a year. He kissed the sleeping girl's forehead and fervently wished that life would continue to smile upon them for as long as they lived.