Dearies! I know I was to post it on weekend but got caught up. So, here it is. I know, it's a short update, but the next part cannot be broken down, so this needed to be paused here. Also, I wanted to paint some alone moments to let them embark on the journey of romance and togetherness before they start their mystical voyage. The bond needs to develop and strengthen over a period. Hope u like it.

Part 34

They rode in silence for a while, each collecting their thoughts. Suddenly, she chirped, "tumne kahan tha ki hum ghar ja rahe hai? Mera ghar toh Bombay mein hai aur tumhara Ahmedabad mein? Fir yahan Vidisha mein kiska ghar hai?"

Sameer was confused at her question. But when she still looked on waiting for an answer, he understood that she had no clue about her whereabouts. He didn't want to shock and scare her again after they had established a firm ground post the face-off. But he could hide one truth from her if need be, not an entire city and before she felt unsafe or rendered him untrustworthy again, he cautiously answered in a slow tone with every syllable measured.

"Ahmm Naina...umm...hum Vidisha mein nahi...Lothal mein hai...Ahmedabad se thodi durr. Toh hum mere Ahmedabad wale ghar ja rahe hai". He divulged all information and let it sink in her.

She looked down as if pondering over the information. He was bracing himself for an explosive reaction at any moment. But after a few seconds, all she responded was "oh...acha..." then straightened in her seat, adjusted her posture and gazed out the window lost in thoughts.

He continued driving and they enjoyed each other's presence in companiable silence. Every now and then, he glanced at her but she didn't. He didnt mind as it was just enough for him that she was well and with him finally. Now that the adrenaline peak rush had subsided, his body demanded food to compensate for the energy expenses. He was sure that she would be famished too as given her condition, she was nourishmentless for far longer than him.

He wanted to stop for food, "Naina...", she turned to look at him questioningly as to why was he intruding her thoughts. "Kahi ruk ke thoda khana kha le?"

"Nahi...zaroorat nahi hai. Mujhe bhook nahi hai aur khane ka mann bhi nahi hai!" He was being polite trying to give her the choice but he hadn't anticipated that she would outright deny him.

His face fell and just while he was deliberating if he should ignore her denial and stop for food anyway, his stomach growled loudly. The car windows were up, and so he could be heard clearly. Naina slowly turned towards him, he glanced in her direction and couldn't read her expression. It was embarrassing enough, he didn't want to make a fool of himself.

His eyes were still mainly focused on the road, but he heard her sniffling and a quick glance told him that she was trying to contain her laughter and her body was shaking with silent mirth. "Bata nahi sakte the ki bhookh lagi hai!" She reprimanded him lightly. "Tumhara shehar hai, jahan khana ho, gaadi rok dena".

Since they were in the outskirts of the city, the traffic was now picking up, so without averting his gaze, he gave her a lopsided grin for pulling his leg. A couple of minutes later, he slowed down and made a sharp left to enter the parking lot of a restaurant. When he finally stopped, both got out and he walked around to her side to guide her, while she was staring at the board, the entrance, and the decent surroundings.

He interrupted her thoughts, "Yeh Ahmedabad ka famous restaurant chain hai. Pure vegetarian khana milta hai. Chale!"

She only looked in affirmation and preceded him inside. Sameer straightaway walked to a table by the window and settled himself after she was seated. The menus were already on the table and Naina started perusing it. A moment later, a waiter came to them, and greeted. "Bade din baad aaye Bhaiyya. Nanaji nahi aaye?"

Sameer nodded in response to his greeting, smiled, and replied, "Nanu bahar gaye hai!"

"Kya lau aapke liye, wahi hamesha ka?"

"Haan", Sameer replied and then glanced at Naina, who was trying to decide but intermittently glancing at the friendly exchange, "tum kya khaogi Naina?"
Naina was still confused and so sought the easy way out, "hmm...jo tum loge. Mere liye bhi same".

Sameer deliberated for a second and ordered, "dou order kar dou Hari!"

He nodded and left. Sameer stretched a bit and accidentally his feet touched her ankle. Her eyes widened and he too immediately pulled his booted leg back and sat up straight, pulling his feet under his chair, hands on the table and completely facing her and apologized profusely. "Sorry...maine..."

But she cut him... "koi baat nahi".

Although they had shared a different kind of bond all this while, in person she did trust him and that elated him.

However, to ward off the awkward moment, she asked, "tum yahan kaafi baar aate ho. Sab tumhe jaante hai!"

He smiled and was happy to steer the conversation away from the awkward moment. "Yeh Govinda's restaurant pehle na sirf Satellite mein ek choti si farsaan ki dukaan thi". Seeing her scrunching her brows, he added, "Satellite...jahan mein rehta hoon".

She made a noiseless "O".

He continued, "fir dheere dheere restaurant bani....ab inhone chain bana li hai pure Ahmedabad mein. Nanu ke saath aksar jaata tha Aloo-Puri aur Shrikhand khaane. Iss dish ki khasiyat yeh hai aaloo ki sabji woh Marathi style mein mirchi daalke teekhi banate hai aur saath mein meetha kesar Shrikhand. Toh theekha meetha ka sangam ekdum amazing lagta hai". Sameer's eyes glittered while describing the dish. But then, in the next moment, the glint was gone.

Naina noticed it instantly when he averted his gaze, "kya hua, achanak chup kyon ho gaye?"

Sameer was quiet and she let him be and patiently waited for him to open up. He didn't for the moment and just then the food arrived.

Sameer was hungry but suddenly lost his appetite. She wasn't sure but knowing him, she assumed that he missed his Nanu. So, to cheer him up, she tasted the food, the puri and aloo sabji in a morsel. But immediately, started hissing as the spice level was high eventhough she was from Bombay.

That brought back Sameer's attention to her and he immediately forwarded the glass of water to her, "yeh lo paani piyo".

After she downed the whole glass and her tongue was only marginally reprieved from the chilli burn, he advised, "kya kar rahi ho Naina, aise thodi na khate hai. Mirchi swad ke liye hoti hai, khane ke liye nahi, pehle mirchi nikal lo". Saying so, he separated the pieces of chilly from his food. "Fir ek nivala aloo puri ka aur ek Shrikhand puri ka". He gobbled one after the other.

She saw him enjoying and followed suit and was amazed that he was right. The mixture of flavors without the overwhelming spice actually exploded in the mouth and made one asking for more. He saw her enjoying too and asked with eyebrows how did she like it.

With mouthful, she didn't reply, just gestured with raised eyebrows and thumb-index finger that it was too good. He smiled and as they both were hungry since hours, got busy gobbling up the food. Just as they were finishing up the last morsel, Hari placed two glasses of Gujarati chaas with a light jeera pudina tadka and Sameer downed it in one go. While Naina paused and finished it too. They both placed the glasses back on the table same time and then looking at each other, burst out laughing.

"Tumhari safed muche nikal aayi!" Naina pointed out and stuttered in between her mirth.

Sameer mimicked her, "safed muche toh tumhari bhi nikal aayi hai".

Naina stoppped laughing and immediately wiped her lips with the back of her hand. Sameer too stopped laughing finally and did the same. But then he was Sameer and already loved to tease Naina. "Waise, main toh ladka hoon, toh meri muche, safed hi sahi, nikal aati toh koi baat nahi". Then he made a funny face and teased her more, "par tumhari muche thodi ajeeb lagti nai!"

Naina glared lightly and pursed her lips for lack of retort. "Main haath dhoke aati hoon", and she left hurriedly.

Sameer shook his head and smiled behind her back, removed his wallet and juggled to remove a 100-rupee note that would cover the bill and leave a decent tip for Hari.

He too followed Naina to wash hands before leaving. On their way back to the car, Naina stated simply, "waise...tum bina muchon ke zyaada handsome lagte ho. Muche tumhe suit nahi karegi".

Sameer was shocked. School college he had girls falling all over him and complementing how handsome he was. It neither affected him nor interested him. But this simple statement, it made him feel so intimately connected with her, as if she had a right over him. The way she said it felt like she owned him and the best part was he didn't mind it one bit. He felt relaxed and at peace and as if they belonged together. He knew he loved her but wasn't sure how she felt about him, about them. He didnt know how to extract that information and since she was right in front of him, they couldn't peer in each other's heads. For a second he felt frustrated. As much as he loved being in her proximity, he would have loved to be able to read her thoughts and decipher her feelings for him. This mystic and the mystery in their relationship, even if there was one, was withering his patience away.

But he couldn't rush into anything, she had gone through much and he had come so close to losing her. Never again he wanted to feel that way and if it meant taking baby steps or never knowing her heart, but if it kept her close to him, it was all worth it. And he just realized that without any planning or thoughts, they just had their first date. Ironically, she hadn't realized that yet. He smiled to himself in satisfaction.

Naina hollered breaking his chain of thoughts, "chale?"

He nodded and unlocked the car and they got in the respective sides and drove to his Satellite bungalow.