"Have you ever ate rubber like stuff or drink coffee prepared from buttermilk?" Akshay asked Vaibhav.

Vaibhav is accompanied him in the meeting of Smita. Akshay will meet Smita and Vaibhav follow them from safe distance. In case anything bad happens, he will take charge. It will ease tension and nervousness of Akshay and give insight of their relationship to Vaibhav.

"No." Vaibhav replies immediately. He is quite surprised with this random question.

"I did."

"Really."

"Yes, infact I tried more than that. When I was married to Smita. She used to experiment with food and I was the food testor." Akshay recalled the past.

"Poor you." Vaibhav chuckled on his condition. Just imagine you are expecting normal home cooked meal and get food experiment by your wife.

"Some experiment was successful too." Akshay tried to save the situation.

"You had lots of patience and zero test buds to bear such food."

"Its not bad everytime but some time its not eatable."

"So what is the story behind buttermilk coffee and rubber stuff."

"I had a late night video conference which I decided to conduct from home. I was yawning and she suggest coffee. I agreed and after fifteen minutes she returned with a cup of coffee. I took one sip, coughed anf it came out from my mouth. She was disappointed and said what's wrong. She did so much effort and blah blah blah. I was like, I know you put so much effort but its sour. She tested it and vomit immediately. She spent twenty minutes to figure out what went wrong.

"and what you guys find out?"

"Initially nothing, later our maid told that she misplaced buttermilk instead of milk in kitchen shelf."

Vaibhav laughed on their funny encounter. "and what about rubber like dish."

"That was something different."

"So maid is not on fault?"

"Nope, actually that was day of ekadshi (11th day of Hindu calendar). We were fasting and she came up with the idea of cooking sabudana kichdi( snacks prepared from sago). Everybody agreed to eat and she cooked in her style. Its became sticky and rubber like. "

" She served it to everyone . I felt either my teeth came out from oral cavity or my mouth will be chocked. Others have same situation. Dadaji said ' Smita you did a great job but please don't do this again.' "

" So technically your wife is horrible cook. "

" No, she is very good cook but whenever she imply weird methods, we are the food victims. That day she tried to cook according to her friend's instant recipe. Its not instant food, its instant blunder. "

There is silence for few minutes." She had very different personality at that time. "

" Like. "

" She loved to talk a lot. Maximum our conversation was started by her. She can talk to anyone on anything. "

" still you hadn't communicate your issues with her. "

"I hadn't wanted to discuss my issues . I wanted to forget everything happened and to some extent I forget too." a sad smile spread across his face. Vaibhav put his hand on his hand to reassure him. Its not right to meet her with this mindset. There is red light on traffic signal and they wait to turn it green. Akshay look outside a guy and girl roaming freely with holding hands. He never experienced this in his entire life but what he experienced with Smita is pretty crazy and spontaneous.

"Mrs Ranawat"

"Yes, Mr Ranawat" Smita replied in equal tone.

"What you think about dinner in Pan asian."

"I would love to."

"Then be ready at 7 on sunday. I'll pick you."

"I'll pick you" she mimic him and giggled "we live in same house my dear husband. You can't pick me. We shall leave together."

"wait and watch sweetheart." the statement bring desired result. There is tinge of red on her cheeks. She was smiling and lost in her dream world.

Monday to friday Smita spent most of her time in shopping. She brought a purse no its called clutches. She brought a clutche in five hours and Akshay brought purse, tie, shoes and two denims in that time.

"How much more time you need?" frustration is present in his voice.

"I am done." Smita whispered while closing lid of coffee flask. "where is our mugs?" she searched in cabinet.

"I already took mugs , hurry up." Akshay said looking towards the exit.

Smita came sneak out from the house, following Akshay.

"Coffee" he asked

"check" she replied

"coffee mugs"

"check"

"spare clothes"

"check"

"umbrella"

"check"

"Car keys" she asked and he showed her.

"Then why are you waiting, lets go." she whispered and they hurriedly hope in the car.

Its a schedule they both decided to follow. Every Saturday night, Smita prepared coffee, fill it in flask and they went on a drive without informing anyone . They drink it together wherever they like. Last time they drink it in empty road, sitting on the roadside.

Smita turn on music system on full volume. She played some peppy dance numbers.Akshay smiled looking her antics.

"So where to go today?" he asked

"Anywhere but not that road with lots of pot holes. "

"oh, that road where a car splashed mud on your clothes."

"Don't remind me."

"That was your favourite dress na?"

"Akshay, shut up."

"That colour suits you very well."

"It was not that great."

"It was not that great but you received compliment from everyone."

"I am not talking to you." she turn towards window to look outside.

"Smita, my god, you are looking drop dead gorgeous." Akshay mimic her friend with hand movement and laughed.

"Akshay stop it." she said and he stopped the car.

He poured the coffee in the mugs and handed it to her. She didn't take it.

"What, we decided, wherever you said STOP, I'll stop the car and we will drink coffee."

"Don't act innocent Akshay. You know what I mean and I'll not drink it."

"Okay, sorry, I'll not tease you."

"better" she took her mug and start drinking

" Till the coffee finish." he laughed and she came out from the car and ran towards woods.

"Smita where are you going?" he followed her. She run few steps, turn back towards the car and sit on the driver seat.

"You know I hate running." his breath is uneven due to running.

"and I hate teasing."

Few minutes passed in silence. Coffee isn't hot anymore and they drive few more kilometers to a tea sellers shop.

"We have spare clothes right?" Akshay asked.

"Yes, we have but why are you asking?" Smita followed his gaze which is fixated on a board indicating

Sudden abrupt break on the vehicle bring back Akshay from memory lane. They reached to Hazarat Nizamuddin dargah. This place is crowded most of the time and today is no exception. They parked the car in parking lot and went ahead. The atmosphere of this place is divine. There is shop on the both side of road selling rose flowers, loban, chadar and other stuff. Akshay's eyes searching only one person in the crowd of people. They moved few more steps ahead. She he is waiting near the entrance of main shrine complex, wearing pink Anarkali dress. Her hairs were braided. She applied light make up and her overall persona is decent. She looked him and smiled.

"You wanted to meet?" she asked

"Yes." he said looking towards vaibhav who is signaling him to go ahead.

"Anything special." she asked hesitantly

"Yes, No.. I mean first we should pay respect to the saint and then discuss." Akshay said whatever came in his mind.

"Okay."

They moved inside the dargah of the saint. Akshay liked the calm this place bring to the heart. They sat in the complex for some time and then come out. They walk few more step and there is another grave.

"This is belongs to Amir khusrow" Akshay told her and she nodded in acknowledgment.

"Khusrava ishq bazi." Smita repeated few of his words." Its written by him.? "

"Khusrava dar ishq bazi kam zi hindu jan mabash kaj baraye murda mi sojad jan-e - khes ra." Akshay repeated whole sher. "Yes its written by him."

"And what it mean?"

"You are not interested in why I called you?"

"I am interested but I love to know it too."

"I told it as this came in my mind at that time nothing special."

" tell me meaning of it." she persists

"Okay, language at least, please?" she almost begged

"Its written in Persian"

"Tell me meaning otherwise it will bother me. It cost you nothing to give translation."

"Khusrow said that if you want to love, love like an Hindu woman. Who loved only her husband and burned herself with him in funeral pyre."

Smita was shocked, not because Amir Khusrow's poetry but Akshay's choice of words. This is not just simple words. They have deep meaning. Its about one and only love. If beloved is finished, lover will finish together. There is no future ahead, apart from the loved one. Its only chance, no second, third chance. If it failed it will remain as such there is nothing can be done.

Is this is the reason for no further dating of him?