Chapter 342

The day had ended very well. She had spent almost all day with Pryag and it had been very delightful. She was too happy to fall asleep. She lay in bed starring at her ceiling fan. It had matte black motor with matte black blades and integrated incandescent up light and halogen down light. With its angled planes and streamlined curves, it was very distinctive and had a contemporary look with the up light casting a soft, incandescent glow on the ceiling above which she often used to light up her room. She never bothered about the additional lighting from the halogen-lit center. She never really noticed that fan before. Every time she got in there she went to sleep. If she was not sleepy she always had something on her mind or something to work on. Today she felt satisfied; maybe because Pryag had forgiven her or because he had not given up on her or because she was just back in her life or it was just that her birthday had ended very well. She had picked up the fan because she liked it the instant she saw it. Curious, and for the first time she turned the halogen light on and the bottom bowl indirectly illuminated the glass outer ring and it looked so beautiful and she let out a cry of happiness. She thought about Pryag and how wonderful he had been. She realized how much he must love her to come back into her life. She owed to herself that she will always be truthful about her feelings and actually communicate with him no matter what. She screamed out, "I do love you Pryag. I love you more than I did before." She had always respected him, but after today it had gone to a much higher level. She even thought if she even deserved him. She talked out loud, "You are a gem of a person and I have so much respect and love for you."

She turned around and cuddled the pillow next to her and closed her eyes. All she could think of was how wonderful he had been to her and how nicely he had treated her. He didn't even kiss her which indicated that he was willing to give her the space she wants to figure out all the things in her life. She couldn't have asked for more. She wanted to tell him how much it meant to her but under the circumstances she decided it would mislead him even though a part of her though that was going to be true. She went back again and again to the days events. The more she thought about it the more she started liking him. She thought about their plans for tomorrow. She was the one who had suggested it. She had always wanted to go to the Natural History Museum in New York City ever since she was a kid. But for some reason she could never make it. As they were looking at the kids in the park and were talking about it, Pryag had mentioned that among other things and then they had continued on further and was decided that they will go tomorrow as both of them had no plans. That added to her excitement. She was not sure if she will be able to enjoy it like a kid would but still thought it would be an interesting experience. She has always been fascinated by the article that she had read. The latest she had read was about the extreme mammals. Somehow it had settled in her mind... : “This spectacular specimen is one of the most complete and beautifully preserved primate fossils ever found. You can see almost every bone in the skeleton, outlines of skin and fur, as well as preserved stomach contents from the young animal’s last meal of fruits and leaves." She thought about it a little more and then closed her eyes thinking how exciting it would be to work closely with a fossil.

Chapter 341

“Diya. Are you there?” Pryag asked. She came back from her thoughts and gave a meek smile. “Looks like you were in deep thought. Probably in some other Universe.” Pryag said. She drank her water and smiled again. Pryag asked, “What do you want to do? It is your birthday and how ever you want to celebrate I am game. Maybe we should first get out of her. Looks like lot of people are waiting to be seated.” She looked around and said, “Oh ya. This is a crowd.” She signaled for the check and told Pryag, “This is my treat and you are not touching it. I mean it.” He laughed and raised his hand as if he was asked to get out of the car by a cop and said, “What ever you say madam” Within a few minutes they were out of there and walked over to the perking lot. The weather was very pleasant and the breeze was pleasing. He took her hand and kissed her and said, “It feels wonderful when I am with you. I guess that is one of the reasons I love you no matter what. “ She smiled with sparkling eyes. “You are exceptionally sweet Pryag and I love you too. And thank you very much for having lunch with me. I am really sorry for all the things that happened before…..” She paused and with a sad tone said, “I really didn’t mean to hurt you. But apparently I did and I regret it so much.” He said, “Why don’t we go over to the park there. It might be a nice change. What do you say?” Diya replied, “That is a good idea. And I would love to spend some time with you and it so beautiful today.” He said, “It better be beautiful, it is the birthday of the most gorgeous girl and I am so happy that I have the privilege of holding her hand and walking with her.” She couldn’t help but blush and her cheeks turned a slight red. Her grip on his hands tightened and they walked towards the park.

As the weather was good, it looked like a lot of people preferred to spend the day out. It was a small park and the kids were running around the play area and the parents were at the picnic tables near the barbeque. Most of them seemed relaxed and some were still enjoying their lunch. They found an isolated spot far from the crowd and sat down. They sat there and watched everything that was happening around them. Diya took his hand and said, “This is very nice. Thank you. I thought I have lost you forever.” He patted her hand with his and said, “My feelings haven’t changed. I love the same way I loved you before. At the same time I still feel hurt. It is not easy to deal with the fact that the girl of your dreams agreed to marry you because she felt pity on you. I also know that you don’t love me the same way I love you. You are not ready for marriage; actually you are not ready for anything, not even a simple commitment. I believe you need more time to sort things out on your own. Your priority is your career; your ego also plays a part in whether you intend it or not. I do believe you have feelings for me. You might love me but it is the same as you love everything else that is precious in your life. You love me but you are not in love with me. “She starred at him in disbelief. She forgot where she was and what was going on around her. All she heard were his words and it felt like her head was spinning and she was going to faint. He learned forward and kissed her on her cheek again, “I know this is a lot to talk about, especially today but sometimes things just come out and there is not much one can do about it. All I want to tell you is that I understand better now. I am still hurt but I have not given up on you. To be precise, I have hope, I have not given up on the two of us and our future together. I will not pressure but I will be in your life waiting for you to fall in love with me.” She starred at him but with a meek smile and rested her head on his shoulder and they held each others hands.

Chapter 340

His eyes were slowly turning red. The veins on his hands looked as if they were going to burst out through his skin. There was hurt, betrayal, anger, rage and pain in his eyes. She could see everything. It was like he had a magnifying x-ray glass that could penetrate her heart and could even pierce it. She was scared and was getting goose bumps on her hands. His lips were starting to quiver. His pale face was turning much paler giving her the creeps. She couldn’t take it anymore and she gently touched his hand and asked, “Are you … okay?” There was fear in her voice. He pushed her out in a rage and she almost lost her balance and fell on the floor. His voice was furious, “I don’t believe this. I have been a fool all this long. You wanted to marry because you thought I was going to die. You said yes, not because you love me but because you pity me. Do you even know how it feels? You could have said No or maybe I need some time to think about it. But instead of just being honest….” He waked back and forth is a fast pace with his hands running back and forth over his head. She was shocked but equally furious as he almost pushed her down and now the he was accusing her. She yelled back, “You know what, technically I never said yes. You assumed I did. So it is not all my fault.” He looked at her, “Yes. It is my fault to think that you love me. That you trust me enough to tell me how you feel. You know what you have made a fool of me. Not just me, my mom and dad too who are really planning for our wedding. I have been so stupid no to even realize that you were not interested in a big engagement party. I thought you did not want to overwhelm me.”

He paused for a minute to take a deep breath and continued. This time his closed his eyes and for that moment he looked like he was meditating. He was not screaming anymore, but he was disappointed and sad. It was both evident in his face and is tone of voice. She looked at him without saying anything as she realized what she had done. She said those things as she was angry. But now she realized that it had come out the wrong way and did not mean either of those things. Even though they were true she loved him but was just not ready to get married as she was not sure about what she really wanted. He came back and sat on the couch with his elbows resting on his knee and his hands covering his face. In a low voice she said, “It didn’t come out right. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I really do love you Pryag.” He shook his head and looked up and said, “You have not only made a fool out of me but you have hurt me very deeply. The last thing any man wants to find out the woman he loves agrees to marry him out of pity. That is a scar that s much deeper than a scar received in the battlefield. This not only hurts my heart this also hurts my ego. This tells how much you really respect me. To me this is worse than infidelity. I am so hurt I am walking out of this room right now and I am also furious. I really don’t want to talk to you or see you again. He got up, picked up all his belongings and walked out banging the door behind him. She sat there starring at the door with a shock in her face. Everything has happened too fast. She felt so bad for hurting him. She knew this is going to take a long time but didn’t know how long. She wanted to say sorry and explain how things had happened. She really wanted to say that not in a million years that she would ever want to hurt him. But unintentionally she already had. She sat with all the thoughts going through her mind and slowly the tear drops from her eyes started falling off and they didn’t stop until they completely moistened her cheeks.

Chapter 339

Pryag was looking at her face for her reaction. She forced a smile on her face and folded the card and left it on the tray and picked up the fruits and asked him, “Would you like to have some?” He nodded “Yes” and they both ate some fruits. He noticed that he had spilled some juice on his T-shirt. He said, “Let me wash up or it might turn into a bad stain” He got up and walked towards her bathroom and she said, “Why don’t you use the one near the guest bedroom?” He looked up puzzled, “Why? This is right here?” She said, “Just use the other one. Here let me help you.” He starred at her for a minute and walked out of the room. She heard him in the other bathroom. In the meantime, she cleaned up everything in her room and stepped outside closing the door behind her. She kept the dishes in the kitchen sink and leaned on the kitchen counter and continued sipping her juice. He stepped out with a partially wet shirt. She couldn’t spot the stain as it was all wet and was sticking to his skin. There was a moment of silence between them. She looked up and said, “Thank you. It was very sweet of you to do something like that.” He didn’t even look up. He walked over to the couch without saying anything. He grabbed his coat that was there and the wallet that he had left on the table along with his cell phone. He walked towards the door and she asked, “You are leaving? What’s going on? Am I missing something?”

He turned around and looked at her and said, “You tell me what is going on here? Yesterday I tell you how much I love you and all you had a week smile. You made a big deal about me staying in your room. And today when I surprised you in your room, the expression on you face was not a total surprise but showed some discomfort. I ignored them all and now you made a big deal in me using your bathroom. And before that, when you read that note, I though you would be very happy, but you couldn’t even smile. You had to force a smile on your lips. I am ready to listen. Now you tell me what is going on.” He walked back into the room and stood in front of her. She was taken aback and was felt very defensive. “Well it is my room and I am not comfortable sharing it with anyone. So I was a little uncomfortable.” He said, “What! Are you serious? You are joking right?” She frowned and looked at him still with her juice class in her hand, “No I am not joking. I feel a little suffocated when someone invades my space.” He starred at her in astonishment. He didn’t know what to say. He shook his head back and forth in disbelief. “You do understand that we are going to be married.” He looked at her one more time and said, “You don’t love me, do you?” Looking at his expression she walked over to him and said, “I love you. I really do. But all this talk about marriage is suffocating me.” He starred into her eyes for a few minutes and said, “You love me. But you are not in love with me. There is a big difference. If you fell suffocated with me just coming into your room and using you bathroom, you are going to feel suffocated with me in you life permanently. At least I know how you feel now. Thanks for making a fool out of me.” She felt very defensive and said, “I did not make a fool out of you. It all happened so fast. You fell ill and I thought you were going to die. It was heart breaking and you proposed to me and now your parents are talking about marriage....” He looked up straight into her eyes. It felt like his vision would pierce through her heart like an arrow would. His look was so intense she couldn’t look him straight in the eye. His expression said, “How could you?” She turned away unable to bear his look.

Chapter 338

She woke up as she was disturbed by the noise that was coming from the kitchen. She sat up on the bed and waited for a minute rubbing her eyes with both hands. Her hair was a little messy after a good night's sleep. She yawned once more and sat there with her palms covering her face for a minute or so. Then she got up and heard the noise again. She remembered that Pryag was there he was probably doing something. He knew his way around her kitchen better than she did as she was not into cooking. She always felt there were better things to achieve in life than spend them in the kitchen. It so happened, that she didn't even have an opportunity to explore that area. After her mother fell ill, they always had a maid and that continued for years. Later, Pryag's mom was there to take care of that. By the time she settled into her own home, she was too much into her career and never really cared about making anything really. Most of the time she had lunch meetings with clients and dinner was usually a quick fix like a sandwich or a soup. Then only thing that really learnt and knew how to make were eggs as she loved them and that was her usual breakfast. She opened the door and peeked out and she didn't see anyone but saw something on the table. She went back to her room and walked towards the bathroom. She washed her face and brushed her teeth. Brushed her hair a bit and took a scrunchie and tied it into a pony. Brushing her teeth she remembered the discussions they had last night. It irritated her and she decided not to think about it as it didn't make much sense either. It took her five more minutes to finish everything and when she opened the bathroom door she was totally surprised.

Pryag had prepared breakfast and had arranged everything nicely and has set everything up for her in her room. The room was darkened and he had decorated the room with roses here and there in shades of white and pink. There were some aroma candles to spread good fragrance around the room but still not overwhelming. He had a nice tray that he had picked up from her pantry with a small vase and a single red rose with a tiny note accompanying it tied in a red lace ribbon that made the whole thing look more delightful. There were grapes and strawberries nicely arranged in a small bowl enough for two. He had her favorite on a platter. Scrambled eggs and a toast. But he had added an extra special touch with some salsa & cheddar cheese and some extra sliced tomatoes. She was surprised. He bowed down to her as if she was the Queen of England and he was her butler. He smiled and said, "Please take a seat. Can I have the pleasure of accompanying you?" Her eyes opened wide and she was completely surprised and speechless. She walked over and took a seat at the edge of her bed. He served her breakfast and sat next to her and joined her. It was delicious and when she leaned forward to pick up the orange juice that was next to the fruits, there was a note below it that read, "Be careful not to spill it on the bed!". She laughed and gave a peck on his cheek and said, "This is beautiful. Thank you." When she was done with her breakfast she kept the plate and reached for the fruits. She noticed that there was a note attached to the rose. She smiled with her eyebrows raised and picked it up and opened, "Be prepared to be pampered like this for the rest of your life.”

Chapter 337

She changed into her night gown and tied the robe around it and stepped out of the bathroom. She was completely surprised to see Pryag comfortably settled on the bed with the pillows raised and with his hands behind his head and watching TV. He smiled and said, "Hi. I thought I will stop by and surprise you. I got you something." He extended his hand and pointed the small gift that was about the size of the palm that was on the table next to the night stand. "I hope you like it." She was surprised to see him there and she paused for a minute and picked up the gift and opened it. It was a beautiful pearl earring. Her eyes widned and she smiled and said, "Oh! These are beautiful. Thank you." She continued to stare at them and examine them with wide and happy eyes. He extended his hand and said, "Come on sit next to me. It really makes me happy to see you happy." She crawled over from the other side of the bed and sat next to him resting on her head on his arms. She gave a kiss on his cheek and said, "Thank you. I love it. But why?" He smiled and said, "I wanted to give it to you after we got married, but I couldn't wait so there you go..." and smiled. He continued, "I feel so happy being with you. It is something I can't really explain. That's how I feel. I guess you probably know that too" and kissed her on her forehead. She didn't say anything and just smiled. They continued to watch the Cosby show that was running and were laughing along with it.

It was a Cosby show marathon and it continued for about a couple of hours and she was starting to feel sleepy. She turned towards him and said while yawning, "I think we should go to bed. It is getting late." He nodded and kissed her again on her forehead and turned the TV off and gently slid down the bed. She looked up and said, "You can't sleep here." He was not planning to stay there but her words got him a bit defensive. He asked, "Why not? You don't trust me?" She replied, "That is not the point but...." He interrupted her by asking, "But what? Either you don't trust me or you don't trust yourself." She starred at him. Her eyes were not sleepy anymore. They were more concerned and puzzled. He said, "I had no intention of staying here in the first place. I was going to go to the guest room anyway." She asked, "Then why are we even having this conversation?" He said, "But the tone in your voice and the way you asked ..." She said, "What do you mean?" He said, "You know what. It doesn't matter. We are both tired and this is unnecessary. Good Night". He pushed the comforter away and tried to leave. She said, "I don't want to leave anything unresolved. Tell me what is on your mind." He smiled and said, "It's nothing. Nothing at all. Seen you in the morning." He left and she starred at him leave the room. She couldn't sleep. She ran their conversation in her mind. She wondered about what he said. She said to herself, "What does he mean the way I said it. He is crazy. I am not going to think about it. This is not worth it." She turned around and buried herself in her bed.

Chapter 336

She was in the shower in her room. She was enjoying the shower still unsettled with the earlier conversation with his parents regarding their marriage. She took the Dove extra volume shampoo and rinsed her hair as she thought her hair needed a wash as it was all sticky. The massaged was doing its job in relaxing her but it was not enough. She needed something more to relax as there was too much on her mind. The one thing she always liked was being in her room. She had custom designed it to fit her taste and desire. Her closet had everything that she wanted. A separate section for party shoes, that she wore occasionally, a separate section for her designer handbag collection and a separate section for office wares, evening wares and casual outfits. She loved her room so much and was quiet possessive about it and almost no one had ever entered her abode except the maid who comes in to clean. It was almost like a sanctuary for her. The bed was poster-pedic with adjustable remote to control the temperature in winter along with elevation. The curtains were even controlled by remote to adjust the light in the room. Pure luxury. Even though she doesn't really spend a lot of time in her room it was a place of luxury as she liked to live in one.

She tied a towel around her hair and covered herself in a robe and stepped out of the shower and walked over and took the hair dryer that was resting peacefully next to the mirror. She picked up the hair serum and squeezed some onto her fingers and ran them through the roots of her hair. She just wanted to relax and cool down for the day. She turned the dryer on and set it on warm that gently continued to dry her hair while running her fingers through it. Her mind was still lingering over the conversations. She felt at ease after the shower and decided to just rest and not worry about it for now. She tried to distract herself by thinking about other things and her eye gazed on the small peacock pin that was on the shelf next to the linens. She picked it up and remembered the time her father had given it to her. She remembered his words, "Peacock is a beautiful bird. In this species the male is the one that looks beautiful and not the female. As males raise the feathers into a fan and quiver it as part of courtship display the females select their mate. The male does not assist with the rearing, and is polygamous. In the end it is all upto the peahen. I don't want you to be an innocent peahen and fall for the beauty of a peacock, but at the same time I want you to have the education and strength and stand on your own and support everyone around you." She laughed out loud as it was his father's way of talking to his rebellious teenager about sex. She smiled and kissed the pin and said, "I love you daddy."

Chapter 335

Diya didn’t know he answer to that. She loved him and wanted him to be in her life. But she was not sure if she wanted it to be anything more than what it was right now or if she was just scared. She knew it was time for her to sort things out with him and clear the air at the same time she didn’t know how else she should feel about someone to take the next step. And now Akshar was in her life. She liked him very much. She didn’t know if she loved him because she has not known him enough, at least not as long as she had known Pryag. She was going back and forth in her mind thinking about Akshar and Pryag. She realized that they both had a place in her heart but she couldn’t say who was better than the other. She couldn’t pick one over the other and she didn’t want to. She liked the way things were going. Pryag was wonderful and delightful to be with. He was in tune with her in every possible way. If she was to fall back he was standing right there to catch her and help her back on her feet. And his family was practically already hers and was so supportive of her and she has known them all her life. But on the other hand when Akshar was around she felt like she was in a fairy tale. A handsome prince on a white horse came upon and picked up the damsel in distress and rode away. But the difference she was not in any kind of distress or anything but it just felt like it. He was enchanting and mysterious. He aroused her curiosity and opened eyes to new things which she wouldn’t have explored otherwise. She was very confused. It felt like she needed both to enrich her life. Marriage, that was the last thing in her mind right now but at the same time she knew she was getting older and she had always wanted kids, two to be precise and her biological clock was ticking.

She didn’t mean to but she did hurt Pryag and he did say so that she made a fool out of him. That did hurt her because that was the last thing that she would ever want to do to him. At this point in time she was just happy to have both of them in her life. And today with the question from Pryag she was forced to think about so many things. She looked at Pryag. He seemed very calm and relaxed as if he already knew what she was going to say. There was no mystery whit him. He was very transparent. He was like a genuine gem. It was just that she was not sure if he was her gemstone. But now she had scratched this gem and was afraid that she would loose it forever. She thought about everything from the time he got sick. The first time he told her that he was in loved with her and that he was not going to live long. He had confided in her first and opened up to her. She remembered how devastating it was the though that she could actually loose him forever. And her encounter with Akshar when she was stressed over Pryag and his soothing words from him. She remembered how she almost thought that she was pregnant with Pryag’s baby that until today she was not sure if anything actually happened between them or not. There was not recollection of such an incident nether for her nor for him but it still an unsolved mystery. Then she though about the time in the hospital that just before surgery and the words exchanged between them. Then the surprise that was in store for her in the form of a proposal with a ring. She had been just curious and had tried the ring on. And then she never really said yes to him. And the discussion with her parents when he said that he was going to move in with her. When all was said the last words that were exchanged between the two of them, before he called off the whole thing. She looked at the glass of water in front of her. She had requested a slice of lime along with it and she took a fork and started poking the lime that was floating in the water. The lime slowly started to give out the juice that mixed with the water in the glass and the whole incident unfolded in her mind.

Chapter 334

The buffet was an extravaganza. She could hardly taste everything but she enjoyed her favorite foods. It has been so long that she had been to an Indian restaurant, except for an occasional Indian event where the menu was always the standard with not much option. Today she was able to enjoy the specialities of different regions. To her own surprise she remembered most of the dishes and was even able to relish them. Pryag concentrated more on the specaility rich foods like Kashmiri dum aaloo, Gujarathi Udio, Rajasthani churma, Punjabi chole, Karnataka begada chilli bath and Hydrabadi byrani. She was quiet amazed to see his appetite. He did speak the truth when he said he was famished. She on the other side enjoyed all the chats. She had forgotten show much she loved the chaats. First she helped herself with bhel puri. The added flavor was the thinly sliced mangoes. Then she tasted some dhai pappdi chaat and kachori chaat. It was very satisfying, especially with the extra sweet dhai which she felt she could just drink in a cup like a lassi. She took a break and just watched him enjoy him food. She couldn’t help but say, “Maybe it true about what they say. The best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. And for someone like you, it is hundred percent true.” He smiled and finished the food in his mouth and said, “Maybe. But for women like you, there are many nice restaurants nearby. So you don’t really have to worry about it. Well, I don’t really expect my future wife to cook, as long as she loves me truly that is good enough for me.” She felt a pinch. That statement had a hidden meaning and was not as simple as it seemed. She knew that is the reason things had gone awry between them. She didn’t want to really talk about it but at the same time that was something that they have to talk about to clear the air between them. She just smiled and excused herself to get something.

She wasn’t sure what to eat. She picked up a dahi vada that looked delicious and walked around not knowing what else to eat. She just saw the waiter fill one of the hot pots with fresh uthappas. It was very hot and was right from the tava. Pryag’s mom used to make it and she had not eaten one in ages. It was very tempting. She searched for one that was small and picked one up. It had onions, peas and chilis. She helped herself to the tomato chutney and the sambar and skipped the coconut chutney as she was not a big fan of it. She asked for a mango-peach lassi and got back to her table. Looking at her plate Pryag exclaimed, “Now that looks divine. But I think I will pass and go for the dessert.” She smiled and took a bite. It was so spicy as she bit directly into the chili and her nose started watering. Luckily at the exact same time her lassi arrived and she was saved. Pryag laughed. “You have to be careful what you bite into. It is chili uthappa. The main ingredient is chili and they have added just a few peas and onion for added flavor. I am sorry but I can’t help myself but laugh.” She managed herself and carefully took another piece avoiding the chilis and dipped into the condiments and relished it. She alternated her pieces with her lassi and by the time she was done she was so full she couldn’t have another byte. Pryag had just picked up a rasmalai and finished his meal. She looked at the rasmalai and remembered Akshar’s comment the last time. She smiled and brushed it off as she was still feeling a bit of spice in her tongue from biting the chili. They just relaxed there for a few more minutes to let the food settle in their stomach. Pryag asked, “How have you been? “ She wondered why he asked that question or if it was leading to something. She said, “I guess I have been doing okay.” He said, “Good. I have really missed you. I would like to know what my place is in you life right now.” She looked at him not knowing what to say. He continued, “ I know things have changed in the past few months. But that doesn’t really change the past between us. Either we can pick up where we left off or we can have a fresh start. Either way I would like to know where I stand even though my feelings for you haven’t changed.”

Chapter 333

Now she had a reason to wear a new outfit. And it was easy finding one as she had already kept three of them aside for this day. She picked out the one that she liked the most, a white denim Capri with a bow at the end on both legs and a large pocket just above the knees. The pockets were the one that made the statement in the Capri. There were not just any simple pockets that one finds in any Capri or pants but they were decorated with black and white laces in the shape of a heart with a thick velvety red layer inside that was peeking through the black-white lace adding an extra special touch and uniqueness. It was a designer piece that she had fallen in love with. It had taken her quiet some time to find a matching top to wear with it, so she had kept it aside for a long time. She had found dark lavender top by accident that seemed to go well with it. The top was quite simple with a wide neck and a short relaxed sleeve. The neck sat just at her chest elegantly leaving enough space at her neck to show her tiny little white stone pendant that she was wearing. The top was of a transparent material with a lining all over except the hands which alone had unconventional design of a lighter color. The same pattern made the border of her top that completed hid the waist of her Capri thus making her look at least a couple of years younger. She picked up a white purse with a red heart as a lock. She slipped onto a simple white platform flip flop with decorative multi colored straps. She felt pleased looking at the mirror. She heard a knock at the door.

Just as he told her over the phone Pryag was at the door in five minutes. He had a light blue collared t-shirt on with one thin orange stripe going across the chest bearing the Polo logo on the left. He had his shirt tucked in with a belt holding his light blue sober looking jean in place. Her heart was beating a little faster when she opened the door. She noticed that his hair had grown back and he had put on some weight. A few months made a big difference in him. He looked healthy and handsome. He greeted her by giving her a hug and a peck on the cheek and said “Happy Birthday. I think you are the only person who really works younger every year instead of getting older. How old are you now? Twenty three or twenty one? “ They both laughed and she said, “That is very sweet. I have really missed you. You look quiet handsome” She rubbed her hand on his head and said, “You hair has grown back” She gently pinched his cheek and said, “You have put on some weight and I feel like singing - Chubby cheeks…” He rubbed his belly and said, “Yes. I have. My mom has been feeding me very well and talking about it, I am hungry. My dad dropped me off on our way back from the temple and we have to take your car.” She said, “That is fine” He raised his eyebrows and signaled her to wait for a minute and ran his hand inside his pocket and picked up a small rose. “This is for you. Prasad from the temple. We did an archana for you as it is your birthday. “ Diya was touched. He said, “You know my dad. So…. “ He paused. “Come on let’s get going. I am famished” She took the flower and took it to her eyes and kept it in her bag and stepped out. He asked, “What are you in a mood for today? Chinese? Mexican? Italian?” She smiled and said “Indian” Pryag was surprised and said, “I did not expect that. Sounds good to me. I will take you to a new restaurant in town that was opened recently where you get both North Indian and South Indian food.” The elevator screeched and came to a halt and both of them disappeared along with it.