On an Evening in Roma

Your heart got a story like mine...

The waitress finally looked convinced followed by ashamed.

"Sono desolata." (I'm very sorry!) The brunette said while looking down, "Perdonami per favore!"(Forgive me please)

And while she was looking down Bondita finally eyed the tall girl as a possible future sister-in-law material...if this was Batuk's girlfriend then surely someday she will be the future Chotibahu of Roy Choudhary Haveli...Kaka will strongly protest against it but Bondita was sure that she and her Sakha Babu will be able to persuade him-

She was in the middle of imagining the waitress decked up in their traditional Bengali Saree when Anirudh pulled her out of her dreamland, "Tum phir se kis duniya me kho gayi??"

She was about to childishly stuck her tongue out at him when the Manager, a finely dressed man with butterfly mustache, finally came out from inside the resturent.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked in English only his T's sounds like D's.

"No, everything is perfectly fine." Durga turned to the girl and asked, "Isn't it?" who nodded affirmatively.

After the Manager left ordering the waitress to get back to work the girl still stood there with her head bowed down. Durga walked closer to the girl and put her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Listen. Everyone makes mistake, its ok. You don't have to feel ashamed anymore. Right Mr. Roy Choudhary?" she looked back at Anirudh who was now finally out of his confinement, moved from between the tables and joined them.

"Right! You apologized and I forgive you."

"See even he forgive you! Now smile! Please!"

The girl tentatively smiled and was about to leave but Durga caught her hand and moved forward to whisper something in her ears.

Soon they are both giggling. He frowned, not understanding how two girls who didn't understand each other's language interacted with each other. He was about to ask Durga when the waitress left but a middle aged lady with deep tan sitting on the 3rd table with another woman around her age, who also has probably seen the whole incident, remarked, "La tua ragazza e molto coraggiosa, giovanotto!" (Your girlfriend is very brave, young man!)

Anirudh thought about protesting but decided against it to avoid further drama.

"What did she say?"

"She complimented you." He replied, it wasn't a lie.

"Oh! Grazie!" she thanked the older woman using her limited Italian vocabulary and with a big smile.

"Prego! Mio caro!"(You are welcome! My dear!) the older woman gushed as she returned her smile.

__

"You know, I'm a Barrister too. Tumhe wase meri dhal banke khadi rahne ki koi zarurat nahi thi." on their way back to their seat Anirudh said.

"Zarurat Kyu nahi thi? Dekha gaya woh ladki aapko phir se pakad ne aye aur aap darke waha se kud gaye." She replied looking at him with wide eyes while making hand gestures. She was only half joking, after all being unpredictable was a very strong part of her Sakha Babu's disposition.

He threw her his signature glare then asked, "Wase kya kaha tumne uss ladki ko jo woh achanak ese hasne lagi?"

"Secret he." She replied, " Logo ko hasana bhi ek kala he, aur yeh kala mujhe bohot acche se ata he...aur at least, mujhe lagta tha ke mujhe bohot acche se ata he magar aap toh abhi tak ek baar bhi nahi hase!!" She sighed sadly at her failure as she dropped on her seat unceremoniously.

As he took his seat with little more grace than her as he replied, "Don't feel demotivated. I don't smile."

What!!