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Nandini's outfit
Royal Oak Bistro (A restaurant and bar in suburbs of Mumbai):
It was a beautiful evening in the city owing to the showers that had just stopped for a while. The windows of the restaurant looked like they had been recently washed. The place was mildly lit up to create a magical ambience and the soft music playing in the background was like cherry on top.
All of a sudden, the music paused and two beats played on the speakers, attracting all the customers' attention towards the stage. There she was, Nandini Murthy, wearing a white apron and a chef's hat which she got rid of as soon as she became aware of the eyes on her.
"I know, you guys are expecting to hear the usual singing from me but I have some news to share with all of you. Most of you here are my regulars and I'm going to miss both, making your favourite dishes for you and singing your favourite songs as well since I have been promoted and I'd be starting as head chef, as of tomorrow, at another branch of ROB's in Bandra." Nandini's speech earned herself a couple of 'no's' and 'congratulations'. Most of them came to this restaurant at this time because they knew her and her shifts. They absolutely adored her cooking and her singing was an unrecognized gem, according to some of them.
"Yeah, that's right. But you can drop by that branch if you wanna hear me or eat the food that I make. My shift will be the same but it'd just be at another place. Although I know most of you prefer Uncle Joe's cooking over mine so it's okay. Five years ago, I did not know that I'd be doing something like this in the future but I am so glad that life took me in this direction. A lot of great things happened to me ever since I started working at ROB's. And, three years later, today, ROB has presented me with yet another fabulous opportunity. I wanted to share my happiness with all of you as well, so everything on your table, right now, is on me." Nandini's last remark was rewarded with the crowd breaking into cheers making her smile, gratefully. Uncle Joe, the one she worked for as a sous chef, the bartender at the bar, the maître d, and all the waiters in there clapped for her as well as she caught a sight of them standing close to the entrance of their kitchen.
"Signing off, for one last time, your sous chef, Nandini Murthy." Nandini said before walking off the stage. She headed back to the kitchen with a smile and caught a couple of disappointed faces while walking. Obviously, people were upset that she did not sing but she just did not feel like it. She wanted to be just the chef for this night so she chose not to sing. The music played again and people dug back into their food which was a treat from Nandini again.
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"Keep in touch, my child. God will bless you always!" Uncle Joe said to Nandini as she hugged him. He was a father figure to all the staff at their restaurant so it was a given that Nandini would miss having his guiding hand over her head. He had kept all of them together as a family so it was hard to say goodbye to him and everyone.
"I will, Uncle Joe! Bye!" Nandini said and passed him a smile after separating from the hug. Joe pats her head before leaving the restaurant, through the back door.
"You sure, you don't need any help with closing up?" Esha, one of the waitresses at the restaurant, asked Nandini while picking up her sling bag from the bar counter. It wasn't the chef's job to close up but Nandini asked to do the job on most nights because her roommate usually came back late at night and she hated going back to a lonely apartment.
"Affirmative! You need to get to your date because your guy has been waiting for the past twenty minutes. And besides you're going to HAVE to do this from tomorrow on so let me do it tonight." Nandini dismissed her offer to help. Esha smilingly gave Nandini a hug and left from there, leaving Nandini in the restaurant all by herself.
Nandini looked around for a moment with a heavy heart as she realized it was time for another 'goodbye'. She shrugged off the surfacing emotions and flipped the 'open' sign which now read 'closed' from the other side of the glass door. She then put all the chairs on the table except for one of the tables, on which she intended to sit and eat her dinner. She switched off the lights and let the lamp on that one table remain on.
Following her usual habits, she packed a bunch of leftovers for the watchman of her building who looked forward to have her hand-cooked food every night. She collected her bag from the kitchen along with the parcel and put them on one of the chairs of the table. She then headed into the kitchen to get herself something as well. It was a busy night so all that was left was some mac and cheese which she decided to reheat for herself. She set the timer on the oven and put the container inside it before leaning on to the counter and pulling out her phone from the back pocket to check her messages.
Her messages:
Jen- I might take longer to reach home. I've got a crazy ass deadline tomorrow so I cannot come back before finishing it. I've got my keys so do NOT bolt the door. Good night😘.
Dhruv- Congratulations on the promotion, dude! Let's celebrate soon....
Saeesha- When are you coming home? I've got gossip for you, sister-to-sister.
Appa- All the best for tomorrow, my girl! Sleep early and call us whenever you'll be free.
Abhimanyu- She said YES!!!!
Nandini read the messages from the notifications itself and she was all smiles. Mukti had said yes to marry her cousin which was great news. They were probably the only one with a great love story in her life and it was fantastic to know that they were getting their happy ending. Nandini typed back 'Congratulations big bro! Can't wait to call her bhabhi!'. Nandini then replied to the other texts as well and promised Dhruv to catch up with him tomorrow if he stops by her new workplace aka the other branch of ROB. She rolled her eyes as the text from her roommate-cum-best friend. She had bolted the door from inside once and yet Jeanette had to taunt her every chance she got to. Nandini responded 'Definitely locking you out, tonight! Have fun with the plant outside our door.'.
The oven timer went off indicating that her mac n cheese was ready so she put her phone down on the slab. She served her food on one of the plates and grabbed a glass of water before walking out into the restaurant so that she could sit down and eat her dinner, peacefully. She was about to sit but remembered how she left her phone in the kitchen so she retreated her way back inside to get her mobile.
Nandini trudged her way back outside while stuffing her mobile into one of her pockets only to see a manly figure entering the restaurant. Since nothing except for the lamp on the table, which was a little away from the door, was on, she couldn't see the face of the man. "Sorry, sir! We're closed for the night." she informed him out loud trying to push her fear back. It was a safe neighbourhood and she was no coward to be afraid just like that. In spite of her warning, Nandini watched the man put his umbrella down by the door which made her aware of how heavily it was pouring outside.
"I'd like you to leave, sir!" Nandini said, confidently.
The man walked further, paying no heed to her words, and when he came close to the table with the lamp on it, that is when she had a clear look of his face. Her breath hitched when she realized who that man was after all. "Still want me to leave?" only if he had spoken sooner, she would have recognized him immediately. How could she not identify that face and voice? He was her former best friend who had lost all contact with her after a few months of being in different cities which is why the status of 'former best friend'. It was Manik Malhotra, standing at a little distance from her for real.
"Not at all!" He heard her say, gleefully, before she sprinted towards him just to embrace him tightly. He happily responded to her hug and let both of his hands wrapped around her petite waist as he lifted her up a little in the air. She hadn't grown one bit. She still was the tiny little person he had left behind.
"What are you doing here?" Nandini asked him as she got away from their hug. She held his elbows while trying to have a better look at him. He was still the tall giraffe but only more muscular than she had seen him, five years ago. Aging agreed with this man because he looked handsomer than ever but then again it could just be the separation that made her feel so. He was a born charmer but he looked very sharp in his business suit.
Manik's outfit
"I thought, I'll come down and thank you, personally, for dinner." Manik said with raised eyebrows and a small grin.
"Get out of here! You were here when I gave that speech?" Nandini smacked his stomach, playfully.
"It actually felt like a full circle you know? The last time I saw you, you were giving the farewell speech at our college and five years later, today, I see you again when you were up there giving another 'goodbye' speech." Manik mused as he removed his blazer which seemed a little damp despite of having an umbrella. Mumbai and rains!
"Let me get that for you!" Nandini offered to help when she saw him struggling to get rid of it as it stuck to his body given the dampness.
"Thanks!" He mumbled and turned around to let her help him.
"There you go!" Nandini said as she pulled the sleeves of the blazer out of his wrists. She hung it up on the stand while he sat down on one of the chairs of the table.
"You're having dinner now?" Manik questioned as the plate on the table caught his attention. It was 01:07 am. If it was too late to wrap up a meeting then it was definitely too late to have a meal.
"I had to close up so..." Nandini trailed off and picked up her stuff from the chair across Manik to put them on the bar counter.
"You wanna share?" Nandini asked him as she pointed out the plate.
"No. No, it's barely enough for one person. Besides, I'm full from the spaghetti and meatballs, that I had earlier, which also was your treat. I could use a beer, though." Manik said with a wide grin on his long face. Was he always this nice-looking or was today an exception? Nandini pushed that thought aside, promptly.
"Coming right up!" Nandini said before rushing towards the fridge to get them two beer bottles.
In not time, she was back with two bottles of Heineken beer. "It's a twist-off!" She informed as she handed out one bottle to him before settling herself on the chair, across from him.
"To meeting again!" Manik uttered and the two of them clinked the bottles together which preceded them taking a sip from their respective bottles.
Life was indeed unpredictable. Whom you'd stumble upon on a night that was supposed to be a last one in a place, wasn't foreseeable.
Manik and Nandini had stopped being best friends, long ago, and even if it was not by choice, it did happen. Today, they were two utterly reoriented people and nothing like how they had left each other, five years ago. Would they be able to accommodate each other into their lives or would this reunion be just a one-time event after which they'd go separate ways again?
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