XXII

"Hmmmm....I love the smell of Chinese spices...." said Mrs Devi as Rakesh held the door of the restaurant for her, " hurry up Sunita...I'm feeling hungry!" she grabbed Sunita by her elbow. Sunita followed her inside the restaurant.




"Table for three please!" said Rakesh to the waiter waiting next to the entrance. The waiter led the three of them towards their table. They sat down and glanced at the menu. "What will my darling have?" Mrs Devi asked Sunita, "the regular?" She smiled and turned towards Rakesh, " you know Rakesh, when Sunita was young and whenever we had plans to eat out.....she would always insist on going to some Chinese restaurant....and she had the same order every time! " she paused to chuckle, Sunita smiled too. "She would always order American Chopsuey, she just loves it!" " Well, I never knew in so many years!" Rakesh exclaimed, "I'll also have chopsuey today!" Mrs Devi laughed, "Fine, lets all have chopsuey today!" All three of them laughed as Rakesh ordered three chopsuey for the table.

While waiting for the order to arrive, Rakesh was telling his mother in law, the regular course of his job, while she gave comparative responses about her garden plants. A family occupied the table next to theirs and they were a family of four, two young kids. The younger child smiled at Sunita. Sunita couldn't help but smile back at her.

The young girl got up from her seat and came to Sunita. She playfully touched her and smiled. Sunita called her near and started talking to her, where she lived and about her school. Rakesh and Sunita's mother also started interacting with the kid. Their order came, the girl also liked choupsey, she took some from Sunita's plate. Suddenly the child's mother came and said, " Garima....I think you have troubled aunty enough, now lets go and finish our dinner, and let aunty enjoy her meal too....come beta" Garima waived tata to Sunita and returned to her table.

Sunita had tears in her eyes, she just couldn't finish her meal. Rakesh and Mrs Devi insisted her to eat a litlle more, but Sunita couldn't continue any further. Rakesh got up and asked Sunita to come with him, get some fresh air outside the restaurant.