:'are Nini? Tu?'exclaimed the old lady with mischievous nod,:'achcha? to tu taiyar ho gayi hai...aur mujhe na keh ke chhup chhup ke bagiche me haa...hmmmm...'

Niyati felt no urge to reply back as nani's words as if crawling into the pit of her stomach tickled her...Much effort needed to avoid eye contact with her witty grandmother who perhaps would take no time to discover that she had been weeping and that too in the presence of ...Daya!

A twinge of inconvenience stabbed Daya as the grandmother taunted her granddaughter and the smoggy apprehension scrabbled his heart a little deeper..

The old lady veered the topic quickly saying,:'chal cake kat le abhi...maine candle jala diya...jaldi chal...'Before Niyati could do anything,the old lady embraced her with a delightful face saying,:'kitni khubsurat lag rahi hai meri pyari Nini...Aaj to sapno ka desh ka raja bhi use dekh ke deewana ho jayega...' A faint chuckle Niyati couldn't conceal as her eyes yearned to flick towards the man standing behind her, with a bemused smile.. She slowly moved towards the table where a big sized chocolate cake was adorned with several flaming candles...Her gleaming eyes ventured to fell upon the man archly as her glossy lips were pressed to murmur,: 'main...candle bujhane me...vishwas nahi rakhti hun...'

A sudden jolt transpired within the man as he with a staggered face contemplated at the young lady...

Niyati added further, filling the atmosphere with the passion that was smouldering inside her,:'candles ko jalne dun...' a faint smile lingered over her lips as she took the knife and cut the cake in a daze and when her grandmother with emphatic zealousness feed her a piece of cake it appeared inconceivable to her...

:'are Daya ko khila de!'asked the old lady whipping her almost drugged senses..She would have to ...feed him! and that too...maintaining a phlegmatic attitude as if...he was...just a stranger for her... and even if not a stranger but just merely an ex colleague...but...Perplexity melding with pain swirled inside her and seeped through her face...Her hand shook as she picked up a piece of cake and raised it towards him but to her consternation & relief Daya accepted it by his hand and flashed a gentle beam at her...Niyati lowered her eyes quickly being aware about the curious eyes of her grandmother while she declared,masterfully,:'are pata hai tum sab ko...mujhe kitna bhukh lag raha hai? haa?'

Niyati was utterly staggered and with stark stupefaction she looked at the old lady...The magical evening was slipping by and she hadn't been much aware about the food she would offer to him...

She twirled to face him and managed to splutter,:'aap baithiye...Main khana banake laati hun...' she spun back with speed but stopped getting the voice of her nani,:'are ruk jaa...'

She hadn't fully been recovered from her fervent state but startled,standing at the brink of getting another pleasant surprise as the old lady divulged, delightfully, :'saara khana taiyar hai...Tu bas ake table pe baith ja...'

:'khana...mmagar...kaise..huya taiyar?'she mumbled in a tardy reply

The old lady carefully touched her palm and fetched her beside the dining table..:'dekh...sara khana Daya leke aya hain...taqi...' she nipped on her chin in an indulging voice,:'meri gudiya rani ko is din thora aram mile...'

Her pulse further beating treacherously and she desperately wanted to strangle the irregularity of her beats,saying,in a terse reply,:'magar...iska...' her lips denied to utter the rest as it seemed a lump descending slowly through her throat...

:'haa doctor...' Daya interposed with a devastating geniality,:'shayyaad...jaroorat nahi tha...Kyuki phir aapke hatho ka banaya huya khana milta hum sab ko...'humour touched his voice,:'magar...' he paused with an inscrutable chuckle and resurrected back,:'ye kyu jaroori hai ki...har kaam bas jaroorat se hi karna parega?'he paused looking at Niyati as if she was a temperamental child and sounded further,:'hmmmm?'His appealing smile melted away her every defense and she turned her face away from him,wearied by indecision...

:'maaf kijiye...'pre empted Daya,as his face softened with empathy & modesty,:'sara khana to bana ke la nahi saka...Kuchh kharid ke lana para...aur...'

Niyati felt as if her heart was brimming with an unknown emotion-heavy and tormenting, which would perhaps tear her apart if she remained sealing her lips any more..

:'main khaungi..'she gasped urgently, almost forcing her tears back making both her companion a little baffled..

:'hhum...sab ..khayenge,'she corrected herself with a forlorn smile..

:'ye huyi na baat,'beamed the old lady having been unaware about the cyclone within Niyati...:'mujhe pata tha meri Ninni maan jayegi..'

Daya,with an astounding glance, as if searched something within her face until revealing his mind,:'aap naraz to na ho gaye?'

Niyati looked at him,as her luminous eyes were restlessly wandering over his somewhat dazzled face..She struggled to keep the much needed nonchalance staring at his irresistibly attractive perplexity...She desperately yearned to scream to wipe off his superfluous guilt having been enveloped within his warm arms,:"kya aap ko...bas...meri narazgi hi dikhai deta hai? Kya abhi bhi...aap ka do akhein ...ye dekh nahi pate hain...ki...aap ne...Niyati ko...kitna badal diya? Kyu nahi dekh pa rahe hain aap?"

The old lady felt that her mouth was curved with amusement as Daya and Niyati standing riveted facing each other in bewilderment and she chose to cherish the moment sitting in chair...A slight nod appeared as her eyes narrowed with mischief...

:'aap ko...gussa dilana...'Daya returned back feeling the silence was long & stifling,:'mera maksad nahi tha...'a naive feebleness reflected through his face which impelling Niyati to lock her gaze with his until her eyes gleamed like glassy rock..

But everything darkened abruptly before she could reply back and Daya grunted before picking up his cell phone from his pocket,:'is se kam chal jayega..'he said,:'jab tak na...'

he was interrupted as the old lady divulged,:"dinner candle light me ho jaye? Kyu Nini?'

Niyati had to come back into the reality to deal with her mischievous grandmother,:'lights tumne off kiya hai?'an affectionate smile decked on her lips,:'naniiiii?' she tried to scold her repressing the delightful laughter..

:'are kya phark pare haa? chahe maine off kiya ya aise hi power gaya...khana to hum khayenge abhi...Kyu Daya?' her voice was coloured with affectionate taunts and teases...

The room was illuminated by a big candle and with the light,both Daya and Niyati observed that the old lady was preparing to light at least ten more candles...They looked at each other chuckling with humour and as their eyes fell apart,Niyati stated impulsively,:'to ye tumhara kiadhara hai...candle light dinner ka plan pehle se kiya tum..'

:'kyu?'she temporized in replying,:'tujhe to pasand hoga na?'

:'mujhe nahi hai pasand,'answered Niyati hastily casually and a little embarrassingly...

:'tab nahi tha pasand,'the old lady had unflagging energy,:'ab hoga..'she replied,though laconically but meaningfully skimming her eyes over the features of Daya & Niyati once..

Waves of scare started flowing inside her as her breath caught at her lungs...Would her implying words affect him adversely? Would he take umbrage at nani's fancy?

Her frightened apprehension was soon dispelled as Daya reached her helping in lighting those candles..

The flames of the candles reflecting through his eyes made his appearance magical...They finished the task within five minutes making the room mystically brightened up...

:'main naraz nahi hun..'answered Niyati impelling herself to maintain as normal as possible,:'please baithiye...' she offered Daya a seat before taking her own seat...

:'khane me aaj kya kya hain main bata deti hun,'hastened the old lady with soaring spirit,:'Nun...Baigan bharta shahi gobi...paneer kofta...bundi raita...aur gurh payash...'she paused with a smiling face and then resumed,:'are woh special item to tu hi bata de Daya...'

An abashed smile rippled through Daya's face as he chose to play it mischievously being secretive,:'woh to nahi bata raha hun...Birthday girl kha ke hi bataenge...ki woh kya hai..'His illuminated face glinting with boyish skittishness weakened Niyati's fragile restrain...She though masked her inner turmoil with a deceptive smile trying to sound confident and unaffected,:'koshish karungi...'

Daya took the initiative to serve the food,and revealed,slowly,:'waise...mujhe pata nahi hai khana kaise bana hai...'he paused and perhaps wished to return back if Niyati hadn't butted in with witty sarcasm,:'aap to badle nahi...'her puckish eyes shone abnormally,:'mera keemti salah bhi yaad nahi rakha,' she decided to flaunt pretentious priggishness, :'aur is bar aap ko uska keemat chukana parega...'

Daya's face lightened with serene beam as he replied indulging her humour,:'actually...salah...pasand nahi aya tha...kya karu?'

Shyness blending with annoyance flashed through her eyes as Daya added more,:'keemat to aaj chukana hi parega..special day jo hai...'

Silence reigned the room-Silence of gratifying delight..Daya broke it finally,:'chaliye aap log shuru kijiye...'

:'aur aap?'inquired Niyati,with an air of possessiveness...

A faint chuckle crossed Daya's face as he dawdled in responding,:'Kya aaj ye achcha nahi rehta agar...mujhe...Nani aur Nini ko ek sath khilane ka mauka mil jata?'

Amusement flickered in her eyes as she returned pressing her lips together,:'magar meri birthday pe meri rule chalegi...and that is...sab ko ek sath khana parega..'

Her words were immediately beefed up by the old lady,:'haa beta...Nini sahi keh rahi hai...Tu bhukha baith ke hum ko khilaega to humara kya maja? na na...tu bhi khana shuru kar...'she stated quite demandingly.:'le chal...'she added before savouring the taste and smell of 'baigan bharta'...

A ravishing grin emerged on the face of the man before he expressed his concurrence with them,:'shayad...aap ki Nini...sahi hi kehti hai Nanijee..'

Niyati's glance deepened,intesified with a meaningless peevishness as she averted it though a coy curl was visible in the corner of her lips..

:'kaise sikh liya itna achcha khana banana haa?'asked nani in between chewing the food with difficulty,:'kis ne sikhaya?'

Daya's face beamed with a discerning yet coy smile while Niyati's dark eyebrows arched mischievously as she thrust herself,:'kya kha ke itna impress ho gaye nani? baigan bharta?'

:'haa tune khaya nahi abhi tak? are kha ke dekh...'the old lady was at the peak of delight...

:'hmmm...magar mujhe to bataya nahi koi ke kaun sa item ghar me banaya gaya tha?'she divulged,bringing a note of feigned huffishness in her voice but little she imagined at that moment that her taunt could rebound on her..

:'bataya jata to kya karti?'asked the old lady making her granddaughter baffled, :'woh dishes tu pehle kha leti hai na?'She giggled like a little scamp...The swirling embarrassment slowly transforming into an inexplicable irritation banged on Niyati's every nerve and she wished to rap out loud with rudeness but as her eyes flicked towards his disconcerted face,the anger melting and evaporating rapidly..

He was though sage & quick enough to handle the situation with a conciliatory gesture,:'woh...aap ko..samajh me ajayega...kya ghar ka...kya bahar kaa..'he forced a smile perhaps to assuage the discomfort of Niyati that was oozing out through flicking of her jaw muscles...

:'pata chal gaya...'her voice abruptly lowered into a whisper...

Daya's lips parted in astonishment and it couldn't be restrained back,:'kkaise...pata chala aap ko?'

Niyati's lips quivered as she was desirous to reply back,but not drily,hemming themselves in comradeship but ensconding themselves at the shingly beach,twinning her arms round his neck,she longed to whisper in his ears,:'pata chal jata hai Daya...tumhara hatho ka banaya huya khana me...' nuzzling on his cold earlobe she wished to add,:'mirchi aur namak..do hi kam hote hai...'

:'main batati hun..'grandmother emerged to rescue her child...

Niyati felt a strong wave of shudder as if flowed through her spine..She trembled taking time in coming back from her fertile and fervent mooning over to the reality..

:'kyuki...jo jo khana Daya banaya hain...us me...pyar ka swad hai...'she declared with an ingenuous grin unknowingly making Niyati mortified more & more...

With an impelling & conscious effort she endeavoured to put her every concentration upon devouring and savouring the tastes of the items and her face turned sombre,in between switching herself from a frenetically delirious state to a practically stable one..

For about a minute silence grew tight with tension-tension perhaps which had no definite reason or angle...

Niyati busied herself with the food or rather she resorted to the food with the aim of keeping her mind elsewhere but...she took very little to discern the fact that her futile attempt of keeping the man out of her brain would only mock her leaving her terribly weary...Daya's culinary skill was undoubtedly praiseworthy and when...she was getting enamoured tasting the food he had cooked just for her birthday;when eyes started threatening her to swell with moisture ;when a wild insanity shattering her every restrain; when she helplessly floundering within the ocean of upsurging emotions, she tried to clutch her analytical skill to save herself reaching at the last point of pretence..

:'baigan ka bharta,'she broke the silence trying to form a complacent smile,:'shahi gobi...' she was taking time,deliberately using sophistry to obscure the pounding of her heart..,:'gurh payash...'she resumed ,:'aur...mitha alu ka halwa ...aap ka banaya huya hai...'

Daya gazed at her face with amusing wonder until he was startled and discomfitted by the jestful remark of the old lady,:'dekha Dayaa...tere hatho ka swad bina pareshani pehchan liya meri Nini ne!'

Niyati's eyes were glittering like stars as her glance was fixed at the disconcerted face of the man-the dangerously flickering candle light pouring over his bashful face which was just decked with the sprinkle of crimson shyness,made him a perfect combination of innocence and maturity...His ever charming face turned a shade deeper appealing as he revealed banteringly,leaving the young lady in front of him almost breathless..:'aap sabhi ka khushi...woh mera return gift hai...Woh main...sath leke jaunga...'pure delight was reflecting through his candid smile quickening the pulse of Niyati and urging her to whisper beneath her breath,:'aur jane na dun to? agar yaha atak ke rakh lun to?' A rueful smirk couldn't be repressed as she continued within her frenzied thoughts,:'aap ko maloom bhi hai...kya kya aap ka hai? kya kya aap ka ho chuka hai?'

:'are haaa...Nini?' interferred the old lady,:'Daya ke liye kya return gift hai tere pas?'she finished the querry by nodding meaningfully while her eyes twinkled with mischief..

Niyati maintained a stifle silence as her restive eyes wandered through her plate and finally she came back with an evasive one,:'aisa bhi to ho sakta hai...ki..mera diya huya return gift ...Daya ko...pasand na aya...to?'

:'are mujhe to mera gift mil gaya hai,'countered Daya with candour

:'jee nahi...'disapproved Niyati emphatically,:'agar aap ko lag raha hai ki aap ka banaya huya khana ko main 100 out of 100 de diya...to aap galat samajh rahe hain..'she revealed seemingly being a little defiant..

:'Ninii?'exclaimed the old lady with a mixture of surprise and displeasure..

With a luxurious smugness of a connoisseur,she inferred,:'halua aur payash kuchh zada hi mitha hai...Agle bar se kuchh kam mitha bana lena...'

Daya received the criticism with unswerving spirit and a faint chuckle along with repeated nod just like a school student who could be rectified by the invaluable advices of teacher..

:'baigan bharta aur shahi gobi me mirchi thora aur zada hona chaiye tha...'she added looking at him with feigned disdain..

:'yaad rahega,' Daya displayed his thoughts,:'aap ki keemti advices...' his face transfigured with the gleam of a skittish smile,:'is bar bhul ne ka galati nahi karunga..'

:'that's better,'concluded Niyati with a queen's arrogance but failed to repress the laughter back as Daya busrt into an animated laughter...

The old lady's face gleamed with an impish chuckle and within a minute her vision dimmed with an incomprehensible bliss...