Nice to Meet You Again

Ek Bewafaa Hai

Mahaswin sauntered into the restaurant. It was a nice one. He was sure Tanya had must have spent a large part of her salary to book two seats for them. He saw Tanya waving at him.

Mahaswin non-chalantly sat in the seat in front of her.

"You seriously called me here?" Mahaswin scoffed, "This is such a middle-class place to eat. Even the interns at my company can afford a better place to eat."

2011

Tanya was looking resplendent in her peacock blue ethno-western dress. Mahaswin stared at her like idiot.

Tanya sat down fanning herself, "Is this the place you were so excited to bring me to Mahi? Seriously? Even the ambience here is such a disappointment."

Mahaswin was dumbfounded for some seconds, then finally trying to handle the situation, he said, "T...Tanu. I'm sorry. But you'll see the food here is entirely top class. The family whose furniture I helped moving was singing praises of it."

"Whatever!" Tanya shrugged.

The waiter came at last to take their orders. He asked Mahaswin, "Your order Sir?"

"First ask madam," Mahaswin told.

"Oh! Your wife," the waiter said, "Your order ma'am."

"A plate of Goi Cuon and a bowl of Pho, and mind you, I'm not his wife, he's just my driver," Tanya ordered causing the waiter to scratch the side of his head.

"Tanu, order something like Dosa, Chowmein, Shahi Paneer na. I don't think they'll be having Go...Goi...I mean the thing you want," Mahaswin was flustered.

Tanya stood up enraged, "That's why I always tell you have no class Mahi. You brought me to a restaurant that doesn't even have basic Vietnamese cuisine. Let's go back. I don't want to waste any of my time."

Mahaswin was flustered, "Look, Tanu, please calm down. I've spent all the money I earned from moving furniture for people changing houses in pre-booking our seats in this restaurant. Moreover, today neighborhood Bhabhi also agreed to handle our kids while we go out. Tanu please, we'll not get a chance like this again."

Mahaswin didn't know what had gotten into Tanya lately. She was so sweet in school, so understanding. But ever since she left to study at a foreign University, it feels as if some impostor had taken her place. Mahaswin was beginning to feel that running away from their homes was a mistake. What was he thinking? You are going to repent big time for your mistake, Mahi- His father's words were echoing in his mind when he was packing his things for leaving his parents' house. You're leaving your parents for a girl. Let's see how long she sticks with a guy who's not even passed twelfth grade. No, no, he had to make their relationship work. He didn't want to give his father the satisfaction of seeing his marriage fail. He was just twenty and didn't know a thing on how to handle Tanu's changed behaviour. It shall pass, Tanu must be stressed about her studies and cultural shock at her university.

"Ye accha hai," Tanya was saying, "Maine bola tha tumhe apni kamaai restaurant me seat book karne me lagaane ko? Ye baat baat pe kya ehsaan jatate rehte ho tum? Mujhe mera favourite food khilaana ki to aukaat hai nahi tumhari." Tanya didn't even touch the food and to not let the money go waste, Mahaswin ordered the cheapest dish in the menu that could fill his belly.

Present Time

The waiter had come to take the order. Mahaswin told him without looking up from his phone, "Pehle madam ka order le lo."

The waiter said, "Oh! Means your secretary will also eat here?"

Mahaswin smirked, his eyes still on the phone.

After Tanya ordered, Mahaswin stretched on his chair, and said, "One plate of cold Soba noodles, one curry pan and a cup of Amazake please."

"One plate Noodles, one bowl of curry..." The waiter started noting.

"Na-Na, not any noodles, cold Soba noodles," Mahaswin said.

"What are you doing Mahi?" Tanya was flustered, "This is a very expensive restaurant but how can they get Japanese cuisine?"

"Hmmm," Mahaswin said, "But honey, I fail to understand how is that my problem?"

Tanya bit her lower lip. It was she who literally begged Mahaswin to meet her here for the sake of old times.

"Well, since you have nothing worth saying, and I have already wasted so much of my time, it's better I'll get going," Mahaswin stood up but Tanya hold his hand.

"Mahi, please stay," Tanya said, "I have spent so much to pre book a seat here."

"Uff!" Mahaswin mocked, "Aapke itne bade ehsaan ko kaise chuka paunga main, Tanya Arora Ji. Aap nahi hoti to main to kabhi afford hi nahi kar paata. Haath chhoro mera!"

Tanya still didn't let go of his hand. Mahaswin tugged his hand brusquely and left the place.

Tanya was at loss what to do.
Mahaswin had just reached his car in the parking lot when out of nowhere Tanya pulled him towards her and kissed him passionately. Tanya was sure this would fluster Mahaswin and finally she could make him uncomfortable. But instead of pushing Tanya away, Mahaswin grabbed Tanya's waist with his left hand and her hair with his right one and kissed her as if he was possessed. Tanya was struggling to breathe but Mahaswin kept kissing.

Then abruptly, without saying anything, Mahaswin detached himself from Tanya and entered the car and left Tanya just like that with her dishevelled hair and smudged lipstick.

This was not the Mahi whom Tanya knew. They had kissed multiple times before, even made love but Mahi was always very gentle and tender, to the point of being awkward many times. This man was something else and Tanya realized she liked this Mahaswin better than her ex-husband.

Mahaswin had finished a whole water bottle to made the taste of Tanya disappear from his mouth. It was really strange that one can hate the same person with such animalistic ferocity whom he couldn't even imagine getting hurt a bit. He hated himself so much at this moment. But what was he feeling guilty about? For Hrithik? Nah! Though he was unaware that Tanya was married when his affair with her began, even after knowing the truth that duncehead didn't have the sense that if a woman could cheat the father of her kids, she could leave her boyfriend also once she caught a bigger fish. For Tanya? Each hour he painstakingly spent to build his business empire was just a silken thread woven to trap his dear ex-wife.  For ten years, he waited for this very moment and now where the hell did this guilt came from? He owed nothing to anyone then why was he feeling as if...as if he was cheating someone.

His phone rang. He ignored it. The phone rang again. On display was the name- Dr. Banerjee.

"Hello!" Mahaswin spoke through Bluetooth.

"Did you find it?" He asked.

"Hmm, I'm coming," Mahaswin said and turned the steering wheel.

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