Chapter 52

Part 52 – Maui, the magical island

             Isha and Eklavya walked into their hotel, Hotel Hana in Maui, Hawaii's most popular island. They were in Hawaii! HAWAII!! This was the paradise place! Nothing could beat Hawaii! Nothing! Isha hadn't stopped grinning ever since they had landed. She held Eklavya's hands tightly. Hawaii…The place was beautiful. The hotel was beautiful, just coming to the hotel was so beautiful through the Road to Hana. They had drove on bridges, past waterfalls, seen bamboo forests and so much more.

 

E: Come on, let's get our room keys.

Receptionist: Aloha! Welcome to Hotel Hana, one of the best honeymoon spots in the world. How may I help you?

I: Can we get our keys to our room?

R: Sure, ma'am. May I know what name the room's booked under?

E: I think I booked under your name, Isha.

I: Oh...Ok then it's going to be booked under Isha – (pauses) Isha Virani.

             Isha smiled to herself stupidly as she said her name. She was the bahu! They were an official couple. She was no longer just Isha. She was no longer an orphan; she had a name, a family and a husband now. The feeling of going by Isha Virani felt so odd after all the years of simply being Isha.

 

Receptionist: Oh, yes, here it is. You are in Cottage number 548.

Eklavya: Thank you.

 

             Eklavya took the keys from the receptionist and they followed a hotel staff member to their room. He showed them their Sea Ranch Cottages. Isha gaped at the cottage once they were inside. It was beautiful!! It was so spectacular. Even in her wildest dreams, she had never imagined a honeymoon place like this!

 

E: You like it?

I: It's spectacular, Eklavya! It's so pretty…

 

             Eklavya came and slipped his hands around Isha's waist.

 

E: Wait until you see the sun set…They're so beautiful. Come on, let check out the beach outside.

 

             Isha agreed and left with Eklavya. Everything was so beautiful that this all seemed like a dream. How had she gone from being one of the two twin orphans to this? They walked along the beach barefooted until sunset. And Eklavya was right; the sunset was truly enchanting.

 

E: Come on, let's go have dinner.

 

             They went to a small restaurant near their hotel. They sat down at a small corner table and called a waiter over.

 

E: What would you like, Isha?

I: I dunno…

 

             Isha looked around embarrassed. Everyone around her had class, they were eating something with some Itialian name or some other European dish or something with an exotic name. The only food she knew of was her sister's paratha's. She looked in the menu and stared at unknown names. She picked out something that sounded good. But she couldn't just pick something without knowing what it was first, could she?

 

I: Eklavya, what do you want?

 

             Eklavya looked at the menu and said some exotic name. Isha smiled and told him to order that. After a while, the waiter came with their orders. To Isha's horror, the thing – the food – looked alive! She looked over to Eklavya but he didn't seem to mind. She took a deep breath and grabbed her fork. She couldn't make a fool out of herself here, in front of all these people. She smiled at Eklavya unsurely and poked her fork into the "thing". It felt so disgusting. She ripped a piece off and gulped it down as fast as she could. At once, she felt sick.

 

E: Isha, you ok?

I: Yeah – I'm just not –

E: Is it the food? Don't you like calamari?

I: Calamity?

E: Calamari. It's squid.

 

             Isha looked up at Eklavya in horror. How had she just gulped down squid?!

 

E: Isha – Are you –

I: I'm a vegetarian!

 

             After saying that, she ran as fast as she could to the Ladies' Room. Eklavya sat there wondering how their first dinner as a honeymoon couple had gone so wrong. He called the waiter over, paid the bill and knocked on the Ladies' Room.

 

E: Isha, why didn't you tell me before? We could have ordered something else!

 

             All he heard was Isha vomiting. Eklavya pushed open the door while some ladies inside almost screamed in horror.

 

Lady: Sir, this is the Ladies' Room!! What are you –

E: Excuse me, miss, my wife is sick.

 

             The lady looked at Isha and walked out of the washroom briskly. Eklavya went and patted Isha on the back. He asked a nearby lady for water and gave it to Isha.

 

E: Why didn't you tell me you're a vegetarian?

I: I didn't want to feel dumb. Eklavya, the only food I've ever had is desi Indian food. All this calamity –

E: – Calamari –

I: Yeah, that. I've never had any of that and I didn't want to feel dumb and say I didn't know what the foods were.

 

             Eklavya looked at Isha inquisitively and then suddenly took her by the arm and walked out of the restaurant.

 

I: Eklavya? Where are we going?

E: To a place.

I: What?

E: If my wife wants desi, she'll get desi. You don't have to change for me, Isha. No matter how dumb you feel, if you don't want to do something, then don't.

I: But everyone there, Eklavya – they were all so rich and classy and – I just don't fit in.

E: You don't need to. You don't have to fit in anywhere. You're fine as my Isha. Come on, let's see if we can find some pani puri in Maui!

 

             Isha laughed at Eklavya.

 

I: Pani puri?

E: Yeah, that's pretty desi, right?

I: And where exactly will you find pani puri in Maui?

 

             Eklavya walked into a restaurant called Taj, pulling Isha inside as well. He went up to the counter and faced the woman working there.

 

E: Can I have 2 pani puris?

Woman: Sure thing sir. Would you like spicy? Or medium?

I: Spicy!

 

             After a few minutes, they had two plates of pani puris. As Isha ate her pani puris she thought, what could be better than this? Pani puri in Maui with Eklavya!!

I dunno if you guys liked this part or not but I tried to make it better...If this part has gotten you craving for pani puri, then your a true desi eater!  Anyways if not anything, hopefully you'll get to imagine eating pani puris from this part. Oh, and it's final now, the person playing Isha/Nisha is Barkha. Sorry to all Surveen fans, you guys lost by one point.

                                                     -Pooja

                                                          -Pooja