"Bhaiya, one plate Pao Bhaji, two chapaties and sabzi and yes one glass lassi please" Ananth orders his lunch at the counter of the dhaba with a smiling face "And what is the price?"
"You have a bill of twenty plus forty plus twenty five, a total of eighty five rupees, you pay here Sir and collect your food from that counter please" says the boy sitting a the cash counter
Ananth takes the dishes and arranges a proper sit for him...He was a foodie as well , so he hates any sort of disturbances while havin his meal ... As a wake of his self confessed luv for food he was oblivious that Navya has come and sit beside him.
"So, you are going to eat all of these? good good" Navya asks astonished at the quantity of food
"ha toh..of course I will, I have paid for it, so I will eat it..wait wait, you want me to order for you too?" Ananth asks Navya directly
"no, I can manage, I casually asked u , you carry..." Navya continues only to be cut by Ananth
"Bhaiya, one plate chapati sabzi, one plate pao bhaji.." Ananth orders for Navya too
"arre arre..what are you doing? get me one pao bhaji please, that will be enough for me" Navya says with smiling visage..
"okay, as u wish..but you ought to taste this Lassi , it is awesome" says Ananth and orders one glass of Lassi with one plate of Pao Bhaji and turns back to Navya " now it comes to Three Hundred and Seventy Eight only" and glances at Navya's face, "ohhooo, don't you forget, that Three Hundred and Thirty Three of bus fare and here Forty Five rupees for the pav bhaji n lassi , so it comes that figure, now clear ?? I never cheat with anyone, in terms of money or in terms of anything and I never allow anyone to cheat with me too"
"Are you a part time maths teacher in primary school ?? how could you?? okay okay, I will repay your each and every penny once I reach Mumbai, I aint fond of being drowned in debt " Navya spat it in irritating voice
Ananth had already already commenced on eating the food which seemed delicious to him. Here Navya goes to the food counter to collect her plate. Ananth , suddenly hears some noise of breaking a glass. As he was sitting just beside the food delivery counter, he could hear this sharp noise though the rest of the dhaba was filled with chaos.
"Do you call this is a Lassi with pure milk? look at the milk, you call it milk, but I call it water and this pao bhaji , you are taking extra money for putting pure ghee, but see, how you are making. I will complain about this dhaba to the police commissioner, you are cheating with the customer.."Navya shouts at the shopkeeper. Ananth sees that there are few broken pieces of the Lassi glass in the ground where Navya is presently standing.
"But Maam, this is what we are serving since past few years and customers are happy with the food too" uttered the shopkeeper who seemed apprehensive abt his dhaba's reputation
Ananth takes few moments to understand what exactly is going on. Finally he concluded that for some reason, may be due to the impurity of food, Navya has been yelling at the manager and the consequence is the "Broken Lassi Glass". And now, she is about to throw the plate with Pao Bhaji holding in her hand.
"Cool cool cool..what are you doing? leave the plate..Sorry bhaiya, please don't mind" Ananth comes to the place to rescue the shopkeeper
Other people stare at them with the surprising glance and want to make out the drama.
"sirf Sorry se kam nahi chalega, you have to pay for the glass and it costs twenty rupees extra, if this madam has come with you, then why don't you control herself, she is breaking my dhaba's assets..she is such a dangerous lady" now shopkeeper gained some confidence seeing Ananth , a calmer guy n began rebuking ...
"Xcuse me Mr ...first of all you are taking the advantage of this place, mixing some unhealthy things with the food and I am complaining it, you are showing your anger.."Navya says while she again about to go to that person
"Navya , Navya .let's go and eat that meal, we don't have any other option" Ananth holds her arms and takes her to the table where he had left his unfinished dish
"Two rupees short from Four hundred" says Ananth while concentrating on his food
"Eaaahhh?" Navya contorted
"Ohh..now the total is Three Hundred and Ninety Eight including the price of that broken Lass glass which was so lively few minutes back, so unfortunately it went to your hand and.."Ananth gives his typical smile
Navya was burning in fury, "itna sab hone ke baad bhi, you think about those few bucks..ehhh" she starts eating that pao bhaji. She was hungry, so she forgot all the other things by listening to Ananth 's words.
"Why not Ms Navya ..after all I am paying these out of my pockets nah!!! so, once you reach Mumbai and you can access your cards, I will take back all my money.." Ananth uttered
Navya doesn't bother to give him a reply, she goes back on eating, Ananth comes back to her after keeping his plate on the basin.
"So, you often do that hah??" Ananth asks in low voice
"what? what I often do?" Navya stops eating and stares at Ananth
"Wahi..breaking things and all" questioned Ananth
"Yes, when ever I get angry, I throw things which are available at my hands, like that glass, when they deliver the glass, I could easily see how impure was the milk, so, I went to talk with the person sitting at the counter, after that the shopkeeper kept arguing with me, so I lost out on him and threw the glass on the counter table" Navya replies it in normal tone
"ohh okay okay..good good..you eat hah..and please tell me if you need anything else or not, okay? I am going that side..okay..you feel free" Ananth tells her in a flat voice while keeping his mobile phone a few feet away from Navya , he had kept this phone on the table while eating, kya pata when Navya's anger falls on his one and only mobile phone, he doesn't want to loose connectivity at this moment before audition.
"thanks Ananth ..yea sure..you go nah!!! I am coming after finishing my food" Navya replies with a smiling face.
the Bus horns indicating the leaving time. They were about to leave the place.
"You go to the bus, I come after getting some drinking water filled in my bottle" Ananth says
"Okay, and please one bottle of mineral water for mine and please add it to the actual bill of yours" Navya says sarcastically
"Oyye..you think me as a waiter..I will not bring it, Maharani Ji.." Ananth shows his false anger
"sorry baba, I didn't mean to hurt you, okay don't buy it, I will manage from your bottle, now is it fine toh?" Navya replies in happy face
"abb chalega!!!..now I just come back" Ananth goes to the tube well.
He sees a pan, cigarette shop where he can find today's newspaper. He buys two chewing gums from there and borrows the paper to have a glance on it. He left the house early in the morning, so he didn't get a chance to have a glance at it. His eyes gets still to a particular post of the newspaper, he asks to the shopkeeper, "bhaiya, you have another copy of this or this is the single piece?"
"no Sir, this is the only piece left here for sale" replies the man
"okay, then I am taking it, what's the price?" Ananth gives the money and takes the newspaper. Till then , the bus gives the final signal of leaving and Navya waves her hands from the window of the bus indicating to come him sooner. Ananth now seems serious and thoughtful.