Arjun parked the bike in front of Mac’s.
I wasn’t really surprised that he chose Mac’s. It was both of our favourite place.
We found a corner table and sat down.
“What do you want to eat?”
I had learned my lesson to answer without worrying about what Arjun felt.
“Burger and orange juice”
Arjun ordered Pizza and Torino.
After the waiter left, we looked at each other. I suddenly didn’t know what to talk, so I simply stared at him. He was wearing a nice silk shirt.
“Nice shirt” I told him
“yeah. got a good deal”
“Really! Where?”
“You won’t believe” He looked at me and grinned
“Tell me”
“Do you know how much I paid for this shirt?”
“350?”
“He he he” He laughed. “No, not even close”
“How much?”
Arjun leaned over the table and whispered
“50 Bucks”
“What? No way”
“Yes way”
“How did you manage to pay 50 bucks?”
“You remember Ashok?”
“Ashok? That guy who was at your place the last time I visited?”
“Yeah, His friend works at a clothes shop near Deepam”
“Which shop?”
“The one near the junction of MG and Brigade”
“Oh, and?”
“When his boss isn’t around, if you visit the shop, he will place a shirt in your helmet without anyone seeing. You pay him 50 Rs!”
“What? That is wrong Arjun. You are shop lifting” I was so angry
“Do you know how much profit the owner of the shop makes from each shirt that he sells?”
“That is besides the point”
“That is not besides the point. The point is he mark up the cost of the shirt by 75% “
“So what if he marks up the cost? He has overheads. He has to pay the rent, pay the employees. How can he do that if he sells below cost?”
“You are crazy” Arjun used his trump card.
Just like my mother. Always call me crazy to win an argument.
“I am not crazy. You are crazy” I told him
“Ha!” Arjun lifted his hand and did a Rajanikanth style wave.
The waiter came in the nick of time and like a monkey, was staring at both of us. I thought of asking him
‘What are you staring at?’
He probably saw the look in my eyes and quickly placed the Pizza in front of me and the burger in front of Arjun. I snatched the burger and pushed the pizza plate towards Arjun.

I was angry and I knew I wasn’t crazy. There is no excuse for stealing, when you can afford to buy a silk shirt.

We ate in total silence. I had actually thought of not eating the burger. But then I thought what did the burger do?
(Besides, if you have ever eaten the burger sold at Mac’s then you would know how tasty they are!)

I had almost finished finished my burger when I saw this guy who looked familiar walking towards our table. A typical mallu with kappada meesa. (mustache)
Ithu yarappa? (who is this clown?)
I churned my brain trying to figure out where have I seen this guy.
“Excuse me” He spoke in typical mallu accent.
Arjun was staring at him.
“Are you Nina?”
“Yes” I answered.
My heart started to pound. I knew there is no reason why I should be afraid of. It is not that I was doing anything wrong. I was simply having a meal with my classmate. But still I was getting worked up.
Following conversation was in Malayalam
“Do you remember me?”
I shook my head.
“Do you remember Sheela Ammai?”
Sheela Ammai? I couldn’t remember any Sheela Ammai.
I shook my head.
“Thumponey Ammachi’s daughter?”
He looked at me if I knew who was Thumponey Ammachi.
I knew her vaguely. Someone from my Dad’s family.
“I am Roy, her son. My family owns the gas cylinder store in Chengannur. You had come to our shop once to order a Gas cylinder for your Ammachi”
“Oh”
That was so many years ago. I wondered how he recognized me after all these years.
“How did you recognize me?” I had to ask him
“Oh easy. You look just like Achayan (your dad)”

Oh Oh.
Appa’s relative finding me in a restaurant in Bangalore with a guy.
It had the word disaster written all over it.
He looked at Arjun.
Arjun looked at me
“My classmate Arjun. My cousin Roy” I introduced.
Both of them stared at each other.
No shake hand, no nothing.
Arjun looked at Roy, nodded his head as though that was the latest greeting style in Bangalore, got up from the chair, asked for the bill and even before the waiter came with the bill, he took the money out of his wallet, counted it and then turned to me and said
“let us go”
He started to walk, met the waiter on his way out, gave him the money and continued to walk towards the door.
Roy looked at me.
I didn’t know what to do.
I had not asked Roy what he was doing in Bangalore( as was expected of me), couldn’t invite him home, because no one knew Amma was staying in Bangalore, Didn’t want to burn my bridges with someone from my father’s family because I was afraid that juicy gossip would soon reach my father’s ears and my classmate was incredibly rude and I didn’t know how to fix it.
“Are you coming or not?” Arjun was holding the door and staring at me.
“I have to go, Bye Roy. Please say my Hi to Ammachi” I quickly walked out.
Arjun started the bike.
I sat down beside him, absolutely making sure No part of my body touched him.