Part 59--Scoop of Life--Rendezvous

McDonald's
Lajpat Nagar
Feb 17th.

Raghav: Do you want to go?
Rad knows she doesnt, but says "I" and stops, he watches her carefully, being lost for words.... he waits " I" she says aagain.... "There is so much work to be done. I love what I do!" her tone sounded like she had lost the battled with her mind.....
Her wrist stayed in his grip.....
He sorted the big crunchy fries and set it on one side.
"If I were not going to UP, tum mujhe yeh achhe fries kabhi nahi dete. Nahi?" she asks laughing
He chuckles and shakes his head....
They both tug at one and chew the portion they win.....
"Its 17 villages, the soil is not even 34% productive as it used to be due to the tannery cluster. Itna saara ammonium chloride, sulphuric acid tannins and dyes........... the water sources have been exploited to the fullest, the toxins have seeped deep into the soil. It requires years of work, not to mention plans to restitute the farmers" she talks seriously, almost unemotional.... like she had some personal stake in the issue.
"The farmers dont expect to multiply their yeild exponentially and eventually enter politics and drive around in Tata Sumos, they want to be able to feed their kids and hold on to the acre or two they inherited. I owe them my full support and commitment" she talked and loved to.... but this was "her" cause..... she spewed statistics, talked about the political involvement and the UP mafia threats.... she talked about lack of health care and low immunity among villagers, mysterious chronic illnesses............
Her phone rings and beeps many times she answers some briefly, many she just ignores smiling upon reading a joke/text.
The ketchup was all gone.....
"Should I get more?" he asked
"Nahi... mujhe ghar jaana chahiye" meeting his eyes
"Nahi" he repeates the first part of her statement.
The place was filling up.......... he cleans up the table, she washes up...
He unlocks his VW and she finds a bunch of papers some mention the word "Anupama International" "Supermax Holdings" on it if only she were to open the blue manila folder to read them... but she picks it up and places it in the back seat.
He watches her do that.........
"where to?"
"I will say Panchgani" she responds laughing.......
"Can we go after you return?" he asks
He doesnt mention anything about his own trip to UP, thats due in the next week or so as well
A strange heavy object slams inside of her.......... at the implication of why he wants them to go to Panchgani........ she wonders if this would be his "first" time like it would be for her.
She knows her Ma would kill her. What ever she decides would have to be "offline" she would have to get her friends to buy into her rendezvous............ she had covered for many...... multiple times.... it was all part of the friendship deal

The prospect of having an affair with him thrilled her, she smiled....
"Sach mein?" she asked as he stared at her face, not turning the key in the ignition
"Haan Radhika" he responded confidently, as if "he has had multiple affairs and knows how it all works" she thought smirking