Anika was driving quite fast but very much cautiously as the roads weren't that great especially through the ghats. Shivaay was long asleep next to her. She knew he was really very tired. It has only been two days since that night which literally drained both their energies. She at least got the chance to have some rest but he was just so pre-occupied in holding everything together so that they won't fall apart.

As she reached a restaurant on the way, she slowed the car and brought it to a halt. She just left the engine on so that they would be getting the conditioned air. Anika released her seatbelt and leaned against the seat properly while keeping her gaze locked on Shivaay. His mouth was slightly opened and he was letting out a faint snore. Shivaay wasn't the kind of person who snores but when he's extremely tired, a funny kind of faint snore would be there. She smiled first before closing his mouth and continue to look at her husband.

Just then, Shivaay realized that the car had come to a stop. He woke up with a little jerk only to lock his gaze with his beautiful wife's. She was already smiling at him when his lips curled up to smile at her.

'Good morning baby!', she greeted him cutely.

'Morning? It's nearly night time now!', Shivaay exclaimed.

'By the way, where are we now?', he asked as he rubbed his eyes and stretched his arms a little.

'Some random restaurant. Just a small one... like a dhaba', she explained while looking out at the place she had halted the car.

'Dhaba? Wow! That's great. I'm starving by the way. Shall we get something to eat?', he asked her.

Both of them adjusted themselves into a more presentable version first before stepping out of the car. Anika's long hair which was pulled into a messy bun was let go and she added some lip taint to make them look healthy. Shivaay on the other hand had to wipe his face with his wife's wet facial tissues as his short nap nearly took his charmingness by making him look like some roadside junkie.

As soon as they got of their car, the amazing Desi food aroma filled their nostrils. They were so attracted by the smell that involuntarily a wide smile crept up to their face and they marched faster towards the dhaba. As soon as they reached the entrance, an elderly man in his sixties welcomed them in and showed them the sitting place.

The seating in the Dhaba was very much traditional. There was a table, not so long and a traditional hand-woven bed cot for seating. The Dhaba was decorated by Desi style macrame lights and paintings. The brilliant colours of the painting and the not so dim lighting of the Dhaba made them feel like they were actually not eating at any roadside restaurant but in a exclusive boutique outlet of some infamous restaurant-chain.

'This place is so lovely right?', Anika voiced out after placing their food order to the very same elderly man.

'Yeap! In fact I was thinking why not include some Desi features into Ayika. It will be great right? What say?', Shivaay asked her opinion while taking a better look at their surrounding.

'I had told you so earlier, but you didn't listen to me. Plus, you were saying that Ayika should be unique just like its name and made it all western!'

'Okay stop taunting, the food is here! That's quite fast!', Shivaay exclaimed as he rubbed both his hands in excitement and quickly inhaled the aroma of the ghobi roti placed in front of him.

'Mmmmmm! This smells so freaking good!', she grinned like a child.

And that was the most delicious meal they have had in ages. Everything was perfect. The spices, the oil, the ghee, the salt and not to forget the amount. It was way too much for the quoted price. Shivaay and Anika enjoyed it till they were licking their fingers. And the lassi in the end was just the right icing on the cake. Normally they used to have a conversation while eating but today, all they could do was to praise the food they were having. It was an unforgettable pleasant food experience for the both of them.

'Beta, I hope you both enjoyed the food! Feel free to say if you have any complain about it and here's the bill', stated the elderly man as he placed bill on their table while taking their plates away.

'This was one of the best meals I've ever had Uncle Ji! Thank you so much for such an amazing meal. If you don't mind, can we know who made the food?', Shivaay asked as he did the payment.

'I'm so glad that you loved the food. My wife and I made them. Actually, we both can never cook properly individually, hence we always cook together. It's like completing each other's cooking!', he stated with a wide smile which was contagious to Shivaay and Anika.

'That's great to know! Thank you Uncle!', Anika thanked him as they both made their way outside the Dhaba.

Just then, they happened to pass by the kitchen and found the uncle and his wife cooking together with lots of laughter and love. The uncle had mistakenly added too much of salt in his cooking which was noticed by his wife. She immediately rushed to his aid and added some boiled potatoes into it to get the salt level back to normal. The uncle thanked her and placed a soft kiss on her cheeks making her eyes go wide.

'I'm not afraid to do anything as long as you're there with me because you'll always correct me if I'm wrong and guide me if I'm lost!', the uncle stated and placed another kiss on her forehead.

They had a brief hug after that and continued cooking. Shivaay and Anika couldn't help but were awestruck by the scene that just took place in front of them. The amount of love and trust both of them had in each other impressed Shivaay and Anika.

'The Uncle and Aunty in the Dhaba were such a lovely couple right?', Anika asked as Shivaay was changing the gear.

'Yeap! And they gave me a couple's goal today!', Shivaay mentioned.

'Really? What is it?', Anika queried him.

'To cook with you just like that when we are grey and old!', he said with a quick wink.

'We should feed people with food made from our love just the way that Uncle and Aunty did!', he added.

'Okay done! Let's have a Dhaba by the highway like that when we're old and make people eat our love-made food. Haayeee. How romantic that would be!', she stated dreamily.

Shivaay was amused at his wife's statement. She was always the materialistic one and doesn't have wishes that were all lovely and romantic. He remembered the way she will directly ask him for physical relationship whenever she feels like. He can never ask her directly. He was always the person who gets clingy on her until she herself figures it out. She on the other hand, never hesitated for anything. She was the more practical one between the both of them. Which is why she was the better MD compared to him. She was a very much rational thinker than he was. Hence, her sudden statement or wish to have a Dhaba by the highway surely made him wonder about her. There was always something new about her which he is yet to discover.

'So, where is our next stop?', she asked him pulling him into the reality when he was drifted away by the trains of his thoughts.

'Chiplun! You'll like that place Anika. There's something special awaiting you there!', he intrigued some curiousness in her.

'Something special? What is it???'

'Wait and see wify!', he stated as he focused on his driving.

- To be continued <3 -