“Well, after noon, realistically speaking,” Jalaj adds.
“We’ll be dead tired after the trek,” Priti says. “And we can’t afford to be late. We’ve already been delayed enough. Don’t you realize we’ll be going backwards? We crossed Lonavala last night.”
“Even if we leave later tomorrow, we’ll get to Goa in time,” I insist. “Chill out, Priti. This is literally the opportunity of a lifetime. How many chances do you get to see a viewthatstunning?”
“Not often,” Rudra affirms.
“Varun and I have gone before,” Charu says. “I almost didn’t complete the second leg, but Prabalmachi is beautiful. Plus, you’ll get to camp at night and wake up to the most glorious sunrise tomorrow.”
Varun nods in agreement. “We’ll all come along with you guys. If you go, that is.”
But Priti’s lips are still pursed in doubt.
That’s when Rudra speaks up. “Let’s do it. Krishna’s right. We can’t pass up an opportunity like this. That is, if you can accommodate us on such short notice, Jalaj.”
“Absolutely,” he says, raising a thumb. “I will need to charge you, though.”
“That’s no problem.”
I stare at Priti hopefully, knowing Rudra is the only one who can convince her to do anything at all. And to my utter delight, she sighs, giving in.
“Let’s do it.”
12
There Will Never Be a Good Place or Time to Burp (Or Barf) in Front of Your Crush
Pune, Saturday
Varun drives us all in the Sinhas’ Innova to JM Housefull Paratha, the place Charu referred to as the “Mahishmati thali place.” Priti, Rudra, and I end up in the very back of the car, with me in the middle. I spend the whole drive jittery because of how close Rudra and I are sitting. I can’t stop thinking about everything he’s said to me.
Rudra Desai is definitely flirting with me, and with each passing minute, he is being less subtle about it. Even as Varun parks and we exit the car, I can’t help the dreadful feeling that Rudra’s doing it only because he wants to make Priti jealous. He made that last comment right before Priti sat next to us, and I’m, like, one hundred percent sure she heard it.
That heintendedfor her to hear it.
Now, that wouldn’t be much of a problem if I weren’t into the flirting. But the truth is, Iam.I am so into it that it sickens me.
At the paratha place, a few tables have been arranged just outside the entrance, where hordes of people sit taking bites out of their ginormous thalis and sipping tumblers of chilled lassi. I’m already starving, and the sight of the food makes my mouth water. We take one of the larger tables inside the restaurant, right under a poster that flaunts actress Anushka Shetty fromBaahubaliwith a large thali photoshopped in front of her.
Priti snorts as she flops into a chair against the wall, staring at the poster in amusement. Rudra sits beside her, which leaves one vacant spot, right next to him.Digha passes us a menu, and the pages are flipped open to the section with the thalis.
At the top right corner of the page, there’s a picture of actor Prabhas fromBaahubalihefting a thali onto his shoulder. I haven’t watched the movie, but there’s a famous scene in it where Prabhas carries a Shivalinga across a waterfall. In the poster, they’ve replaced the Shivalinga with the thali, and the hilarity of it makes me giggle. It’s creative, I’ve got to give them that.
“Is there some sort of eating challenge for this?” Rudra asks, reading the menu closely.
“Yeah, but it’s for an individual,” Varun says. “If someone manages to finish the Baahubali thali by themselves, their money is refunded, and the restaurant will give them free meals for the rest of their life.”
“Whoa, that’s a hell of a deal. Have any of you ever tried?”
“Tried and failed, yes,” Varun says, sighing. “It’s impossible. No one’s ever won.”
“No one in the history of this place?” I ask, amazed. “It can’t be all that hard.”
Charu grins. “Once you see the size of the thali, you’ll know.”
We place an order for the Mahishmati thali, which is apparently even bigger than the Baahubali thali, and something the Sinhas havebeen wanting to try for a while. Priti, Rudra, and I watch in utter shock as not one, not two, butthreewaiters heave a humongous thali the diameter of a ceiling fan from the kitchen over to our table and set it at the very center. Charu bursts into laughter as the three of us stare at it with our jaws unhinged.
“Still doubtful, Krishna?” Digha asks, covering her mouth with her fist to control her laughter.
