Tea for Two and a Piece of Cake by Preeti Shenoy Page A

wants to be able to reach me anytime, for which he gets me a brand new cell phone. It is my first ever, and I am so darn proud of it, as cell phones have just made their entry into India and not everyone has one. I am like a little girl who has got the exact present that she wanted for Christmas.
    Most days, I have lunch with Smriti and Mihir in the office cafeteria. But one day, Samir asks me out for lunch, saying we can discuss the very important art tourism project which he plans to introduce in the last quarter of the year.
    ‘Err…,’ I hesitate, because somehow, even though I really enjoyed my previous two dates with him, I feeluncomfortable in the office environment, now that he is my boss.
    ‘Do you have other plans? It’s okay if you do. I don’t mind,’ he says.
    ‘No, I just have to tell Smriti and Mihir. They would be waiting,’ I say.
    ‘Okay, will meet you at the parking lot then,’ he says.
    I find them in the cafeteria, and today Leena as well as a few others are with them.
    ‘Hey Nisha, biryani today. It’s really good!’ says Mihir, as he scoops a spoonful into his mouth. It does look tasty.
    ‘Guys, I am going out for lunch. I won’t be joining you today,’ I say.
    ‘Ooooh! Someone is going on a date! Who with? Tell, tell!’ chimes Smriti.
    ‘It is not a date! I am going out with Samir. It’s a working lunch, and I did know him before I started working here,’ I defend myself.
    I see Leena smirking, but I ignore her and walk out.

    As usual, Samir has chosen a magnificent place, one that makes you forget everything the moment you walk in, a place where the ambience relaxes you so much and transports you to a different world. The last thing I want to do is talk about work here. I want to kick off my footwear, sit back with a glass of champagne, and just relax.
    But I am on high alert, as I am now Ms Efficiency personified. I remember my disaster on the first datewhen I had drunk too much, and I definitely have learnt my lesson. I surely do not want to repeat that and spoil the good impression I have now made professionally.
    So I opt for a mocktail instead much to the amusement of Samir. We converse mostly about business. Once we get into the discussion, we become so engrossed in it that I forget all about my surroundings. We talk about his pet project—introducing art tourism in India. It is the hottest thing in Europe and major parts of America. There is a conference on art tourism in Bali in a fortnight. Samir and I had been working hard on preparing all the slides for the presentation that he would give, portraying the hotspots in India, and why India could be a great destination for it.
    ‘Nisha, I think you should you accompany me to the Bali conference,’ says Samir, taking me totally by surprise.
    ‘Me?’ I am taken aback.
    ‘Yes. You will indeed be a valuable resource. Besides, you will also get to learn so much. All the potential investors will be there. You can meet all of them. We need to really make a good impression, Nisha. You have indeed worked hard on it, and besides, you know all the details as much as I do.’
    I don’t know what to say. This is going to be my first trip abroad ever. Finally my dream of going abroad and having that stamp on my passport can come true! I am elated, overjoyed, and really dancing. I am also secretly thanking my lucky stars that I got a passport made at Akash’s insistence while I was still working at Point to Point. I make a mental note to call him up later and thank him. Outside however, I appear calm.
    ‘I hope your dad has no objections to your travel?’ asks Samir.
    ‘Naah, I don’t think that will be much of a problem,’ I say, trying to sound casual.

    My father is passive and shows absolutely no reaction, as I dance all the way home and tell him about my trip to Bali. But even his I-don’t-give-a-damn attitude cannot dampen my spirit. I volunteer all the details about the conference and how we have been working hard on