Azeez Chinese Restaurant (Love over Chinese Cuisine)- Part Three
Veni readily accepted Siddharths invitation for dinner. They made their way to “Azeez Chinese Restaurant” and when they entered, Siddharth had a real shock!!!
Azeez had made a lot of changes to the interiors. The chinese lamps that were previously hung just as decoration, now covered the over head light bulbs, throwing the restaurant into a romantic twilight. He had brought a music system and it was playing soft-music.
“Nice ambience”, observed Veni.
“Ya. That’s what I like about the place apart from the food. It’s actually quiet surprising that you too like authentic Chinese food. How come you never told me?”, asked Siddharth.
“You never asked me”, replied Veni with a twinkle in her eye.
Azeez approached them.
“Ha…Azeezji!!! This is Veni. Veni, this is Azeezji, the owner and chef of this restaurant”, said Siddharth.
“Hi”, said Veni to Azeez.
“Nice to have met you, Veni. Sidhu has told me so much about you. He seems to have forgotten to mention that you are also a beautiful woman?”, said Azeez.
“Thank you, Azeezji”, replied Veni who had gone slightly pink.
“So Sidhu, what will you have today?”, asked Azeez.
“What will you have, Veni?”, asked Siddharth.
“Ummm…I guess I’ll just have what you’re having”, replied Veni.
“Ok then. Azeezji. We’ll have Chicken in the Hunan style and rice of your choice.”
“Fine Sidhu”, replied Azeez withdrawing from the table.
“I like the way he talks”, said Veni, looking after Azeez.”So…what have you told him about me?”
“I told him that you were downright annoying at times. Like to nag occasionally…etc etc”, replied Siddharth with a mischievous smile.
“You are a complete idiot, Siddharth Nandan!!!”, said Veni with mock anger.”Besides, you bring out the worst in me. I can see that you and Azeezji have developed quiet a friendship. I better warn him that you could be downright unbearable at times!!!”
“Takes one to know one”
“What?? You think I’m unbearable?? Really??”, said Veni, suddenly looking concerned.
“ I was just kidding!!! Relax!!! Anyway…this is a joke I got as a forward today and you got to hear it. This man says - I bought a self-learning record to learn Spanish. I turned it on and went to sleep; the record got stuck. The next day I could only stutter in Spanish”
They both erupted in uncontrollable laughter.
Unknown to both, Azeez was observing them from the kitchen window. He had hired a person to cook today. He was too excited to cook today and badly wanted to know how things would go between Siddharth and Veni. He just couldn’t keep his mind on anything else. He couldn’t help giving an occasional peek through the window to see what was happening between them. When he saw that they were laughing he felt really happy. He had forgotten what being happy was for a long time now. He too had had a loving family…a wife and a boy…once. His sons name was Munna. They were happy with their life in China. It was bliss and there seemed to be no end to the happiness…until that fateful day in 1976. The Tangshan earthquake. Statisticians say this was the largest earthquake of the 20th century by death toll. His family was among those who lost their lives. He had survived and for a long time after that calamity, he kept wishing he hadn’t. He had spent a long time seeking refuge in narcotics and alcohol. They helped him to dull the ache. Then one day, somehow, someway, he wanted to stop this kind of an existence. He felt as if Allah had spoken to him…it had been a miracle. He went through the painful rehab procedure and had spent almost a decade volunteering for the peace corps and the UNICEF. When he finally realised his body was not what it had used to be, he had come back to India and had opened the restaurant with the money he had saved. But he was always lonely and yearned for company. When Siddharth had unexpectedly walked into his life, he saw in him, his son Munna. Munna would have been Siddharths age had he survived. With Siddharth, he had found a renewed chance at fatherhood and happiness…a chance he had never quiet expected to get and he was thankful to Allah for that. He had believed that Allah had forgotten him all these long years…but now he knew he had been wrong. Allah had sent Siddharth into his life when he wanted it the most. Helping Siddharth in anyway possible would be his repayment.
He shook himself from his reverie and placed the dishes on the tray. He served the children and went back to the kitchen to watch them.
“You seem to be a bit pre-occupied…want to talk about it?”,asked Siddharth.
“Naah…not disturbed!!! Another proposal has come up. Achan had called. Software engineer in Pune. He’ll be sending me the photos tomorrow.”, replied Veni.
“Great!!!”, said Siddharth, concentrating on a spot on the table-cloth,”Good for you!!!” His voice had sounded a bit too gay.
“You sound unhappy”,said Veni.
“No I don’t. It’s good for you. Let the photo come and all of us will talk about it.”
“Ohh…ok!!!”, replied Veni. Siddharth failed to notice that disappointment in Veni’s voice. Though he had decided to tell her his feelings during the course of the dinner, he still wasn’t able to work up the courage to do it. He felt he had too much to loose if he got rejected. He looked at Veni. She hadn’t eaten anything and was simply playing with her food.
“Hey…how come you haven’t eaten anything. I thought you said you liked Chinese food”, exclaimed Siddharth.
“I lied. ”, whispered Veni. She looked up at Siddharth and continued,” I absolutely hate Chinese food…I came here only because you liked it and asked me to come with you!!!”
They looked at each other. She gave a little smile. To Siddharth it seemed as if the world had stopped and everything had frozen into that single point in time. He didn’t feel any doubts anymore. The angelic face looking at him had made things crystal clear. He vowed to surrender himself to her from then on. Both of them had ceased to exist…in that stretched second…they had become one!!!
“I love you, Veni”. Siddharth was surprised by the clarity in his voice. He didn’t need a response from her…he already knew.
There were tears in her eyes…tears of happiness. “Don’t ever leave me,ok?”, she said. He took both her hands in his and held it towards his face in reply.
They were interrupted by a cry of happiness that came from the kitchen. Azeez came rushing out towards them. Siddharth and Azeez hugged. Veni laughed watching them and Azeez gave a pat on her back.
“Thank you, Azeezji”, said Siddharth, his voice breaking a bit.
“No Sidhu…thank you!!!”, replied Azeez.
“Why??”, asked Siddharth surprised.
“Some other time!!!”, replied Azeez with a broad smile.
****************************
Siddharth and Veni got married three months after that night at the restaurant. Siddharth insisted on having Azeez by his side throughout the function. When asked who he was, Siddharth replied that Azeez was the man who had given him Veni…his surrogate father. They remained friends and Siddharth and Veni used to pay him frequent visits. Azeez was fortunate enough to play with their children who called him Grandpa. Siddharth was by his side when Azeez breathed his last…a contented man…in peace with the world.
Azeez had made a lot of changes to the interiors. The chinese lamps that were previously hung just as decoration, now covered the over head light bulbs, throwing the restaurant into a romantic twilight. He had brought a music system and it was playing soft-music.
“Nice ambience”, observed Veni.
“Ya. That’s what I like about the place apart from the food. It’s actually quiet surprising that you too like authentic Chinese food. How come you never told me?”, asked Siddharth.
“You never asked me”, replied Veni with a twinkle in her eye.
Azeez approached them.
“Ha…Azeezji!!! This is Veni. Veni, this is Azeezji, the owner and chef of this restaurant”, said Siddharth.
“Hi”, said Veni to Azeez.
“Nice to have met you, Veni. Sidhu has told me so much about you. He seems to have forgotten to mention that you are also a beautiful woman?”, said Azeez.
“Thank you, Azeezji”, replied Veni who had gone slightly pink.
“So Sidhu, what will you have today?”, asked Azeez.
“What will you have, Veni?”, asked Siddharth.
“Ummm…I guess I’ll just have what you’re having”, replied Veni.
“Ok then. Azeezji. We’ll have Chicken in the Hunan style and rice of your choice.”
“Fine Sidhu”, replied Azeez withdrawing from the table.
“I like the way he talks”, said Veni, looking after Azeez.”So…what have you told him about me?”
“I told him that you were downright annoying at times. Like to nag occasionally…etc etc”, replied Siddharth with a mischievous smile.
“You are a complete idiot, Siddharth Nandan!!!”, said Veni with mock anger.”Besides, you bring out the worst in me. I can see that you and Azeezji have developed quiet a friendship. I better warn him that you could be downright unbearable at times!!!”
“Takes one to know one”
“What?? You think I’m unbearable?? Really??”, said Veni, suddenly looking concerned.
“ I was just kidding!!! Relax!!! Anyway…this is a joke I got as a forward today and you got to hear it. This man says - I bought a self-learning record to learn Spanish. I turned it on and went to sleep; the record got stuck. The next day I could only stutter in Spanish”
They both erupted in uncontrollable laughter.
Unknown to both, Azeez was observing them from the kitchen window. He had hired a person to cook today. He was too excited to cook today and badly wanted to know how things would go between Siddharth and Veni. He just couldn’t keep his mind on anything else. He couldn’t help giving an occasional peek through the window to see what was happening between them. When he saw that they were laughing he felt really happy. He had forgotten what being happy was for a long time now. He too had had a loving family…a wife and a boy…once. His sons name was Munna. They were happy with their life in China. It was bliss and there seemed to be no end to the happiness…until that fateful day in 1976. The Tangshan earthquake. Statisticians say this was the largest earthquake of the 20th century by death toll. His family was among those who lost their lives. He had survived and for a long time after that calamity, he kept wishing he hadn’t. He had spent a long time seeking refuge in narcotics and alcohol. They helped him to dull the ache. Then one day, somehow, someway, he wanted to stop this kind of an existence. He felt as if Allah had spoken to him…it had been a miracle. He went through the painful rehab procedure and had spent almost a decade volunteering for the peace corps and the UNICEF. When he finally realised his body was not what it had used to be, he had come back to India and had opened the restaurant with the money he had saved. But he was always lonely and yearned for company. When Siddharth had unexpectedly walked into his life, he saw in him, his son Munna. Munna would have been Siddharths age had he survived. With Siddharth, he had found a renewed chance at fatherhood and happiness…a chance he had never quiet expected to get and he was thankful to Allah for that. He had believed that Allah had forgotten him all these long years…but now he knew he had been wrong. Allah had sent Siddharth into his life when he wanted it the most. Helping Siddharth in anyway possible would be his repayment.
He shook himself from his reverie and placed the dishes on the tray. He served the children and went back to the kitchen to watch them.
“You seem to be a bit pre-occupied…want to talk about it?”,asked Siddharth.
“Naah…not disturbed!!! Another proposal has come up. Achan had called. Software engineer in Pune. He’ll be sending me the photos tomorrow.”, replied Veni.
“Great!!!”, said Siddharth, concentrating on a spot on the table-cloth,”Good for you!!!” His voice had sounded a bit too gay.
“You sound unhappy”,said Veni.
“No I don’t. It’s good for you. Let the photo come and all of us will talk about it.”
“Ohh…ok!!!”, replied Veni. Siddharth failed to notice that disappointment in Veni’s voice. Though he had decided to tell her his feelings during the course of the dinner, he still wasn’t able to work up the courage to do it. He felt he had too much to loose if he got rejected. He looked at Veni. She hadn’t eaten anything and was simply playing with her food.
“Hey…how come you haven’t eaten anything. I thought you said you liked Chinese food”, exclaimed Siddharth.
“I lied. ”, whispered Veni. She looked up at Siddharth and continued,” I absolutely hate Chinese food…I came here only because you liked it and asked me to come with you!!!”
They looked at each other. She gave a little smile. To Siddharth it seemed as if the world had stopped and everything had frozen into that single point in time. He didn’t feel any doubts anymore. The angelic face looking at him had made things crystal clear. He vowed to surrender himself to her from then on. Both of them had ceased to exist…in that stretched second…they had become one!!!
“I love you, Veni”. Siddharth was surprised by the clarity in his voice. He didn’t need a response from her…he already knew.
There were tears in her eyes…tears of happiness. “Don’t ever leave me,ok?”, she said. He took both her hands in his and held it towards his face in reply.
They were interrupted by a cry of happiness that came from the kitchen. Azeez came rushing out towards them. Siddharth and Azeez hugged. Veni laughed watching them and Azeez gave a pat on her back.
“Thank you, Azeezji”, said Siddharth, his voice breaking a bit.
“No Sidhu…thank you!!!”, replied Azeez.
“Why??”, asked Siddharth surprised.
“Some other time!!!”, replied Azeez with a broad smile.
****************************
Siddharth and Veni got married three months after that night at the restaurant. Siddharth insisted on having Azeez by his side throughout the function. When asked who he was, Siddharth replied that Azeez was the man who had given him Veni…his surrogate father. They remained friends and Siddharth and Veni used to pay him frequent visits. Azeez was fortunate enough to play with their children who called him Grandpa. Siddharth was by his side when Azeez breathed his last…a contented man…in peace with the world.
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