Rian took a mental picture of how Aditi looked, riveted by her obvious pleasure.You can put that look on her face without food involved,the devil on his shoulder whispered in his ear, his cock beginning to stir at the thought. He adjusted himself in his seat, stuffing his mouth with food before unholy ideas took root.
“No wonder you wanted to steal his recipe.” Aditi looked down in awe at her plate before she attacked it with a zeal akin to a hungry tiger hunting a deer.
“If you ever wonder why I’ve been taking you to these small, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, it's because they have the best food.”
“I believe you,” she mumbled, her mouth full. “This is incredible. Phenomenal. Stupendous. I’ll never be the same.”
Rian grinned at the theatrics, glad that Aditi was slowly starting to sound like herself again.
Happy to just be, they observed the slow descent of the sun flirting with the horizon that stretched ahead. The beauty of the golden glow infused a sense of calmness into the atmosphere, the comfortable silence punctuated by sounds of chewing and the occasional call of the crows overhead. There was a sense of contentment in that moment that wasn't often easy to find in their busy lives. Perhaps it was this that led Rian to admit, “I owe them everything.”
At Aditi’s look, he explained.
“The small-business owners, roadside cooks—they see the real Mumbai. When I was a young chef trying to understand the beat of this city, they were willing to teach me whatever they knew. No gatekeeping, no desire to make a buck off me. They represent theheart that makes Mumbai different. What I learnt from them is what makes The Mumbai Map resonate with people. I owe them my success.”
Aditi took a moment to let that sink in before reaching her clean hand for his. If her action surprised him, he didn’t show it, only waiting patiently for her to speak.
“I'm glad you're humble enough to remember their help. But don’t discount your hard work. I can’t let you be unfair to yourself.”
Rian glanced down at her thumb rubbing the back of his hand, feeling a link snap into place every time Aditi spoke of him with such conviction.
“How are you so sure of me?”
“I told you I’m observant. I’ve seen how hard you work. Besides, you’ve given me no reason not to believe in you.”
“In that case, believe in me that I’ll help you and tell me what’s been bothering you.”
Aditi’s hand slipped, not having expected the turn in their conversation.
“You were clearly not happy when I came home. What happened?”
“It’s a long story.”
“We have time.”
A look of discomfort and unsurety settled on her otherwise happy face.
“I used to be. . .bigger,” she began, somewhat uncomfortably. Her chest rose as she took in a deep breath, clearly preparing herself for what she had to say.
“I’ve struggled with fluctuating weight since my late teens,” she confessed, looking outwards instead of at him. “I became conscious of how I looked when I began to date in medical school. I knew I was never going to be that beautiful, skinny girl who everyone envied. But I tried. Crash diets and intense exercises became my go-to. It worked for a while. I went from plump to fashionably thin. That’swhen I met Harish. The longer we were together, the more relaxed I became and the more I changed. Add to that the pressures of medical school and dieting dropped lower on my list of priorities. I was already too loud, too opinionated, too chaotic. When the weight gain happened, I also became too unattractive.”
A tremulous, embarrassed smile graced her face, but the hurt in her eyes from the mere recollection of these memories couldn’t be erased. The ache within him seemed to be a reflection of her pain. It felt like a travesty to have a day when Aditi Krishnan was not her joyous, confident self.
“Harish didn’t say anything outright at first. But there was always a disapproving comment here and there about my food consumption, whether I could afford the extra calories that day, maybe I should eat a salad for lunch instead of whatever I liked. By the time we broke up, I had ruined my relationship with food. I had convinced myself that I don’t like to eat.”
“But you’re a doctor!” Rian exclaimed, baffled that Aditi had struggled with this. “Of all people, you know why a good diet is important!”
“Bugs,” she chided in a gentle tone, shaking her head once. “Being a doctor is my profession. My contentious relationship with food was the result of the insecurities of a young woman in love. Those two are not mutually exclusive.”
Troubled by how much Aditi hid behind her happy-go-lucky facade, Rian asked, “But you’re better now?”
“Yes, I’m better now, but sometimes, those insecurities come back. Like today. That’s why I needed to eat something utterly delicious, even if it was late. To remind myself that I would miss out on things like this if I let that feeling win over me again.”
“What happened today?”
Aditi grimaced. “Harish made a comment along the lines of how I would never find someone because of how I am. One line, and he targeted my personality and appearance both.”
“That little fucker.” Rian couldn’t hold back the curse.