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‘Oh, trust me, she is on a different planet since that day. No need for dinner to
thank her,’ Ananya said over the phone.
We were in our respective offices. I had just invited Ananya’s family for dinner.
‘But we didn’t even pay her for the concert. That’s the least I can do,’ I said.
‘You have done a lot,’ Ananya said.
‘Trust me, the dinner is important,’ I said.
‘Really? What’s up?’
‘You’ll find out next Friday at Raintree. See you all at eight,’ I said.
The Raintree restaurant is located in the Taj Connemara hotel, on Binny Road off
Anna Salai. The outdoor restaurant is snug under a canopy of trees of the same
name. Fairylights adorn the branches of the trees and candles light up the tables.
Apart from Amethyst, it is one other oasis in the city.
I sat with Ananya’s family at one of the outdoor tables, my trouser pockets
heavy.
‘This is stunning,’ Ananya said as she looked up at the little lights. She wore a
white fitted dress with sequins that reflected in the semi-darkness.
‘You’ve never come here before?’ I said.
‘No we haven’t. Right, dad?’
Uncle shook his head even as he admired the foliage right above us.
Uniformed waiters served us a welcome drink of coconut water with fresh mint.
They left the menu cards on our tables. The restaurant specialises in Chettinad
food, named after a region south of Tamil Nadu. The cuisine is known for its
intense spices and flavours, along with a large range of non-vegetarian
preparations.