27 27. The Tour End

[•Ferit's POV•]

She led me outside the gate and spoke, "I want to give you another fantastic experience" "Hmm... Lemme hear it" I said and sighed, "We are going to go there in an Auto" she said, "An Auto? You mean an auto-rickshaw?" She nodded smiling brightly. "Nuri it's really hot today and I prefer traveling in a cab, I will hire an Auto, next time alright?" I asked, "Okay... Ferit bey..." She mumbled.

"Where are we going?" I asked her as we entered the cab. "Grill Garden restaurant" she said. "Grill Garden?" "Yes... Or are you against that too?" She asked annoyed, I grinned, "We will see" I said and she told the driver, the address.

We reached a tall and posh building, and I saw a guard dressed in a fancy and traditional way. "Why is he dressed like that?" I asked her, "Even I wonder sometimes, let's ask him?" She replied, "You really wanna ask him?" "If you really wanna know I can cause I have no idea why he dresses like that" she replied and the guard caught us staring at him.

He smiled in a friendly way and opened the glass door as we were about to enter the place. "Thank you" said Nuri and the fat man smiled revealing the funny gap between his teeth, even I smiled at him. Nuri went straight at the reception boldly and asked on which floor the restaurant was, "Third" replied the lady and pointed to where the elevator was.

"Where are the stairs?" Asked Nuri, I glanced at her surprised, even the receptionist did. "There" she said and pointed behind the elevator. "Thank you" said Nuri and turned to me. "I am going to use the stairs, I will meet you up there Ferit bey" she said, "The elevator is a lot easier, why won't you use that?"

"I don't like elevators, it's okay, you can use the elevator. I will be up there waiting" she said and ran off to the stairs. She doesn't like elevators but is she really going to climb all those stairs? Anyways I headed to the elevator.

I waited up there for almost two minutes till Nuri appeared panting. "Did you... Wait long?" She asked catching her breath. "Umm... Just a few minutes. Are you alright?" I asked, "Huh? Yeah, yes... I am good" She said still panting.

We sat down at a table. The place was very calm and had a huge balcony. It was very windy and tidy, even the tables were set in a professional manner. "We came here last year for my parents' anniversary. I loved this place so much" she said smiling. I smiled back, the waiter came and stood near us and handed us the menu, "Thank you" replied Nuri.

×××

We started eating and she asked me, "Did you like it?" "The place is very beautiful, the food is great too" I said, "Yeah, I wish I could cook like that" she said, "You cook pretty well already" she chuckled, "Ferit bey, you have started praising me, you know that right? I am really surprised" I smiled, "Well I think you are really talented" I said. She blushed and smiled looking away, she always did that.

"This place is very high and windy. It would be wonderful to cook here" "This restaurant?" I asked, "Yeah, being a chef here would be wonderful. Having a kitchen loaded with ingredients, having so many recipes to try, even a special uniform" "So is that your dream job?" I asked her, "It is kinda but not all dreams come true. After my course is done, I have to help with the lodge" she said, I nodded.

After we were done, she was shuffling through her purse. I placed a hand on her shoulder, "Nuri, there is no need for it, I will pay" I said, she gave me that confused look where her eyes would go blur, but I was clear with everything I did, and I wish she could read my mind. She just nodded and gave a slight smile.

We got out from there and the sun had gone a bit dull, "Ferit bey, what's the time?" "It's going to be past three. You said you were going to take me somewhere else too right?" I asked. "Yeah, I totally forgot about that. Then come on" she said. "At least tell me where you are going to take me" I said.

"Uh... I am not sure whether you will like it but it is a very beautiful place. It is a garden, they grow fruits and vegetables. I haven't been there in ages so I really wanna go there" she said. "Don't forget about the flight" I said, "Don't worry Ferit bey, it will be really fun. Come on" she beamed, "We'll see" I said.

×××

We got out of the taxi and faced a rusted green gate. The gate was more long than high and the guard opened it slightly. It was a very shady place, surrounded by huge canopies. There was a cool breeze blowing and at one end, I saw a few cows lying down and chewing cud. There was a small house next to the gate, more like a reception.

A bald old man with glasses was sitting there. The old man looked up at us and smiled brightly at Nuri, they both recognized each other immediately and greeted each other in Malayalam. He suddenly brought two plastic chairs from the next room and asked us to sit.

Nuri and the man talked for some time till he turned to me, and said, "Nalla chercha! Enna kalyanam?" I didn't understand what he meant so I gave a confused expression, but immediately Nuri began denying it, I wonder what he said. Nuri explained something to him and then he again turned to me.

"Sorry... Welcome to Kerala, God's own country. Do you like here?" He asked in broken English, "Kerala?" I asked, "Aa" he nodded, "It's a beautiful place" I said and smiled. Then Nuri turned to me, "This is Rajesh uncle, he owns this garden" she said and turned back to him and began talking.

Then she got up and even I did, the man shook my hand and Nuri beckoned me to follow her. "I can't believe he still works here" she said, "He is over seventy and still he is so live and active!" She exclaimed, "What did he say?" I asked.

"He asked me how my parents are and how Ankita was. I told him that you were a customer at the lodge when he mistook you. I said that you were going back today so you wanted to go around town a bit" she said, "He mistook me?" Her expression suddenly changed, "Uh... That's not important Ferit bey..." She said and turned to the plants.

The place was very large and silent, there were a lot of plants and trees. There were separate fields for vegetables, fruits and flowers. A lot of rare trees were also there, and I could hear the cries of various birds, though crows were the most common, it was literally everywhere.

Nuri acted like a tour guide and showed me a lot of plants, medicinal and poisonous, and I listened attentively. Almost an hour passed, "Okay, so now this tree is the oldest here, it's a Teak. It's going to be thirty soon" she said, I couldn't help smiling, "You know it that well?" I asked.

"Of course Ferit bey, when I discovered this place last year when I came here with Ankita for her college field trip, Rajesh uncle showed us every plant. He said he loved this tree better than the others as it was the oldest" she said, "Why the oldest?" I asked, "Ferit bey, you know the saying, Old is Gold" she said and chuckled.

I grinned back, but then she suddenly bent down and tried to hide. She used me as her shield, "Ashok is here" she whispered, "Your fiance?" "He is not my fiance!" She said getting mad, I chuckled to myself. "God! What is he doing here? If he sees me then I am as good as dead" she said, I tried turning to look at him but then she gripped my shirt.

"Ferit bey don't!" She said as she peeped at him. "He has turned around, I know a different shortcut, I will meet you at the gate, see you" "Nuri wha? Wait" I said, grabbing her arm. "Ferit bey the field trip is done, chapter closed. If he finds me here then he will blabber everything to his mother. I have not met you today, I am currently in Turkey and I will be waiting at the gate" she said and ran away shaking off my arm.

She left me hanging, again. I sighed and turned, Ashok saw me and rubbed his eyes, then he looked again, and came walking towards me swiftly. "Hi" I said and held out my hand, acting surprised. He nodded and shook my hand confused.

"I remember your face, from the lodge. You were the one with Nuri right? Rajesh uncle told me Nuri was here, but what are you doing here?" He asked, "I don't know about Nuri, I thought she was at Turkey but my flight is in the evening" I said, "Don't lie to me, what's your business with her anyway?" He asked, now he was annoying me.

"I will marry her when she comes back next time, so stay away from her" he said again and pushed me. I grinned annoyed, "Boy, you think she will marry you?" I asked, He raised his fist to punch me but I was quick enough to grip his hand. "Leave my arm!" He yelled.

"Ashok, don't behave like a child. Nuri already has enough troubles in her life but she doesn't show it much. Don't add to it, alright? Also, stop bothering me" I said and pushed back his arm, he was about to trip but he held himself, and I left him there and walked back to the gate.

I met Nuri outside the gate and I stayed silent till we reached the airport, finally she asked me, "Ferit bey, did you talk to him?" She asked, I nodded, "What did he say?" "Just stupid stuff" I said, "Oh..." She mumbled.

×××

When I handed our tickets to the air hostess, she smiled at us, "Business class? Right there sir" and she pointed us the seats. "Business class? Do you mean first class? The one in James Bond movies?" Asked Nuri shocked, I laughed. "I don't know whether James Bond has traveled in First class but I get what you mean" I said.

"Ferit bey, I am comfortable with the other seat" she said, I turned to her, "Nuri, when you are flying with me you fly in style" I said, she gave me an odd look, and chuckled, "Ferit bey, did you just make that up?" I nodded. "That's your seat, behind mine. You know to wear your seatbelt don't you?" I asked remembering the time when she couldn't in the helicopter. She looked down turning red and nodded. We sat down at our respective seats and the air hostess began with the precautions.

It had been almost half an hour since the flight took off and Nuri leaned to ask me, "Ferit bey, can you hear me?" I couldn't see her as we both were sitting with our backs faced at each other, but I could hear her loud and clear. "Uh... yeah" I said, "I forgot to ask you, how much would you rate me as a tour guide, out of five?" "3.2" I joked.

"Can't you round that to a 4? I don't accept decimals" I chuckled to myself, "Then, 6" I said, "Come on Ferit bey, I am serious" "Your ratings are five on five" I said, "Are you serious?" "Yeah, 1.1 For the museum and art gallery, 2.1 for all the food, 0.6 for the aquarium, and 1.2 for the garden" I said. "I never thought it like that but thank you" she said and sat back straight, and for the rest of the flight, I stared outside and smiled.