Vishnu was having a blast on her date. She spent over two hours in an art gallery, taking her sweet time in gazing at each painting to her heart’s content, exploring all the artistic ideas and descriptions written on display plaques in the gallery and wondering when she would be able to finish painting all the art works she had planned in her head. She then went to an arts and crafts store to browse through rows and stacks of art supplies before picking up a set of water colours, drawing papers and sketch pads.

After all the artsy hunger was satisfied, she headed to the nearest Asian cuisine restaurant to feed her rumbling and starving self, not noticing the two men who were standing at the entrance and peering at the menu board displayed at the door of the restaurant.

“Good evening, ma'am! How many people are you expecting?” A waiter greeted her as soon as she stepped into the restaurant.

“Table for one, just me,” Vishnu answered.

“Sure ma’am. This way.” He led her to a corner table for two.

Raghav was studying the menu quite seriously at the door while Eshwar tapped on his phone, busy with work apparently.

“You wanna eat Thai food today?” Raghav asked, engrossed in the menu.

Eshwar didn’t look up from his phone as he answered, “I’m fine with anything.”

“Okay. Let’s go in.”

And they both ended up sitting at the table next to Vishnu’s.

“They are done with the cremation,” Eshwar relayed the news he was getting to know from his phone to Raghav.

“So soon?” Raghav was surprised. “I thought Prakash would wait for Bhuvana to arrive tomorrow.”

“The shrew's brother and nephew rushed everything. And Bhuvana's father just listens to them without questioning.”

“Still, what right do that brother and nephew have that goes above and beyond the shrew's own son and step-daughter?”

“Come on, most of us have relatives who think they are more entitled than the actual guardians.”

“Yeah, right,” Raghav snorted.

Vishnu was busily munching on her more-than-she-can-eat-meal on the next table when her phone buzzed.

“Hey Deepa!” she took the call cheerily, continuing her meal. “How are you?… I am good too.”

There was a pause as she hear her friend comment that she sounded excited. “Really? I sound that happy? Yeah, I had a really good evening today. Art exhibition, shopping, dinner - absolute quality time.” She spoke about her evening and then shifted to more personal matters.

Vishnu clearly was not aware that her conversation wasn’t that quiet. Eshwar glanced towards her, clearly piqued by her words and tone.

“Yeah, mom keeps sending me profiles of guys for marriage matches. But, I don't like any of them. Where are all the good ones?” she was asking her friend seriously over the phone.

“Why? There are some good ones out there,” Deepa suggested.

“Oh no, the good ones are always taken. Also, I wouldn't be much interested unless I find "The One". Dips, do you also think the concept of "The One" is overrated? How come I never found "The One”?”

“Vishnu, it is not prerogative that we should always end up with “The One”. There are other ways to have happy relationships too.”

Vishnu gave it an understanding thought and commented, “Possible. Millions are living stuck in marriages where their spouses are not "The One". But, I don't think I can live like that. I would feel suffocated after a while.”

Eshwar kept glancing at Vishnu once in a while, listening to her talk out of non-malicious curiosity. He really wasn’t intending on eavesdropping; Vishnu’s voice wasn’t exactly low and her words felt actually relatable to him in a way.”

“We'll leave at eight in the morning tomorrow to the airport,” Raghav interrupted Eshwar’s focus on Vishnu’s conversation. “Traffic might be horrible if it is post nine.”

Eshwar grunted an agreement. “Breakfast on the way?”

Raghav nodded.

Vishnu was still on her call. “I don't know Dips. I still don't know what the purpose of marriage is, other than to have kids and to make a regular life plan till the time we die. It is more like a necessity to fit into the society. Marriage is not for people like me.”

“Oh come on, you would do great if you got married. You are perfect in so many way,” Deepa reproached sincerely.

Vishnu smiled as she listened to Deepa and then spoke, “Haha, everyone says that, although I'm not sure how suitable I am.”

“Did you tell your opinions to your parents?” Deepa asked.

“No, my parents will be horrified if I tell them any of this. Hmm... Yeah.”

Vishnu laughed as the conversation continued and then laughed for a moment before saying introspectively, “You know, sometimes I wish there was a place I could just live without the pressure of getting married. If I could just be able to be myself, take care of my parents, prioritize my career without any distraction, study art properly and live happily without any drama, that would be so great. I mean, I am not the only one who is so averse to getting married, right? I have seen people our age who think just like me. I swear, if there was a place anywhere where people like us can live without succumbing to the pressure of society to get married, or the group conformity that marriage is the one stop solution to every problem in life, I would gladly run away to that place and live there.”

Eshwar smiled to himself listening to Vishnu ideas, in complete understanding of where she was coming from. Raghav noticed Eshwar’s distraction and signalled him to eat his meal instead of looking around. Eshwar nodded with a smile, with Vishnu’s continued conversation still filling his ears, getting an idea of his own on what to do in the near future.

Vishnu, unaware of what she had triggered in Eshwar’s creative brain, spent most of her dinner time in call with her beat friend, listing out the pros and cons of marriage and single life.