Chapter 11 - The new taste of friendship

After the food festival, Sanaya and her friends head to their respective jobs. Sanaya arrives at the cake shop where she works as a baker, a job she passionate about and hopes to one day open her own shop.


Suddenly, the door opens and everyone stops to stare at the handsome man entering the restaurant, likened to a "Greek god".


The girls are captivated by Aryan's handsome face, and he confidently approaches the owner to request access to the kitchen. The owner grants him permission, and Aryan enters the kitchen, where Sanaya is decorating a cake, unaware of his presence. Sanaya is wearing the same outfit.


Sanaya senses someone's gaze and turns to see Aryan, jumping back slightly in surprise, exclaiming:"Ohh!"



She smiles and addresses him:" Mr. Arora, you, you are here?"



Aryan playfully responds:*No, Ms. Singhania, I am not here"



He jokes about his presence, his hand tucked in his pocket as he moves closer to her.



Sanaya puts down her piping bag and approaches Aryan, her curiosity piqued. "I mean, what brings you here?" she asks, her eyes sparkling with interest.



"You mean, I can't come here?" Aryan responds with a playful smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners.



Sanaya pauses briefly, taken aback by his charming response. "Of course, you're more than welcome," she says finally, her cheeks flushing slightly. "So, what would you like to have?"



Aryan's gaze roams over the display case, his eyes widening at the array of sweet treats. "Well, anything in chocolates and pastries," he replies, his voice filled with enthusiasm.



Sanaya's face lights up with a warm smile. "Please follow me," she says, leading him out of the kitchen to the counter.



As they approach the counter, Sanaya begins to describe her creations with passion and pride. "This is my latest innovation, coffee brownie chocolate," she says, holding up a decadent-looking truffle. "In this, I add coffee flavor to milk chocolate with some brownie crumble."



She picks up another piece, her eyes shining with excitement. "This is sea salt caramel chocolate."



Next, she holds up a delicate green-colored chocolate. "I call this one Matcha chocolate, it's a combination of white chocolate and matcha."



Aryan listens intently, his eyes fixed on Sanaya's face as she speaks. "We directly import chocolate compounds from Guatemala," she adds, her voice filled with pride.



Aryan asks, his eyes sparkling with interest, "Which is your favorite?"



Sanaya's face lights up with a warm smile. "Mine is chocolate cookies, white chocolate mixed with cookie crumble."



Aryan's response is swift and decisive. "Pack it."



Sanaya raises an eyebrow, surprised by his request. "How much?"



Aryan's reply is simple and firm. "All."



Sanaya's eyes widen in surprise, but Aryan's serious expression indicates he's not joking. "Yeah, sure," she says finally, packing all the chocolate cookies into a decorative bag. "Here's your chocolate."



Aryan hands her the bag, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "You must be hungry."



Sanaya hesitates, unsure why Aryan is asking. "No, Mr. Arora, I'm not hungry," she replies, trying to sound convincing, but in actual she is hungry



Aryan chuckles, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "You're not a good liar. I can tell you're hungry, and you skipped lunch because of the festival."



Sanaya's thoughts race as she wonders how Aryan knew about her skipping lunch. 'What, how did know? Were you present all noon?" she thinks to herself.



Aryan's response is cryptic. "No, I wasn't there all the time. I went to the company after tasting your dessert."



Sanaya's eyes widen in surprise, and she speaks hurriedly, "Hey, wait, what you're doing? Can you read mind?



Aryan responds with a sly smile, "Yes," and winks at her.



Sanaya's eyes widen in surprise, "You shouldn't," she says, her voice barely above a whisper.



Aryan's expression turns serious, and he offers, "Come, let's have dinner."



Sanaya hesitates, "Mr. Arora, I..."



Aryan interrupts her, his eyes crinkling at the corners, "You still look beautiful, so no worries about looks. Think of this dinner as feedback for your dessert at the food festival, shall we?"



Sanaya nods reluctantly, "Ok."



As they sit in the car, Sanaya quickly does her touch-up, combing her hair properly. The driver stops in front of a five-star restaurant, and they step out onto the red carpet.


The manager greets them in a professional manner, "Good evening Mr. Arora, hello madam. Right this way, please."



As they followed the manager to the top floor, Sanaya discreetly touched up her hair. The VIP floor was designed for privacy, with few tables spaced at a distance.



Once seated, Aryan handed Sanaya a menu. "Order your dish," he said with a smile.



Sanaya hesitated, "What's your choice?"



Aryan replied, "Anything you order for yourself."



Sanaya raised an eyebrow, "What if I order something you're allergic to?"



Aryan chuckled, "There's nothing I'm allergic to."



Sanaya smiled, "Okay, I'll have the spinach ravioli with ricotta cheese, Chilaquiles, and garlic butter rice. Is that fine?"



Aryan nodded, "Fine by me." He placed the order on the tablet and pressed OK.



As they waited for their food, Sanaya began, "Yes, Mr. Ar..."



Aryan interrupted, "Call me Aryan, no need to be formal."



Sanaya smiled, "How can I take your name?"



Aryan replied, "Just the way I take your name, Sanaya."



Sanaya looked surprised, "But you're a big businessman, and only friends and family can take your name."



Aryan extended his hand for a shake, "You are my new friend. Hello new friend, Aryan this side"



Sanaya laughed, "Hello, Aryan. I'm Sanaya."



Aryan thought to himself, 'My name never sounded so pleasing to me.'



He asked Sanaya, "So, are those two girls your friends?"



Sanaya replied, "Yes, Aryan. They're my friends and roommates."



Aryan showed interest, "You three live together? What about your families? Do they live in another city?



Sanaya's expression turned solemn, and she spoke in a low tone, "Aryan, my and Alvira's parents are deceased. Shefali's parents live in another city, but she's studying here. Fortunately, Shefali's parents treat Alvira and me like their own daughters."



Aryan offered his condolences, "Sorry to hear that. So, you three are housemates?"



Sanaya clarified, "No, it's my house. My parents gave it to me. I met Shefali and Alvira in university, and we became close friends. Since I was lonely for many years, I suggested they move in with me."



As they engaged in conversation, the waiter arrived with their food, and they enjoyed their meal, temporarily setting aside their discussion. Aryan had more questions but decided to wait. After finishing dinner, the waiter presented the bill, and Sanaya offered to pay.



Sanaya said, "Aryan, wait, I'll pay. It's our first treat."



Aryan refused, "No way, you can't pay with me."



Sanaya persisted, "That's not fair. Let me pay. You doubt my ability to pay?"



Aryan countered, "And you doubt me?"



Sanaya suggested, "Okay, let's split the amount. That's fair, no arguments."



Aryan proposed, "How about this? Let me pay this time, and next time you pay. That's fair too."



Sanaya agreed, and Aryan paid the bill, cleverly securing a commitment for a future dinner date. They left the restaurant, continuing their friendly banter.