Page 176 of 12 Years
‘Oh, it’s already seven. Almost dinnertime,’ I said, changing the topic.
‘We spent four hours here?’ Payal looked surprised.
‘Yes. And I’m kind of hungry. For real food. Do you have dinner plans?’ I said.
Payal shook her head.
‘We can eat together then. Come, let’s go,’ I said, standing up.
‘Where are we going?’ she said.
‘Might as well show you some of Dubai. Let’s go to Sushisamba.’
Sushisamba, located on the fifty-first floor of the St. Regis Hotel in the Palm, has one of the most spectacular views inDubai, if not the world. Towering high on the only skyscraper on Palm Island, the restaurant offers a 360-degree view of Dubai. On a clear day, one can see as far as the Burj Khalifa and Burj Al Arab to the north and the Ain Dubai, or the Dubai Eye, to the south. Apart from this, the entire Palm Islands, shaped like a palm tree, lie below.
We arrived just as the sun had set, and the sky, streaked with orange and pink all over, made the already stunning views even more dramatic.
‘What is this place?’ Payal said, her mouth wide open. ‘People actually eat here?’
‘Yes.’ I laughed.
‘What kind of food?’
‘Japanese-Peruvian. And before you say it, don’t worry. They have good veg options. I checked.’
‘You checked?’ she said, smiling, her eyes coming alive.
‘The menu is online.’
We sat at a table by a window, facing the Dubai Eye. Payal ordered a couple of vegetarian dishes, and I added a chicken dish for myself. The food came quickly. The eggplant skewers and the Peruvian corn salad were delicious.
‘You heard my story. What about you?’ Payal said in between eating.
‘What about me?’
‘Are you happy?’
I took a moment to respond. ‘Yes,’ I said. ‘Can’t complain. Life’s good.’
‘Okay, how about …’ Payal trailed off.
‘How about what?’
‘Okay, don’t answer if you don’t want to. But are you dating anyone?’
I looked at Payal. She gave me a sheepish grin.
‘You saw my phone that day, didn’t you?’ I said.
‘I didn’t mean to,’ Payal said. ‘Sorry.’
‘It’s okay. Yeah, I’m seeing someone. Her name is Tania.’
‘Tania … Nice name.’
‘Yeah. Ukrainian. She’s from Kyiv.’
‘Oh,’ Payal said. ‘How did you meet her?’
