Dadi ji, Nani ji and Tania reached the waiting area. Since they had been discussing the airport ambiance, they had not noticed that Dada ji was not with them.
They were about to sit down on the sofa in the designated area opposite the gate specified on the gate for their docking area. Suddenly Tania noticed that Dada ji was missing.
"Dadi ji, Nani ji where is Dada ji?"
"I thought he was following us and might have gone to the Duty free shops to buy something for his friends"
"Yes, now that you mentioned it child, he is missing. We were too busy talking to ensure that he was following us."
"I will call him on my mobile."
Saying this Dadi ji dialed his number on her mobile.
"Where are you, We have reached the waiting area?" She inquired.
"Hmmm, You ladies were so busy talking among yourselves that you did not check whether I was following you or not." This was Dada ji's reply that came across.
"No! I thought you were tracking Igor or you had gone to the duty free shops to buy something for your friends." His wife replied.
"The duty free shops were on the way, I think you all did not notice as you were busy." He responded and added, "I had not gone there but now that you mention it, I will buy something for them as soon as I get my passport stamped and collect my boarding pass."
"Anyway, anything you want me to buy for you or for Tania or Nikita?" Dada ji asked.
"Yes you are right. I had actually gone back to see what Igor was doing. Will reach you all and then tell what happened," he added further.
"See you all in 20 minutes," After saying this, Dada ji disconnected the phone.
Dadi ji put her phone away and turned to the rest of the ladies who were looking at her with questioning expression on their faces.
"He is at the passport checking and boarding pass counter and will be joining us in 20 minutes." She addressed them.
"Ah yes!" "On his way here, he will visit the Duty free shops to buy gifts for his friends." she added.
"Actually, these shops are on the way to the waiting area and we did not notice them as we were busy talking among ourselves," she added with a smile.
"If we had noticed, we would be there now and since we are not there, my husband wants to know if you require anything?"
"No, I am not interested in buying anything from the duty free shops but will buy in India," responded Tania.
"Even I don't need anything," added Nikita.
"OK that makes it the three of us who don't want anything."
"I am texting a message to him as he must be busy at the passport checking etc counters."
After a wait of 45 minutes, Dada ji joined them.
"Hello ladies, getting bored without me?" he inquired with a smile.
"Nothing of that sort, actually, it was quite peaceful here, not at all boring." Dadi ji responded.
"It took you quite a while to get here?" Mira asked her husband with a frown on her face. She knew the purchasing would be bottles of booze.
"Well, I visited the duty free shop and as per your suggestion, I bought a few bottles of Vodka etc to give to my friends and myself."
"Since you ladies did not want anything, I used up most of the cash to buy these items."
"The lady at the counter advised me to buy these three bottles @ 1 each of Vodka, Ryazhenka and White Russian."
"She told me that Russians like to drink Vodka for many occasions; it can be a commemoration or a huge celebration. They express their sadness and happiness with vodka. Locals have many vodka traditions; for example, they should 'wash the purchase', meaning that if someone buys a new house or any expensive item, they have to drink vodka with friends and relatives for luck (but not to drink on an empty stomach)."
"Ryazhenka is a fermentated beverages. It is of yogurt made from cow's milk fermented with the help of lactic acid bacteria. The drink has a soft caramel taste and combines numerous great vitamins helpful for the immune system. And if you add vodka to it, you got yourself a Russian pina colada!"
"The White Russian is a must for cocktail fans. This one has a historical background. White Russian was named after the White guards who participated in the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. This alcoholic beverage is made from the coffee liqueur, vodka, cream, and ice.
"In addition, I also bought a few non alcoholic drink bottles like Kompot, Kvass, Medovukha and Kissel."
"Kompot is one of the most favorite sweet drinks for kids because after drinking the glass of kompot, children can eat berries at the bottom of the glass."
"Kompot is a traditional Russian beverage that combines various fruits and berries. It is a perfect refreshing drink for lunch on a hot summer day."
"Kvass is an ancient drink made from buckwheat, wheat, rye bread, and water."
"It might taste like a variation of soda, but it is an excellent beverage during the summer."
"She said that Kvass can be a little alcoholic, so drivers need to be cautious."
"There are plenty of recipes for making Medovukha. The traditional one is made from honey, sugar, yeast, and water etc."
"Medovukha is one of the oldest alcoholic drinks in Russia that contains between 2 and 12 percent of alcohol. Also, it can be spiced up with herbs, berries, or fruits."
"Kissel is very thick in consistency."
"Once you see Kissel, you might think about whether you should drink it or eat it because of its thickness."
"Kissel was a trendy drink in the Soviet years, made from various berries and fruits, and cooked with starch. The beverage is mostly served after dinner as a dessert."
"My oh My! You have bought these for your friends or are you increasing your booze variety?" Dadi ji inquired. She was not happy with her husband's recent purchases."