Baked With Bluntness

                                    

                                          
It was almost 10 PM when Ram stopped his car in front of a small café.
His sleek, black, luxurious car looked a bit out of place in the modest surroundings, but he could not care less.
He let out a sigh and leaned his head back against the seat, hands resting lightly on the steering wheel. Even with all the success, the money, the prestige, he still felt so much at unease.
Life had been draining lately. And also quite monotonous. Board meetings, urgent projects needing his immediate attention and lonely nights in his room- this had been his routine for over a month now. He had not even taken a proper break in weeks.
He was exhausted- mentally, emotionally, everything. 
And tonight, all he craved was food. Lots of it.
Food had always been his comfort, his go-to when life felt too heavy to carry. So, without dwelling on anything any further, he stepped out of the car and made his way into the café, glancing briefly at the neon sign glowing brightly over his head.
Baked With Love.
The small bell above the door jingled as he pushed it open and he instantly felt a sense of calm as the aroma from inside hit his nostrils. The place smelled like freshly baked bread, coffee, and something sweet.
Ram glanced around the café. Its ambience was warm and welcoming- the soft pastel colours and mellow lighting making the world outside seem miles away. There were only two other customers at this hour, sitting at a table in the corner, engaged in a quiet conversation. The emptiness kind of added to the place's peaceful charm.
He headed straight to the counter, his stomach growling softly as he hungrily scanned the menu. There were so many options to choose from. His eyes darted from one item to the next, unsure of what to pick. Every dish seemed appetising, appealing.
His gaze briefly flicked to the woman behind the counter. She appeared to be in her thirties. Her hair was tied back in a loose ponytail and she wore an apron over her simple attire. She did not seem to care about his presence and was scribbling in a register.
His eyes went to the name tag pinned to her apron.
Priya.
There was nothing particularly warm about her demeanor. Her face remained neutral, she did not even bother to look at him, let alone greet him.
But Ram did not seem to mind her gruffness at all.
There was only one thing on his mind right now- food.
He went back to scrutinising the menu, figuring out his options and the different food combinations in his head.
After a moment, he cleared his throat and started to rattle off his order, "I'll take...two grilled cheese sandwiches, three croissants...saare flavour ke ek-ek kar dena- classic, almond and chocolate, and uh...one cupcake- blueberry. Actually make that two- I'll have a strawberry as well. And...one cappuccino, with a shot of hazelnut. Large."
Priya silently entered his order into the computer.
"Two grilled cheese sandwiches. Three croissants- classic, almond and chocolate. Two cupcakes- blueberry and strawberry. One large cappuccino with a shot of hazelnut," she repeated in a flat tone, "Aur kuch?"
Tempted by the question, he scanned the menu board again, wondering if he should add a brownie to the order.
"Umm...ek chocolate brownie bhi kar dijiye. That's all."
Priya added it to the order without looking up.
"That will be thirteen hundred forty eight rupees, including the packing charges," she said mechanically, her eyes still fixed on the screen.