Page 119 of Made in Mumbai

“Can we name them Blossom and Bubbles, Daddy?”

“No.”

“Pleeeease!”

“Uhh…”

“No,” Maya had to intervene. “G, no.”

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Drip. Drip.Maya squinted, stopping in her tracks crossing the verandah alley. She glanced up and scowled. The roof was leaking. “G!” She hollered. “We have to repair this leaky roof!”

It wasn’t even raining, and they had sealed up all the roofs just before monsoon. How was this one still leaking. It was Diwali time, the skies were clear. Maya eyed the orangey dusky sky outside and craned her neck under it — “Once. Once I asked you for a leaky roof over a leaky umbrella. Doesn’t mean you keep leaking it all over my head throughout my life. 10 years! It’s been 10 years, now move on.”

Maya began to stride towards the hall door. Now that she thought about it, if she’d asked for 500 crores in that moment, she would have gotten it. But wait, she already had it. Not her personally. But Gautam’s companies did. And by extension it was her only, wasn’t it? She grinned. What else was there to ask for? She stepped inside the hall and down strode her party of 4.

“Alright girls,” Gautam clapped both hands. “Drill time.”

Like a well-oiled unit their three girls lined up in order.

“Knowing your mom, she would have arranged more sweets than she got approval for in the buffet. But we are smart. We only take —“

“One!” His little spoon held her fist up. Meher, their middle child was a classic pleaser but with Gautam’s solemn personality. The other two were wild kids. MM had matured lately though, and only showed her wild streak when she badly needed it. Otherwise she was the balance-maker of the family. The classic elder sibling. If she listened to Gautam in one situation, she would tip the scales by taking her side in another situation. Maya was proud of her picking her battles. Their youngest though.Oof.Even Maya had had her meltdown moments with her. If she could produce an alpha version of herself, it would be Mukti Kumar. A mouthy little thing with guts of steel. Maya knew that secretly even Gautam had given up hopes of taming her. And she was not even seven yet.

“…now, mom and I might be busy, but I have my eyes everywhere,” he pointed to his eyes and back at theirs. “You, m2,” he tipped his chin at Mukti, a smirk on his face. He had Drill Sergeant names for them for these specific drills (mm, m1, m2).

“Behave.”

Mukti gave him a mock salute, followed by her sweetest smile.Seriously? What kind of dynamites had she created?Maya rolled her eyes.

“And today is Rustom mama’s last day, remember what we say to him?” Gautam cued. And Maya was proud that her girls began to scream over each other with their ‘Iloveyous’ and ‘Imissyous’ and ‘You’rethebests.’Yeah, no.They were dynamites, but they knew respect. And admiration. And love.

Even if she would have asked for the best family in that leaky roof moment, Maya was confident she wouldn’t have been able to manifest this one. So her tiny bit to the world was simple — ‘Do, don’t demand.’ She had gone through life doing, making choices where choices were inevitable, and trying to make the best of them. But she had kept going. Doing. Not waiting for the returns to come. Because that was a pit she had fallen into once. Never again.

Gautam often compared her to Mumbai, during one of his thoughtful late night musings. Maybe he was right. Because even this city kept doing. Not waiting for the results to come. That was the real magic now, wasn’t it? To own your actions and know that whatever would come was a gift!

“Ready, you all?” She strutted into the hall, her heels clicking on the marble floor.

“Ye…” Gautam’s words trailed as he looked up and at her. “Oooh,” his lips rounded, his eyes turning dark. She flipped her hair behind her shoulder and showed off every inch of her scoop-necked black dress with spaghetti straps. With a high slit up her thigh. This Diwali party at Made in Mumbai was themed 50s Retro. And the grand Tin Anniversary of the 10th Gundees? She had a special story to tell.

“Ok,” he stepped towards her, close enough that only she could hear — “Drill for you. Some crazy has invited Aarya to the party. You will stay 10 metres away from him, especially when your back is turned to him. He has a nasty habit of hugging people from the back.”

“Not people, me,” she grinned.

“Yeah,” his hand splayed on her hip, pulling her in. “I was being nicer in framing it.”

“G,” she rolled her eyes. “I gave you three girls, I am repairing leaky roofs in your house and I spend my life smuggling desserts into your kitchen. It’s been 10 years, move on.”

She randomly caught two little hands and began to strut out of the house, knowing he would take the remaining.

“Oye, M?” He called out. She turned.

“Nothing!” Their girls screamed.

They grinned. Yeah,nothing.

2034 Gundee Awards 4.0

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