Page 27 of Made in Mumbai

“Maya?” Gautam called. “Sit for two minutes. I need to talk to you.”

Everybody filed out, including a pinch-faced Sia.

“I’m waiting downstairs for you,” Aarya mimed to her before walking off. When she turned back, Gautam’s eyes were on him. Maya waited until his attention was on her. Then remained silent.

“You were right,” he said.

“I am right about a lot of things, what exactly are you talking about?”

“You know it. And I am not about to spell it out.”

Her ego was massaged and muscled now, ready to roll in dirt and thump on its biceps. She gave him his same silent-and-stare treatment though. And it worked!

“Ever since you came,” he said. “I haven’t made up my mind on how to behave with you. I need to separate our personal history from your work here, and maybe I failed to do it.”

“It’s alright.”

“I am not apologising,” he frowned.

“You should.”

His eyes shut. Ok, that was exasperation right there. The muscled ego inside her grew into an arm wrestler and thumped his feet.

“I will strive to keep our relationship completely professional going forward. Even if I have leftover anger, it is not right to vent it out now on you.”

“That’s what!” She sat forward. “You are angry. Admit it. I know you are, and you should be. But give me a chance to redeem…”

“As I said, I will strive to be completely professional going forward. Which means no rehashing old times. Do you understand?”

“But I can’t let somebody be angry at me knowingly.”

“I am not angry at you.”

“You just said you are.”

He shook his head, his fingers reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose.Frustration, right there!

“Ok, let’s start again,” he huffed. “My name is Gautam Kumar and I am your boss’s boss.” He gave a nod.

“Hi, my name is Maya Kotak and I am your… employee’s employee?” She squinted, rolling one eye, wondering if that made sense. He smiled. SMILED! A small, teeny-tiny, just-the-corner-of-the-lips one. Then nodded.

That arm wrestler inside her? He was performing victory clasps.

“I’ll see you then,” he rose to his feet.

“You will. We are going to Coorg together!”

“Not on a holiday.”

“Of course,” she mimed in her best Queen’s accent. He didn’t smile again. So she quit while she was ahead.

“And listen,” he called out as she began to move towards the door.

“Yes?”

A beat. Then, “Nothing.”

4. Chennai Express

---