Page 41 of Made in Mumbai

“If I get to know you have kept it and are coming after me for inheritance and more alimony and stuff like that…”

“More alimony?” She laughed. “You don’t pay meanyalimony.”

“You did not demand it in the papers.”

“You know why.”

That snapped his big mouth shut. Maya let two seconds pass, to see if he was anywhere close to acting humane again. No, still the same bull.

“It was the right thing to do from my side, to let you know,” she got to her feet. “If I keep it, I won’t come after you. If I don’t keep it, there is no chance of it anyway. In either case, forget I sent you that message. Ok. Bye.”

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As soon as she entered the office, she knew the drama-gluttons would be lined up for gossip. That is why she had bought a dozen Fatafat packets. She had planned to enter the office and throw them around. And hopefully, the gluttons would be busy fighting over them to ask her for more. Instead, just as she pushed her hand into her pocket, Leo stopped her.

“Gautam Sir wants you in his office as soon as you are here.”

“Like right now?”

“As soon as you are here.”

Maya stuffed the packets deeper into her pocket and dashed up the stairs. She was winded by the time she was at his doorstep. It wasn’t open.

“Gautam?” She knocked, trying to get a peep into the glasshouse. It didn’t work.

“Come in.”

She pushed the door open — “Leo said you wanted to see…”

“I do not employee you to frolic on company time.”

“Excuse me?”

His fingers kept typing on his laptop. “You open your agony aunt workshops with my employees, you go around gossiping, you go AWOL for… how long were you out? One hour?”

Maya remained silent, unable to believe this was the same man who had swum with her under the fireflies’ glow.

“Make sure you inform the HR well in advance if you are taking time off. And do not turn downstairs into a fish market on company time. You may go.”

Maya seethed, turned, and stomped off.

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It was well past eight. The office was deserted. She still sat in her office, working on the in-house designs that they planned to add to their homeware section. Her energy levels were higher than usual. That was maybe thanks to the the huge slice of chocolate cake that she had ordered mid-afternoon. That had been her only sustenance for the day, and she knew she had to start eating fully and healthily again. She also knew she had to make an appointment with her gynaecologist now. But those two steps would mean a tight seal on the envelope of her letter to god —Thanks, gift received, I am keeping it.

And that would make it all real. That would make the baby real.

What harm is another day when I have spent months in oblivion?She told herself, and continued working.

“Who is there?” Came a hoarse voice from behind the door.

“Me!”

“Maya?”

“What?” She was instantly annoyed. Her door was thrown open and there stood the grump — sleeves rolled up, top button open, eyes tired.Good, you deserve all that fatigue and no good food tonight. May your vegetables be without any potato.

“What are you still doing here?” He demanded.

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