Page 45 of Made in Mumbai

Her parents were silent. Maya dished her dosa and carried it to her only dining table — the coffee table. She lowered herself on the sofa and dug in. The crunch was perfect, as was the slightly extra sour taste. The ghee softened the insides and she felt extra healthy eating a real meal after 48 hours. Minutes passed, her call was still on speaker phone, she kept eating.

“Alright,” her father decreed. “If you want to do this, then come here. Don’t do it in Mumbai.”

She forced her chuckle back down.And it starts.

“My work is here.”

“Leave work now. What work?”

“I will be working till my doctor and company allow. It’s still early to make these decisions but I am prepared to do this.”

“I am telling you again, Maya, darling, life will never be the same again. You will not be able to live your own life as a parent. The sacrifices, the challenges, the things you will have to do for Hem’s child…”

“My child,” Maya roared, all patience gone. “My child, and only my child. I know I won’t have the same life again, but it will still be a good life. A better life. And my gynaec sits in Bandra, is a very confidential lady, and does not have patients from your circle. Don’t worry.”

“Do as you wish,” her father finally sighed. “When have you ever listened?”

When have you ever spoken?

“I’ll keep you informed. B-bye.”

She ended the call and sat back, looking out at the sun shining bright and happy this morning. Last night’s rain had washed all the trees outside her window and they glinted brilliantly.

“I’ve got you,” she muttered unconsciously to her belly, gaze lost outside. “We’ve got this.”

8. Besharam

Maya walked by Starbucks. Inhaled. Exhaled. Inhaled again. She took three steps forward, then three steps back to take one last whiff.

“How much to bottle it all up?” She muttered to no one in particular and dragged her feet away. She wasn’t a coffee aficionado, but suddenly the decree that it wasn’t allowed had begin to make her crave it every morning.A cup here or there is fine, her doctor had said. But Maya wanted to ration it for a rainy day. Pun intended. Life right now was flooded anyway.

She suddenly had more vitamins in the house than chocolates. B12, iron and folic capsules were her new morning munchies. She had a list of ‘avoid’ items in her diet that included raw food, street chaat and Chinese (Chinese!). And she couldn’t take any regular medicines. How was that possible? She would have to ‘consult’ her gynaec before popping a Dolo 650? That was her drug of choice after 10-hour design shifts.

Maya sighed, walking into Made in Mumbai on depleted energy. It wasn’t due to the pregnancy, but with the week of crazy planning and change of pace. Even so, Maya was ready to inform the HR. And start taking concrete steps in her professional life now that her health was more or less managed.

“Hey, Maya! I got you jalapeño poppers…” Leo rounded his reception counter, a Tupperware box in hand. She didn’t have the heart to refuse him, was about to accept it, when he snapped opened the box — “It’s with extra garlic chutney. Try it…”

She took a deep breath from her mouth, willing her nose to not inhale. Her mouth stretched in what she assumed was a grateful smile.

“Maya!” Gautam barked from somewhere.

“Yes! Coming… thanks, Leo, thanks so much,” she clicked the lid shut and accepted the box. “I’m sure it’s great. I’ll try and tell you.”

She ran inside. And right into Gautam’s chest.

“Hey… what’s up.”

“Learn to say no,” he clipped, eyeing the box in her hand.

“How do I break his heart…”

“Then eat it,” he taunted, and was gone. Maya huffed.

She started her day as usual, leaving all her stuff in her office and going around to greet everyone. Gautam thought it was a waste of time. But for her, it was a way of being on top of all of the day’s projects and what each designer was doing. They wouldn’t see it as a check-in, instead, chat up with her for two minutes and get going.

As she finished her round and returned to her desk, she grabbed her laptop and sat down to type THE email.

To:Trisha Shah

---