Page 35 of Made in Mumbai

“You said the same thing and buried me in Juhu Beach’s sand once.”

“I promise not to drown you here,” she chuckled, wiggling her fingers. And her throat dried. He reached up and began to unbutton his shirt, the lapels slowly giving away to fair, muscled skin. The fireflies above must be Gautam fans, because the way their light hit his body looked as if it was meant to highlight it. Maya couldn’t evade her eyes, not that she wanted to.

He pushed his shirt off and dropped it on the ground, then reached for his belt.

“Are you stripping all your clothes?” She whispered shouted.

“You got a problem with that?” He drawled.

“Umm… keep your underwear on at least.”

“Don’t worry, it’s not red.”

She splashed him, making his laugh echo through the cave. To his credit, he only pulled his belt off, deposited his wallet and phone on the ledge and slipped into the pool.

“Wooo, it’s cold.”

“I asked for heated pool but it’s closed for the night, Your Highness.”

He splashed her, the intensity a hundred times of what her little hands could produce. Maya moved away, dipping in a back flip and swimming back towards the waterfall.

“Wait, let me check how deep it is first…” his voice sounded from somewhere. But her eyes were all for the magical ceiling above — rocky outgrowths, fireflies hibernating in droves, and the large hole from where moonlight brought rain in. The moon on water created crystal-like reflections, glinting in her eyes. She sighed, floating, her ears submerged into the water. This was peace, bliss, a feeling she hadn’t experienced in a long, long while. She breathed, feeling her heart thump, feeling every beat of her pulse, experiencing the vibrations of the waterfall gushing into the pool somewhere behind her. All of a sudden a hand cupped her head and pulled her straight. She collided right into his body as he manoeuvred her away.

“What…! I was enjo…”

“You would have cracked your skull open,” he turned her, keeping his arms still banded around her.

“Oooh,” Maya staggered back, her feet way above the pool floor but his body protective behind her. She had been about to crash into a rocky ledge. “Thanks, G.”

“When will you stop being a walking-talking liability, M?” He sighed. She turned, a grin on her mouth — “Maybe never.”

“Who took care of you all these years?”

“I take very good care of myself, thank you very much.”

“Sorry,” he smirked. “Who took care of the world around you all these years?”

She splashed him. Or tried to, because her hands and body were tied into his. He laughed, raising one hand to claw his hair back. They floated under the moonlight andOh. My. God.What god had done his magic on her G to make him like himself? The reflections criss-crossed in his dark eyes, making them sparkle, the curt but amused curve to his lips more pronounced, his mouth looking fuller now that it wasn’t scowling. Water dripped down his stubbled jaw, the dewy drops in this heavenly light making her intentions impure. Maya glanced away, her heart suddenly beating fast.

“What other plan are you cooking?” He warned, his hands pulling her closer by the waist. That broke her reverie. She wore her fun hat again, then barred her teeth. His expression turned suspicious just before she whooped and dipped under water, escaping his hold.

“Maya!” He shot out. She just swiped away — “Let’s see if your swimming skills are as good as your scolding skills!” She retorted. “Catch me if you can before I take a full circuit of the pool! Winner decides tomorrow’s plan!”

“I left behind losing a long time ago, M,” came his ‘trash talk.’ Seriously, he needed a crash course in trash talk which she was happy to give. But for now, she squealed, diving underwater and sliding away. He laughed, she laughed, and they continued to create this symphony of echoes, the world outside forgotten.

5. Socha Na Tha

They climbed laughing up her treehouse. It was almost dawn, the birds chirping their wake-up call.

“I’ll go now, it’s ok.”

“You are laughing like a drunk, I do not trust your judgement,” came his grunt. The grump had laughed and enjoyed all night at the pool but was again beginning to show signs of ogrehood. Maya shrugged, groaning with the way her abused muscles contracted. She had swam too fast too much tonight, so much so that her head was still swimming with the momentum. She staggered to the side.

“Oye!” His hand came up to hold her arm. “See? I told you.”

“Ha ha.” She stabilised her feet and climbed the last few steps, unlocking her door. The moment she did, her throat gurgled. She clamped a hand over her mouth and rushed to the bathroom, locking it behind her before letting the stream of last night’s dinner flow right into the toilet bowl.

“Aaah… shit,” she gasped, relaxing a second before another stream came.

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