Nilay’s eyes came to her, panicked. That menu sounded like a heart patient’s nightmare.
“Maya,” Ritu intervened. “Let’s first see how you are doing, and if we need to go to the doctor…”
“Youarea doctor, Maasi.”
“A cardiologist, not an orthopaedic.”
“Onlyyouare treating me.”
“Why do all limpets find me?” She breathed.
“What?”
“Nothing.” Ritu glanced up, and Nilay was looking straight at her with his bored, entitled mouth curled slightly, humour in his eyes. She found herself holding back a laugh. She hated how there was an inside joke with a man as obnoxious as this one. Now she had seen it all in life.
“NiP and I will be in the TV room,” Gautam announced, bringing the three-way pingpong to an end. “Ritu, let me know if you need anything or if we need to go to an Ortho…”
“I am not going,” Maya announced.
“Fine, I am going.” Gautam came down to them, plucked MM from her, and led Nilay down the hall and into the other section of the main house.
“Come here, does this hurt…” Ritu began to examine when Maya’s mouth fell to her ear — “Ooooh, lift and all huh, Maasi?”
“Shut up.”
“He may have dual tastes, if you know what I mean. And if that’s true, you have the singlehanded capacity of pushing him to the women’s side once and for all.”
Ritu stared at her, scandalised.
“AND, he is so rich! To quote Geet from Jab We Met — ‘Hum sabki life set ho jaayegi!’”
Ritu glanced around at the palatial bungalow she resided in by the sea, on one of Mumbai’s most expensive promenades. Maya shrugged without moving much — “More rich is never too bad. Kindness and richness together is the best combination. We all will have it together.” She dropped her voice to a whisper — “He might need some work on the former, but a good ego kick will bring him down the pegs. Your kicks are the best.”
“Grow up, Maya.”
“Live a little, Maasi.”
————————————————————
It took an hour to get Maya to recover. Nothing was broken. Nothing was compressed. A Myospaz Forte and a hot water bag, and some extra time dragged by Ritu later — she was back on her feet, walking slower than usual, but ready to entertain her guest.
Ritu was sure the said guest would have left by now, but he was in the TV room, talking work with Gautam, MM asleep in her cot.
“Hi, guys, let’s go eat!”
“Why are you jumping around?” Gautam got up immediately and came to them, pasting his hand on Maya’s lower back. “Ritu, you said it’s not serious. But this…?”
“This does not stop jumping. Might as well let her. After lunch, though, straight to bed.”
“Come on, NiP, the chef has been waiting to start frying up!”
Ritu stood aside as Gautam rolled MM’s cot out of the room behind Maya. She was about to follow them when Nilay caught up with her — “I wanted to leave, but Gautam wouldn’t let me.”
“It’s fine.”
“I wasn’t asking you if it was or wasn’t.”
She fumed — “Then what was this?”
