“NiP,” one of them squeaked. “Uhh… we will need your friend’s ID to check in.”
“Ritu?”
She reached inside her bag and held out her passport. The man — a young, dandy, good-looking man, strode to the security desk outside the airport.
“Guys, meet Ritu Kapadia, my friend. Ritu, this is my team.”
That’s it. He did not introduce them all by name. Head nods and smiles later, they began to stride towards security check.
“Would you like me to have your coffee ready in the flight at boarding or after take-off, NiP?”
“NiP has switched over from coffee.”
“When?”
“Would you like some green tea then?”
Ritu gaped at the entitled snobbish boss called ‘NiP’ who didn’t even grace them with his eyes or words. Just a curt shake of his head.
“Your ID, NiP.”
He just accepted it and pushed it into his pocket.
“Hello, Diva,youshould be the PVR show,” Ritu couldn't help but remark quietly to him.
His mouth curled on one side.
One of his people got off a call in a panic. “NiP! The permission to bring heavy shooting equipment inside the well was denied!”
“Whose job is to make sure it comes through?”
“Alisha is there, but…”
“Make it happen.”
“What if we…”
“Have I worked on what-ifs?”
Silence.
“No, NiP.”
He nodded, and began to move.
“Nilay.”
He slowed. “Yes?”
“Chill out,” Ritu caught up with him.
“I am not worked up.”
“I am not talking about you. Your people are worked up.”
“It’s their daily SOP. They get worked up, come to me panicking, I issue ultimatums and they solve it on their own. When you push them to the right place and by the right amount, you’d be surprised how well people can function.”
Ritu went through the formalities behind him, his entire team fallen behind them. The small private plane idled on the tarmac and he pushed open the glass door, holding it for her. She noticed he held her bag while his were held by his people. In all her time knowing this man, she had heard and seen enough. She had heard all about his fashion, his empire, his creativity, his genius, his acumen. She had seen all of his snobbery and entitled barbs. Never had she thought about how they were all interrelated, and maybe none of them defined him.
