Nothing yelled. Nothing erupted.
Ritu opened her eyes and Maya’s phone was pointed at her.Flash.— “There. You look like a hoot, Maasi!”
Ritu gaped at herself in the mirror, a mess of hair around her face because the hairstylist was off to get the hairdryer.
“Delete that.”
“You call Ms. Megha KotakMMand I will sit back quietly?”
“Kumar. She is legally adopted now,” Ritu blew the fringes falling down her eyes and to her nose. It did kind of look cute, and her chin was even sharper.
“I can change it back at will.”
“You know it does not work like that, Maya.”
“I can do whatever I want at my will and G knows it. You’d better know it too.” She scrunched her nose at her and Ritu gave up.
“I texted G to ask about Megha’s milk.”
“And?”
“And,” Maya’s eyebrows shot up.
Ritu rolled her eyes — “DidMeghahave her milk?”
Maya’s face split into a grin and her teeth made an appearance just as she launched into one of her 10,000 stories — “So, what happened is, this morning I was having hot chocolate and MM was looking at me so cutely, like Bambi but cuter, with her lips going mmmm mmm mmm… and I couldn’t resist and gave her a little mmm-mmm and now G has her and she is…”
The hair dryer switched to full blast and the rest was drowned in its noise. Maya wasn't deterred, kept talking, hoping she could lip-read. Ritu let her believe it.
As her bangs were blow-dried and she looked at how they fell down the sides of her face, the plans to pin them off were tabled for the moment. No professional commitments, no…
Her phone buzzed.Dr. Shravan. Fuck!
DR. SHRAVAN (LONDON)
Can you take over at the clinic?
UNREAD
For the next 4 weeks
I know it’s asking a lot but only the most important patients, ongoing cases
Anu will be with you all the way, I will inform the hospitals to onboard you for any procedures
If it’s ok with you, I’ll call you
Ritu sat with the one month out of her three looking like it was rolling away, waving goodbye.
————————————————————
“Remind me, why are you hosting your Chopda Poojan as a party at your office?” Ritu flicked her hair behind her shoulder and pressed it down to hold the bouncy waves in place. They complied for a change, and stayed. The spring in her waves always amplified with a blow dry, and as good as that looked, it was a menace to handle, especially in the Mumbai October heat. The saree was a much-needed respite though, Ritu relented, adjusting the pallu she carried on her arm. Maya’s saree, an airy organza in red paisleys over cream fabric, the blouse opened up by her office tailor to fit her bust. She hadn’t worn a saree in a while, and had forgotten how it moulded to her frame. While she didn’t dislike how it moulded to her breasts and waist, it was her hips that flared too much too wide. She wished she hadn’t given up on exercise completely this past year.
“I’ll get MM,” Gautam called out as he exited his driver’s seat, coming around to pluck his daughter from her car seat. Ritu stood back, and couldn’t help a smile at how he pasted a kiss under her tiny jaw as he boosted her out. MM giggled, trying and failing to fall onto his nose to eat it with her gummy mouth.
“You both have your sarees to handle,” Gautam stared at her, then at Maya alighting from her passenger seat like a drove of paparazzi was lined up for her. She was glittering in her all-silver saree, walking a straight line in those heels even on the uneven ground outside their office.
“Come on, ladies,” Gautam boosted MM higher on his shoulder and her brown eyes widened with a louder giggle. Ritu booped her nose. Maya was right, Bambi eyes but cuter.
