Page 33 of Made in Mumbai

Their dessert and coffee were delivered, and without an ounce of added guilt, she dug in. The waffles were the right amount of crispy and moist, the brown salted caramel syrup running generously down all its grooves. “Hmm…?” she held a forkful out to him.

“No, thanks.”

“It’s weekend,” she leaned in, pushing the bite into his mouth. And he begrudgingly chewed, looking amused but annoyed. “Good, no?”

“Good.”

“Want more…?” she began to lean in again when he plucked the fork from her hand and stuffed the bite into her mouth. It was lightning fast, that reaction, so quick that she didn’t see it coming. “Stop trying to make me more fat,” she gabbled with a mouthful.

“Who told you you are fat?”

“You.”

“When did I say that?”

“That day in your office… when Sia was allmy waist thisandmy waist that.Didn’t you say that sugar makes my body slow and swollen?”

“It was a general observation, M. General. Learn to understand the difference.”

“Fine. Whatever,” she stabbed a slice of banana drenched in caramel sauce and tucked in.

“Who else called you fat?”

“Nobody,” she chewed.

“Somebody did.”

“Arey? How can you tell?”

“I can tell. Now I want to know who.”

“My ex-husband.”

“How…”

“But I never believed him,” she clarified. “I know I am curvy in the right places, and sometimes after a few months of ‘enjoy’ phase I do have a little paunchy belly but every girl does! No?”

“Maya?”

“Yes?”

A beat, he swallowed, then, “Nothing.”

A soft silence lingered between them. She ate her waffle and he sipped his coffee. When they were done, he signed the check and they got up to leave. Silent. Still silent. The camaraderie of ten minutes ago was suddenly chilled again. He was back to playing angry strangers.

“Do you want to come sightseeing with me?” She offered.

He glanced up at the dark rainy sky. Then back at her.

“This hotel has a waterfall just behind their property and apparently it is enclosed in a cave or something. I saw it on Instagram… they say in monsoons fireflies hide there and light up the whole place!”

“It’s dark. And late. Sleep. We have to wake up early tomorrow.”

“Fine. You sleep. I’m going.”

“Maya…”

“What?” She whirled, her hairthisclose to hitting his face again.

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