Page 54 of Made in Mumbai

“Excuse me…” she turned to wave at Aarya but Gautam had already laid a hand on her back and was gently veering her.

“Where where where?” She dug her feet in, or as much as she could in these too-sexy-but-too-uncomfortable kitten heels. “What’s the emergency, Rambo?”

“You are sitting in the audience.”

“I know. My seat is reserved right next to Riya’s so we can gossip…”

“I know. Now come on.”

“The show doesn’t start until 9…”

“I don’t want you strutting around here in this dark.”

“Gautam…”

“Maya.”

They glared at each other. She was enjoying his protective gestures, really was. Very few people in her life had been this protective of her, and now of her baby. But she enjoyed it only when it suited her. Right now, she wanted to be here, check out all the backstage excitement.

“I will sit quietly in one corner,” she offered with her biggest Bambi eyes. He looked away. She craned her neck to reach his line of sight and batted her lashes — “Please.”

“Sit,” he pointed to an empty makeup chair.

“Like right now?”

“Yes, like right now.”

She gave a fake laugh, padding to the chair set right outside the green room and gingerly lowered herself on it.Is this a punishment or what?

He turned to go so she chirped — “Why aren’t you ready yet?”

“I am going to get ready.”

He was in his day’s blue shirt and trousers. He would be walking the ramp in a proper suit. It was a really big day for him, launching his company in the big leagues.

“Your suit is still navy blue, right?” She asked just as he turned again. He turned back, exasperated — “Yes.”

She smiled benignly — “Just asking. Did you take my advise and change your pocket square to a vintage polka dot black and white?”

“No. Anything else?”

She waved him away. And he ran out of there, sure she would chirp up if he stood by another second longer. Maya chuckled, sitting back and observing all the action.

“Hey, Maya?” One of their Made in Mumbai interns approached. “Can you please help me iron this? They asked me to do it but I have never done angora silk, that too with so much work on it…”

She literally shivered as she asked that, holding the dress up. It was the ivory dress, one of the heaviest in the collection. Maya debated in her head, now too comfortable in the chair to move.

“Please, Maya, please! At least teach me…”

“Hmm… ok, come.”

They walked to the ironing boards and Maya went through the process of explaining to her how to iron silk. That it was not the silk setting or steam ironing but the dampness of the fabric that would make or break the result.

As she went about ironing, her bladder squeezed.Shit.Maya continued ironing, willing her bladder to wait until the whole dress was done. Once completed, she set the iron on the side.

“Now set it on a hanger,” she ordered the intern and dashed to the loo.

When she returned, the ironing room was a loud dramatic mess.

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