Page 6 of Made in Mumbai

“Mine went longer distance.”

“But mine is still floating, see?”

He grumped. “Again.”

They picked up another set of boats and launched. This time they landed together, but hers fell to its side.

“Tie,” M announced.

“What? How? Yours is sleeping.”

“It’s still floating.”

“That is cheating!”

“Oh really? Go make your own boats,” she flung her book at him and gathered the readymade ones in both arms.

“Oye, M! Wait! I also made these.”

“But you called the inventor of this game cheater! Shame on you! Oooo,” she stuck her tongue out and began to move away, ready to launch them all by herself. He slapped her book on the ledge and followed her. She ducked and turned to the other side, running, booing him in strange English words.

“Loser poser!” “See you later alligator!” “You'll have to do better than that, sissy!”

And in spite of himself, Gautam found himself laughing, running, chasing her around.

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“This is fun,” he jumped, splashing in the flooded street. They were walking in the middle of a tight street, two-three storey houses running on both banks. The rain was mellow now, and they were already drenched. So her wind cheater was tied around her waist.

“Suburbs is always fun.”

“Why not your SoBo?”

“Because it is filled with my father’s friends, relatives, business colleagues, everyone. Half of Walkeshwar is out and about when I am chilling. And everybody is apanchat. I don’t like that kind of scrutiny.”

“You have a panchayat in Mumbai?”

“No! Not panchayat… panchat. In Gujarati it means gossip.”

“Hmm…” he kicked his feet in the ankle-deep water. The street sloped upwards and the water was falling away. A black cat ran across the street and his hand shot out to her.

“What?!”

“Black cat.”

“So?”

“Walk three steps back, it’s bad to walk when black cat crosses your way.”

She laughed — “You believe in these omen thingies?”

Before he could stop her, she had marched ahead. Gautam hesitated, then took three quick steps back before marching after her.

“What are we doing here, M?”

“I am showing you the Mumbai you haven’t seen in movies!” She flung one arm out and he glanced up. His eyes bulged. On the wall of a two-storey building, from ground to top…what a painting.Bright colours — blues, greens, yellows.

“This is that… old actress, no?” He snapped his fingers, stepping back from the wall to view it better.

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