Page 78 of Made in Mumbai

But contrary to his expectations, the aquarium was fun. Made even better by Maya’s antics as she danced around the walk-in sea tunnel, gossiped with school kids out on picnic (she could literally gossip with the kids about other kids in their class she didn’t even know), and took lots of photos (of him, not the fishes). The planetarium was even better, and a much-needed respite as they both reclined in their seats and enjoyed the night sky show in its plush AC auditorium.

It was after 5 that they spilled out of the planetarium and ran to his car. He wasn’t sure it would be there because the parking had looked dodgy. Thankfully, it hadn’t been towed off and they quickly piled in and raced out of there.

“My 2 are done. Now what about yours?”

“Wait, wait. Mine will be the best.”

“You know it right, that I will give the score? And I right now give it a 7 out of 10 while both of mine were 8 each. So, I win already.”

“M?”

“Hmm?”

“Zip it.”

She laughed. He wove through the traffic that was beginning to go towards rush hour. Thankfully, the side lanes and shortcuts he took landed him in the right avenues and within no time they were speeding down the road to the Gateway of India.

“Here?”

He hunted for a safe parking, couldn’t find one, and just parked at the nearest spot that ‘looked’ safe. The sun was still above the horizon but it was 5.30.

“Let’s go.”

He took her hand and they rushed across the road, reaching the dock in time for a ferry to leave.

“Do ticket,” he handed a hundred rupee note to the seller, grabbed the flimsy pieces of papers and helped Maya into the vessel. Tens of people like them were already in, some more entered behind them, and with a loud honk, the ferry set off into the sea.

Maya, for the first time speechless, wove through the throng of people trying to find seats. Popcorn and Fryum sellers made loud calls. People took selfies and made reels. It was hustle, bustle and electric — this atmosphere. Exactly her. And she, in her element, cleaved through all the crowd, with him behind her, until they had climbed to the top floor seating area and stood on the railing, gazing at the setting sun towards which their ferry was racing.

“Wow,” she took a deep whiff. Her hair was blowing back and into his face, but he had zero complains. He couldn’t see her smile, but he had enough of those in his memory to fall back on.

“I love this,” her shoulders hunched up in child-like glee.

“You’ve never been on a ferry before like this?” He stepped closer to her, caging her body in as more spectators crowded the railing around her. Her stomach was pressing into the railing. He inserted his hand between the two, keeping his body rigid to absorb any shoves or pushes. She glanced back at him.

“It’s getting crowded.”

Her stomach relaxed into his palm.

“I’ve been on private yachts but not on these type of ferries. I always wanted to, never happened. I told you, naa? I spent most of my youth wandering around Khar-Bandra area. My family friends, relatives, they just made town too toxic for me to really go around unaffected.”

“Now you can?”

“Now I have reached a point where I don’t care. It’s crazy how big jolts in life can make you so shameless and unconcerned about the trivial things. And then thinking like a mom… Like I can’t think about bringing any of those people within a 10 metre radius of my baby. If I won’t let her endure that toxicity then why should I?”

“Are you happy, M?”

She nodded. “After a long time, I truly am happy. You know why?”

“You are about to tell me.”

“Because I remembered again that happiness is found in doing, not in getting.”

He smiled. She felt it. How, he didn’t know, but she felt it and turned in his arms, bracing her hip back into his palm.

“Why are you smiling?”

“You called herher.”

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