Made in Mumbai

18. Gulon Mein Rang Bhare

“G…Gautam, good morning,” Sahyadri entered his open office, then stopped short at the sight of Maya and Trisha sitting on his couch.

“Please come in, Trisha,” he nodded from his chair. “Take a seat.”

“I can come later…”

“No need, they are here for this. Come.”

She entered his office on shivering legs, running a hand down her hair and trying to act confident as she took her seat in front of him.

“How was your Diwali?” He asked.

“Huh? Oh... good. Good.”

“Good. Now, I would like you to repeat to me what was said on the night of the Diwali party in Made in Mumbai.”

“I didn’t mean it that way, Gautam…”

“Repeat, Sahyadri. I have 59 other employees to corroborate, 1 HR and 1 victim sitting right here.”

“So you complained?” She turned acidly towards Maya.

“Sia,” Trisha beat him to it. “I suggest you don’t push it. Let’s make this as harmless as possible for all parties involved. And for your information, Maya did not complain.”

“Then who?”

“All the Made in Mumbai employees have filed a collective complain.”

Silence.

“Please repeat what was said that night, Sahyadri. Word for word.” Gautam sat back.

“I… Maya was making these jokes on people and it was rude and unprofessional. So I made a joke. And she took offence.”

“Repeat that joke.”

“Who has no morals and lives in the boss’s house,” she blurted.

“That joke did not end there. What was said after?”

“She retaliated to me to get myself a chocolate to get my sugar levels back in control. Then made a joke about who can’t have a chocolate because she counts every sugar granule.”

Gautam didn’t know this one. Maya had just told him she had countered with another joke. He swallowed the laugh that arose.

“And then?”

“Then… I told her that she has no grounds to stand on as she has reached here climbing the other type of corporate ladder.”

“Climbing ‘men,’ you said,” Gautam corrected.

“Yes.”

“Then?”

“Then… I blurted that I knew she lived with you. I didn’t intend to, really. It was just a joke, Gautam. It went out of control. You know me. I am straightforward and I don’t like such things…”

“You said she lives in my house. How did you come to that conclusion, since my house is closed for everybody.”

She stuttered. “I… I bribed one of your watchmen.”

Gautam cut his eyes to Trisha, who was making note of everything.

“Hmm. I will not allow such malicious behaviour in my company. You are in violation of your employment contract, so I will consider it a breach…”

“No, Gautam, please…”

“You will be terminated effective immediately. You will get your severance package but no letter of recommendation. If you need your employment record letter, we will be happy to provide it…”

“You bitch!” She turned to Maya. “What have you been telling him that he hates me like this? How many bosses have contributed to that?” She pointed to her belly. “I was right that time, wasn’t I? Keeping Gautam in one hand, husband in another, and three others…”

“Quiet,” Gautam thundered. He rose to his feet, eyeing a suddenly rattled Sahyadri who was slowly coming to her senses. “You have 10 minutes to write a written apology to Maya Kotak, collect your things and leave the property. Your passwords and mill accesses have been revoked. Trisha will accompany you to your office, then out of the villa.”

“I am not apologising!”

“Then your severance package is in jeopardy. We can withhold it in case of an HR violation, of which there are several,” he pointed at Trisha’s stack of notes. “Decide. You have 10 minutes. Now you may leave my office.”

That seemed to have sobered her up. She left his office on even more shaky legs. Trisha got to her feet and followed her.

“Are we under any HR violation…?” Maya asked.

“When did she spew all that nonsense at you?”

“It was long back, G.”

“When?”

“The day I announced my pregnancy downstairs. She saw us in the store room and insinuated those things.”

“You should have told me immediately!”

“And then what? Make more scenes? You were anyway angry at me and thought I was a weak woman.”

“I never thought that,” he strode to her, extending his hand to help her up. She straightened her loose pink shirt over her bump. It was getting so big that her shirts had a habit of riding up whenever she changed positions.

“M,” he squeezed her hand — “From that first day I saw you beating that man in the middle of the street, you have been the strongest force of nature for me. I was blasting out at you because I could not digest a woman as strong as you become so helpless, so undecided.”

She smiled. “It was a phase.”

“I know.”

“I had to make the right decision for this one,” she pointed down.

“And you did. Now come, we are getting late for your doctor’s appointment.”

“We no, I. You have work,”

“Which I am doing after I come back. Come on.”

He didn’t need to help her walk down the terraces and stairs. She was just as agile, even if a little off balance and in need of rail support. Gautam kept his distance but stayed there in case she needed him until they reached the Made in Mumbai area. There he stopped.

“Listen up,” he clapped his hands to get their attention. “Thank you for standing up for one of your own. I respect that you all have not pried into Maya’s or my personal life. Sahyadri’s contract has been terminated effective immediately and I would like it to be a lesson for all — that this office is a place to work. And if at all it is necessary,” he widened his eyes at the pain-in-the-ass grinning beside him — “Share some good things with each other. I will not take any toxic intentions or actions lightly. Now that everybody has come back charged from the Diwali break, let’s get back to work and get the Nilay Patel project on the tracks.”

The team cheered, sending them off with a round of applause.

————————————————————

He sat in the doctor’s reception as she went in. He didn’t want to go in of course, and she hadn’t asked. It was just how it was supposed to be. Gautam had come here to drive her here, not to be her partner. And yet, when the nurse had announced her name and she had said ‘I’ll be back,’ and turned to go, he had felt a pang. Should he have asked to go with her? Would that have been ok?

He shook his head, pulling out his phone to work. If nothing else, he could clear his emails. That would keep his mind off M and MM.

“Mr. Gautam Kumar?” Her nurse came and asked him softly.

“Yes?”

“Maya is asking if you would like to come in.”

“Is there a problem?” He pushed his phone lock.

“No, they are just starting the sonography.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. Gautam shot up and brisk-walked to the room. It was dark, darker than he had ever imagined an examination room to be. The AC was on chill.

“Gautam?” Her doctor called out.

“Yes.”

“Come in, Maya is here.”

That’s when he noticed the high bed where she lay, covered in a sheet to her thighs, eyes fixated on him. He padded in with hesitant steps until he stood by her head. There wasn’t any another place to stand.

“Hi,” she smiled up at him.

“Hi. Is something wrong?”

“No. I thought you might want to see it, since you get kicked by it all the time,” her eyes pointed at the screen beside her, where the doctor sat clicking buttons. Gautam did a double take. It looked like a real baby inside there. How was it so clear?

“Did you swallow a camera or what?”

All the three ladies laughed. The doctor was moving a roller on Maya’s lower stomach, pressing here and there, the video on the screen moving too, showing the baby from different angles. Then she froze at one place and they made notations. She turned up the volume and a gurgling-like sound filled the room.

“What’s that? The water she’s swimming in?” He inquired.

Maya laughed — “It’s the heartbeat.”

“So fast?”

“That’s normal for babies.”

“Everything looks good,” the doctor pushed her keyboard in. “But your sugar levels are too high for my liking. And your BP is not settling either.”

“BP?” Gautam tautened. “She’s just 34…”

“It happens during pregnancy. Women may develop gestational diabetes and sometimes even hypertension. Maya, I need you to watch what you eat. Nothing that causes a sugar spike. And try and relax. It’s just another two months. Let’s get through them smoothly. Age is now playing its part.”

Maya nodded, not even a little perturbed by the news.

“Let’s get you cleaned up. Gautam, you can wait outside.”

He exited behind the doctor and stopped her — “Dr. Rekha?”

“Yes?”

“Is it serious? This BP and diabetes?”

“If not kept in check, they may create problems during the delivery. Maya understands, she will take care.”

The gynaecologist did not cross her professional ethics. She gave him that vague answer and left. That is why when Maya came back and they set off to the office, he veered the car towards home.

“Where are we going?” She sat up. “You missed the turn, G!”

“I am taking you home.”

“Home? Why?”

“Because you are going on your maternity leave.”

“What? No. Are you mad? There’s still one month left for my maternity leave.”

“I changed my mind. It starts today.”

“G, it’s not a big deal. I know it sounds scary but I will watch what I eat.”

“And BP?”

“That’s just going to be there until the baby comes. I am not stressing anyway. Have you ever seen me stress?”

“No, but that doesn’t mean other things don’t affect you. Like today. Why did I make you sit in on that confrontation with Sahyadri! No,” he turned the car into his building and parked. “You are staying home, doing whatever you like, but you are staying healthy. If you want, you can design at home. I’ll get you whatever you need. But no management type of work.”

She closed her eyes, an amused smile on her face. Then she began to laugh.

“What?”

“Nothing. What happened to ‘Work from home will not be possible?!’” She imitated in that Rambo voice.

“Let’s go,” he tipped his head, his tone lacking heat. He had forgotten how to fight insubordination when it came to her. She could make him dance to her tunes, then sit on his head and play the orchestra and he would happily supply her the instruments. Gautam kept his expression stern though, because she didn’t need to know that.

He took her hand as soon as she was out and led her home, vowing to make sure her feet didn’t touch ground again until it was time to go deliver this baby.

————————————————————

2 MONTHS LATER

“Gautam,” Maya’s urgent voice reached him through his open door. He turned in bed, throwing the duvet off and rushing out in the dark. “Gauta…” she met him halfway in the alley, in her nightdress of his borrowed T-shirt and her own loose pants.

“What are you doing so late?” He groaned, squinting in the bright light from the kitchen.

“I think I am going into labour.”

His eyes widened. “That’s not possible. Your due date is still two weeks away.”

“Oh, yes!” She glanced down at her belly — “Come after two weeks.”

He grunted.

“What do you want to do now?”

“I don’t know, try to push it back?”

“Be serious Maya.”

“Are you serious? I want to go to the hospital! I already called Rekha aunty and she is reaching there.”

“Then why didn’t you wake me up sooner?”

“I was trying to figure out if it is real or Braxton Hicks.”

He took her arm, grabbed the bag they had left packed by the door and pushed keys and wallet into his pocket. “You have had Braxton Hicks on and off all of this last month. Don’t you still know the difference?”

“Do you?”

“It is useless arguing with you today…” he spat, then recoiled at the sour look she dealt him.

“Listen G, don’t irritate me right now. Either you drive quietly or I will go on my own.”

He went quietly then, driving at breakneck speed through the empty roads of 4 am Mumbai. Dr. Rekha had already reached the hospital and he thought it would be a breeze. Maya would go in and out would come Mini Maya. After all, she had been so calm and normal through the drive. But no. The moment she saw Dr. Rekha, she began groaning and writhing in pain. That’s when Gautam realised that she had held herself steady for him.

“Only the father is allowed in the labour room with the mom,” one of her nurses warned him. He looked at a crying, screaming Maya and had nothing but four words to say — “I am the father.”

Thereafter, as Maya was transferred to the labour room, he was given a set of scrubs to change into. Ready and terrified, he walked into the labour and delivery room where the noises were already scary.

“Is he allowed in here?” Dr. Rekha questioned. “Maya?”

Her beautiful, pained eyes met his. And Gautam stood paralysed.

“Let me be here, M.”

She panted. Then nodded. A screen was placed between them and her nether regions, so it was safe enough. Nurses and midwife-like ladies were surrounding her, and yet her hand found his. He held on, thinking of this as some regular medical procedure where he would have to support her. If he thought too hard about the baby to come, he would break through the roof with excitement and fear.

“Shhiiiiit!” Maya screamed, crushing his hand.

“Owwww…”

“Shut up!” She reprimanded through her pain. “No, no, yes… shiiiit!”

He didn’t know what was going on. Hold, push, breathe, push, relax, push… those words were thrown around. He vaguely knew they were guiding her through the birth, but even after all his reading, he was still clueless. Maya had never discussed this part of her delivery plans with him, even in the last two months where he had waited hand and foot on her. It was always meant to be her and Dr. Rekha as a unit.

“G,” she hiccupped, sobbing, looking into his eyes. “It’s so bad.”

“It’s ok,” he soothed, suddenly finding purpose in that room. He pushed closer to her, locking his fingers with hers. “It’s not bad. It’s good. Just some more time and she will be here. We can’t push her back now.”

Maya laughed, breathing through her pain as the doctor had advised her.

“Let’s go again, Maya!” Came a holler from down below.

“No, please, two minutes Rekha aunty.”

“No two minutes business, come on, you are ready, you can do it. Give me a nice, big push. Chalo, chalo.”

She braced her back and he instantly wrapped his arm around it. Her teeth began to grit but she relaxed again — “I’m too tired, G.”

“You are not. You are just catching breath. Now come on, one last push and she will be here. Think, the sooner you do this, the sooner you will be done, huh?”

“Good motivation,” she smiled faintly, her body tightening in his arm as she braced, took a deep breath and pushed. Hard. And it came through.

“Oops, she’s slipped right into my hands,” Dr. Rekha’s amused voice echoed. “7.05. Congratulations Maya, you’ve got a healthy baby girl.”

“Phew,” Maya relaxed. He kept holding her, looking from here to there as the room erupted in frenzy. And just like that, a tiny baby wrapped in a loose white cloth was placed between them. His whole body locked. The tiny baby, tiny girl, was all folds of pink skin and big dark eyes, her hair sticking to her head.

“Ohhh…” Maya cooed, reaching up to touch her finger to her baby’s cheek. “Hi. Hi, baby girl. It’s me. I’ve got you. We’ve got this.”

“Daddy?” The nurse showed the baby to him and he was so overwhelmed, that he immediately made a cradle of his arms to take her. He had never lifted a baby in his life. Never even seen one so small. And yet he lifted her, the tiny creature that had kicked him and played with him through her tummy.

“MM,” his eyes misted, making her blurry. He immediately deposited her back in the waiting nurse’s arms, scared he would drop her. He was panting now.

“What is this feeling,” he wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his scrubs. They kept watering.

“Where are they taking her?” Maya called out and he zeroed in on the nurse walking out with the baby. Gautam immediately began to follow them, then turned back.

“Make sure she is not swapped with another baby! Go,” she urged. And he gave her a brilliant smile before running after MM.

————————————————————

He entered her room and stopped in his tracks. There she was, reclined on her bed, looking bright as the winter sun outside, holding her baby close, a pillow underneath to keep everything steady. He didn’t remember seeing a better sight in his life. And he had seen a lot many wonders of the world.

“Hi,” he stepped inside and closed the door.

“Hi. Did you find my bag?”

“It was left on the ground floor reception seats,” Gautam held up her duffel. In their panic last night to get her admitted, they had left it in the alley. Or rather, he had, as she had convinced him. He set it on a chair by her bed and walked up to where she was caressing the baby’s cottony cheek.

Ok, so he wasn’t a contributing member in this product, and yet he could easily judge that this was the prettiest baby of all. She even smiled like a lady, just like Maya. That small smirk which stayed, like she was plotting a coup, then widened into the sweetest smile.

Maya pulled her mobile out of the bag and made a call to her mother. He stood to the side, curious as to how this would go.

“Hello? Mom?” She smiled. “Hi. Umm… I, yes, I had her. It’s a girl…” her smile widened. But then it started to wobble. Slowly, very slowly, he saw her smile leach. But she kept looking positive, “Yes, yes… I know. No. He is not. No, Dad. Never.”

He waited patiently, hearing her argue with her parents about getting back with the reptile ex, while there was a beautiful little girl here who deserved nothing but good omens on her first day in the world.

“Enough,” he mouthed to her. And that’s when her eyes clashed with his. As if he had transferred some fire to her, Maya’s face changed. She nodded.

“Dad, Mom, listen, I called you guys to tell you that you have a granddaughter. If you don’t even want to see her then there is nothing more I can talk about. She is healthy, on schedule and I am doing good. I do not need anything from you or Hem. Ok, I am hanging up now. Bye.”

Her thumb jammed hard on the screen of her phone and he took it. She looked angry, but underneath that rage was pure heartbreak.

“Do we have a name, yet?” He cued, sitting in front of her so that he could look at both, M and MM.

Maya smiled, finally. She looked down at her baby and booped her nose — “Megha.”

“Megha. Any special reason?”

“It was a rain storm when I talked to her for the first time. When I decided I was doing this. Holding onto her.”

Gautam reached down to the baby’s head and nuzzled her downy forehead — “Megha. Mini Megha. Still MM.”

Maya’s body vibrated. “Did you call Kumar bhai?”

“I was waiting for her to wake up. How about we video call him?”

“Yes! Yes. Call now.”

Gautam pulled out his phone just as it buzzed with Kumar bhai’s audio call. “It’s him. Look at him living for 100 years.” He rejected the audio and pulled up the video, pointing the camera directly at Maya and Megha.

“Gauta…” Kumar bhai’s face froze as his screen filled with the scene. Gautam grinned.

“Look at your newest idol,” he showed the baby’s face. “Megha.”

“Waheguru mehr kare… Oye, Maya, she is so beautiful. When was she born?”

“Just this morning,” Maya waved. “Freshly delivered 5 hours ago.”

Kumar bhai’s loud laugh reverberated.

“Now I have to come back to see her.”

“I told you, you should have stayed back for two months. Do you know how much I have made G work? He even massaged my feet…” Gautam pressed his phone into her hand and gently took the baby from her cushion base. Maya was carefully honed in on the exchange until she saw him cradle her safely in his arms. Then she was bashing and ragging him with Kumar bhai, talking details about MM’s weight, height, the number of times she had already burped and how perfectly pretty she was. Gautam heard it all in the background, because his eyes were all for this newest girl he had fallen in love with. It was like a love that did not need anything in return. Even if she never looked at him, he was going to love her, adore her, cherish her.

Her eyes popped open. Their eyes met. And that was a bonus, along with her squeaky cries that softened when he rocked from side to side. They went silent, she yawned, looked at him, yawned again. Then she began to cry. Ugly cry.

“She must be hungry…” Maya cued, passing the phone back to him and taking her.

“I’ll send the nurse,” he got to his feet, retreating like he had the first time Maya had begin feeding. They had come close in the last few months, but not to a point of intimacy where she would be comfortable feeding in front of him. They had slept on the sofa together a few times, kissed more and more often. But her last trimester problems had put a a temporary stop to anything more between them.

“She’s feeding,” Gautam gestured to her nurse hanging out at the nurse’s station and walked farther away with Kumar bhai on video call. “You have to hold her to feel it, Kumar bhai. It’s like instant love. Nothing more matters to you…”

“Nothing more matters to you now,” he smiled. “It’s you who feels that kind of love when holding her. I am sure I will love her too. But not how you are describing.”

Gautam stopped by the long window, smiling down at the city spread out underneath him. Maybe that was true. Maybe he was…

“Gautam?” He called out.

“Yes?”

“I was trying to get in touch with you. I know this is not the time for such a news but, you need to know. You mother… she passed away last week.”

His phone wavered in his hand. Gautam tightened his hold on it.

“Ok.”

“You take care of Maya and her baby for now. I will talk later with you about this. Just… take care of yourself too.”

“I am fine.”

“We will talk later…”

“I said I am fine, Kumar bhai. What else?”

“She left a letter for you. It got delivered to me today.”

“Hmm.”

“I will send it you when you are in the right frame of mind.”

“Send it whenever, it doesn’t matter. Now I have to go back to M and MM. I’ll call you back soon, hmm?”

“Hmm. Go.”