Page 77 of Not Safe for Work
The guy came back balancing four plastic boxes on top of each other. ‘Care for some dessert, madame?’ Neil said as he helped me pop the lids open.
‘What if I told you I’m lactose intolerant?’
He froze mid-peel. ‘Shit. Are you?’
‘No.’ I gave him a cheeky grin. ‘But it would’ve been fun to see your face if I was.’
We dug in, talking between spoonfuls of cold, sweet fruit cream piled high with seasonal fruit. Around us, late-night couples and families lingered near their cars and on the pavement, drinking juices and stuffing their faces with fruit cream. A policeman walked by with a stick and tapped the parked cars ahead of us, waving them along. Neil sighed, switched the engine back on and started driving. I was still scraping the last nips of cream from my cup.
‘So?’ he asked, glancing at me. ‘Which one wins?’
‘I think strawberry,’ I said, licking my spoon. Then frowned. ‘No, lychee. Actually … I’ve never had a custard apple pudding better than this one.’
He grinned. ‘Told you. Best dessert in Bombay.’
I leaned back against the headrest, letting the sugar rush settle deep inside my gut like a warm blanket. ‘Can you drop me off at the nearest station?’
‘Why would I do that? We’re not done yet.’
I looked down at my phone. ‘It’s almost eleven.’
‘So then I have one more hour to make you fall for this city, Cinderella.’ He winked, making my heartbeat trip over itself.
He took the turn onto the Bandra–Worli Sea Link and the coastline slid into view, impossibly calm for a city that’s famous for its pace. The lights danced across the water like they’d been waiting for us.Wow, I thought.It’s so much more beautiful at night.
I didn’t realize I’d said it out loud until Neil hummed, pleased. ‘Just you wait.’ He reached over, hit a button and the sunroof glided open with a soft whir. A gust of cool air spilled into the car. ‘Up,’ he said, jerking his chin towards the roof.
‘What? No.’
‘Yes.’
‘Neil—’
The protest died in my throat as ‘Iktara’ started playing on the speaker. I didn’t have a Mumbai playlist, but if I did, this song would be at the very top.It’s a sign,my mind offered.
‘Come on,’ Neil whispered, leaning over to squeeze my hand. ‘Trust me.’
Against my better judgement—and because my heart was beating just a little too fast—I pushed myself up, poking my head through the sunroof. The wind hit me first, cold and alive. My hair whipped behind me, the sea breeze tangling through it as we flew across the coastal road. The air tasted like salt and freedom.Like a moment that shouldn’t have belonged to an outsider like me but somehow did.
And then, we crossed under the stay cables of the bridge. I tilted my head back, closed my eyes and let the wind roar in my ears. I felt free. Weightless. Alive.
When I finally sank back into the passenger seat, I was entirely breathless. ‘That was …’ I couldn’t find the words.
‘I know,’ he whispered, like he didn’t need me to explain.
I didn’t trust myself to speak as we drove towards Bandra. Too much had happened today for my brain to keep up, and yet, none of it, not the promotion, the campaign or the upcoming visit home, was taking up any space. All I could think about was this warm, unfamiliar feeling unfurling inside me … and the man responsible for it. It didn’t make sense. Nothing about tonight did. But then why did it feel soright?
We drove in complete silence until the skyline shifted and Bandra came into view. Neil turned into one of the narrow bylanes and parked between two quiet buildings.
‘And now for the grand finale …’ he said as we walked down towards the main road.
‘Why Bandstand?’ I asked, genuinely curious. ‘Why not Marine Drive?’
Even I knew that between the two main sea-facing tourist spots, Marine Drive was the crowd favourite, especially at night when the ‘Queen’s Necklace’ lit up the whole arc of the road. The Bandstand Promenade was quieter and rockier, a little rough around the edges.
‘Because this stretch has better company.’ He jerked his head towards Mannat, Shah Rukh Khan’s sea-facing mansion.
‘You’re a fan?’ I couldn’t hide the surprise in my tone.
