Chapter 13 - The Flying Fish

Mona was back in Mumbai after years. An early morning flight from Bangalore and a day full of meetings couldn’t dampen her spirits one bit. On the contrary, having finished the formalities of the day she had begun to feel as fizzy as the cold drink bottle in her hand.
“Monaaaaaa, you look so cute in your straightened hair”, said Meenakshi to her. Mona had come to pick Meenakshi up from office.
Mona had always had such thick, curly hair, that this radical change in appearance surprised everyone who knew her from before. Curly hair was something that sort of fit her personality for she was notoriously whimsical and absolutely intractable. To go with her originally curly, now straightened hair, she had big eyes and a ready smile that were quite adorable. Often she looked like a little doll with chubby cheeks that one would be tempted to squeeze. On this occasion she was dressed in a vivid pink top that made her look like a joyous flamingo about to take flight.

“Really?” she said and beamed. Dimples promptly appeared on her cheeks, and to Meenakshi she looked just like the Mona from college days.
“You are still such a baby!” said Meenakshi and laughed.
“Wow, such a lovely Kurta. My god you have lost so much weight. Dieting? And look at me. All the food that I eat attaches itself to my tummy! You look like a princess. Only a little sad! What happened? Work pressure or Maan pressure? There is nothing that a round of Pau Bhaji and Pani Puri can’t cure. Taxi, Chowpatty!”
“No, I can’t come to Chowpatty.”
“Yes, Chowpatty!”
Mona yanked Meenakshi into the taxi and before Meenakshi could realize what was going on, they were on their way to Chowpatty. A fish flew in through the taxi window like it did the night of the storm. The candles blew out on Mona’s cake and the windows swung open to let in a gush of cool wind and drops of rain. The coconut trees held on to each other and the gold fish flew right in through the window as if nothing was wrong.

“Did you see it Mona the gold fish flew in through the window.”
“Which fish. Oh that one. Ha ha nice one. Meenakshi you are nuts there is no fish here.”
“No there is, look under the bed it went there.”
“What! Nothing here under the bed. Ok you can stop laughing Meenakshi. No I didn’t fall for it. (crash). What was that? Meenu I am scared there are ghosts here. No stop that laugh you are scaring me Meenu.”
“Mona don’t you know about the ghost? It is the ghost of Pandey, the cute mailman who came to deliver mails and was never seen again. They say he killed himself in room 201. He was really cute they say. He had long hair and lovely eyelashes.”
“A ghost with lovely eyelashes. Meenu stop that crap. Are we the only two in hostel Meenu? I am so scared.”
“No there is someone else”
“Who?”
“Pandey! He is in room 201.”
“Uff Meenu. I’ll kill you.”
“Good. Then I can date Pandey. Do you think there is love after death? Ok ok you can stop hitting me with the pillow.”
“Meenu stop making that noise. No it’s not the fish. No I won’t check under the bed this time.”

“Mona where were you all these days? So good to have you back. Mona. Mona? Mona, get down from there. This is Chowpatty not your bedroom. No I am not coming up. You will fall down and drown. Do you know how many people fall down? Look you are dropping all the ice cream on your top.”
“Don’t you think the vanilla ice cream looks good on my pink top? Meenu when will you learn to chill! You look like a princess but you are really an Amma!”
“Wait let me show you who is Amma.”
“Meenu look your fish. Remember?”
“See I told you. There is my fish. You never believed me all these days.”
“Meenu you are nuts! That is the sea. There are billions of fish in the sea. But none under my bed, puhleez! There you are laughing at me again. Should have never showed you the fish.”

As they walked on, a fish flew right past them. Meenakshi saw it but said nothing. She smiled to herself, squeezed Mona’s hand and felt like she was among the clouds. The cars on the road felt miniscule and the billboards blinked at her like little children.

That night they decided to get drunk, like in the good old days. The neighborhood liquor shop sold good booze for less. The music system too begged to be played, and the CDs lay scattered invitingly on the bed. Old Mrs. Fernandes might have some noise to contend with that night and the Mehta’s might have some nice things to say the next morning. But it wasn’t every night that they partied.

“How is Maan?”
“God knows.”
Mona put her hand in Meenakshi’s.
“Don’t worry. He is a bit crazy in the head. But he is a good guy and he will be back. I know him very well. He will be back and the two of you will be together again.”
“Mona why don’t you come live here in Mumbai? Why are you in that sick Bangalore? I have heard all the pubs close by 11! A drunkard like you must have a hard time out there.”
“You bet! But we have this wonderful place in Bangalore, a lovely open terrace. Imagine drinking in an open terrace in full view of the stars and the moon. You must come stay with me in Bangalore.”
“You stay with your parents, how do you drink in the terrace?”
“Oh there are ways!” said Mona and laughed.
“My god! And your parents think you are this angel of a child, capable of no wrong. I must call up aunty and tell her all about your escapades.”
“See I told you. You are an Amma in disguise. Only an Amma can talk like that. You should take it easy sometimes. There is nothing wrong in a little bit of booze. Hic! Meenu why are you so sad? Ok you are not an Amma. Happy?”
“You are flying back in the morning Mona. Why couldn’t you stay longer? Wait, when I come to Bangalore next month, I’ll see you for coffee and I’ll take the evening flight back to Mumbai.”
“Oh it is my boss. I’d love to stay back for months. But my boss is such a baby! He needs to be helped with everything. Hic!”
“Your boss is a baby. Mona you are crazy!”
“No he is a baby. He is absolutely adorable. He has a moustache, is completely bald and has a Hollywood accent. I plan to gift him a Kurt Cobain wig for his birthday. What’s there to laugh? No seriously I will gift him the wig.”
“You are a baby too.”
“And you are the Amma!”