This was it. My big break.
‘What happened?’ Maa asked.
‘StyleInTheCity messaged me!’ Electricity raced through my veins. ‘She wants to wear my design for a movie premiere!’
‘Who messaged you?’
A grin took over my face. ‘Naina Kashyap. She’s a fashion influencer and model.’
Her eyebrows shot up in disbelief. ‘Fashion inflier? What?’
‘Influencer, Maa,’ I hissed. ‘She has seven million followers. And if she wears my design … it’s going to be huge for me.’
For a long moment, she just stared at me, her hands shiny with oil. ‘Will she pay you?’
‘Yes!’ An image of Naina in one of my outfits popped into my mind. There was so much I could do. The possibilities were endless. And from there, more and more people and influencers would follow. ‘I’m going to be famous.’
Then slowly, a smile formed on Maa’s face, warm and proud.
She rose to her feet. ‘Chalo phir. We don’t have a lot of time.’
I blinked. ‘Where? For what?’
‘To pack your bags.’ Her hands brushed my hair one last time, her voice soft. ‘Dreams don’t wait, beta. And neither should you.’
22
Hard Drive
Jai
The Mumbai skyline shimmered under the late afternoon sunlight. This view was one of the main reasons I bought this apartment. And yet, as I stood before it, only one image looped behind my eyes: Rekha sneaking in, rummaging through the office, stealing the file.
I’d turned it over in my mind for two days straight, until my fury settled into something colder, more exact. My thoughts had aligned, like a sniper’s aim.
All her life, she had done as she pleased without giving a second thought to who it might harm. Ananya. The Mahalas. The company. I wasn’t going to let her get away with it. Not anymore.
I knew I needed hard proof before I took any step – proof connecting Rekha to Lehenga Bazaar. In a normal scenario, there was no way I would get my hands on it. But having a morally grey best friend had its perks.
A knock, followed by the sound of the door opening.
I turned.
Arjun, dressed in his usual black suit, stepped inside my home office. An older man with amoustache wearing a plain white shirt and black pants followed. He seemed familiar, but I couldn’t quite place him.
‘This is Raghu Singh,’ Arjun introduced. ‘Rekha’s ex-driver.’
‘Namaste.’ He nodded in respect.
Memory snapped in place. I’d seen him around the Advani house. ‘Namaste.’
‘Raghu, tell Jai about Rekha,’ Arjun said as he placed his briefcase on my desk and began opening it.
‘I’ve been Rekha ma’am’s driver for the past ten years,’ he started. ‘And a few times, she has picked people up and talked to them while I drive them around. Then she drops them off.’
‘Do you recognise the name Ananya Tripathi?’
‘Yes. I picked her up from Americano and dropped her off in front of the office. Rekha ma’am has also met her at the Peshwa House once.’
