Beautiful Thing: Inside the Secret World of Bombay's Dance Bars by SONIA FALEIRO

Author:SONIA FALEIRO [FALEIRO, SONIA]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Canongate Books
Published: 2011-08-03T22:00:00+00:00

Shetty drove up to Leela’s flat in his navy blue Tata Sumo, and it said a lot that he was willing to risk being seen with her outside the dance bar, in daylight and in his car, the monthly payments of which, Leela knew, were being made by his father-in-law.

Although he was bald and barely came up to the steering wheel, Shetty made up for his shortcomings by being cooler than a chuski. He bopped his head to the music from his radio and as he swayed so did the stuffed chimp hanging from his rear-view mirror. Shetty thought soft toys stylish and he saw nothing peculiar about a man his age driving a car with a dancing chimp and a back window full of candy-coloured playthings.

Shetty honked once, twice, and then fiercely, a third time. He whistled for Leela.

Leela stuck her head out of her kitchen window and called down excitedly: ‘Coming, baba, coming!’ She rushed into her bedroom and then skidding, turned back, ‘Don’t leave without me!’

Leela and Priya hurriedly finished packing a small suitcase with weekend essentials. This was Leela’s first new suitcase and she had bought it in ‘Bombay’ the previous morning. It was red, her favourite colour.

The best friends laid down things that made Leela feel beautiful: low-rise jeans that showed off her delicate waist, heels to add height to her petite frame, new padded bras and panties in pastel colours and a pair of sunglasses that covered half her face, rendering her mysterious and hi-fi. She took along a wooden Ganesh for luck, a new striped towel for hygiene and a bottle of Old Monk rum for pleasure.

‘Depends on PS mood,’ she said to me. ‘Everything is up to him.’

Before rushing off, Leela shoved her new Kodak camera into my hand. ‘Take my picture,’ she said.

I peered through the viewfinder. Fresh-faced Leela wore young girls’ clothes—jeans with strategic rips, a clingy white t-shirt, white slingbacks at least four inches high.

She pouted, stuck her tongue out.

‘Hurry!’ she squealed.

‘Chalo!’

I didn’t know the name of the hotel Leela would be staying at. Wait a minute; I didn’t even have Shetty’s number.

Where are you going? I asked, lowering the camera. How will we find you?

Leela glanced quickly at her mother.

‘So “sveet” girl you are,’ snorted Apsara.

‘Chup,’ Leela said. She came over and put her arm around me. ‘Why do you worry so much? Doesn’t it give you a headache?’

‘Planning to run to Lonavla if something happens?’ asked Priya, coldly.

‘Don’t take tension,’ Leela said. ‘I can take care of myself. Better than this one,’ she inclined her head towards Apsara. ‘Better than this booty queen,’ she pointed at Priya. ‘And much, much better than you. So stop feeling sad, okay? Stop now I said, otherwise I will start feeling sad and then I’ll cry and delay and PS will get angry and curse me. Come on, why don’t you do something useful? Take my picture.’

She went back near the door and flashed me a smile.

Cheese, I said, glumly.

‘Cheez!’ Leela grinned, looking ecstatic.

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