Ali stood up, Asrar opened his umbrella. It was still drizzling. Ali bought two paans from the nearby shop. Asrar said that they could have had food at the room itself when Ali said, ‘Cross the road and I’ll explain it to you.’ Across the road there were British-style buildings that were under construction, below which were arched and shaded footpaths for pedestrians. They headed towards the station. The shops were closed. The small lanes in this area of Mumbai were very pleasing to the heart. They were an example of the same architecture which was reflected in the British-style buildings. The walls of the covered lane, raahdari, were made of large bricks. During the day the place was crowded with stalls and makeshift shops that sold stationery, books, toys, clothes, etc., but after sunset the area saw another world altogether. A mysterious world of entertainment and recreation. Asrar had never seen the area in such a spirit of revelling before. He was amused and amazed at seeing beautiful and ravishing women in the shades and shadows of the raahdari’s walls. Two playful girls were talking to a man. A girl in body-hugging jeans stood in the darkness. Her face was hardly visible, but her attractiveness wasn’t hidden. Ali pressed Asrar’s hand and said, ‘Isn’t she hot?’

She had sharp ears and turned towards them. ‘Want to come?’

Ali stopped. Asrar pulled his hand to drag him away, but in vain. The girl approached them. Asrar stared at the girl. She was beautiful. She had a sharp, long nose and lips that looked like juicy mulberries. The girl repeated, ‘You want to come? The hotel is quite near!’

Ali whispered, ‘How much will you charge?’

‘Five hundred, extra for the hotel.’

‘I have one more guy with me,’ he said looking at Asrar. Asrar was both amazed and scared at the same time.

‘His charge will be extra,’ the girl said.

‘Tell us the combined rate,’ Ali said.

The girl looked at Asrar and said, ‘Seven.’

‘Will you come for five?’ Ali bargained.

‘Chal, hawa ane de [Get lost].’ The girl refused and turned away.

Ali and Asrar moved ahead. Ali said, ‘I knew she wouldn’t agree but I still tried just to teach you how to deal with these women.’ Asrar said nothing. He walked in silence. Till VT railway station he saw beautiful women selling their bodies. They took a taxi. Asrar said, ‘The girls here are really pretty.’

Mohammad Ali looked at him and chewed on his betel leaf, ‘This is the area for rich people. Pretty women and high rates.’

They talked randomly for a while.

When they reached the room, everyone had already slept. Qasim opened the door. No sooner had they hit the bed than they fell asleep.

Asrar’s train to Ratnagiri was at midnight. He boarded it.