I walked into the airport cutting a sorry picture. As if dragging a suitcase that was larger and heavier than me wasn’t challenge enough, I was trying to do it with two other bags slung on my shoulders. And five-inch strappy heels on my freshly pedicured feet. And no, it wasn’t so much role-playing Anne Hathaway in Devil wears Prada as much as lack of space in the suitcase. Okay, okay, I admit, I ran short of space even in the large suitcase. But that’s only because I had to carry some Piggies (My publicity person asked me to carry some copies at the last minute).
In short, it which was the complete opposite of the picture I wanted to convey – that of a cool, calm, collected and sophisticated writer.
I presented myself at the Jet Airways counter, where a skinny thing with an attitude of a designer store saleswoman gave me a look long enough for me to become conscious of each and every one of the fine lines on my face. Not that I have any. Well, maybe just the beginning of a talon of a crow’ foot if you want to be anal about it.
“Sorry ma’am,” she says, “Only one hand baggage allowed.”
“It is one,” I said, patting the gunny sack on my shoulder. “This one here,” I said, pointing to the obviously laptop bag on my other shoulder, “is my laptop.”
D-uh! Everyone knows that with women laptop bags and handbags are counted as one. As long as you’re not carrying any liquids which in my opinion just defeats the purpose of carrying a handbag. What’s the point if you can’t carry a lip gloss or a deo?
“But ma’am it’s as big as a suitcase!!!!”
“So? It’s cabin baggage specs!!!”
“No ma’am you’ll have to check it in.” Inflexibly said.
I shrugged as if to convey an insouciant, “If I gotta, I gotta.” But my heart was pounding knowing what was to come.
“You’re overweight,” she said after a moment. She quickly rectified her unfortunate choice of words to mean luggage before I could pass out from shock. The upshot of the conversation was that I had a choice. Either I could, like, a zillion rupees in excess baggage, or, open the suitcase and ditch the stuff I didn’t need.
Now I knew what I couldn’t do, and that was the latter. One, because there was nothing I didn’t need and two, I only do that abroad when flying Ryan Air. I also knew what I wouldn’t do and that was pay for excess baggage because, well, paying to transport kilos other than the precious few on my body was anathema to me.
My brain kicked into action. Wait, there was another solution.
“Business class has a larger allowance, right?”
“Yeah,” she said doubtfully, trying to figure out where I was going with this. She’d have to wait. I had to figure it out myself first.
“How much goes an upgrade cost?”
She mentioned a figure that was marginally higher than what I would have to pay in excess baggage.
She nodded.
“Do it.”
And so I got:
- to board the plane last and exit first
- a wet towel!!!
- more solicitous stewards, although that can be a pain.
- more space, not that I needed any. There’s enough leg room in economy to fit two of me. Front to back!
- and….and I got to carry my stuff for free!!!!
This was an auspicious beginning. Things were auguring well for the launch.
When tall, suave, handsome Kaustav Kapoor walks into her office, ditzy private investigator Kasthuri (aka Katie) Kumar has anything but detection on her mind. He is, after all, a scion of Bollywood’s first family—perhaps he has a role for her? Perhaps she will, at last, get to sashay down the red carpet in a designer gown, with flash bulbs following her every move?
But Kapoor’s intentions are much more prosaic: he wishes Katie to trace the heroine of his new blockbuster (and, if Katie’s read the glossies correctly, his life) who is mysteriously AWOL. Despite her misgivings, Katie finds herself unable to refuse the task entrusted to her, and thereon follows a bewildering hunt for the film star across a trail of corpses.
And if that isn’t excitement enough, she has to contend with the maddening and mysterious, but, oh-so-hot, Tejas Deshpande.
The first in a brand new detective series.
IN BOOKSTORES NOW.
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