CHAPTER 8

Nandani's roommate Liza asked her, "Who was that guy you were talking with at the party last weekend?" Liza was doing a major in Economics. She was occupying the lounger next to Nandani on the giant back deck. Liza was what guys would give her a full ten on ten. She was tall, slim, and knew how to show off her assets to their best advantage. Right then she was dressed in a blue bikini and looked ravishing.

Nandani was studying on the first chair, Mukti was on the third chair. Alya was the only one attending the class that afternoon, which she hated. She loved to be outside, though she was most likely to be seen playing sports, then tanning like them on the patio. It was hot and sunny and right now they were taking advantage before the weather started to cool off.

Nandani pried her brain out of her finance book and tried to catch up to the conversation. "Huh?"

Mukti had also been focusing on her tan. Without the distraction of books, she had evidently heard Liza the first time. "Oooh, what guy?"

Liza grinned mischievously. "Tall, dark, handsome. Looks like he has just stepped out of a billboard." She then asked, "Has he taken Political Science, or business, or whatever? I will take a transfer from Economics."

This was not going to end well. "You mean Manik?" Nandani then glanced over to Mukti. This time it took her a moment to be on high alert.

"What? Manik, my brother Manik?" Nandani nodded to confirm and Mukti nodded her head vehemently. "Hell, no. Do not go there. He is off-limits."

Liza sighed. "Too bad. Why?"

"For starters, off-limits because he is my brother and you are my friend. So it is a girl code." Mukti then narrowed her eyes for more emphasis. "But he is also damaged goods, big time. Though there are enough freaks out there who don't care about these issues."

Liza did not seem to be intimidated by Mukti's deterrent tactics. "I would be willing to get in line for a run at that."

"Let me put it this way." Mukti rolled over onto her stomach and adjusted her bathing suit. "When Manik grew up a foot and bulked up his muscles, it was like every girl in a thirty-mile radius got the memo overnight. Junior year was bad enough. He became quite popular and used to be the center of attention. But then things went downhill." She paused. "After he got back from rehab, he has been trying to remain low-key."

Nandani thought that her ears had clearly heard wrong. "What? Manik was in rehab?" Mukti nodded. Nandani tried gathering herself, "How did I not know this?"

"Yeah, summer after senior year he was in a clinic. Mom and I knew, but somehow after a while, it got leaked, I don't know, how, and the story got around. He does not talk about it," Mukti said.

Nandani's shock must have been evident.

Mukti shot her an apologetic look. "Mom and Dad wanted to keep it under wraps. By the time it leaked, I figured you must have heard the rumors but didn't want to pry," Mukti continued. "I was surprised he came last weekend actually. He does not party much anymore, but I thought I should invite him since he just transferred in for a second-year university. She then shrugged. Clearly, she was over-talking about her brother. "I only saw him at the start and the end of the party. And he had said, he had a good time."

"I could show him a good time," Liza said. Mukti threw a pillow at her in reply.

*****************

"How are the sketches?" Mukti asked. Nandani was sitting at her desk the next day. Mukti was drawing cross-legged on Nandani's bed. Sheets of paper strewn around her. Some of them were covered with half-sketched images.

Mukti was not overly concerned about being helpful. She was not known to be focused, but the one thing she could get obsessive about was her designs. Nandani loved that about Mukti. She always claimed it was easier to draw in Nandani's room. In fact, it was easier to do anything in her room, Nandani thought because you just needed a bull-dozer to get from the closet to the door. Things were piled about everywhere. But what Mukti lacked in neatness and tactfulness, she made up for it with loyalty and passion. In fact, Nandani sometimes wondered how they had hit it off so well being complete opposites. Regardless, they had been inseparable for as long as she could remember.

"If we are going to get startup capital in time to get our fashion label, 'Dream Girl,' off the ground next year," Nandani reminded her, "we need investors and collect money too. Also, investors want to see ideas. And maybe some clothes too."

'Dream Girl,' the name of our label, had come from some choice words that Nandani's mother, Ishita Singhania had told her when Nandani had informed about Mukti and her plan. Ishita gave a long speech about lacking a professional career, and just 'dreaming' would not help Nandani to survive long, in this big, bad world. But she latched onto the part 'dreaming' as inspiration for their label brand. 'Dream Girl,' sounded cool and would drive her mom crazy, Nandani thought.

Nandani was teasing Mukti but in truth, she had started to worry about it a bit. They were planning to launch their label by next fall, at least, neither of them had made any other plans. They needed to double their speed if they were going to launch in the next year because there was a to-do-list as long as their arm.

'Crystal,' her boss at the 'Manhattan Publishing House' in New York, where Nandani had done her internship this summer, had offered her a once-in-a-lifetime offer, to meet with Nandani and Mukti, and some of Crystal's industry friends over winter break to discuss Mukti's designs and their business plan for 'Dream Girl' label. When Crystal had offered it had felt like winning a lottery. But part of that offer meant seeing the goods, and Nandani refused to let her down or let this opportunity pass off. It meant if she had to drag Mukti to New York in a plane and force her to sketch the whole ride, she would.

Crystal was highly connected and was incredibly driven. Basically, Nandani wanted to be just like her. Her department worked with established names like Prada, Gucci, and many more. She had the power to open doors for them. Big ones, with unlimited opportunities.

"Chill, Nandani. You are killing my buzz with all your money details." Mukti looked up and narrowed her eyes, breaking Nandani out of her spell.

"Fine, but if we want any money to talk about, Crystal needs to see the goods in two months," Nandani said.

"All right. Did anyone tell you that you would make a real kickass boss, Nandani?"

"Besides you? Nope," Nandani replied.

Mukti stood up and walked over to Nandani, pencil in hand. Another pencil was holding her hand in a bun. A third was sticking out of her belt. That was just Mukti, the least organized person, she knew. But somehow from this messiness sprang some phenomenal ideas, colors, and shapes. She was great at what she did.

Mukti pushed a sketch in front of Nandani.

"Oh my God...this is just fantastic!" Nandani burst out. It was a contemporary, sleeveless dress, fitted through the bodice, and was knee length. The skirt flowed like water, with a hint of flounce in it. Nandani wished that it would lift off the page so she could wear it then.

That feeling was what they were banking on from their clients. That 'have to have it' reaction.

"I think I am going to do it in mint for our spring collection. What do you say?" she asked Nandani.

"It is going to be perfect," Nandani said. Mukti was truly talented. "You have come a long way from that purple dress days..." she teased Mukti.

If Mukti could finish the designs in time and she could get the business plan together, it would be impossible for them to be turned down.