That day too, Babu John was busy. It had been the same for the past ten years. (But Saturdays and Sundays were different. Nobody ever asked what he did on those days). He never noticed or bothered about the newcomers coming and going in the office.

Though Babu had won the Bombay Advertising Club’s Most Creative Person Award six times, those titles had not spoiled him in the least. He was still the same old Babu.

One day, Nancy, the big boss’s secretary, walked into the Art Department with a young woman.

“This is Liza, Avinash’s new personal assistant,” Nancy introduced.

She was a slender beauty. She smiled faintly, but said nothing. Babu kept his thoughts to himself.

A&B Advertising, Bombay was a company built by a father and his three sons. Avinash, one of them, was in charge of the Art Department. Now that Liza was going to be a constant presence there, something about it made Babu uneasy. Many times Liza came into the Art Department, but Babu, busy as always, never bothered to notice. After all, since there was a manager in charge of the department, Vasu only needed to focus on Creative.

---

July 20, 1980 | Time: 6:50 PM
As Babu was leaving the office, Liza too stepped into the elevator.

(“What was she doing here till now?” Babu wondered)

“Some paperwork had to be completed. By the time the bus comes, it’ll be late,” Liza said with a sigh.

Babu thought for a moment.
“Where do you have to go?” he asked, breaking the silence.

“Marine Lines,” Liza replied, a little shyly.

“I live in Colaba. I usually take a taxi. If you don’t mind, you can come with me.”

“Thank you!” Liza accepted happily.

That journey was the beginning. A beginning that brought many changes in Babu. Everyone noticed the changes in him—but in Liza, no one saw even the slightest change.

---

For Liza’s convenience, Babu began adjusting his schedule. Soon, leaving and returning from office together became their routine. Sometimes they even went to the movies.

One evening, their copywriter, Mehra, invited them to his flat. Vasu accepted half-heartedly, and Liza raised no objection. They went together to Mehra’s Malabar Hill apartment. He welcomed them warmly and led them into the drawing room.

“You two talk—I’ll be back soon,” he said and stepped out.

Half an hour passed, but he didn’t return. Feeling awkward to leave without him, Babu and Liza waited. Finally, Mehra returned with masala dosas and tea. Looking at the two, he smiled knowingly, nodding his head. Babu didn’t understand his thoughts then.

The next day, Mehra winked at Babu and asked,
“Did you make it?”
“Make what?”
“Love, man. Love!”
“No! Only after I marry her.”
Mehra shook his head and burst out laughing.

---

Then, Babu had to visit his mother in Kerala who wanted to see him immediately. It had been a long time since she had seen him. But her biggest grievance was that her son had not yet married. She had already chosen a girl for him from the neighborhood.

That’s why she had called him home. Babu, however, showed her Liza’s photograph and said: “This is the girl I’m planning to marry.”

“What caste is she?” his mother asked.
“Hindu,” Babu replied.

“My God, you’ve betrayed me!” she cried and collapsed unconscious. From that day on, she was bedridden.

Babu stayed by her side for nearly a month. Her condition didn’t improve much. Twice during that time, he wrote letters to Liza—but no reply ever came.

---

When Babu returned to Bombay, before he could even see Liza, Nancy called him into the boss’s room. She explained what had happened in the office during his absence.

“You’d better stop fooling around with Liza, Babu. She was showing your letters to everyone in the office. She’s not what you think she is. She’s a crazy divorcee.”

“Stop it! No…” Babu protested.

“She was divorced because of her abnormal behavior. She’s suffering from schizophrenia.”

It was too much for Babu to take. He once again threw himself into his work, the same busy, dedicated man he had always been.