"The plan is clear", Riya declared.

"So is your stupidity", Reyansh snapped "I'm telling you, this is mental", he said staring at his reflection in the mirror.

Or rather her reflection. Because he now had long wavy hair, fluttery eyelashes and wore padded bras beneath Riya's t shirt.

"You have to flaunt that area, a bit...it still looks flat", Zoya said. Reyansh's now thick plum lipstick coated lips curved into a frown.

"Like I told you Reyansh", Riya said "Don't act the woman. Be the woman", she said making a dramatic hand gesture.

Reyansh looked miserable.

"It's only for a day", Riya said coaxingly "After dinner tonight, you'll be Reyansh again".

Until dinner tonight, however, Reyansh was going to be duplicate Keerthana.

Could you believe it?

I couldn't either.

"WHY?" Reyansh howled.

"Uhm..your pitch has to be a little more feminine", Zoya said from behind.

"Don't make a big fuss now", Riya snapped, dropping her pretence, "So many men have done this. Saif Ali Khan, Shammi Kapoor, Govinda, Kamal Hassan..."

"They are all actors Riya!"

"So? You're getting into a character too".

"Are we letting Maya into the plan?" Zoya asked.

"For heaven's sake, yes", I said "I don't want her to figure out on her own which I'm sure she will even if we don't tell her. She's too smart".

•••

"I think", Maya said finally as she looked at Reyansh in his new avatar, up and down, "She actually kinda looks like my brother".

This was too much for all of us and we burst into laughter.

"What? Why are you guys laughing?"

I had to admit, I was starting to feel excited too. Reyansh in a woman's getup was going to go and steal some keys so that we could break into a room and grab someone's clothes. Only Riya, comes up with stuff like this man.

•••

"I don't need any dress", Maya said "I'm okay with this", she pointed to her jeans and linen crop top.

"Okay fine, we are going", Riya shrugged. I could tell she was disappointed that Maya wasn't impressed with her plan, "See you in the theatre".

"See you", Maya said "And be careful. Don't get caught. There's a Section 441 in the Indian Penal Code which prohibits criminal trespass."

Riya, Zoya and I gaped at her with open mouths.

"Section what?", I finally asked.

"Nothing, be careful", Maya shrugged and left.

"Bitch. She's jealous. That's all", Riya muttered to me after Maya left.

Personally, I felt I should learn a few IPC sections too just to shut Riya's mouth.

•••

"Pomegranate juice aunty", I said in my most innocent tone (one that I had mastered after a lot of experience in school) as I handed the glass to a tired Revathi.

"Thank you ma", Revathi said curtly as she took it from me and drowned it in a gulp. She then slammed the empty glass on the table and settled down clumsily on a plastic chair which creaked under her bulk.

I picked up the glass and ran out as Reyansh walked in.

•••

"There you go ladies", Reyansh dropped the keys onto Riya's outstretched palm. Zoya and I grinned in excitement.

"Reyansh...sorry Keerthu you're the best", Riya said.

"Was it too difficult?", I asked.

"Not really", Reyansh said pushing behind a strand of his wig, looking as thrilled as I felt. He seemed to have forgotten that he had sulking about the whole thing one hour ago, "She was in a daze and just gave me the key when I said the name Keerthana. The drink worked. She's fast asleep right now. Girls do I deserve some appreciation or what?"

Riya, Zoya and I immediately started applauding loudly.

"Okay okay enough. So now can I go and change?", Reyansh asked.

"Are you stupid? Who will give back the key?", Riya said.

"But..."

"Just wait for us Reyansh", Riya said.

•••

The three of us unlocked the door of the villa and went inside.

The villa was luxuriously designed in stark contrast to the staff building. A few couches were laid out infront of a TV set in the first room. The attached bedroom had a marble fireplace, coffee coloured curtains and bedspreads. We threw open the large wardrobe and right at the centre of it, suspended from brass hooks, hung the exotic outfits that we had come looking for, so far.

Zoya quickly went and picked a dark pink sheath dress. Riya was rummaging through the rest of the clothes.

"Is this one okay? Or this one?", she said holding up two equally sexy outfits. One purple and one black.

"Wear the purple and give me the black", I said.

•••

"This was the stupidest idea ever!" Riya groaned as we stood outside the theatre waiting to buy something to eat. Almost all the people staying in Bluepeaks had turned up. Most of them had probably been out for sightseeing around Ooty all day and had nothing better to do right then. Reyansh and I had planned that after the volunteer program was over we would make the others stay for a few extra days and go boating and stuff.

"Well, it was yours. What else did you expect?", I asked Riya. I had to admit Chanel dresses were hot but they didn't protect you from the cold. I was starting to shiver in the chilly weather.

Laksh was standing at the counter getting his caramel popcorn. Fortunately, he had left Keerthana inside the theatre. We'd had a hard time dodging the girl. I tried to imagine what would happen if she came out and saw three strange girls wearing her dresses.

"Hey Riya! That's a cute outfit", Laksh said casually as he handed over cash to the guy at the counter. Riya blushed to the roots of her hair.

"What was I thinking? This is a brilliant idea!", she squealed after Laksh walked away.

I looked at Zoya in despair. The thoughts in my head were etched in her expression. We were fighting a long lost battle.

Riya practically bounced back into the theatre with Zoya and me tagging behind with our own popcorns. She bumped into a guy who was mopping the floor outside.

"Hey who the hell is that?", the guy yelled at Riya as she skipped forward.

"Your father!" Riya yelled back joyfully as she hurried into the theatre.

•••

When we walked in, Reyansh was walking out looking sullen. It looked like everyone was taking turns to be sulky tonight. I gave my popcorn to Zoya and ran after him.

"This is nonsense Mish", Reyansh said pulling out his wig and dumping it down. We were standing inside a room, a bit away from the theatre. It had taken me a while to realise that it was the kitchen. The food had been prepared for the night had been left in huge vessels and all the cooks had already gone back to the staff house.

"Okay will you relax?", I said "What is bothering you? And please sit down"

"I don't want to stay like this anymore", Reyansh said, sitting down comfortably on the floor, all the same.

"It's only for a little while more baby", I said. I hardly ever called him baby.

"Look, Reyansh", I said taking his hand and interwining my fingers into his. It was weird. Not interwining my fingers with Reyansh, I mean. I've done it hundreds of times. But Reyansh had never been dressed as a woman during any of those times.

After a few seconds, I let go off his hand and moved over to get two stainless steel plates from the sideboard. I thought maybe a real meal would make Reyansh feel better. The theatre counter had only soda and popcorn.

"My mom says Maya is such a great daughter. And that, I wasn't nice enough to her. You remember how we all hated Maya in school? My mom says it was wrong. Was I supposed to love Maya just because she's my step sister? I like her now, okay. But not before. Is that so wrong? What if I'm a bad person Mish?"

Now what happened to him? Was he starting to feel all-woman emotions just because he was dressed like one? Should I get into a sappy mode now and try and make him feel all wanted and pampered? But I'm just not good at that stuff. Drama is Riya's department. Emotions is Zoya's. I'm not big on either.

"Wait, wait what is this Maya talk all of a sudden?", I said.

"My mom called me up while you guys were outside and gave me a lecture on what a good son should be like. She said I won't get into a good college with the rate I'm going it. And she said I've not been talking to her enough. Heck, I've been calling her everyday. What more does she want? She doesn't even let me watch a film in peace".

"Oh", I said. That explained it. I had met Mrs Malhotra only a few times and I didn't know much about her. But it was clear that I had to be angry on Reyansh's behalf right now.

So I spent the next twenty minutes telling Reyansh about all the ways in which I thought that he was absolutely right and that his mother shouldn't have grilled him like that on the phone and also that the college part was really insensitive and that he would certainly get to do what he wanted.

"Or maybe I should just not join college at all", Reyansh said after I had finished, "But what can anyone do without a degree?"

I ploughed on in the same track.

"Oh come on. You don't need a degree to make money. Look at Kylie Jenner", I said.

"Okay but I don't have Kylie Jenner's ass...", Reyansh was humouring up, I could see. He even picked up his wig and put it back and winked at me.

I took the chance to pick up the rice vessel and doled out a generous amount on both of our plates.

"Enough, enough", Reyansh said, "Hey whose food is this anyway?"

"I think it's for the guests staying here but who cares?", I shrugged "We'll just eat a bit and slip out. Nobody needs to find out. It's exciting to eat food that's not meant for you".

"I know", Reyansh grinned slightly, "Me and my friends used to steal food from the canteen in Pune".

"In Pune?" I asked with a smile. Reyansh hardly ever talked about his life in Pune but he occassionally slipped out some things. "Sounds fun".

"Oh I don't know Mishti. Pune never gave me anything in fifteen years but Mumbai gave me so much in two years".

"No need to get senti again man", I said patting his arm "Let's enjoy the meal. When are we going to eat South Indian food like this again?", I pushed the vessel of sambhar towards him. He didn't touch it.

"Here", I persisted, immersing the ladle into the vessel and dumping the sambhar on top of his rice loaded plate. He started eating.

I lifted the lid off the next vessel, "You want upma?", I asked. He didn't answer.

"Idlis?"

He shook his head.

"Banana chips?", I asked opening the next lid.

"Banana chips?", Reyansh repeated finally showing some enthusiasm, his eyes lighting up like a kid. He grabbed the container from me and dumped almost the entire contents onto his plate.

Fifteen minutes later, we heaved ourselves up from the floor to wash our plates. I looked at the vessels and discovered with a jolt that they were all atleast half empty. I couldn't believe we hadn't eaten so much.

"Should we have the sweet too?", I asked looking at the last vessel brimming with what looked like kheer. It smelt glorious.

"Okay just one spoon", Reyansh said.

But we ended up finishing the full vessel.

I felt I wouldn't eat for another couple of weeks.

I was washing my hands when my phone rang. Reyansh picked it up and brought it close to my ear. It was Riya.

"Hey is the movie over?", I asked, slightly pissed.

"Mishti!", Riya's stricken voice came through the line "My phone is dying! The call will go off any second now. I'm not in the theatre. I'm stuck here outside. Please come and get me".

"But where are you?", I asked drying my hands quickly and taking the phone from Reyansh, "Don't worry. Reyansh and I will come and get you".

"I lost Sanam. I'm outside Chameli's bungalow", came Riya's cracked voice.

"Chameli's bungalow?!" I burst out "Riya there's a limit even for your stupidity. What the hell are you doing outside a..."

"No Mishti", Riya said talking over me "There are no lights on any other street nearby. It won't be safe to wait there. This lady's place looks like Mysore Palace and there are many people outside too. I can wait here till you come".

"Riya please.."

The line went dead.

"What happened?", Reyansh asked.

"Come on, this is urgent", I said.