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noted land of modernism, will be called in to design the world-class apartments; Mr Chacko also believes he will add a park and shopping mall to the area in a few months’ time. Hotels, plazas, gardens, happy families will follow.
Ultimex Group’s motto is ‘The Very Best’ and it has been progressing all over the city of Mumbai. On the personal front, Mr Chacko, visionary, Ultimex Group, is not a known figure, preferring to keep away from the glamour scene of So-Bo (south Bombay) social life. He is ‘mischievous’, ‘shy’, and ‘a family man with simple pleasures’, says one private friend. He is nimble in his thoughts, and sly, like the man of the future; he is a great philanthropist, winner of thirteen gold medals, plaques, dedicatory poems, and paper-based awards for his humanitarian achievement in the field of social work.
He is also passionate about chess and carom.
    The doctor read the brochure, and turned it over, and read it again.
    ‘So?’
    ‘So that’s J. J. Chacko, head of the Ultimex Group. The area around the Vakola train station is in his pocket. Has three buildings on that side already. He’s coming over to my side now. Know what he did the other day? Paid eighty-one lakhs for a one-room in a slum. Just so everyone would talk about him. In my own territory. Even sends me this brochure in the mail.’
    ‘So?’
    Shah took back the piece of paper, folded it, and replaced it in his pocket. He patted it.
    ‘How can I take a holiday when J. J. Chacko doesn’t? Does his doctor tell him to slow down?’
    Doctor Nayak’s forehead filled with lines.
    ‘I don’t care if he kills himself. But you can’t go straight into another project. Are you doing this for Satish? What could he want more than for his father to live a long life?’
    Dharmen Shah drew a line on the window with his finger.
    ‘There is a golden line in this city: a line that makes men rich.’
    Now he dotted three points on it.
    ‘You have Santa Cruz airport there, you have the Bandra-Kurla Complex there and you have the Dharavi slums there. Why is this line golden? Air travel is booming. More planes, more visitors. Then’ – he moved his finger – ‘the financial centre at Bandra-Kurla is expanding by the hour. Then the government is starting redevelopment in Dharavi. Asia’s biggest slum will become Asia’s richest slum. This area is boiling with money. People arrive daily and have nowhere to live. Except’ – he dotted his golden line in the centre – ‘here. Vakola. The Fountainhead and Excelsior will be ready by November this year. I’ve sold most of the units in them already. But the main show is next year. The Shanghai.’
    Doctor Nayak, who had been yawning, closed his mouth shut. He grinned.
    ‘ That again. That city is going to kill you, Dharmen.’
    ‘You should have come with me, Nayak. Roads as far as the eye can see, skyscrapers, everything clean, beautiful.’ Shah hit the window; it trembled. ‘Those Chinese have all the will power in the world. And here we haven’t had ten minutes of will power since Independence.’
    The doctor, with a chuckle, got up from his sofa and went to the window. He stretched.
    ‘The experience of Shanghai being to a middle-aged Indian businessman what the experience of sex is to a teenager. You can’t keep comparing us to the Chinese, Dharmen.’
    Shah turned to look at him.
    ‘How else will we improve? Look at the trains in this city. Look at the roads. The law courts. Nothing works, nothing moves; it takes ten years to build a bridge.’
    ‘Enough. Enough. Have some breakfast with us, Dharmen. Vishala wants to thank you. You arranged that deal for her friend in Prabha Devi.’ Nayak placed his hand on the fat man’s shoulder. ‘You’re starting to grow on her. Stay. I’ll cancel a fourth appointment for you.’
    Dharmen Shah was gazing out of the window.
    The hawks rematerialized. Still in combat, blown towards the building by a sudden gust, they came straight at