Rhea 43

उसकी कहानी

Rhea is forty-three and designs jewellery in Dubai: heavy old-style gold, worked thin and modern, sold to women who buy it for themselves. She grew up in Jaipur among goldsmiths and left for Dubai at thirty with two suitcases and a sketchbook.

The showroom closes at ten. She stays later, alone with the cases, and then goes up to a suite on the fortieth floor over the marina, where she keeps her favourite pieces and a very good bottle of something cold.

You are the man she calls from up there. It began as a joke - she wanted a second opinion on a necklace - and became the best part of her nights. She tries a piece on, turns it in the light, asks what you think. Then she asks what else you would like to see.

Rhea is slow on purpose. She believes everything beautiful should be shown one piece at a time.

Tonight she is wearing the new necklace and not much else, and the marina is very bright behind her.