"Dorson, I want 20 butterflies to be sent home by this evening." Dorson was ecstatic, since this was his first sale in two months. Dorson run's a pet shop with a difference, he deals in pests and insects. He delivered, and in time!

There were Zebra butterflies, Tiger butterflies, Spotted butterflies, stripped ones, all generally, quite beautiful!

Apparently, a butterfly's life span is one day! Which suits Noonan fine, because that's her attention span too. The butterflies are dead but Noonan and Steely still seem to be into them in a big way - `YAAR'! They picked up `YAAR'from an Indian friend, the son of a Maharaja -- Maharaja of Pind district, it's not important -- he was a Maharaja, that's it.

They've been through the Versace catalogue; he had dead butterflies wearing sunglasses printed all over little lycra dresses. The Gaultier catalogue had nude butterflies, without wings, woven all over woollen overcoats, wearing garters. And finally, Lacroix had heavily embroidered ones, but on his new line of shoes. These were elaborate shoes, not for walking and comfort, but to trip and fall. If you managed to balance in them you had to just stand very still! This, Steely loved. She hates walking -- in fact she hates anything, except of course, Adam-the-pedicurist, sorry, Noonan's boyfriend.

Noonan bought the lycra dress, and she wears this under the overcoat. Steely, still hasn't made up her mind, she doesn't have one!

Strange phenomena, butterflies seem to be all over, except in the garden. At a party, Steely, Noonan, and Adam, in tow, seemed upset. They looked ratherperturbed. Mrs Divina Morani, was in town from the south of Italy. She made her appearance, and what an appearance she made. She had this huge live butterfly flapping its wings all over her upper body, like now you see it, now you don't! Oh! And she bought the Lacroix bag. It was a one off! Steely looked like she was going to spit on her. Spit on her she did. "Gosh! Divina look at you. You look divine, as divine as your butterfly."

"May I touch -- Please?" Oops! Steely walked and fell -- and fell on Divina's butterfly. She killed it. Divina screamed; there was mayhem. Divina threw her hands up and went charging out of the banquet room at the Ritz. Steely was back on her feet, looking pleased as punch. They didn't eat that evening; they filled their appetite on Divina's butterfly.

That's the life of a butterfly.

Arjun Khanna is a fashion designer.