‘ Thank you, Madhav. I look forward to reading your work,’ he said.‘ Thanks, Olara. You’ ve been a great guide these past few month...’‘ Well, you are a bright man. Did you finally apply for a permanent position?’‘ I leave for India next Sunday.’ Olara smiled and patted my back. I returned to my desk. My phone had a missed call from a contact I had saved as‘ Erica, Tribeca Nation singer’. I called her back.‘ Hi,’ I said as she picked up the call.‘ Hi. Mad-dav, right?’ she said.‘ Yes, the Indian guy you met at Tribeca Nation.’‘ How are you? You were looking for someone, right?’ Warmth tingled through me. I told myself to calm down. I had promised Shailesh I’ d quit.‘ Yes. I was.’‘ Any luck?’‘ Nope,’ I said.‘ Okay, so I don’ t have much. This will confuse you even more.
But there could be a new tall Indian girl who sings.’‘ What do you mean?’‘ I overheard.’‘ Who from?’‘ Customers at the bar. They spoke about this good-looking singer and were trying to guess her nationality. Indian features, but quite faircomplexioned, that’ s what they said. So it reminded me of you.’‘ And? What else did they say?’‘ They said she sang quite well. Jazz, a bit of rock...’‘ What? No, I mean where? Where did they hear her? Did you ask them?’‘ Well, yes. They said at the Union Square Farmer’ s Market on 14th
Street.’
‘ Thank you, Madhav. I look forward to reading your work,’ he said.‘ Thanks, Olara. You’ ve been a great guide these past few month...’‘ Well, you are a bright man. Did you finally apply for a permanent position?’‘ I leave for India next Sunday.’ Olara smiled and patted my back. I returned to my desk. My phone had a missed call from a contact I had saved as‘ Erica, Tribeca Nation singer’. I called her back.‘ Hi,’ I said as she picked up the call.‘ Hi. Mad-dav, right?’ she said.‘ Yes, the Indian guy you met at Tribeca Nation.’‘ How are you? You were looking for someone, right?’ Warmth tingled through me. I told myself to calm down. I had promised Shailesh I’ d quit.‘ Yes. I was.’‘ Any luck?’‘ Nope,’ I said.‘ Okay, so I don’ t have much. This will confuse you even more.
But there could be a new tall Indian girl who sings.’‘ What do you mean?’‘ I overheard.’‘ Who from?’‘ Customers at the bar. They spoke about this good-looking singer and were trying to guess her nationality. Indian features, but quite faircomplexioned, that’ s what they said. So it reminded me of you.’‘ And? What else did they say?’‘ They said she sang quite well. Jazz, a bit of rock...’‘ What? No, I mean where? Where did they hear her? Did you ask them?’‘ Well, yes. They said at the Union Square Farmer’ s Market on 14th