Namaste New York: A Novel

  ***

  The next day, Vijay and Lucky woke early and took the subway to Fulton Street in downtown Manhattan to meet Vijay's boss. Lucky wore dress pants and a white, starched shirt as though he was interviewing for a legitimate, full-time job. He was already nervous, and Vijay didn't want to add to his anxiety by commenting on his clothing choice.

  "Do you think I will get the job?" Lucky asked.

  "I'm sure you will. Anyways, you're in New York. If you want to work, you'll definitely find something," Vijay answered.

  "Oh, Goddess Lakshmi! Please help me. If I get a job today, I will fast for eleven Fridays. Please help me," Lucky prayed.

  "Don't be scared. Everything will be fine. By the way, why Fridays?" Vijay asked.

  "That is the day of Lakshmi goddess."

  "Oh, really?" Vijay smirked.

  "Do not laugh," Lucky admonished. "She will get mad at me and then I will not get the job," Lucky said.

  They walked to the small shop where Vijay went to pick up his flyers for distribution. "Namaste, Gupta Sirji," Vijay greeted his boss.

  The old man was short and stooped, with a wrinkled face and a shock of white hair. "Namaste," he muttered. Pulling out ten stacks of flyers from a desk drawer, he turned to Vijay. "You need to distribute all these today," the man instructed.

  "Okay, Sirji. This is my friend, Lakshminarayanan," Vijay introduced Lucky.

  "What?" Gupta replied, unable to understand Lucky's name.

  "Lakshminarayanan Durgalakshminath," Lucky repeated.

  "You are from the South?right?" Gupta asked. Lucky nodded his head.

  "Sirji, he is looking for a job," said Vijay.

  "No?No?I don't have any jobs for gulties. Who will take flyers from your hand? Go away," Gupta said sharply, waving a bony hand at Lucky. The old man's behavior was typical of the way northern and southern Indians treated one another, and his derogatory comments had nothing to do with Lucky's abilities, but rather his looks and appearance. But Lucky was not so easily dissuaded.

  "I will do anything, sir," Lucky begged.

  "No...no?I don't want you to do anything for me," Gupta replied. "Vijay, go do your job. You will associate with anyone, won't you? That's why you are doing this. Stupid," Gupta muttered and started walking away.

  Vijay grabbed the packets of flyers, took Lucky by the hand and dragged him back outside, heading towards Wall Street. "Thank God he is old. Otherwise, I would have punched his ugly face!" Vijay said to no one in particular. He was seething at his boss' treatment of his friend. But Lucky had different concerns, and didn't care what Gupta had said about him.

  "What will I do now?" Lucky asked. "I am extremely worried. Goddess Lakshmi is not happy with me today. Actually, she is not happy with me from the day I was born," Lucky said with his head down. "Oh! Lakshmi Goddess! I will fast for twenty-one Fridays. Please get me a job," Lucky said, turning beseeching eyes to the sky.

  "Don't be too upset. I am sure there is something better waiting for you than working for this bastard," Vijay said, trying to comfort Lucky. "There are lots of shops here, especially on Broadway. You should go around and ask for work. That's how I found this job," Vijay explained.

  "Do you think anyone will give me the job?" Lucky asked.

  "I'm sure you'll find something. Just make sure that you tell them that you can only take cash and that you do not have an SSN number," Vijay explained.

  "What is that?"

  "It's a unique number for every working person in this country. You don't have one, but you'll get one when you start working on-campus legally," Vijay said.

  "Okay. What if I get lost?"

  "If you get lost, ask for directions to Wall Street or the New York Stock Exchange. Anyone can tell you. We're standing right in front of it," Vijay answered, pointing to an old building with a number of pillars and a big American flag.

  "Okay," Lucky said.

  "Best of luck!" Vijay shook hands with Lucky and turned to the nearest passerby and offered her a flyer. Lucky started walking towards Broadway, stopping a number of times to look back at Vijay. Every time he looked, he saw that Vijay also had an eye on him. Lucky knew he had found a good friend in Vijay, and that he'd always have someone looking out for him.

  Lucky continued on and stopped at every shop he could on Broadway. He tried almost every type of business - clothing stores, 99-cent stores, restaurants, laundromats, shoe shops, perfume stores, electronics stores, and even a few beauty parlors. But at every establishment, people either asked for an SSN number, or they wouldn't agree to pay cash, or they couldn't understand his accent. Then there were the people who looked at him like he was a terrorist, and demanded that he leave the premises before he "scared the customers." Each time Lucky entered a shop to ask for a job, he pledged another day of fasting to Goddess Lakshmi, but apparently she wasn't pleased with his offerings.

  Lucky had walked for hours, and lost track of time. His depression and anxiety were threatening to render him immobile, and several times he had to will himself not to just sit down where he was in the middle of a sidewalk full of people and start crying again. He was willing to work harder than anyone and accept less money than he knew most Americans would expect, so he couldn't understand why people wouldn't give him a chance.

  He hadn't eaten anything the whole day, and it was already 4 pm. He decided that Vijay was probably done handing out his flyers, so he headed back to find his friend and maybe get a slice of pizza. He knew he was supposed to go to Wall Street, but he was not familiar with the block system in New York and how the streets and avenues lined up in a grid pattern. Immediately he realized he was lost, so he began to look for Indian people he could approach to ask for directions. But before he spotted any promising individuals, he noticed a small gas station on the corner, and for some reason, even though he'd failed miserably all day, Lucky decided to try his luck one more time. He glanced at his reflection in the window of the building he was standing in front of, straightened his collar and ran his hands through his hair. He took a few deep breaths as he waited for the walk sign, and then he strode across the street with an air of confidence he truly didn't feel.

  The bell jingled on the door as he opened it, and Lucky saw a middle-aged north-Indian Sikh sitting behind the counter. Immediately his hopes deflated, knowing that he was just going to encounter the same attitude as he had this morning. Lost in thought and replaying those unfortunate incidents in his head, Lucky didn't even realize that he had been standing by the door for over a minute, staring at the man and saying nothing.

  "How can I help you?" the Sardar asked in his typical accent. Lucky had already decided not to ask about the job. "Could you tell me where the Wall Street is?" Lucky asked hesitantly.

  "Ah, go straight. Walk ten to twelve blocks and take a right. And then you will see it, or ask anyone there. It is far. Take a subway, my friend," the Sikh suggested while fixing his turban in a mirror.

  "No?no. I will walk," Lucky replied.

  The Sikh looked at Lucky and his dress clothes, which seemed somehow wrong on him, though the man wasn't sure why he got that impression. On a hunch, he asked, "Are you a student?"

  "Yes, sir, I am," Lucky replied.

  "Where are you studying?"

  "I am studying at the New York Institute of Engineering and Management," Lucky replied.

  "Ah, that is a good school. Are you an engineer?" the man asked.

  "No, sir. I am studying for MBA."

  "Good for you. When did you come here?" the Sikh asked.

  "Day before yesterday," Lucky replied.

  "Hmm. So are you just seeing around?" the Sikh continued to talk to Lucky while he fiddled with the cash register. Lucky started to break out in a cold sweat. The man was making him nervous with all of his questions, and Lucky wanted to get out of the place as quickly as possible. "Yeah, you know, just looking," Lucky replied as he turned and headed back towards the door.

&n
bsp; Still playing a hunch, the man called out after him. "If you know any student looking for a job, send them here." Lucky froze in mid-stride, uncertain of what he had heard. He turned around slowly, and caught a glimpse of a "Help Wanted" sign pinned to a board behind the counter that he hadn't noticed when he first came in.

  "Do you have job?" Lucky said, hoping his cracking voice wouldn't betray his desperation.

  "Yes. But cash only. Do you know anyone?" the Sikh answered.

  Lucky couldn't believe his own ears. Surely the Goddess Lakshmi had finally been pleased by his efforts and had decided to start showering him with blessings.

  "I am looking for job, sir" Lucky said.

  The Sikh grinned, and slapped his hand on the counter. "Ah, yes, the moment I saw you, I knew it!" he replied.

  "Yes, sir," Lucky nodded.

  "What is your name?" the Sikh asked. Lucky thought if he told him his real name, he might not like it. But he didn't want to lie about his name, because it was the only thing he had with him forever. So, he replied, "Lakshminarayanan is my name." The Sikh could guess that Lucky was from southern India based on his complexion and accent, and he immediately took a liking to Lucky's honesty.

  "Okay, Lakshminarayanan, I will pay you five dollars per hour," the Sikh said, as if he could not care less where Lucky was from. "Oh, yes sir," Lucky replied. Lucky didn't concern himself with the pay rate. He just focused on the fact that his prospects were far better than they were just ten minutes ago, and he didn't want to push his luck, either with the Sikh, or with the Goddess Lakshmi.

  "First week will be your training week, so you will not be paid for the first week, and you have to work all seven nights for ten hours every night. If I ask you to come in the middle of the day, you have to come. Okay?" the Sikh continued.

  "Yes, sir. Not a problem, sir. When can I start, sir?" Lucky asked.

  "My name is Aakash Singh. Call me Aakash. This gas station belongs to my brother, but usually he does not come and I manage the business," the Sardar said. "You meet me on this Saturday morning. I will teach you everything."

  "Yes, Aakash, sir," Lucky nodded.

  "Do you have a mobile?"

  "No, sir?uh, Aakash," Lucky replied.

  "Okay, well this is my card. Keep it." Aakash handed a business card to Lucky, and Lucky tucked it into his back pocket. Aakash looked Lucky over again from head to foot. "Did you eat?" he asked.

  "I am fine, sir. I am not hungry," Lucky lied.

  Aakash knew that it was a lie, but didn't want to make an issue of it. He took a small pack of mini muffins from a display on the counter and handed it to Lucky. "Go now. I have customers to take care of."

  Lucky could hardly contain his joy at this change of fortune. "Thank you?thank you very much," he said as he bent down on his knees to touch Aakash's feet in a traditional gesture of respect. Aakash stopped him. "No, Lakshminarayanan, it's okay. Do not worry about it."

  Lucky controlled himself until he reached the street and was out of sight of the station, at which point he jumped into the air, pumping his fists in victory. He had to find Vijay and tell him the great news. Remembering the Sikh's directions, he started running towards Wall Street, nearly tripping several times when he kept looking to the sky to thank Goddess Lakshmi for her generosity. When he saw Vijay sitting in front of the New York Stock Exchange, he shouted, "Vijay, Vijay! I got it!"

  Vijay scanned the crowd to locate his friend, and saw Lucky running towards him with a big, loopy smile on his face. Lucky knocked the wind out of Vijay's lungs as he barreled into him and hugged him tightly. "Finally, finally dude?I got the job!"

  "Awesome! I told you that you'd find one," Vijay said, laughing with his friend and amused by his enthusiasm. Lucky told Vijay about everything that had happened to him while they sat on a bench and enjoyed the muffins.

  "So how much is he paying you?" Vijay asked.

  "Five dollar per hour, ten hours a day, all seven nights. So that is fifty dollars per day, three hundred fifty dollars per week, and fourteen hundred dollars per month!" Lucky exclaimed.

  Vijay whistled through his teeth. "That's a lot of money. Now you may decide you don't want to be stuck with me!"

  "Oh no?.no?You are my friend for life now! I will not forget what you did for me and I will never leave you. In fact, now I can save some money for my family. I can send the money for medication for my father and sister. The best part is I have to work in the nights, so it does not affect my course schedule at all," Lucky said.

  "I am so happy for you! I told you something better was waiting for you," Vijay said.

  "I just hope that this is the end of the struggles for me and my family," Lucky said, again looking to the sky. "It is the blessing of Goddess Lakshmi. I have promised her that I will fast for forty-four Fridays."

  Vijay choked on a bite of muffin. "What? That's like every Friday for the next whole year!"

  "Yeah. Every time I entered the shop or store, I would add one Friday, hoping to get the job in that shop. But it is okay. I will keep my word. Otherwise the goddess will get angry. I do not want any complaints," Lucky said, his mouth full of muffin.

  "You're crazy!" But Vijay knew there was no point arguing with him, so instead he slapped Lucky on the back. "Let's go home, watch some movies, and eat some good food today to celebrate. How about rajma and roti?"

  "Sure! I will cook," Lucky said. Vijay looked at him, and Lucky laughed. "Okay, I will help you to cook!"

  "Are you working tomorrow?" Vijay asked.

  "No. He asked me to come on Saturday," Lucky replied.

  "Good. So we can go to a party tomorrow."

  "Party?" Lucky asked.

  "Tomorrow there's a party for all new graduate students. We should go and get to know other students and faculty members. They have free food, and maybe you can dance with Anna," Vijay grinned.

  "She is coming?" Lucky couldn't believe after how bad this day had started, just how good it was turning out.

  "Yes, I invited her," Vijay replied.

  "Awesome!" Lucky said, then quickly added, "I mean?party sounds awesome." They both laughed, and Lucky threw the muffin wrapper in the trash bin before they bounded down the steps to the subway.