New York Hustle

New City, Old Connection

Disclaimer: All the characters and events depicted are fictitious. Any resemblance to a person living or dead is purely coincidental.

The crisp rays of New York's cloudless sun hit his face through the curtain-less windows. Groaning and turning away, he pulled his duvet over himself, trying to get a few more minutes of sleep before getting about his day. Tough luck, his mind voice announced as his blackberry beeped loudly over the sound of his noisy neighbors fighting and the sirens of a cop car nearby. He had barely spent 6 hours in this city and he was already missing the gloomy weather and quiet of his Seattle home.

Anuj pushed the duvet and sat up, his eye squinting to adjust to the brightness flooding the room. Looking around at the neatly labeled, unopened boxes he felt a pinch of guilt. He had meetings scheduled all day at his new office on Wall Street, a conference call with the Ahmedabad selection committee and... as he listened to his voice messages... he noted he now had to meet Devika for coffee in an hour. There was no way he could help kaka with the unpacking of these boxes now. Pulling the same hoodie he had on last night over his head, he took a quick look in the mirror and smoothed his tousled hair. A shower would have to wait, Mukku couldn't afford to be late on her first day of high school and he knew nothing was worse than making Devika wait. As Anuj made his way to their living area, he heard Mukku's high pitched attempt at singing "Boulevard of Broken Dreams". He sighed... as she continued
"I walk alone, I walk alone
I walk alone, I walk a-"
her mood seemed to have gotten worse since the flight last night.

Trying to drown the anxious voices in her head, Mukku increased the volume on her ipod mini as she sat at the breakfast bar waiting for kaka to give her, her hot chocolate. Her brother had just walked in and he was asking her something. She looked away but turned to face him when the guilt monster reared its head. Pulling her earphones out, she looked at him. "Is black nail paint really the most appropriate look for a first impression, Mukku?" Anuj asked. Making a face, Mukku retorted, "Firstly it is EM...not Mukku... second I really don't care what these people here think of me. My friends are back HOME... In SEATTLE." "Mukku mein bass..." Anuj started but trailed off as he caught kaka give him a warning glance. GK was right; maybe picking a fight with Mukku on their first day here wasn't the best idea. Grabbing the bowl of pancake batter, he poured the batter out, added some choco-chips and offered her a plate of her favorite breakfast as a sign of peace. Mukku had her earphones plugged firmly in once again and accepted the plate in silence. She looked cool as a cucumber but her fidgety feet gave away her nervousness. Had he made the wrong call moving to New York he wondered for the millionth time, sipping on the hot chocolate GK had given him.

************

"I'm not sitting up front! I'll take the subway or somethin." Mukku exclaimed loud and adamantly, her arms folded. Anuj looked up uncomfortably from the driver's seat of his convertible at the people passing by and pleaded, "You know what Dr. Meena said about facing our tra-" "Either I sit in the back or I'm taking the subway." Mukku said, cutting Anuj before he could finish. Anuj looked at her defeated; they'd be late if they continued this way. He shrugged and pushed the passenger door open for her to get in.

**************

Leaning against his car, going through his emails on his BB, Anuj waited outside the café Devika had asked him to come to. There was a mail requesting a meeting from Jessica Pearson of Pearson Hardman, the law firm he had decided to hire on his company's behalf. She had handed his account to some Mr. Specter and wanted them to meet. He flipped through his schedule and winced. Shooting a reply confirming a lunch meeting, Anuj looked up just in time to see a pretty, tall woman in her late 20 walking towards him. Running into the hug he offered Devika smiled and then whacked him hard. "New York nahi aata toh mujhse kabhi nahi milta na?" Anuj joined his hands, "Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Tumhe pata hai how things were... still are at home. Mukku ko chhodke I simply couldn't travel to another city." "Does she still have night terrors?" Devika asked growing serious. "Thoda kam ho gaya hai but she still struggles... Anyway... Madam ji aapko pata hai I landed just 8 hours ago. Weekend pe bhi mil sakte the. Itni jaldi kyun? Baat kya hai...Batao." Anuj said, while gesturing to the café. Walking towards the entrance with Anuj following her Devika replied, "Mein? Pehle tu bata ki ho kya raha hai? Yeh dance competition ka chakkar kahan se aaya suddenly?" Anuj smiled mysteriously turning to the barista welcoming them and ordered a latte for himself.