As soon as the annoyingly cheerful face of her former classmate was out of sight, Priya too requested to get off. She ran towards the nearest auto rickshaw. “Harinathpur Kali Mandir!” The vehicle moved forward. *** The temple was overcrowded. The sounds of the bells and the conches filled the air with an auspicious positivity. The little pond behind the temple was however quite isolated. Priya stood on its edge for quite some time trying to think of the perfect wish. Money wouldn’t necessarily bring happiness, love wasn’t enough, health wouldn’t ensure enjoyment. What then could she wish for? After a long thought she made a decision. She took out the Italian coin she had since childhood. It was her favourite and she wanted to use the very best for this wish. “I want to be lucky. I want luck on my side and… “ Before she could finish her thought a loud noise startled her. She turned around to find a man fallen off of his bike. Priya quickly tossed the coin into the pond and ran to help the poor soul. “Are you okay, sir?”, she said, helping him up. “Thank you!”, the man who seemed to be in his fifties replied, “yes I’m fine.” Priya’s cell phone vibrated angrily. She saw the screen and shuddered at her manager’s name. “I’m so late!” No amount of luck could save her now. “Which way are you headed?”, the man asked. “Tollygunge” “I’m heading there myself! Come, I’ll give you a lift” Was this the first sign of a shift in the stars? Did the wishing pond work? Surely this was only a coincidence! *** Priya expected to arrive at the mall at least an hour late, but it was in fact only about ten minutes past her reporting time. I’m pretty sure I’ll still get an earful. Her phone began vibrating again just as she was about to enter the store but this time it wasn’t her manager. “Hello?” 6
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