Nandan’s mind was truly pre-occupied, completely overthrown by a coup d’état. Just then the doorbell rang with a creepy shrill sound.

“Who’s that?” asked Nandan.

“Sir, Raj, the taxi driver. You forgot your bag in my taxi.”

“Thank you very much.” Nandan exclaimed taking the bag. He appreciated Raj’s honesty by tipping him a generous Rupees 500. Raj hesitated but took it upon Nandan’s insistence.

Grandparents were out for the evening attending a Jazz concert at Palace Grounds. Nandan knew a scrumptious dinner was waiting in the refrigerator. Nandan’s and his grandparents’ taste buds had been groomed well with the impeccable culinary skills of Maria Rodriguez, their loyal and punctual cook for many years. However he was not hungry, not just yet, and instead decided to hit the ground running with one of the library books that he had checked out – “Rani of Rampur”.

So engrossed was Nandan in the book that his nimble fingers moved quickly flipping through the pages. Little was he wary of the time and the sudden downpour outside. He lay reading virtually motionless on the couch like a sack full of potting soil on the garden bed. Something noteworthy caught his attention because it posed as a distraction, a hijack of his reading focus. A small handwritten blue post-it note was loosely glued to p98 and it read:

So what’s the difference across 20 worldviews? See you there. 14.

Page 5 of 9

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