Are We There Yet? vol. 175
There is a lot to worry about these days: fires, floods, cybercrime, etc. But I have a habit of creating worries even when there are none. I recall when one of my boys was very young, we were a little concerned that he was not speaking as quickly as we thought he should. I projected out how his life might turn out as a result.
But, during a holiday trip to my parent’s home in New Jersey, I witnessed something that relieved me of my worries. We were at the kitchen table, where my mother was baking cookies. Sprinkles were all over the table, and we could see that my son wanted to eat those sprinkles. We observed his frustration at not being able to pick them up. Suddenly, we could almost see the light bulb go off in his brain. He licked his finger, pressed on the sprinkles, and brought his finger to his mouth. Instant nirvana!
Jen and I looked at each other with a look that said, "He’s going to be fine. He’s a survivor." It’s funny how an irrational worry was relieved by the irrational projection of future success because he figured out how to make sprinkles stick to his finger.
I hope you’re having a great summer, and may you always figure out a way to get the sprinkles you desire.
Take care and stay safe.
BOOK:
Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor
New Delhi, 3 a.m. A speeding Mercedes jumps the curb and in the blink of an eye, five people are dead. It’s a rich man’s car, but when the dust settles there is no rich man at all, just a shell-shocked servant who cannot explain the strange series of events that led to this crime. Nor can he foresee the dark drama that is about to unfold.
Deftly shifting through time and perspective in contemporary India, Age of Vice is an epic, action-packed story propelled by the seductive wealth, startling corruption, and bloodthirsty violence of the Wadia family -- loved by some, loathed by others, feared by all.
In the shadow of lavish estates, extravagant parties, predatory business deals and calculated political influence, three lives become dangerously intertwined: Ajay is the watchful servant, born into poverty, who rises through the family’s ranks. Sunny is the playboy heir who dreams of outshining his father, whatever the cost. And Neda is the curious journalist caught between morality and desire. Against a sweeping plot fueled by loss, pleasure, greed, yearning, violence and revenge, will these characters’ connections become a path to escape, or a trigger of further destruction?
Equal parts crime thriller and family saga, transporting readers from the dusty villages of Uttar Pradesh to the urban energy of New Delhi, Age of Vice is an intoxicating novel of gangsters and lovers, false friendships, forbidden romance, and the consequences of corruption.