Stumbling dejectedly into town, I wandered past groups of locals who stared at me like I had just arrived from Mars. Clearly, it was not a touristy area.

  I occasionally offered a ‘hello’ to people who seemed receptive, hoping to prompt a response from an English speaker, with no luck.

  The heat was rising, and my will was fading fast, so I sat down.

  I had no idea what to do next.

  My money? Gone. My phone? Gone. My sanity? Questionable at the best of times, but now teetering on the brink.

  So, I did what any reasonable man would do in my position. I sat in the shade and brooded.

  That’s when the law of Conservation of Luck finally kicked in on my behalf. After so much misfortune, I was owed a break.

  “Sahib, do you need help?” a voice spoke.

  I peered up, squinting at the speaker, who had the sun behind him. It was a man in his thirties with a mustache. He was dressed neatly, almost fashionably.

  He removed his sunglasses, revealing dark, intelligent eyes.

  “Yes, thank you,” I said eagerly, greeting the English-speaking miracle. “I desperately need help.”

  He nodded, his expression warm and understanding.

  “You are lost.”

  “I am,” I confirmed. “I’m supposed to be in Mumbai for my friend’s wedding and don’t know where I am.”

  “This is Rampur Kalyan. How did you get here?”

  “By tuk-tuk from Mumbai,” I explained. “It took five days.”

  He couldn’t stifle an amused grin.

  Pressing my luck, I asked, “Do you have a cellphone I could use? I will gladly pay you later. I need to let someone know where I am.”

  “No, sahib. I’m sorry. But maybe I can help. What is your name?”

  “Terrence.”

  “I am Amit,” he said, smiling. “And you said you need to go to Mumbai, yes?”

  “Yes,” I affirmed.

  “I am going to the railway station now,” he announced. “Come. I will buy you a ticket as a gift.”

  “Oh, no, Amit. I couldn’t impose on you…”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  “Nonsense. You will come with me. I am happy to help.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Of course!” he bellowed happily.

  I didn’t mount any more protest. My options were to drive off into the countryside with a stranger or sit and brood.

  The thought of the walk back to Paranjapur tipped the scales. I didn’t have another ten miles in me. It was ‘stranger danger’ for the win.

  “OK. Thank you, Amit,” I accepted his offer.

  “Chalo! My car is this way. Follow me.”

  We left the small town, heading in a different direction than I had traveled before. For three hours, we meandered through the countryside in silence. Finally, we entered what seemed like a more urban area.

  “Is this Mumbai already?” I puzzled.

  Amit laughed.

  “No, this place is called Ratlam,” he explained. “You can catch a train to Mumbai from here, but the city is still far away.”

  I nodded.

  We parked and entered a railway station, which looked like a small palace. Approaching the ticket counter, Amit said something like, “Ek General ticket Jaipur ke liye.”

  I looked around, taking in the chaotic environment as he made payment.

  “This train,” he said, handing me the ticket, “will take you to Mumbai.”

  “Amit, I don’t know how to thank you,” I said earnestly. “You are a lifesaver.”

  “Please, it is my pleasure,” he assured me.

  He smiled at me.

  I couldn’t believe what a genuinely decent man he was.

  As we strolled from the ticket booth to the platform, we passed a food vendor. Despite my protests, Amit insisted on purchasing an excessive amount of snacks for me.

  “This is for you. Eat well.”

  I stared at the pile of food.

  “Amit, I think I could survive on this for weeks.”

  He laughed.

  “A long journey requires provisions.”

  I looked at the ticket, at Amit, and at the suspiciously large amount of food.

  And then I beamed.

  For the first time since parting from Reggie, I felt I was in good hands.

  Amit waved as I stepped onto the train.

  “Safe travels, my friend!”

  “Thank you, Amit!” I called back enthusiastically.

  He stood on the platform, smiling and nodding, until the doors closed and I was out of sight. Then, with a swift glance, he turned and strolled away, pulling out his phone.

  “Package is en route,” he murmured.

  And with that, he vanished into the crowd.

  As I settled into the last available seat, I pulled out my ticket to inspect it.

  “Jaipur Express,” it read.

  I wondered how many stops there were before Mumbai.

  ——

  A young investigator stepped into Superintendent Malhotra’s office to report a tip they had received from Indian Railways. Terrence Winkworth had been spotted traveling north on the Jaipur Express.

  Malhotra scoffed.

  Everyone kept telling him the young American was an innocent man trying to reach Mumbai. Yet here he was, caught red-handed, traveling in the opposite direction.

  Malhotra had never been more certain that Terrence was in on his father’s scheme.

  “Notify the local police at every station,” he told the young officer. “I don’t want him giving us the slip again.”

  ——

  “We have a problem, Mr. Winkworth.”

  “Hmm?” Darren replied absentmindedly, looking up from the issue of Private Island magazine he had been browsing.

  It was his Chief Security Officer, looking stern.

  “Terrence’s PA and bodyguard got to Paranjapur immediately after we left and were met by the authorities. We heard the PA’s police interrogation through the bug.”

  Darren frowned.

  “What do the police know?” he demanded.

  “Nothing, really. It’s mainly suspicion. The police think you’ve been involved in Terrence’s disappearance from the very beginning.”

  “That’s not fair! I have only been involved since this afternoon!” Darren protested.

  The security officer ignored the outburst.

  “Terrence is under suspicion, too. The police think he intentionally vanished to benefit your Chillaxin promotional efforts.”

  “Me? Work with my son? These people can’t be serious.”

  “There’s an even bigger issue. A picture of Terrence on the train to Jaipur was recently posted to the Internet by a fellow passenger. If we found it, the police surely did, too.”

  Darren sighed. Why did life need to be so complicated.