‘Sure, whatever you say, boy.’
‘Hey now, don’t look so upset, I’ll be back soon.’ Jacob reached into his pocket and pulled out a fistful of notes, stuffing them into the waiter’s hand. ‘And maybe … just maybe, that time I’ll be lucky enough to catch you smiling.’
The man snorted, but squeezed Jacob’s hand in gratitude. ‘There’s more chance of you finally staying put in one place than that happening.’
‘You know me too well, Amir.’
‘Unfortunately, that’s very true. Now, go – you’re putting off my other customers with your cheek.’
Jacob bit back the urge to point out that he was one of only three other people in the cafe. Instead, he gathered his stuff and walked out into the chaos, fuelled and ready to embrace the full might of the city. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath in, and stepped on to the street.
‘Jesus Christ!’ he yelped, as something hard slammed into his shoulder. He only just managed to steady himself when he noticed a girl lying in the dust at his feet.
‘Oh my God, are you all right?’
But the girl’s long, dark blonde hair was shielding her face, making it hard for him to tell if she was conscious or not.
‘Hello, can you hear me?’ He bent down next to her.
‘Yes. I can hear you,’ a curt voice snapped back. ‘And I’m fine, I just need a second.’
‘OK …’ Jacob stayed crouched, waiting for the angry girl to rise from the earth. ‘But I wouldn’t stay down there too long, it’s not the cleanest place to take a break.’
As if lightning had struck, she jolted upright, shooting him a look of utter contempt.
‘Don’t you think I know that? I was just checking to see if anything was broken.’
‘And is it?’
‘No.’ The girl sniffed, brushing herself down. ‘No thanks to you.’
‘No thanks tome?’ Jacob reeled. ‘You were the one running through the streets of Delhi not looking where you were going.’
It was only now, when they were both standing upright, that Jacob could fully take in the overly aggressive stranger. She was tall, only a few inches shorter than him, with strikingly blue eyes. Her skin was so pale it practically glowed in the sunlight, and it was decorated with a mixture of dust and freckles. At his words, her deep scowl began to soften.
‘Yes, well …’ She shifted uncomfortably. ‘I was lost and this tuk-tuk driver wouldn’t leave me alone.’
‘I see.’ Jacob clocked the scrunched-up map in her right hand and the tour guide poking out of her left pocket. His frustration melted into sympathy. She was clearly new to this game, and it was not an easy one to play.
‘Has he gone?’
‘Who?’ she bit back.
‘The tuk-tuk driver.’
‘Oh yes’ – she checked over her shoulder – ‘I think I lost him a while back.’
‘Good, so let me guess … first time in India?’
‘First day.’
‘Ah, and dare I ask, how are you finding it?’
The strange girl raised an eyebrow, the scowl re-forming with greater intensity than before.
‘Too hot. Too crowded. Insanely difficult to navigate. And now, thanks to our little run-in, I’m at risk of an infectious disease. So it’s safe to say … not great.’
Jacob couldn’t help but laugh.
