Being a marketer is no sweat. You just have to manage dozens of channels, launch hundreds of campaigns, score thousands of leads and, okay, fine, it's a lot of sweat. Unless you have HubSpot's AI-powered marketing tools to help you do all that and more. Get started at HubSpot.com slash marketers. This is Dixha Basu reading an excerpt from my novel The Windfall.

Welcome to Storybound, presented by Lit Hub Radio and the Pod Aglomerate.

I'm your host, Jude Brewer. Coming up in one minute is a story told by Dick Shabasu with original composition by Caitlin Convery. Now Now that the new car is here, will you please take it the next time you go to Gurgaon? Mr. Cha asked his wife over breakfast the next morning.

He felt bad when he saw her return the previous evening sweating, with her sari crumpled and hair escaping

from the tight low bun she always wore it in.

I'm not comfortable driving it, Mrs. Cha said.

Besides, we need to get the car blessed before we use it.

Mrs. Cha was sick of being nervous.

She double-locked all the doors and windows before bed every night.

She checked the vault at the bank at least once a month and she had even joined a lady's investment

club and taken their advice and put a significant amount of money into gold bricks. The wealth was

exciting but it also made her nervous. And now with this flashy car and big move to Gurgaon, she was having sleepless nights.

They needed God on their side now more than ever.

Don't be silly, Mr. Ja said, pouring hot milk on his bowl of oats.

Such a shiny Mercedes is already blessed.

I'm not wasting time taking it to the temple for the Pajari to bless it. Did you happen to see

the neighbors yesterday? No. I didn't see anyone, Mrs. Cha said. Sometimes I wonder if all the houses

in Gurgaon are abandoned. But listen,

I'm telling you, we're attracting the evil eye. It'll take less than an hour. We have to do this.

Bad luck is coming. Mrs. Cha hardly went to the temple these days herself. Last time she went,

about three months ago, there was a hand-painted sign that advertised rupees 25 for special exam time

prayer. Sometimes God's home resembled the local shop that sold rice and flour by the kilo. As much as she

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