When the concert is over, Malini and Shruti meet Ram inside the auditorium. They go up to the vocalist, Priya, and congratulate her on a job well done. Priya thanks them, and Ram apologizes for Shruti's outburst.

"She got a little carried away," he says, giving Shruti a stern look.

Priya laughs and waves hi to Shruti. "No, it's fine. I'm very happy to see she knows the song. Do you know what raga Meenakshi memudam is?" She bends down to Shruti to ask.

Shruti looks up at Ram seriously, and then confidently announces, "Poori kalyani."

Priya and Malini laugh as Ram corrects her, "Poor-VEE."

Shruti grins and waves as her parents lead her away. Just as start going home, Shruti nods off, and then the cellphone rings, and Sangeetha is on the line.

"Is the concert over?" she asks. She invites them over, but Shruti is sleeping already, so they say they'll see each other tomorrow.

"Good night," Malini says into the phone, and hangs up.

Ram says, "That was a good concert."

"Hmm," says Malini. "I guess. I missed most of it."

**********

Isaiah and Jon are in the parking lot, just talking, but it is getting dark. "Hey, mon, I don't mean to scare you, but your friend really was lucky. He don't know how much."

Jon looks up. "It's getting dark. Want to come over? We can talk..."

"Ok." They go to Jon's apartment, which is a bachelor's studio. Over beers, Jon asks what Isaiah meant.

"Well," he says, rubbing his neck. "They're not just kids from the neighborhood. Turns out they got a group meeting at this one guy Mickey's place. They got a music band, and they want to make it big, but they keep gettin turned down for gigs."

"Ok..." Jon nods, "But what does this have to do with Anil?"

"Well, nothin, really, but that they THINK he is a musician. Someone has been rentin studio time in his name and really impressed one of the record execs or somethin. So they want to shake him up a bit so he can't perform no more, then they can get the gigs he should."

"But he's not a musician at all..." Jon protests, the wheels spinning in his head.

"Yeah, but someone he knows is, I guess."

"Sangeetha!" Jon exclaims. He stands up and paces the room. "So, they want to take Anil out just so they can get some silly performances someplace?"

"Yeah, mon," Isaiah says, raising his hands, "that's all I know."

"How do you know all this?" Jon asks, suspiciously.

"Hmm, buddy of mine. Can't tell you his name." He looks away. "Hey, I gotta go. Thanks for the beer." He smiles sympathetically.

"Bye," Jon says, watching him as he leaves. Isaiah doesn't see the worried look on his face.

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