SEVENTY NINE

Malvika stumbled into the hotel, her shoes in her hand. Her hair look disheveled and her clothes were dirty. She had had a messed up day and all she wanted to do was go to bed. She glanced at her wristwatch. The time was fifteen minutes to ten. She knew Haley would be packing up to end her shift, so she wakes towards her table. She slumped down on a seat across Haley. “Hey,” she mumbled, making her presence known.

“Hey, honey,” Haley said as she raised her head and saw Malvika. During the five days that Malvika had spent here, the both of them had fallen into an easy camaraderie of chatting and talking and sharing their problems with each other. “What’s wrong? You look horrible.”

“I feel just horrible too. Infact, I’m pretty sure I feel worse than I look.”

“What happened, hon?” Haley asked.

“Went job hunting again,” Malvika groaned. “Today was worst then the rest. I pushed and shoved and groveled upon, yet I wasn’t given the job.”

“Oh, sweetie. I’m so sorry.”

“My stay in this hotel wi