Middle East Calling

Rajeev Desai came from a modest, lower-middle-class background, but that never kept him from dreaming. A true child of Mumbai, he knows that he alone is the one to make those lofty dreams come true. His ultimate goal is to move to the modern-day mecca for the financial industry, New York City. From his first days at school, Rajeev is an excellent student; on the day he receives a gold medal in economics from one of the top colleges in Mumbai, he knows that all of his young dreams are about to come true at last.

Everything in his life is exactly as he had hoped: He has friends who are as precious as family. He's been accepted to grad school at some of the finest colleges in the world. His professors can't say enough about his academic achievements and potential. The world is his oyster. But then he is forced to learn one of his first lessons in finance: "Get the money ... and you get to go to college."

With his Father's death, his family's financial situation becomes shaky at best and Rajeev decides not to further burden his mother - the sole earning member in the family. So when a lucrative job opportunity presents itself in Kuwait, he's torn. Can he-an economics gold medalist-swallow his pride to drive a cab?

Along the way, he'll receive some memorable lessons about friendship, family, professional relationships, and love. Now he must discover whether he and his dreams will survive on this strange, new path.

After graduating from SP Jain Institute of Management in Mumbai, Srikanth Ramaswamy worked in India and the Middle East for seven years. He is a banker who is taking classes at George Washington University. He and his wife, Rachana, live in College Park, Maryland.