[three women in saris are stepping up into an official looking building, a
palace is across the river in the background]

"Meera! We made it!" Sama laughed as she stepped out out of the taxi and
took her bag from the driver. Meera was grinning as much as she was. They
tried to pay the driver, but he, too, was grinning and said "This one is
free! It's not often I meet someone from home!"

The two girls waved him off and pulled their bags after them, wheels
clicking on the pavement. "Sama, I can't believe he's from the same village
we are. Of all the places to run into someone from home." "I know!" said
Sama. They looked up and made sure they were at the right door. The sign
hanging out over the sidewalk said "Bajat International House", and they
pushed through the narrow door and into a surprisingly spacious hallway.

A woman stood up from the desk, smiling, too, and said "Sama! Meera!
Welcome!"

"Thank you" the girls said in unison, still trying not to giggle from
exhaustion, excitement, and the teasing they'd been giving each other for
the entire trip.

"You must be exhausted. You want to see your room?" 

The girls looked at each other and shrugged. "We should probably sleep, but
it's still early here, and I don't know if I could anyway."

Sama giggled and said "Yeah. We could put our bags away, I suppose."

The woman led them up a narrow staircase and to a room on the third floor.
"You can see the river from here, and it's the biggest room, since there's
two of you. Here's a key, in case you want to lock your room."

"Thank you."

The girls flopped on the narrow twin beds for a moment, catching their
breath after the stair climb, bounced up and down on the squeaky springed
beds, then stood up again and hurried out.

"Let's go walk and see what we can see!"

"Sure! And maybe get something to eat. I'm starved."

They bounced down the stairs, Meera tottering a bit from exhaustion, but
still grinning as she did. "Me too!"

The woman looked up as they left, and she waved at them. "Have fun! Don't
wear yourselves out too much!"

They said "We won't!" in unison.

They stood on the street corner, looking down the twisted streets and trying
to remember landmarks to get back when they were done. A pub, a barrister's
office, a grocer's, a little alleyway jutting up a little hill, turning and
twisting into another road.

"What do you think Uncle Ram's place is like?"

"Matnij says he has a big house, with lots of trees and open spaces out
behind."