1999

After two months of searching, we found our perfect apartment on Rivendell Way in Edison – a neighborhood where Hindi and Gujarati blended with English in the supermarkets. We furnished it quickly, filling our space with both necessities and little luxuries.

One evening, an enthusiastic caller announced: “Congratulations! You’ve been selected for our daily newspaper feature!”

Flattered, I eagerly answered all her questions. Only when she mentioned the $100 subscription fee did I realize – this was no honor, just a sales tactic!

My wife, watching my animated conversation, thought I’d suddenly mastered an American accent. Not wanting to disappoint her, I proudly declared: “I got you a newspaper subscription!” Her delighted smile made the $100 lesson slightly less painful.

From then on, I let my wife handle phone calls – her sharp instincts saved us from many such “offers.”

Through clever salespeople, we were learning to navigate not just New Jersey’s roads, but this new American life – together.