Thanks again to rustyoznail for painstaking editing this series. Its his help that enables to see these series the light of the day. This part contains a bit of nonconsent and bad words,so proceed with caution. It was mentally exhausting to complete this chapter
At the break of dawn on September 11, 2001, a hopeful soul named Shahid Khan touched down on the bustling shores of JFK Airport. Armed with insurmountable hopes and dreams, the young IT programmer left his humble hometown Faisalabad behind, eager for a slice of the American dream. But as fate would have it, the day was to become an unforgettable turning point in global history - shaping Shahid's journey in a way he never could have foreseen.
The alarms in the airport shrieked with deafening urgency just as he was about to check out. The normal humdrum of the airport came to a sudden, chilling halt as news of the notorious 9/11 terrorist attack rapidly spread. The world seemed to stall in time, and so did Shahid's breath as he stared up at the smoke-filled sky. Far away from the safe confines of his home, Shahid was caught in the throes of a terrifying chapter of American history.
The day after these horrendous events unfolded, he gathered the courage to dial home. His mother's hysterical pleas pierced his heart like a dagger - stories of hate crimes against Muslims were rapidly spreading across the globe.
"Return home, Shahid," she pleaded, scared for his safety in the same land of opportunity he had dreamt of. But Shahid, who had come to this foreign soil with nothing but resilience and determination, held his ground. He reassured his mother, and most importantly, himself.
He would not turn back; this was the land of blossoming opportunities reserved for those with the will and spirit to work hard. Shahid was one such spirited dreamer, ready to fight in the face of adversity. Summoning his strength, he joined the ranks of countless immigrants who etched their stories in the history of America. Shifting amongst numerous companies, he steadily climbed the ladder of success.
Every job switch brought new career prospects, materialising into a better offer than the last, creating a promising trajectory of growth. After a tenacious ten-year journey, he achieved the much-coveted Green Card, marking a milestone in his American journey. This moment gave Shahid the courage to set his footprints deeper in American soil. Alongside former colleagues Bilal and Usman, both from his homeland, he embarked on an entrepreneurial journey and established his own company.
Initially smitten by the apparent straightforwardness of Americans, a refreshing contrast to the corruption and nepotism he had witnessed back home, his perception soon took a sombre turn. The top echelon of corporate America revealed a dark side. He discovered that corruption was as rampant in his new home - it was just better hidden and guarded, ensuring it never seeped towards the common man.
For example, when a Bangladeshi manufacturing unit of a famous shoe company gets gutted because of lack of proper fire safety laws, the company would make a statement that their contractor illegally subcontracted to another factory with no such laws. Similarly, they knew that cocoa of a famous chocolateur is sourced from a war ravaged African country with child labour, but they instead showed the pictures of a well fed, happy community.
Similarly, Shahid knew that every company wanted to digitise their processes, but they wanted to do it as cheaply as possible. That's why the Indian IT companies mushroomed all of a sudden, but despite that, some companies felt it was still too costly to contract work out to these companies. This is where Shahid's company - "Innovative IT Tech" acted as a body shop for very cheap labour.
Gone were the days where the immigrant students from South Asia were the best and brightest the world could offer. Now every Tom, Dick and Harry could find his way into some of the shady universities where they spent close to $100,000 and then they would be picked up by the H1B sponsors who would do body shopping. Shahid's company not only provided them visas - they also gave them fake degrees and references and even helped them in preparing for interviews as well. The clients knew what went on behind the curtain, but they pretended to be fooled as long as the employees didn't create a stink. Everyone was happy.
Prasad was one of the unscrupulous H1B holders who has been working with fake jobs on his CV. The ones who had them normally tried to upskill themselves and then move out with actual jobs. Shahid had no issues with such men, as he knew he would have done the same thing. Prasad knew he wasn't good at his work, so he was stuck with this same company for close to five years with no hike in his salary or job position. It was more of a marriage of convenience.
Shahid wasn't just a charismatic person, he was also a womaniser. Standing at 6'1" and with striking Pathani features, he had several admirers even during his college days in Lahore. But his appetite for seducing women was too big and he pursued them relentlessly once he had his eyes on his target. His obsession grew as he became older and started rising up the corporate ladder. Once he started his own company he became a total predator.
Too many NRIs desperately needed the H1B visas to cling on to their American dreams. It was easy to use them or their wives, throwing the carrot and stick bait approach. He fucked his employees or their wives. He was a walking example of a #Metoo# about to explode.
Like a chess player, he would size up the situation, careful to avoid those who might strike back. It was an illicit game he'd been playing for years - and remarkably, he'd never lost. There was no shortage of willing women; H1Bs on the line, dreams at stake.
The debauchery of Mr Khan was well known in his company circles but he never cared. He, in fact, craved the notoriety it brought him and made him an alpha male. But he was also a reasonable man. He would reward those who were good to him. Not every employee had to barter his wife as long as they were good employees.
Every year, he held an office party for all his employees and it was unofficially mandatory to bring their spouses. He used this opportunity to size up their wives so that he could make moves on them when he had the opportunity.
Prasad was already facing questions over why he was no longer attending the get-togethers by his friends/colleagues so he knew he had the option to wiggle out of this one. He half heartedly informs Meghna about the party hoping that she might try to read his sad face and sacrifice herself into not going. But Meghna no longer cared about Prasad's feelings anymore and she wanted to use this opportunity to actually tell his friend's wives that she has no issues with the get togethers.
Maria Lucia, who was Esmerelda's daughter, was studying beauty courses as there was a huge market for unlicensed but cheap beauty services in the Mexican immigrant communities. It was a good way to hustle money. Meghana agreed to receive a full makeover free of charge although Steve, her neighbour and secret lover, slipped Esmerelda, another lady he attended to, a twenty to cover her material costs. She harboured a silent apprehension about how her husband Prasad would react, as he never allowed her to spend money on luxuries like salon services. After being ignored for so long, she no longer cared about him as she wanted to look radiant for Steve.
What followed was a marathon six-hour beauty session. It started with a relaxing facial meticulously done by Maria, who projected an expertise beyond her years. Next came the hair cut, a simple yet chic style that framed her face perfectly. As the day wore on, Meghana made a bold decision - she decided to get a full-body wax and most dauntingly, a bikini wax. He remembered how Travis, Steve's horrible son, called her muff "Osama Bin Laden". She also wanted to surprise Steve, not her husband.
Now adorned in a simple red chiffon saree, her transformation was complete. The simple piece of attire had taken on a designer's aura, accentuating her newfound grace.
