Nights Like This (33 page)

 

 

I would like to take time to carve a little space to thank all those who made NIGHTS LIKE THIS possible.

Thanks to:

Riverdale Avenue Books and especially to Lori Perkins for all the time, patience, work and kindness that went into making NIGHTS LIKE THIS a reality.

SALGA NYC for offering me a place when I was quite displaced in the world.

Charles Rice-Gonzalez for taking the time to read one of the first drafts of NIGHTS LIKE THIS despite the thousand and one things I know he has going on.

Abha Dawesar for treating me with kindness and giving me hope when I felt as if I didn't have any.

Tina Bhagnari for that fateful conversation on a crisp autumn evening that inspired the writing of this work.

Leticia Santana for that World Cup summer that changed our lives, for moving me from thought to action and loving the pages held within a yellow folder that would eventually become this story.

Kashish Chopra for reading this manuscript when it was just a dream.

Robert Mitchell for words of wisdom and wise silences whenever they are needed.

Aileen Mitchell for common sense and solid advice whenever and wherever regarding whatever.

Priya Rehal for always uplifting my spirits just by being the beautiful person that she is.

Ratna Bajaj for believing in me sometimes more than I did and posting my short stories on her closet door.

Aja Camerlingo for loving this story.

Hung Phan for wishing and hoping this work into existence despite his scientific mindset just because he knew it made me happy.

Tina Maniwang Phan for being seamlessly thoughtful and generous in every way from the first day we met.

Priya Dhanda for 2:00 a.m. conversations that have become the best form of therapy.

Bhavani Ravanan for being there through it all, since way back when.

Ed Hastie for promising to be there and then always coming through.

Liz Hastie for offering a beautiful friendship with no reservations and no judgments from the moment she knew I existed.

Carrie Schwartz for telling me to make that phone call and for always listening.

Samar Awad for sharing life stories and making me laugh no matter what.

Tara Wong for her friendship that, much like her, has always been gentle and kind.

Jennifer McDowell for always challenging the norm and telling me to listen to my heart.

Terron Singletary for turning a random and chance meeting into a friendship and showing me that happiness is a viable option.

My brother, Atul Sood, for that summer in India when he restored my hope in life piece by piece and for his encouragement and support for my dreams even if he doesn't understand why I dream them.

My Dad, Arvind Kumar Sood, for being a living example that you can dictate the terms of your own success.

My Mom, Meenakshi Sondhi Sood, for always wanting more for me than I ever imagined for myself, for her love, for her faith and for teaching me that there is love that endures, despite everything.

 

 

 

 

Divya Sood was born in Kolkata, India. She migrated to the United States as a child and grew up in Edison, New Jersey. Upon graduation from Edison High School, she was awarded the medal for Outstanding Achievement in English. She attended Rutgers University for her undergraduate work with a major in English and a concentration in Creative Writing. While at Rutgers, she was awarded the Evelyn Hamilton First Prize for Fiction, the Edna N. Herzberg First Prize for Fiction and the New Jersey Chapter of the National Society of Arts and Letters First Prize for Short Fiction. Divya holds a Master of Arts in English from New York University. She resides in Queens, New York.

 

 

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