Hardik Savalia
Motel, Botel.
A short story collection.
Coming soon in print
Meet the
'Bluecollar' Patels
You already know us
We've met at your local motel, gas station, or liquor store, which are often the first places America meets Gujarati Patels and the broader South Asian Diaspora.
And boy, do we have
stories to tell
Ten stories, for now.
All fiction, of course.
Dear Brown People,
Let's talk about it.
How it's shaped us as a people.
It's a tiny part of our legacy
in this country.
Of course, we are all very sidha-saadha.
But sometimes, we have too much daru-baru,
and do too much antar-mantar in each others lives
and get up to some altu-faltu stuff, right?
Stories in this Collection
Using My Luck
Meet Naina, an Arizona mother and comedian-wanna-be, who escapes the poverty shame from her sister-in-law and husband.
Man of the House
Meet Raju, a Dallas video gamer, who confronts his family about how to process grief after witnessing his parents’ murder at their gas station.
Four Generations
Meet Vaidehi, a skittish daughter of 7-Eleven owners, who revisits her hometown in Valsad, Gujarat to find new romance and understand the road other women have paved for her.
Lying to the Kids
Meet Bobbi Bhaiyya, a Burger King owner, who accidentally gets his best friend of 40 years addicted to opiates and entangles their wives and kids into the mess.
The Omen on Her Face
Meet Walia, a brash Kentucky liquor store owner, who makes peace with her twin sister, a world class tennis pro, after allegedly attempting to murder her.
Who’s in Charge?
Meet Sid, a blunt gay man from Bihar, who introduces Tennessee locals to the first India-inspired amusement park and tries to saves it from bankruptcy.
Pros and Cons
Meet Axel, a lonely teenager in an Iowa motel, who throws a pool party against the advice of his beloved mentor, a Black farmer.
State of Shanti
Meet Shreyas, an illegal immigrant in Minneapolis, who befriends a white homeless woman squatting at his home.
Don’t Worry, Just Adjust
Meet Takshila Ben, a widowed retiree, who gets bamboozled into slave-like working conditions at a desi-owned motel in Louisiana.
Be There For Them
Meet Jaya, a second grader in Vermont, who fights a puzzling illness when her father decides to isolate her from her Latina best friend.
Where our
characters take us
Thank you
I am grateful for these awesome friends who have helped me make this project real and compelling.
Editorial help from Jon Glynn, Sara McClure, Mustafa Paghdiwala, Rahul Mehta.
Illustrations by Shivana Dhana.