I am an average college student, relationship status:single,living in a boys hostel, with pitch black hairs parted at my forehead and a brown skin ,which is the natural colour of half of the population in India, my home country. That reminds me, the only information I have of my country is stuff I have heard from my classmates and Internet. How embarassing. I sipped on the cola while smiling at the series. The kid was about to tell the girl, he wanted to go on a date with her. My eyes stuck to the screen, I waited for words to pop out of his mouth until I got distracted by my phone's caller tune. I slammed the cola on my table and strode towards the phone, picking it up and yelling. "I'M NOT JOINING YOU ALL FOR THE YEAR-END PARTY! LET ME WATCH MY SER-"
"Skipping out on fun again, Shonu?"
I paused. I held my breath and slowly took my finger over the 'decline call'. "Don't you dare cut the call"says the voice on the other side. I sigh and hold the phone over my ear, "Yes sister?"
"Good. Now... remember that boyfriend I told you about an year ago?"
"Who?" I reply without even trying to rack my brains. She sighs "His name is Vijay and we are getting married this month. He was the guy I met in my college freshman year. Ofcourse you would only remember the characters from your goddamn series over everything."
"Oh. Cool. Congratulations..." I reply while glancing at my series, barely focusing on her words and waiting for the call to end.
"So you are invited for my wedding"
"Cool."
The call ends. I keep the phone and sit on my chair watching the kid waving a goodbye to his crush, with which the episode ends. I stood up from my chair and pick the phone, scrolling through the messages when I see my sister's message.
Sara: I have booked your tickets for the flight tomorrow I hope you don't need me to come there and aid you during the flight LOL"
You: For what?
Sara: Oh god, you have the memory of a hamster. I just called you and invited you to our wedding just a second ago and you forgot?
Her text came like a bolt from the blue. Well this is what I get for not paying attention to others speaking. An introvert, homestuck, like me will travel to my home country on my own. I can't even call it a homecountry for I don't even know a single thing about it.
Ever since our parents died ,my sister has been my only guardian, taking care of my needs and tution while I was an ungrateful brat living off her money. When I realised how pathetic and spoiled I was being, I decided to study seriously and get a proper job. After completing school, I got an offer to a college in the US and that's how I ended up here.
You must be wondering how I still don't know much about my country? Well I rarely came out of my house and I forgot sa lot of the stuff. The only time I remember I came out of my house was when a guy ,my age,was screaming on the top of his lungs during Holi (the festival of colours). Thats the only parenthesis I could come up with. I smacked my headphones on my table and stomped towards my balcony,hiffing and puffing, which was on the second floor , not much far away from the kids to shoot their water gun on my face and have the right aim too. The screaming kid did the same. He shot his watergun right at my face while I was boiling in rage and yelled, "DON'T BE PISSED! ITS JUST HOLIII" and giggled.
I was 10 around that time. I jumped off my balcony and followed that kid with a bathroom wiper in my hand. That was the only time I saw the world outside my room, the trees and the skys painted with vibrant colours . The scent of water filling the air and kids running after each other with water balloons and water guns with their clothes covered in different colours. While I was appreciating the surrounding, I lost track of the kid. I sighed and ran back home where my sister greeted me with horror on her face for my face was painted dark blue ,thanks to that kid. It took a whole week to come out. Making it an unforgettable experience.
Reminiscing that memory made me feel a bit motivated to visit India and beat that kid up. After thanking my sister for the tickets, I went to pack my stuff. Today was the last day in US, I snapped photos of the view outside my hostel and switched off my laptop after flipping off the kid of the series for I don't have to watch him and feel pathetic any longer. I took my phone, scrolling through my call log list to say goodbye to everyone, just to realise I didn't have any in the first place.
Well ofcourse.
At night, I eat the cup noodles I ordered online and watch the series while curling up on the chair. After today, I won't be as free as I am now for my sister is strict with everything. She will take over my daily life and make me help with the wedding arrangements. I give a flying kiss to my bed, my sidetable, my cupboard, my window, my floor and the cockroach roaming on it. "I'll miss you all" I jumped on my bed with my phone, getting nervous for my flight tomorrow. Its been 5 years since the last one I took. I barely remember the procedures. "I guess I will just embarass myself tomorrow" I say while accepting my self and go to sleep.
The next morning starts with me waking up late as always but this time I have this strong realization that I may be late for my flight. I look for the luggage I probably packed last night and facepalmed as I saw the clothes and my stuff spilling out of it. I got off my bed and started stuffing everything in my bag while watching the needle of the clock hitting 10. "NO PLEASE LORD HAVE MERCY ON ME!" I yell as I write a note of my leave and throw it on the bed while running outside with my luggage. The warden stops me on the exit of the hostel and asks,"What's the hurry, young man?"
While trying to reply him in a hurry, I slipped in my Indian accent but somehow conveyed my message. He wished me a happy journey and I ran towards the road searching for a taxi. Fortunately, I found a taxi and got in with my luggage wishing for not forgetting anything in my room. After a long 2 hour ride, I reach the airport and toss the money at the driver while pulling in my heavy luggage. Just as I predicted, I embarassed myself on the airport as my luggage opened with my clothes and my underwear spilling outside on the luggage checking. I apologised to everyone with my face flushed red in embarassment and boarded my flight just in time while the air hostess on the entrance of the flight watched me push my underwear in my bag.
'WHY AM I SO EMBARASSING?!' I screamed in my head as I sat on my seat as the ticket said. As I made myself comfortable on my seat with my head resting on the chair, I realised .... I forgot my laptop at my hostel.
After the flight landed in India and I could finally free myself from the guy thinking of my shoulder as a local pillow, I create a cool stance like they do in the movies, looking nostalgic after returning to my country , brushed back one side of my hair and look for the one there to pick me up. Surprisingly, there was no one. I asked the people beside me if I was in India and they nodded. I was beyond stunned at the scene in front of me.
Is sister testing me? I don't know a single road in this country and she just made it my responsibility to find out her house on my own? I can't believe this...
I stomped with my luggage to find a taxi on my own.
"I managed to come to India on my own so I probably can do this too" I murmured under my breath and looked for a taxi. Fortunately, I found one and sat inside while throwing my luggage on the other side. The driver asked, "Where do you want to go, Saheb?"
That mere sentence was enough to make me feel home. I haven't heard Hindi in 5 years or maybe even more. Its not like I talked in English much in US for how introverted I was. But still, hearing someone speak in my mother tongue after so long felt great. I pulled out my phone and tried switching it on when I realised it was ....dead. The driver asked again. I pulled myself together out of the shock and just said whatever city came in my first.
"Take me to.. uh.. Nagpur...?"
The driver gave me a blank stare. "Saheb, we are in Kolkata..." he utters while his eyes drift on me from head to toe, in judgement.
"Nagpur isn't in Kolkata?" I asked, feeling dumber the more I continue this conversation.
"Nagpur is in Marashtra... Saheb....and Kolkata is in Bengal..." he replies.
"Oh then take me to the nearest hotel you know here."
"Alright."
As the taxi starts, I see a man holding a placard and running around looking for someone. I laugh at him, wondering who was dumb enough to not recognise him until I see the name in the placard.
It was me.
He was my escort.
I stare at him helplessly as the taxi drives away and I join my hands, praying to God, for my safe journey.
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