Finally
I am home. Having lived here for 25 years, before moving to Hyderabad, it gave
me a sense of comfort while setting my feet on the sand. It might be foolish to
say, but never mind, I missed this place terribly. Many of them say that there
is no great difference between the concrete metropolitan cities but one can
definitely differentiate one's home land, isn't it?
Moving
out of the bus station, I looked around for a cab. Well, hailing a cab doesn't
demand considerable effort in a city, but it was definitely a difficult task at
5 in the morning; especially on a chilly January day, it being Bangalore. I
would have gone by a city bus otherwise, but with my luggage, I think it is
unwise. As I stood at the entrance of the station, my gaze wandering around, my
mobile greeted me a 'good morning' with its usual alarm. I switched it off and
whistled towards a cab driver who was probably having a cup of coffee at the
other end of the road. Thanks to the chilly weather, the city was still sleeping;
so my voice reached him.
Piling
up my luggage with the help of the driver, I slumped, exhausted, onto the rear
seat after instructing the driver my destination. Exhausted- because of the
long 11 hour night journey from Hyderabad to Bangalore by bus. But I love
travelling by bus or by train. So I go for bus or train journey provided there
is ample amount of time. I always feel that one can get to know the heritage of
the real rural India by travelling by road.
Owing
to the darkness, I couldn't see anything except for the colourful lights
blazing the tranquil city, somehow reminding me of a new bride ready for her wedding
day. Pulling the zip of my jacket up, I let my head fall back on the seat. My
almost closed eyes fluttered open with a shrill ring of my mobile.
"Enjoy
your break, little brat." It was a message from my Zonal Head (ZH), Mr. Ankit
Kapoor, back at Hyderabad. I laughed at the pile of smilies that followed the
text, which implied that he was positively jealous. Ofcourse why not? I was
granted a long leave of 15 days after working like a donkey on one of the most
prestigious projects of my company. So back to the point, my ZH who was my
immediate reporting manager wasn't quite happy with my absence in his team, I
smirked. I have to mention that he is a good man, in his late sixties. For some
reason, he always addresses me as his little brat. He said that I resemble his
deceased child.
Oh
I am sorry, I guess I forgot to mention that I work for Global Insight Inc., a
global business consulting firm, at Hyderabad, as a member of Human Resource Management
team. I deal with talent acquisition, or campus hiring in simple terms apart
from leading a team of technology consultants. With an MBA from a decent
college, I ended up with four offers from MNCs of which I opted for the current
one. It being January, which is a peak season for hiring processes at various
colleges, I was apprehensive while requesting for a leave. However, I was granted
one without any rustles.
Not
only me, my colleague-cum-childhood friend Rahul, was also granted a leave. He
was supposed to accompany me here, but the plan was dropped last minute due to
some of his prior assignments with his team at the company. He was my friend
since our high school. We were almost inseparable. I was pretty sure that my
mom loved him more than myself as he spent most of his life at my house, owing
to the fact that he was an orphan. He was a gem of a person. He stayed at
orphanages, studied hard with his own money by taking up tuitions for the
students of lower sections. He was my self-made brother, as I term it, to whom
I was emotionally attached the most, the only exception being my mom, probably
more than my dad.
"Saab, right or left?" The cab driver
pulled me out from my thoughts.
Looking
around the place, I instructed him to take right turn. As the car pulled up into
our colony, I felt sadly happy. Happy- because I came back to Bangalore after a
period of six months. I was sent to Poland by my zonal head to handle a
project, which I have mentioned above, for six months which resulted in me not
able to come here. Sad- because this is the very own place where I used to come
for a jog with my dad. It was his death two years ago which paved way to my
decision of taking up my job offer in Hyderabad. I felt suffocated to live here
after his demise. But my mom was adamant on not leaving the place where she had
built her world with my dad. I couldn't deny her either. So I let my mom live
here while I took up my offer at Hyderabad.
My
mom, who ordered me to come back home after my project at Poland, is one strong
person emotionally. Not that I am boasting but, probably stronger than me. I
was terrified she would be broken when my dad passed away due to cancer. But
she proved me wrong by handling everything back then when I, being their only
child who had to take the charge, had been wilting. So I wasn't much worried in
leaving her here. Moreover most of my relatives live in the same city, with my uncle-
my mother's brother, living just a flat away from ours. My mom was happy with
my decision back then, so I went in search of a new world at Hyderabad two
years ago.
My
mom called me a week back when I was in Poland asking me to come home for a
week or so. I was pleasantly surprised at the glint of happiness in my mom's
voice when she called me. Not that she wasn't happy before; but after my dad's
demise, her voice lost that particular spark that used to be present in it
before. When I asked her about it, she exclaimed excitedly that she had got a
new friend in the form of a new paying guest. It was me who came up with the
idea of going for a paying guest so that my mom would get an amigo. Later I
enquired about her from my uncle. But he said she was a pleasant lady and I
need not worry. I am happy for my mom. At the back of my mind I also imagined her
friend's appearance from my previous experiences of her kitty party. A short fat
lady, with excessive make up, flaunting her new saree! That imagination cracked
me up. Hey but wait, my mom isn't like that, mind that! Standing at five foot
five inches, always in cotton sarees owing to her being a professor, she is a
lady of anyone's dreams, as my dad used to remark. People say I got my good
looks from my mom.
She
sounded too happy and excited for my own comfort. Don't get me wrong, but when
my mom is upto something regarding me; I am bound to get nervous, aren't I?
From the last one year she was after my marriage. Somehow I was able to drag it
for an year. But now, I had a bad idea that my mom is definitely planning
something.
I
am not against her either. I absolutely love her choice. Ofcourse being my
mother, she knew me well too, I guess more than I myself do. I am not in any
relationship either. So I let it be. But what intrigued me is that she made her
my mind against telling me who she chose for me this time. I mean I have met
few others before, but none of them was perfect, not according to me but
according to my mom. Well I came to Bangalore being a single, but this time I
am sure Hyderabad would welcome a betrothed me.
"Saab, we reached." Once again it was the
cab driver. We reached my place in one hour. Again, he helped me with my
luggage till the lift of our apartments. Paying him the fare, I walked upto a
sleeping watchman and woke him up. His face broke into a wide smile recognizing
me. He had been working as watchman for the past 30 years. My mom said that my
dad brought him here from some village. And he had been the lone spectator of
all my hidden mischeives during my childhood.
Requesting
him to get my luggage upstairs, I pressed the elevator button of my floor,
praying that my mom is at home. Giving into Rahul's idea of surprising mom, I
didn't inform her that I would be coming today. I don't have a spare key
either. So it's better that my mom is at home. Or else? Nothing, I'll stay at
my uncle's place awaiting her return. However I don't think at 6 in the morning
my mom would be away from home, except for her morning walk.
I
rang the bell once and rubbed my palms to keep myself warm. My heart raced as I
heard the bolt click. Oh come on, I am meeting my mom after six months; I am
bound to be excited. Why not? I am proud to say that I am momma's boy. Now I can't help it if you think I am a typical
momma's boy. Agey agey dekho mai kya kya
rang dikhata hoon apna!
Hence,
my readers, I'll catch you all later. And yeah before signing off, it's Armaan
Mallik here, son of Mrs. Raji Arvind Mallik, friend of Mr. Rahul and would-be
husband of Mrs. Someone yet to graze
my life.
***********
lol, how is it?😃
I thought of trying something new this time. So the fiction would be in first person, in the view point of Armaan.
Unlike the previous one, which was a fairy tale, it'll be real, witty and not to mention romantic yet sensitive. As you can grasp, the story revolves around Armaan and the three important people of his life, mentioned above. So the above part, Know me, is something like a character sketch; only with the female protagonist missing.😆 😆
Ok regarding pms, I was confused as to whom to send. So I am sending pms to all my previous pm requestors (lol, is that a word?). Let me know if you want to continue getting an alert, pm, for update. Feel free to also let me know if you don't need one.
Ok enough of my blabbering now, I'll be waiting for, as always, your comments.
Sushmita
ps: let me know if the layout, I mean the font size, is okay. Or else I'll try an another one.
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