Chasing the Rainbow! - Chapter Four

Chapter One: Pete
Chapter Two: Anagha
Chapter Three: The Past


Chapter Four: The Present

Anagha called Pete while both of them were looking at the rainbow having completely different thoughts at that moment. Pete answered the call from the unknown number. The voice on the other end made his head spin and too many thoughts and images encroached his mind at the same time.

Anagha: "Hello Pete."

Pete was silent for a few seconds and then said, "Is it you, Anagha?"

Anagha: "It is me. I was wondering if we can meet this Saturday. I am in New York currently and will be flying back to India this Sunday." 

Pete: "Sure. How about Saturday evening 5 pm at our usual Stumptown Coffee Roaster."

After saying that Pete just realized the blunder he made. He went to cover up saying something but before that Anagha agreed and she hung up.

Pete and Anagha pretended to continue their routine till finally Saturday evening arrived. Anagha arrived earlier and chose the table from where the view was the best of the outside world. Pete arrived in 5 minutes or so. It was a little awkward for both of them and they greeted each other fumblingly. They ordered their bistros and while the bistros came tried to make small talks.

Pete: "So did you watch 'The fault in Our Stars'. They made a movie finally from your favourite book."

Anagha: "No, I did not. The book was too beautiful for me and I have my own illustrations of that book. I did not want to ruin it with the movie."

Pete: "Oh........so what are you upto these days?"

Anagha: " I have started with an NGO back home and was in town for getting financial aid for the same. The name is 'Vaatsalya'."

Pete: "So you did what you always wished for! What does Waaats..what did you say the name was....what does it mean?"

Anagha: "V-a-a-t-s-a-l-y-a.....it means mother's unconditional love for her child.

Pete. Let us not do this. I will come straight to the point. When I came to New York, I did not fathom that I will meet you. I did not think that I will ever sum up the courage to see you again. But the rainbow........no nothing......
Something made me do this. 

I still want you to come and help me with my NGO back in India. No strings attached. Just a professional offer. I want the best people to make Vaatsalya a place for everyone doing the best for the under privileged. Just give it one chance. If you do not like it there in India, I will not force you to stay. You can work with my mom. I will not be interfering there as I am working on a different focus within Vaatsalya."

There was silence after that. Their eyes were searching each others eyes for any subtle hint as to what will happen next. Pete was the first one to withdraw his eyes from hers. He looked across the street. 

Pete did not say anything for a long time. After a while he mustered all his strength to say, "I don't know......I doubt if I will survive there."

And there they parted again and this time they thought forever.

Pete went to his Phily home straight from the coffee shop, drove for 4 hours without any stop with too many thoughts cluttered in the mind. When he barged at the door, Linda said giving a scorn "You are late for the marriage. It was today and not tomorrow."

Linda could have continued with her pestering and taunts but the aghast look on Pete's face made her stop. Being concerned she asked, "What is wrong? You look like you have seen a ghost."

Pete narrated the evening story to Linda. Both of them were silent for a moment. Pete had never told Linda the real reason for their break up, he had just announced that he is no longer seeing her.

Linda looked into his eyes and said, "You might be able to hide it from the rest of the world but Pete....I know your truth. I know why you cannot let go off New York."

Pete looked scandalized, he had taken enormous amount of effort to keep it as his treasured secret as he knew no one will understand it.

Linda with moist eyes said, "It is Grandpa. I know it is for him..."

And in that very moment Pete thought he was naked in front of the world. His heart gushed with too much blood from the arteries and mind flooded with so many memories. His Grandfather lived in NYC. The den where he lived currently belonged to his grandfather. His grandfather was more like a dad to him than Bill ever was or could be. He had too many treasured moments in NYC with his Grandpa until 9 years ago when he passed away.

He reminisced the time when he got his first pet, a Labrador which was just 2 months old. Grandpa had said, " He will be your best friend, the most selfless one with unwavering loyalty."
Pete had named him Balto after the famous sled dog who saved Alaska's children from diphtheria epidemic by delivering medicine over the frozen Tundra. Pete had always seens Balto's sculpture in Central Park while walking with his Grandpa and now thought I have my own Balto.

He remembered their fishing expeditions over Jamaica Bay. The pride he had felt when he caught his first fish and Grandpa was there to pat his back. Fishing while listening to Grandpa's childhood stories was the best thing ever.

Walking the Literary Walk in Central Park amongst the Elm trees and learning to observe folks around as Grandpa had taught him was his favourite pass time.

He felt his Grandpa's head on his shoulder in the hospital where he took his last breath. Everything came back in a flash to him.

Pete could take it no more and asked his mom to excuse him and went straight to his room.

Next day without informing anyone, he started driving for NYC. He directly went to Central Park. He walked to the Loch and sat looking at the springs coming out of the rocks. Hours passed and when he came back home he was a transformed man.

Something happened at the Loch that day and a week later Pete took a flight to India.

Had Murphy not played his part Pete would have never been able to take this chance. It was because of Murphy that he missed his guest lecture that day. Had he attended the lecture he would have missed Anagha's call and would have gone to Philadelphia for his neighbour's wedding over the weekend. He would not have been able to meet her then. Had it not been for the rain, the rainbow would not have come and Anagha would not have called Pete in the first place. So yes Murphy does work miracles sometimes.

The air hostess asked Pete to open the window shutter while landing. And as Pete opened the window, he saw a full bloomed rainbow going down towards the land. He did not know if he was going to stay there or not but in his mind he pondered, "Maybe this is the rainbow I have been wanting to chase all my life."

Chasing the Rainbow! - Chapter Three

Chapter One: Pete
Chapter Two: Anagha

Chapter Three: The Past

Pete and Anagha first met at New York University when Pete was there giving a guest lecture on disaster management and Anagha was an attendee. At the end of the lecture as always Pete requested everyone to enroll in the United Nations Volunteer Program and gave his email id for any further clarifications.

Anagha enrolled in the Program and fortunately or unfortunately it was Pete who took her interview.

Pete after flipping over her resume mused, "So why informatics and not something more conventional?"

Anagha took a deep breath and replied, "I love patterns. I love finding patterns in data, analyzing it and watch how miraculously patterns work. 

The thing with patterns is - it is not right or wrong. Like we look at the same stars in the sky and yet see such different things. Still everyone is correct in their perspective. 

It is this love for patterns that has drawn me towards this domain."

While she was narrating this, Pete could see the sparkled passion in her eyes and sense the musical fondness in her voice. She was a completely transformed person when she was talking about patterns. Anyone in the room could have sensed her immense love for patterns. Pete thought to himself, 'Someone who follows their passion....just like me.'

He had made his hiring decision right there but to ensure the interview did not seem too short, he asked a few more questions.

Anagha joined the United Nations as a volunteer and started contributing over the weekends. Everyone around used to call her Ana but Pete always referred her with her full name Anagha.

Anagha and Pete hit off with their relationship in just a month. It was bound to happen, both of them complemented each other too well.

One evening lying on the sofa, Anagha asked Pete, "So what does Pete mean?"

The question baffled Pete because he never thought names have meanings. Looking confused he said, "I don't know, do names really have meaning? What does Anagha mean?"

Anagha looked at him and smiled, "It means 'sinless' or 'without any fault'."

And Pete instantly hugged her, placed a peck on her cheek and beamed, "You are indeed my immaculate girl".

Their courtship had all the moments of love - rose bunches; walks by the water, park and roads; lots of talking and sharing; cooking; reading to each other; date nights; Broadway shows; silent moments; quarrels; teasing; the gifts; in short everything!

The moment of truth arrived when it was time to meet the parents. Anagha met Pete's parents. Bill instantly loved Anagha with her keenness towards urban structures and reality estate business. Linda took some time to understand Anagha completely but post that she never looked back. They were like girlfriends sharing all the gossip and making Pete the target of their incessant teasing. Anagha even cooked an authentic Indian meal for them one day which was enjoyed by all. Pete and Anagha thought everything is falling in place.

Anagha introduced Pete to her parents when they had flown to NY for Anagha's graduation ceremony. Before that they had spoken on phone but this was the big day. This was the moment when things would get momentum or they might just fall apart. Anagha was nervous all time but Pete gave her reassurance that all will be well.

The night of the graduation all of them went out for dinner. Sheetal asked Pete a barrage of questions on UN, humanitarian work, his short stint in Somalia, his approach towards the disaster management and what made him take up this field. In return she also narrated her experiences as a social worker. She mentioned about one of her students from Sirohi Rajasthan who won a scholarship in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi in Social Sciences and how she came back to help other girls of her village post creating a mark as a renowned Social Science Professor. Sheetal spoke of all her students with the fondness of a mother for her favourite child. The dining table was humming with laughter and chuckles.

Mohan found Pete interesting but he had a few doubts in mind and he began his rifle shooting with the first question,

Mohan: "So how long have you known each other?"
Pete: "About a year now."
Mohan: "So you guys think a year is enough to make the decision and take the BIG leap?"
Pete and Anagha: "Yes we think so....."
Mohan: "Have you figured out where will you settle post marriage?"
Pete: "New York"
Anagha: "India"

And that was it! There was complete silence at the table post that and suddenly tension mounted. The dinner got over very soon after that and all went back to their homes having half filled stomachs but over filled minds with thoughts.

After coming home Mohan said to Anagha, "He is a good guy, but don't let anyone clip your wings and pet you in a cage. You are sensible, we will respect your decision."

Anagha did not call or meet Pete till her parents left for India nor did Pete try to call her.

They never imagined that the talk post Anagha's parents leaving would be their last talk. Anagha was ready for a mid way solution where she could stay the initial years of the marriage in NY and then later go back to India with Pete. She wanted to open a NGO in India in partnership with Pete once she had enough money to start up the operations. She wanted Pete to handle the humanitarian aspect while she concentrated on the planning and informatics. But Pete was hell bound on being in New York, not wanting to cut the umbilical cord with the place. He could not fathom a life outside New York.

Things went astray, bonds broke, poetry became venomous and Pete and Anagha went out their separate ways.

Chapter Four: The Present

Chasing the Rainbow! - Chapter Two

Chapter One: Pete


Chapter Two: Anagha

Anagha began her day with going from one New York office to another, meeting up with her classmates and friends raising funds for her new venture back in India - 'Vaatsalya' meaning mother's unconditioned love for her kids. Vaatsalya was a shelter for the under privileged, the old and anyone who does not have a home. Vaatsalya also focused on urban science and informatics which included identifying and assessing urban problems in domains of transit, utilities and health. Vaatsalya was managed by Anagha and her mother Sheetal. Anagha was in charge of the urban science and informatics division while her mother looked after the shelter.

Anagha was a part of a typical Indian nuclear family staying with her parents and a younger brother. Her Father Mohan owned a small factory which manufactured industrial pumps. Mohan was a man allways ahead of his times and he gave Sheetal all the freedom even during those times when women were supposed to be in the kitchen according to the societal norms. Sheetal was a social worker all her life and had travelled extensively during her youth days working at grass root level helping in building schools and advocating girls' education and health. She had seen too much poverty and worst conditions around which kept her humble and rooted even though she belonged to an affluent family. Anagha's brother Saahil was currently pursuing his graduation in Architecture from one of the renowned colleges of India - Sir J. J. College of Architecture, Mumbai. Their family was a closely knit one with a lot of liberal minds and ideas at the dinner table.

After completing her graduation in India, Anagha had headed to the States for her post graduation. She spent 3 years in the States which included her one year Masters of Science course in Applied Urban Science and Informatics at the New York University and two years working at Lutron Inc. These 3 years had helped her create a network in New York on which she was banking currently for the aid of Vaatsalya's growth. After touring India and getting help from all known sources, she thought NRIs and her American friends are the next best bet to raise funds for her venture. And so she was in New York for a week, wearing off her shoe soles moving from one office to another and convincing folks to donate for Vaatsalya.

It was Thursday already and she was headed to India the coming Sunday. Last leg of visits were remaining when she thought of him. She wondered whether she should meet him just once before leaving for India. But then she brushed off the thought. 

She was staying in a cheap hostel in Manhattan. She woke up to her alarm and started getting ready for the day. Today she was going to head to Times Square and target all the plush offices down there. She took the bus from Manhattan to NYC, opened her diary and checked out the names to visit today. Scribbled in small font was a name.....and she went back to those times....

He was a charmer not in just looks but the way he carried himself. She used to feel at home with him. There used to be a time when they used to sit for hours in a room independently reading something - she 'The Fountainhead' and he 'The Crisis Caravan'. And yet she felt engaged with him. He would stroke her fringes and move it behind her ear lobe and in just the next moment put his fingers in her hair and mess it all up. He loved her cooked food especially the dosa and the spicy coconut chutney, he would call them love pancakes with a spicy twist. They would spend hours at Central Park, holding hands and walking and talking like the world will cease to exist tomorrow.  

Just then the passenger sitting next to her wanted to get down and requested Anagha to hold her purse while held her baby tightly. Anagha was awakened from her thoughts then. She pushed back all the thoughts in the 'do not open box' of her mind and read through the next names. While Anagha was getting down at her stop, the dashboard in the bus informed all the passengers of the heavy rains expected that evening. Anagha was distraught with the thought of having to wind up her expedition earlier today and heading back to her hostel, precious time lost. 

She finished her errands fast and caught the bus back to Manhattan. On her way to Manhattan, it started pouring and she saw the rainbow. 

Whenever he saw a rainbow he used to say to her, 'I want to chase that rainbow. I want to see what is there at the other side of it, at the extreme end of its horizon'.

Her hands unconsciously reached her cell and she dialed his number.

Chapter Three: The Past

Chasing the Rainbow!

Chapter One: Pete

Pete was hurrying up at the Times Square like any other New Yorker on a weekday, barking and hustling through the crowd during the rush morning hours to reach his workplace. It was a nice bright Thursday Spring morning. On the way, he dashed against a passer by and was drenched in the hot coffee spilled all over his shirt by the dashing opponent. And Pete said to himself, 'God, please tell me that this is the only incidence for today where Murphy has played his role.'

Pete entered his work building. Macy at the reception greeted him as everyday. Pete smiled at her and rushed into his office. He opened his cabinet and took out a new shirt (this was not the first time he had coffee all over him and had learnt his lesson) and replaced the wet one on his body. He then sat and took a deep breath! Just then the phone rang. It was from the New York University where he was supposed to engage in a guest lecture on disaster management. They wanted him to come in earlier than expected as heavy rains were predicted for later that day. Pete agreed and started off for the University.

Pete worked at the United Nations and was currently stationed at their Headquarters as a Humanitarian Affairs Officer. His main area of work included providing humanitarian assistance/disaster relief in emergency situations. He virtually collaborated with the numerous folks on the field, helping them in planning and ensuring the necessary support by providing policy advice grounded in international humanitarian law and humanitarian principles. He did all this via sitting in New York - Be it be preparing a briefing for the Humanitarian Council on the situation of the mudslides in Badakhshan, Afghanistan; or working with a dedicated team as far lorn as Argo city in Afghanistan to help put together operational emergency response strategies; or be it helping in raising funding appeals for the floods in South Africa; or giving guest lectures in New York University in disaster management.....everything was done being in New York.  

This was partly because he loved New York and did not want to go anywhere else. He did have small stints in Somalia and Kenya but those were for two months. At the end of one month itself he used to start getting unsettled and yearned to back to New York, to his den reading in the dim light while trying to sleep on his bed. He did not mind the difficult conditions on the field but being home was what he always looked for ward to. He adored New York city. The 24*7 energy and constant motion gave him a boost each day when he stepped out of his den. And so he took up this role at UN Headquarters.

Pete was the only child of his parents - Bill and Linda Becket. They lived in Philadelphia, a less than 5 hour drive from New York. Pete visited them every weekend, or most weekends when he did not have to work. Bill was a Real Estate Agent and he never truly understood Pete's overwhelming interest in volunteering work that he took it as a career. Linda was more grounded and adored her son like any other mother would. Her relationship with Pete was much profound and they had this unwavering bond which tightly encompassed them. Linda was an archaeologist and currently was on sabbatical to be at home and relax. 

He hailed a taxi for New York University. Just then his mom called. 

Linda interrogated, "Did you receive the invitation card for Bethany's marriage?" 

Pete had received the card. Bethany was Pete's schoolmate and neighbour back in Philly. Pete lied saying, 

"No, I have not! Who is the unlucky chap anyways." 

Linda said, "Stop lying, you have received the card."

Pete with wrinkles on his forehead replied, "Ya ok, I have received the card but I am not coming. I have work to do  Mom, people may be stranded on some broken bridge at that time and they would need me."

Linda wickedly replied, "Stop acting like Batman and showcasing your pursuit to save Gotham.....pack your bags and come over this weekend for the marriage. Or else Batman's mother has enough tricks up her sleeves to drag her son wherever she wants him to be"

Pete giving up sighed, "Ok I will come...just do not do something to embarrass me"

Linda gave a nice hearty laugh and said, "Love you son, see you over the weekend in a black tie" and hung up.

Pete hung up and saw out of the window to realize he was still at the same spot as he was 20 minutes ago. It had already started pouring and the traffic was not moving forward at all. He cursed Murphy again under his breath and looked through the window. There was a kid with his mother who refused to be under the umbrella and preferred to get wet in the rain. A guy was trying to cover the bunch of roses in his hand protecting it from getting wet. Pete wondered if those roses were for a proposal tonight or for a hospital visit. There was teenager on a call talking animatedly and Pete pondered bet she is gossiping with her girl friend. 

40 minutes passed and the traffic did not move. By now it had started raining heavily and Pete gave up the idea of going to the University. He got out of the cab and ran into the nearest Dunkin Donuts. He called up the University to apologize and rescheduled the lecture. He then bought a coffee and sat at a corner table waiting for the rain to calm down not knowing what Murphy exactly had in mind for him.

Looking out of the glass door, he spotted a full bloomed rainbow. And then his cell rang. It was an unknown number. Contemplating on whether to answer or not to answer that call and looking intently at the seven colours, he thought I want to chase that rainbow!

Chapter Two: Anagha

Breaking Free

Sara Maria was sipping on her iced vodka glancing at the 23 folks sitting with her on this huge table at this award winning Spanish restaurant in the uber areas of never sleeping Mumbai. It was a party to celebrate her (or rather their) latest conquest at work - An ad campaign that brought laurels and not to mention a lot of affluence to the corporate. She should be happy but there was a tinge of bitterness to this success. It was not exactly portrayed as her solo success, as her boss took most of the limelight and that was hurting. Given a choice, she would have loved to quit and start working on that novel which was ripening now in her mind. But alas, she was stuck here!

She wanted to go home, but going to that shit hole called home was also not very beckoning. Hence she sat there, staring at drunk faces and letting the vodka drown all their banter.

It was easier to slip in some other times. When life was carefree and pure. Sara Maria, initially Sara George was from Goa. Her childhood was joyous like any other catholic kid with God worshiping parents and an affluent home to take care of all her needs. She was the only child and highly pampered.

While munching on the Spanish Poached Lobster with Roasted Red Pepper Salt, she sneaked into her childhood. She used to love sea food. Freshly caught fish, prepared in coconut curry accompanied by bountiful of rice. She used to hate vegetables. Her mom used to put small prawns pieces in the vegetables to make her eat the veggies. But Sara would pick only the prawns and eat, leaving all the vegetables untouched in her plate. Putting her mother's stupendous efforts all in vain!

She reminisced the beach days when she and her cousins used to run behind the small crabs on the sand with always being defeated by the F1 running crabs. The oily fish fry which they used to hog at the stalls. And the innumerable sand fights to decide who will eat the best piece of the fish at the dinner table. The ultimate pleasure about the beach was the feeling of the sea when you first immerse your feet into its vastness. 

She felt the same sensation now and was revoked from her memory lane. A colleague had spilled water on her feet! She went to the rest room to clean up the mess but in reality to take a break from all the chaos.

In the rest room, tears filled her eyes when she remembered the day her dad passed away by an untimely attack and how everything changed for her alongwith her name. She started putting her mother's name as her surname to respect all the sacrifices her mother did to get her here! That was the turning point in her life.  She was a very happy child till then. However to avoid all the pitying eyes around she became more of a rebel. Se preferred people hating her, despising her rather than be looked with sympathy. The pampered girl broke out and became a fiercely aggressive independent woman at a very small age.

Just then someone entered the rest room. And to her surprise it was her classmate from the MBA college in Pune. They exchanged pleasantries, gave an update on current jobs, exchanged nos. and decided to be in touch (which we know happens so rarely). That small exchange of words made Sara maneuver into her college days when learning was so much fun.

Sara was one girl who came with an extra dose of attitude. Her MBA days were no exception to this trait. She spoke with just a bunch of folks and liked to keep her circle closed. Staying away from home with folks from diverse places was an overwhelming experience over all.

She recalled the funny nicknames they had kept for the professors at her MBA school. 'Spitting Snail' for the Prof who would shower all the students sitting on the first benches with his spit. 'Smelly Cat' for the Prof who seemed to be deprived of water and soap at his home. 'Chikni Chameli' for this uber hot Economics Prof. 'Kungfu Panda' for the Accounts Prof who was fat as an elephant but thought himself to be the fittest person. And very own Puneri 'Dada Kondke' for the Prof using alcohol smelling deodorant. You need to be a Maharshtrian or stayed in Maharashtra for considerable time to understand this!

Her friends were a crazy cluster. Theirs was this 6 people freaking group of 3 girls and 3 guys and strangely none of them ended up marrying each other. She was still in touch with each one of them. They did some really nasty things. There was this guy who used to add 'the' in front of every noun. And her freinds used to talk with him in the same way, "So did you go to THE Appa Balwant Chowk today to buy THE strategic management book written by THE Michael Porter". Sorry Mr. Porter, but yes they did that!

She loved Pune and always will. Though Pune lacked the beach, it covered up for it with the awesome weather, unlimited eateries, nearby hill stations and best of all the social life! She walked through Vaishali entrance waiting there for 20 minutes to get a seat every time she went there. The SBDP and idli sambar was just plain splendid. 

MG Road and its candidness always was refreshing. The walking plaza on Saturdays was fun with no vehicles around. MG Road visit inevitably ended up into hogging George Biryani, Rotisserie Chicken and Mutton Salli.

The shopping sprees were innumerable and never ending. Be it Hong Kong Lane (and you thought it is in Japan), FC Road, Laxmi Road or even Camp. The places were so many fitting into everyone's budget.

The phone rang and Sara was awakened from her Pune trip. Her colleagues were calling her, apparently it was time to go home. Something she dreaded doing these days.

Sara drove to her apartment. A 3 bedroom posh apartment in the niche area of BKC. She was in a live in relationship with her 5 year old relationship bf. It was past 1 am and the lights were still on. She wanted him to be asleep and not get into an argument yet again at this ghostly hour.

She was tired of being the man in the relationship. She was the one behind him to change his shitty job, paying all the bills, running errands, arranging all the holidays etc. And after all this, he was not ready to settle. She wanted to be married, settle like her other friends and snuggle into the happiness of having a home with your loving husband. Their arguments would be mostly on this and lately the drift had increased.

And yet she could not call it a day and break off with him. Post her dad passing away, he was the only one whom she had got so close to. She thought this was her only gateway to a joyous married life. And hence letting go off was getting difficult or rather did not seem plausible.

She entered the apartment to see no one in the hall, just lights dimming with shadows all around. She couched into the sofa. She put on her favourite musical - Breaking Free, one which both of them enjoyed and used to sing in chorus.

Troy:
We’re soarin’, flyin’
There’s not a star in heaven
That we can’t reach

Gabriella:
If we’re trying
So we’re breaking free

Troy:
You know the world can see us
In a way that’s different than who we are

Gabriella:
Creating space between us
‘Til we’re separate hearts

Both:
But your faith it gives me strength
Strength to believe

Troy:
We’re breakin’ free
Gabriella:
We’re soarin’
Troy:
Flyin’
Both:
There’s not a star in heaven
That we can’t reach
Troy:
If we’re trying
Both:
Yeah, we’re breaking free
Troy:
Oh, we’re breakin’ free
Gabriella:
Ohhhh
Troy:
Can you feel it building
Like a wave the ocean just can’t control
Gabriella:
Connected by a feeling
Ohhh, in our very souls
Both:
Rising ‘til it lifts us up
So every one can see

Troy: We’re breakin’ free
Gabriella: We’re soarin’
Troy: Flyin’
Both:
There’s not a star in heaven
That we can’t reach
Troy:
If we’re trying
Yeah we’re breaking free
Gabriella:
Ohhhh runnin’
Troy:
Climbin’
To get to that place
Both:
To be all that we can be
Troy:
Now’s the time
Both:
So we’re breaking free
Troy:
We’re breaking free
Gabriella:
Ohhh , yeah

Troy:
More than hope
More than faith
Gabriella:
This is true
This is fate
And together

Both:
We see it comin’
Troy:
More than you
More than me

Gabriella:
Not a want, but a need
Both:
Both of us breakin’ free

Gabriella: Soarin’
Troy: Flyin’
Both:
There’s not a star in heaven
That we can’t reach
If we’re trying
Troy: Yeah we’re breaking free
Gabriella:
Breaking free
Were runnin’
Troy:
Ohhhh, climbin’
Both:
To get to the place
To be all that we can be
Now’s the time
Troy: Now’s the time
Gabriella: So we’re breaking free
Troy: Ohhh, we’re breaking free
Gabriella: Ohhhh

Both:
You know the world can see us
In a way that’s different than who we are

And listening to this she slept off on the sofa.

The day began with a phone call at 7.30 am. It was her mother calling just after the church visit. Her mom muttered, "Sara, your childhood friend Dennis is setting up a small publishing office here and he wants you to come back to us and write that novel you always wanted to publish". 

That was her point of breaking free alone and not with her bf. Her avenue to break free of limelight hogging boss, her avenue of breaking free of a dependant bf, her avenue of breaking free of the daily chores and do what she loved and be where she loved to be. It was her chance......

The clock struck 8.00 am, and her daily alarm started ringing. Did she snooze and got back to her daily life or did she get up and got going to achieve what she always wanted?

Amrikan Dreams

So, as it turns out I completed a year in Amrika today! :) Though my husband would argue with me that out of those 12 months, 2 months I was in India and how technically it is not a year in Amrika and blah blah blah. These engineers I tell you ;) Never the less keeping my husband's blabbering aside, I still consider a year in Amrika!

Oh...this year has been phenomenal with highs and lows. I still remember the day I landed in Florida. After 27 hours of journey, what I wanted was home food and a bed to sleep. That is it! After picking up my 2 heaviest bags, I walk out of the airport. And OMG.....I suddenly feel I am in Chennai again. What I had heard of USA is it is a cold country. For a moment I thought, did I fly into a wrong destination. But then saw my husband and was like ok, it is not exactly a wrong destination. It seems we were meant to be tortured with hot and humid weather in USA also. 

Although today I thank God for Florida as I do not have to hibernate in my home for 6-8 months of the year when it snows in rest of the US. Phew!

The initial days were difficult. Leaving a job you love and being at home is a haunting experience. First 2 months were horrible with tantrums and crying. Every day I thought I am wasting precious days of my promising career. To top it all, I was homesick. I had been home for 3 months before coming here. So the contrast was killing. No one to talk to and nothing worthwhile to do. 

And then it happened! I was speaking to my ex colleague cum good friend and it dawned upon me that people are ready to exchange places with me right now. With no outlook calendars or mailboxes configured on the mobile, this is the time of life when I should do what I have been wanting to do always but never could due to 'busy' days at work. I got the purpose of my life.

I started with an attempt to give the SPHR certification and started studying for the same. Invested 6 months of my stay here in studying, learning US labour laws and back to HR Management concepts and application. The result of the exam is another story, will have to write a new blog for it :P

So post the exam refocused my energies on the love of my life - writing. I am glad to be back to writing. After 5 years I went back to full fledged writing and poetry. Did a few online courses in creative writing and now thinking of doing some advance courses. Writing has kept me sane down here. It feels great to pen down your thoughts and widen your imagination horizons. It is like scoring the only goal which makes you win the FIFA World Cup Final - the Gotze Goal (having a football freak husband makes certain traits rub off to you). 

If given a choice of going back to my job or being paid for writing a novel, the alternative I will take is pretty clear to me currently. Maybe one day, I will publish a story. Pray for me on that! :)

I get so much time that I gulp 800 pages books in 5 straight days. The library is my favourite hang out here. I have read 61 books in this year, from different genres. The library here is humongous and enormous. I just love walking around and smelling through all books - old and new. And this luxury completely free. The dream of looking at rain from your balcony, sitting on a chair with a cup of coffee and a great book - does not seem unrealistic at all! I have done it so many times.

USA has done wonders to my culinary skills ;) I have become a great cook. On this my sister and husband will say, stop praising yourself let others judge it. But still, I will self acclaim that I am a great cook now! ;)
So much so that my mom finds it difficult to believe that I prepare such varied dishes and not just basic rice and curry. Even after sending her pics of my food, she will ask me the recipe of it and sometimes I feel it is to cross check if I have really cooked that dish in the picture. One day, she confirmed with my husband if I really cook at home and if I am taking good care of him! It makes me wonder sometimes who is the Mother-in-law for me exactly! 

So going back to my culinary skills - I have picked up both cuisines: My husband's bengali cuisine and mine konkani cuisine. Plus there is maharasthrian, punjabi and chinese stuff also. Never in my life did I ever imagine I will be doing all this. This is all revenge time for Sujoy, for ignoring the kitchen completely while working in Chennai. Today he is a happy man atleast in regards to the food he gets!

I talk with folks back home and for longer durations after coming here. I yearn to talk to them instead of hanging up on them saying, "I am rushing into a meeting now, will call you later". And that later sometimes used to be after 2-3 days. Being jobless in a foreign country has taught me not to take your loved ones for granted. And as for the longer conversations....Come on, you should guess this by now! Narrating step wise detailed recipes with exact quantities on phone is definitely time consuming ;)

Being in US is therapeutic in certain ways. You walk on the roads carefree with no judging eyes or staring looks. Everybody minds their own business and that is such a relief. It is a reveling experience. I remember a time when I was wearing my husband's shirt after a beach visit and it was too long. I was roaming in that and no one even bothered to give me a second look. 

People over here will smile at you and greet you when you cross their path. They will greet you at stores also. That is a dose of freshness for you! And the quality of life here is as everyone knows pretty high. So ya there are boons of being here.

My travel has been amazing. Its a year, and we have already explored most of the places in Florida. Disney - checked, Universal - checked, Animal Safari -checked, Miami Zoo - checked, Key West - checked, NASA - checked, Everglades alligator farm - checked, Sanibel Island - checked, Sea Aquarium - checked. So yes, this year has been great on travelling aspect and I look forward to more of the expeditions :)

Certain ways in USA are different though. I remember going to a mithai shop here and asking to give half kg of burfi. And the shop keeper ridiculing me and asking, "Kg?" People measure in pound here.

The day I was going to India and I was flashing my Florida learner's driving licence everywhere as we do in India at the gate and all. I showed my licence to a porter and my husband was like, yes I know you have a driving licence but you don't have to flash it to anyone and everyone. In my defense, the porter was so smartly dressed that I thought he is some security official at the door ;)

I am amazed at the trust people have here. Fedex and UPS will leave packages at door step and no one will take it. There are free libraries and people return the books honestly. There are self check out counters in most shops which believe that the customer will bill all the items honestly. 

There is so much open land here and lesser population that USA can afford to have extensive malls spread horizontally than vertically with ample parking space. There are parks everywhere. Everything is well maintained and so clean.

So ya overall, this year has been great! And I am looking forward to another eventful year of Amrikan dreams! Folks back home already call me a firang. A firang who loves the Amrikan way of living but yet deep under she is still rooted to her family, her culture and her country :)

The Societal Ladder!

So you are 28 and still unmarried, or are you 32 and still doing your studies, or are you 31 plus 5 years being married and yet still do not have a kid or are you 35 years of age and have just one kid? 

All the above things just do not fit in the societal ladder of progression and are considered heinous sins. You guys are in some BIG trouble for that! Welcome to the world of 'The Societal Ladder'!

The societal ladder is regulated by what I call 'Nosy Ninjas', as they are ready with their combat to assault you with their nuclear weapon known as nosiness. Let us abbreviate them as NN! NNs come in all ages, sizes and shapes... they are omnipresent like God - might come across them while traveling, at a social event, at a personal event, even in a public rest room.....ya you got it... just anywhere. 

These NNs want to know it all - if you are not married then they want to know why are you still unmarried and when will that happen, if you are married then they want to know when will the kid arrive, if you have one kid they want to know when will the next kid arrive and if you have 2 kids then they want to know what are you planning for their future...so it is just that whatever stage of life you are in their quest for answers is unceasing.

And as I said they come in all ages. They can be of your own age, sometimes younger to you but majorly in the Aunty and Uncle age group. They present themselves as your benefactor and show they genuinely care for you but the real agenda is brutally regulating the society at your expense. They have a definitive societal ladder in their regime and they want everyone to follow it blindly - marriage at 25, first kid at 27 and then second kid at 29. Anything that is later than this plan sends chills to their plans and thus starts their regulation work.

They come up with some very soothing sentences like - 'Let the kid come, everything will fall in place'. I wonder sometimes if they mean everything will fall in place or everything will fall apart when they give such advice to a couple who are living separately - the wife pursuing her Ph. D and the husband working in a different city. How is the kid going to help them achieve their goals?

Another classic example - 'Get married and your problems will be resolved'. I often wonder who goes and tweets to them about our problems? If the problem is not getting promoted at workplace due to lack of a master's degree then how is marriage the solution? Oh now I understand, for them marriage is a whole new level of education and ya obviously it will add to the resume! 

And then - 'Let the second kid come, the first one will not be such a nuisance then'. Firstly how dare you call someone's kid a nuisance and secondly will the second kid come with some magical powers to soothe the firstborn? The kid is already alone with both parents working day and night to secure his/her future. They do not have enough time for one kid, from where will they manage time for the second. And why is it necessary to have this 'Hum do, hamare do' (we two and our two kids) in every family?

So the bottomline is you should just blindly follow their created ladder irrespective of where you stand in life, what you want from life and how you want to lead your life. That does not matter. Your motto in life should be get married at 25 and have two kids by the end of 3 years of marriage - Ola..mission accomplished!

So here is my message to all the NNs - Please mind your own business. Respect people's privacy and let them do what they want in life. Respect people having 2 kids as also couples deciding to not to have kids. It is their decision, you do not know what compelled them to take this decision nor do you know anyone's struggles. Please take a step back and let people live the way they want and not according to some military time table! Stop messing around and poking your nose in everyone's affairs! 

So the next time any Nosy Ninja messes around with you, just direct them to this blog  ;)
And the next time when someone asks me so when is the good news coming, here is my answer: The good news is already here - I just started caring even lesser about Nosy Ninjas :P