WHEN FATE BRINGS YOU HOME

CHAPTER 11

Exactly five days went by for 'dusting and cleaning'. There was more than that to be done when we, me and Czes, started. We had to arrange the useless or damaged stuff in boxes, pack them and send them to the store room. We had to wash and dry all the lab equipment necessary for my research, check the working of the instruments and replace the rusted or ineffective ones. We left the lab unmarked for a couple of days after sterilizing it.

Nothing exciting happened since I officially started my practice three weeks back as a researcher in the university of Berkeley, other than me running from the apartment to my lab and vice versa. I spend 10 hours sleeping, half of which happens at home and the other half occurs at different times when I'm in the lab, 2 hours of daily routines which includes mostly eating and rest of the 12 hours working my ass off trying to work out the notes of professor Gerard's most difficult handwriting of all time. Compare it to a physician's prescription, but more confusing than that. It's nearly been a month of me living here but I still feel a lot out of place. I mostly avoid my neighbors, afraid that they'll start any conversation. Kept myself anti social with music blowing through my air pods whenever I'm out and not near the people I already know. I have not had any sightseeing opportunities other than when Czes took me for an university tour. My self inspirational travelling to find out the most cool coffeeshops and restaurants stopped when Czes said that everything related to coffee and chocolates are available in the university canteen.

Ryan and Hera were busy in the virology department, setting up their new lab. I can understand why they are so occupied since the lab set up is not an easy task, especially it's risky when it comes to labs dealing with viruses affecting human lives. Only some of the staff and faculty and other authorized people are allowed inside so I never got to check out their working environment. I get to meet Hera very rarely and it feels like a long time has passed since we spent any quality time talking. Ryan is practically invisible to me other than the texts we manage to send each other in between our crazy schedules. Life's busy nowadays.

The only people I come across on a daily basis are Czes, he's in the same building as mine so we catch up whenever we can. Then there's his friend that he introduced me to not so long ago, Laura (I forgot her last name), who's super nice, just like him. I presented my idea of replacing her as my new best friend to Hera and all she replied was that I won't be going back to India alive if I ever tried to put that into practice. She can be a little scary. I face time my parents, Aarav and Daksh everyday. It's practically impossible to live without seeing their faces. I see Dr. David whenever I have a doubt to clear or when I have to report my current status of my research. I brushed past with Neil a number of times while strolling around the garden areas of the university trying to read something else other than the research papers. Though it's been long since our talks lasted long enough to cause a verbal havoc, we try to exchange at least a smile.

After feeling lonely for over a month I came up with a plan to be the founder of a small canteen kitty party group. It's day three of my little plan in action and we're seated in the dining outside the canteen. Czes comes out the door carrying our orders, while Laura sitting beside me shows me some of the photographs of a readers fest she went to last year. Neil, who happens to be in our group, though he acts uninterested, is sitting across from Laura scrolling through his Instagram feed.

My ninety nine percent brownie challenge is still on roll so all I can eat is a piece of brownie everyday. The new diet is a little frustrating but I'm relieved that the deal only involved brownies. I still have other chocolate containing items in the menu. Smart, aren't I? We all ordered sandwiches each and drinks of our likes. Czes sat down across from me and placed all our orders in front of us, the glass that's placed before Neil is pure milk, he ordered milk the last two days too, and this sparks as the first argument of the day- me telling him to grow up from his baby habits and him barking back at me on how much I'm spoiling my health with all the caffeine.