WHEN FATE BRINGS YOU HOME

CHAPTER 23

Today starts with an oatmeal latte. Steamed oat milk, a shot of strong espresso, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a spill of maple syrup. Rich, healthy, and homemade. I do a quick shower so as to not be late for the uninvited meeting in the university. I have some unfinished business to take care of, remember?

My eyes look clear and pretty today as I check myself in the mirror, a result of all the crying and a peaceful sleep after a long time.

I went through all the hardships of the past nine to ten years, just to reach this position. He's too smart to even think that I will drop out after listening to some of his shit. I kiss the mirror to show my self love and move on. He's not the one stopping me from getting what I want in life.

I ruffle through my Indian closet to pick out a jute embroidered pastel green kurta and beige cigarette pants. Desperate incidents call for desperate measures. Hair pinned to the sides with my black metal chandelier earrings on full display, I walk to the university for the first time with an Indian aura. Still not confident enough to wear heels though.

I rehearsed the whole segment from my apartment, enough for me to be positive on executing it. There will be more tremors, shaking and frozen air once I reach the meeting hall, but all I want to remember is the pain it caused me yesterday, so that the subsided anger and hatred in me can resurface and make me invincible when I finally meet him. Once today is done, I would have my settlement closed with Mr. Shaurya Harshenn. Today is the last chapter in my life where he'll be playing any important role. I will be done with him soon. 

It took almost the entire night for me to reach this optimistic energy to view yesterday as, which involved lots of cursing and more crushing and crying. My eyes are still sore after letting out so much emotions at once, my leg still bruised from the great revenge of the chair. Karma is a bitch. 

After lots of caffeine and chips and trauma, I managed to put together a nice piece of script for today. Hope the action goes well as planned. I wanted everyone from yesterday to be the audience but that's not possible it seems. I'm just asking for too much. I'm keeping up the cheery mood even when thinking about all that. It's the only way out, I can't just keep crying forever because of that sadist, can I?

It's 9:05 A.M. Everyone should be seated and ready for today's meeting. I can already hear someone speaking from inside. I grab the door handle to open it, but I can't push it any further. My hand paralyses and defies any movement. Yesterday's events come swarming over my senses. The sense of being the alienated center of attention, all kinds of eyes and judgement. I remove my hand from the shiny metal handle in which I could see parts of myself enlarged. I should just go back, right? I'll talk to Dr. David privately later. I am not designated enough to pull something like this.

Cowardly. Pathetic. This is what he labelled me as yesterday and as expected I turned back and ran away from my circumstance. I don't wish to repeat my mistakes anymore. I push open the door, wide and more noisy than I wanted it to.

"Excuse me."

I've got this under control. All cute and little, wide and surprised, bored and sleepy, and a broken brown eyes dropped on me as I stepped inside. Everyone took less than a minute to check out my rarely seen kurta show off before going back to what they were doing. The old pitying vibe came from the panel professors. The others, who are still unaware of what happened or is going to happen, continued going through their summaries before presenting. 

"No, it's okay. This won't take long." I say to the blonde guy sitting in the farthest edge who was going to pick up an extra chair for me.

I notice Czes and Laura in the panel, both looking utterly confused of my presence. I wonder if they know about this.