100 DAYS

HELLO! CALIFORNIA

Thick rain veiled the surroundings as their taxi made its way to the airport. Priya sat in the seat closest to the window; taking in whatever she could of the small water-back town. Her brother, Piyush, occupied the other end, her father sandwiched in between the siblings. He anxiously glanced at their boarding passes, making sure he had their flight details memorized.

Speaking with fourteen years of experience, Priya had not been too fond of this little town. But, As they got closer to the airport, her eyes decided otherwise. She did not want to stay. She hated it. She had been the happiest when her Father announced his transfer. So, why was she tearing up?
Well, she was a crazy, emotional screw-up. 

The little taxi zoomed through the dark alleys at blinding speed. The intensity of the rain increased as they got closer to the airport and so did her Fathers feet taps. She wanted to comfort him, she always did, but never knew how to. They had reached the airport sooner than expected, courtesy of the taxi driver. Piyush and Priya unloaded the car trunk as their Father fumbled for change. After carefully arranging their luggage onto the trolley, they started pacing towards the entrance. The icy cold metal numbed her fingers as she took hold of it. She pushed forward with all the force she could muster. They were about to make their way in, when, her Father stopped in his tracks and patted his shirt pocket to check if he had their plane tickets and passports ready. He smiled assuringly at his children and continued to walk forward. He never once dared to look back.

             ....                                                    

A thought entered Priya's mind as they made their way through check-in and security. 

This was her Father's escape, just like it was hers, from their acquaintances' scrutiny. 

Even though it had been four years since their divorce, their relatives made it a point to bring it up during every family gathering. The divorce had been a mutual decision, yet, Papa was solely blamed for it. Aunt Guddi would bombard him with questions every time she visited the Bhattacharyas,  adding made-up gossip from time to time to spice up the conversation. 

Piyush had maturely accepted their decision and played along. Priya had not understood the seriousness of it until she was asked the question. It had been the hardest decision of her life. Piyush was set straight on choosing Ma. So, fearing that he'd be left alone, she chose to live with Papa. 

Upon realizing that Papa was moving to California, he requested to tag along.
"It would be better for my career" he had said. It was selfish of him for sure. But who isn't? 

The security guard's pats broke her train of thought. She had been on autopilot so far. She collected her carry-ons and joined her Father and Piyush at the end of the men's security.

                                                                                                                                     ....                                  

 They sat silently at the boarding gate. Their flight was delayed by an hour due to the weather conditions. Her Father paced around as the two children sat awkwardly staring into space. The silence made her uneasy, uncomfortable almost. 

Piyush finally decided to break the ice.

"So, California..", he began.

Her father just nodded, too immersed in his thoughts. Realizing that nobody was interested to join in, Piyush went back to playing candy crush on his phone. Priya wanted to have a conversation with him. The distance between them had only increased with time. She sat silent, feeling helpless.  Again, they slipped back into their awkward silence. It remained the same until the flight attendant announced the arrival of their flight.                                                  

                                                                                                                                                .... 

Sitting in her comfy plane seat, Priya dozed off to sleep. She dreamt of the time she was seven. It was Teju's wedding. She had been hiding behind her Mother to avoid any conversation. This game of hide-n-seek had been going on for about an hour now. "She's shy" was all her Mother would say when the person's questions remained unanswered by little Priya. This memory triggered the emotions she had been feeling lately. So, for the millionth time today, she journeyed down memory lane.

When she had been enrolled in the school, her Teacher would ask the students to remain silent to maintain discipline. If followed, they would be rewarded with a golden star. Priya had been rewarded with the highest number of golden stars and she was highly praised for it. Her six-year-old brain realized that staying quiet makes people like her. So, She practiced it. Every minute of every day. Until Priya 2.0 was created. She was known as the "shy, good girl" by her classmates. "She's shy" was all they'd say.  

Lately, she was beginning to realize how Priya 2.0 clawed at her personality, but, the damage was already done. This innocent "hack" had turned into a habit. She missed her old, carefree self. Priya 2.0 had sucked it out of her; chasing after an admirable reputation for herself. Whatever she thought, whatever she did, was first analyzed from society's perspective. "Would a shy girl do that?", she had countlessly asked herself. This behavior of hers had cost her a few friendships she had deeply cherished. Every time she decided to behave differently, she was haunted by criticism from none other than herself. It was a vicious chain she tried to break free from. She needed to press restart now. She couldn't describe how happy she felt about learning about the transfer.

 She was given a blank canvas and she would not mess up this time.

When she opened her eyes,  The flight attendant stood in the aisle distributing meals to the passengers. Piyush stayed on his phone re-reading texts from his girlfriend.
When he had announced that he'd be moving, she was the most distraught. She was worried she'd be replaced by a Blonde with plastic boobs. He frantically tapped the screen, his face scrunching with every scroll.                                  Her Father watched "The Grammar show" on his tiny airplane screen, snacking on peanuts as Peter Price questioned the contestant.

Soon, The view of the river Sacramento greeted them. The seat belt logo blinked red. They were about to land. The landing was nailed by the pilot. A combination of cheers and claps erupted as the airplane wheels came in contact with the runway.

                                                                                                                                                          ....

They collected their luggage from the baggage carousel and waited by the exit. Priya spotted a tall, balding man and her face immediately broke into a grin. It was Uncle Ravi. He hugged his friend and patted the children on the back. Uncle Ravi was a friend of Priya's Father and had been very supportive of him through rough times. He offered for them to stay at his place until they adjusted to life in America. Her Father had kindly declined the offer, not wanting to burden the Sharmas. So, he invited them for dinner. He chatted with Mr. Bhattacharya as he loaded his SUV with their luggage. Priya was extremely fond of him. He was as good as a blood relative to her. Plus, He had spoiled the Bhattacharya children with enumerable gifts.

Laughter filled the air as the friends recounted incidents from the past. Once they reached the suburbs, they were welcomed by Uncle Ravi's American wife, who insisted to be called just "Elle".

Priya followed her into the living room. And there He was.

This was going to be one heck of a rollercoaster.