Until the next Time

Part 1

I was waiting at the Arrivals' exit in the airport. The driver was on his way to pick me up from the airport. I have come to Assam to attend my friend's wedding. The driver arrived and picked me up from the airport. He has been our family driver since I was small. He came out of the car and helped me to put the bags in the back. As he put the bags inside, he said

"Bhale whale ahi pala ?"

"Ahi palu khura. Apunar hal ne?"

"Ekdom bhal."

I went inside the car and opened my strangled hair. As he sat down, he said,

"Tumar maao ahise roba. Ami etiya Kahiliparar pora lobo lagibo mak."

"Oh kiba kaam asil neki?"

"Oh oh. Ami puate ahisu."

"Hm. blok tetiyahole. Khali first moi kiba kham. Birat bhok lagise"

"Oh bola bola.?"

We went to Kahilipara to pick ma up. I was very excited to see her, after 8 long months. I had not seen her since I moved to Bombay. Before that, driver uncle dropped me at the KFC to have my meal.

I sat there and waited for my order to be ready. Meanwhile, driver uncle went to pick maa up. It was 3 in the afternoon. I took my meal and went to my car. Maa was sitting there. I went inside the car. My excitement reached its peak. The look of her face through the window made my heart smile. It felt like I was meeting her after a long day at school when I was a kid, like i used to get excited to just wrap myself in her arms. 

But I am less expressive. So I went inside the car and exhaled a heavy amount of air. Meanwhile, maa said,

"Kibake ahili. Iman dine ahnibo kim nuwarili?"

"Ehh bohut kaam asil. Eri ahnibo nuwari."

"Janu de."

She waited for a moment and said,

"Pise tor job tu hol ne settle?"

"Yes, almost hoise. Olop kaam ase. Hoi jabo lahe dhire."

"Iyaat thakile besi bhal sakori pali hoi."

She said, as she rolled her eyes. It had been her dialogue since the day I went to Mumbai. She didn't like that I lived far away from home. She wanted me closer to her. But, Her words were starting to irritate me , because she wanted to have that job forever and her mom knew it.

"Ehh tumi kio buji pua nai. Eitu mor dream job hoi. Iyar pora ketiyabaloi moi bahirot sakori korą opportunity o paai jabo paru. "

"Janu xeitu."

She shook her head and said,

"Baad de eibur. Baki ko tor kenekua lagise tat thaki?"

After a long time I was talking face to face with ma. It felt good to describe everything I saw and felt being there. She understands me like no one else. She always wants the best of me. But sometimes her motherly emotions take over her support for me. But that's fine, as long as I can sleep in her lap.

Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Manya Deka. I belong from Nalbari, a small district in Assam. I am born to a family of professors. My dad and mom, both are professors. I am working in a large firm in Bombay; actually, I am an intern. My job is quite not finalized. Before this, I used to work in Guwahati. But, then I got this golden opportunity to fly to Mumbai and I thought why not take the chance if I got it. So, I flew to Mumbai, but I am not quite certain about this job.

I have come to Nalbari, after a long time, to attend my friend Akriti's wedding. She was a very good friend of mine in school. But after school, we kind of lost touch. But since, Nalbari is a small place; you can get connected very easily. She somehow found my number to invite me to the wedding. She insisted me to come to her wedding. So here I am, being overwhelmingly excited to meet her after so long. Not only her, but our long squad.

"Pise Mani, nijor kotha ki bhabiso?" 

Suddenly maa asked as I was napping.

"Mane?" 

I said in a sleepy voice.

"Tor biyar kotha xudhiso?"

I jumped from my sleep. I knew that conversation was never going to end for me until I find someone. But I wanted to escape from having that conversation, at least for now. 

"No maa, etiyate nohoi."

"Kunuba ase neki? Kotha nai de amar"

"No maa."

I knew maa don't  have any objections towards me having a boyfriend, as long as he is a good one. But, to me, my career plays the utmost important role right now, and I never want to compromise it for anything.......