Arya
Nov 14, 7 p.m.
The moment I say goodbye, the world shifts. My mom's clinging to me, arms tight around my shoulders, while my dad is trying to keep it together. I've seen him cry maybe twice in my life, but right now, he's blinking back tears he refuses to let fall. My younger sister is holding my hand, her grip almost painful, as if her small fingers can keep me from leaving. Ishaan's standing nearby, joking to ease the tension, but I can see the stiffness in his smile. I feel like I'm unraveling right here in front of everyone, every familiar face I've known my whole life.
"This isn't forever, you know," I tell them, trying to sound braver than I feel. "I'll be home every break, and we can video call whenever."
Mom just nods, not trusting herself to speak, and hugs me one last time. I feel her warmth, her soft whisper of "I love you," and for a moment, I want to bolt back into the car and go straight home. But I don't. I let go, taking a shaky breath as they drive away, each wave growing smaller until they vanish down the road. I stand there, numb and alone, watching the road like they might come back, like this is all just a weird, sad dream.
A few minutes pass before reality sinks in. The hostel looms behind me, massive and cold. It's like an imposing shadow casting doubt over everything. My new life has started, and I already feel a pang of regret.
•••
That Night
By some miracle, I find two of my new classmates at the hostel entrance: Aditi and Arsha. Aditi is tall, and has this no-nonsense look with her medium curly hair. Arsha is the opposite-long straight hair, little to no smile, gentle eyes, and the type of person who finds mistakes in every good thing. They're from my department, and we chat briefly, the usual introductions and background chatter. Their voices are friendly, but it feels surreal to be talking to people I don't know, people who don't understand the weight of what I just left behind.
The dorm room is cramped and basic, bunk beds crammed into a tiny space with barely any room to breathe. Aditi claims the corner bed with the window with a smirk, clearly pleased. Meera settles into the one nearby beside her, and I'm left with the bed near the door, which, honestly, I don't mind. Not that I'm planning to get much sleep anyway.
The night stretches on. I lie there, tossing and turning, listening to the unfamiliar creaks and groans of the hostel. Aditi is speaking softly, while Arsha's breathing is steady and slow as she responds. I envy how at ease they seem, how quickly they've adjusted. My bed feels uncomfortable, the pillow too flat, the blanket rough against my skin. I keep staring at the ceiling, counting the hours until morning, trying to convince myself that things will look brighter in daylight.
And right on the cue they switchen on the light because it is already the best night of my goddamn life
I looked up from my blanket smoothing my face.
"What happened?" I asked in the most polite tone I could muster.
"We have to use the loo. You're coming?"
"Why not?" I spoke mostly to myself as I climbed down from the bed. Anyway if I'm not going to sleep i might get to know this people and the place during my splendid sleepless hours.
Should've stayed back.
That's what I was thinking for the whole damn time we were out in that straight-outta-horror movie corridor and this-is-how-the-end-of-the-world-looks-like washroom.
I can't wait for the morning.
---
Nov 15, 6 a.m.
When the sun finally rises, I'm exhausted but desperate for a fresh start. I drag myself to the bathroom, hoping a shower will help me shake off the heavy fog of homesickness. But the communal bathroom is a disaster-stained tiles, leaking faucets, and a smell that makes my stomach churn. I hover in the doorway, staring at the dingy stalls, and realize there's no way I'm setting foot in there.
YOU ARE READING
Nothing In This World
Genç Kurgu"Date your Best Friend," they said. "It will be fun," they said. But when your best friend turns out to be the complete opposite of what you thought, a relationship can get tricky. *** Eighteen-year-old Arya was reading an Instagram post that lea...
