When it all happened...

May I please come in ma'am?

"It's all dark and hazy, I cannot see anything!" I say in disappointment, with a touch of impatience in my not-so-pleasing voice.

It's too dark to even recognize where am I, what the place is like, the surroundings. There's no pinch of light to even watch out my steps if I stumble upon anything and trip all the way down on my butt with another oh-so-disgusting edge in my tone.

It's my 18th birthday, and I am least excited about it. I just wanted to sleep in my warm and cozy bed and order pizza and watch 'Inside Out' all alone without any human beings around me and without any contact with any living creature of this tiny, magical planet. Just me, my bed and my pizza, wrapped up together like Buddies Forever and chill.

But guess what? I can only WISH for something like that. I am that nasty child, even Santa Claus wouldn't like to cross paths with, during Christmas.

So that's how I introduce myself on my 18th birthday, turning an adult, (according to Indian Standards) but not really ready to be one. Always running away from things that need my attention. Always seeking out for excuses to cover up my mistakes. Procrastinating almost everything in my life (well, even taking a shower).

The alarm rings again, and I snooze it for the millionth time. Trying to put my shit together after the nightmare I'd just been through on my 18th birthday, where my boyfriend, the hot and happening Siddharth Oberoi, (my ex-college mate and my current but soon-to-be-ex boyfriend) plans on taking me to an isolated place, darkness darkness all around and asks me out for a date to a Hill Station I've been trying to avoid since last 2 birthdays.

I just hope this just remains a nightmare as it is. I certainty cannot take in anything as cliché as a Dejavu. Well, not atleast now when I need to rush to college as I have a presentation to give in order to get through my internals, because I certainly did not do too well with the 20-mark-test of history.

Who is good with history, anyway?

I take a look at my phone. It's 7:30 am. The alarm was set for 6:30 am and I've been snoozing it since almost an hour for every 5 minutes, trying to let go of the bad memory of the long sleep I just had with the sleeping pills I'm on.

I wash my face with the cleansing face wash, brush my teeth very leisurely, take a quick shower, put on my formal pants and the shirt I ironed last night for today, (yes I can be proactive sometimes) grab a banana and flee from my room with my black formal boots in my hand.

I check my phone again, it's 8:03 am and I can still catch up on my local of 8:09 am, for me to be there in classroom before 9 am or before ma'am enters. Well, anything would do as long as Professor Stephanie D'souza does not fail me in this History Presentation that I am to give today. She is already not very pleased with me because this is the third time I am going to present the same topic aa I did not do well the previous times.

If only I knew this programme is going to torture me on my birthday, I would have never considered it. Followed my dad's advice rather, and taken up Accountancy. Never mind how terrible I am with numbers, I would have at least managed to pass.

After waiting for few minutes, that seemed like hours, I finally get a cab for the nearest Railway Station and by the time I'm taking back my change from the driver, my train leaves and I'm yet again, in another problem.

Problems. They seem to not leave me alone, just like a 4-year-old sibling who wouldn't give away without taking all your chocolates. Every time and always.

It's 8:10 right now, and the next local is going to be of 8:16 but that's a fast local and I will have to get down at Borivali junction and take another one. And these are the peak hours of the day when people in the city commute to their workplaces and the crowd is like ants around an open krate of sugarcane. Desperate to get their share, and uncountable as it seems.

As the train arrives, I try to push my way through the crowd getting down, and through the crowd climbing in, but I'm stuck in the middle of people so determined to get to their destinations, no matter how disastrous it gets for someone else. The train starts and I'm left awestruck right in the middle of platform.

How can something be so obnoxious and convenient at the same time?

Convenient because the Mumbai local trains are one of the fastest means of transport to commute within the city. Obnoxious because the population of Mumbai outnumbers the population of entire Europe.

I said I'm only ridiculous with History, but Geography? May be I should have given it a thought.

So, I see another local coming to another platform. I battle my way through the crowd and manage to get in the elevator. Struggle while the train is almost to arrive, and this time, this time I MAKE IT. Hah! Well, travelling in Mumbai can not always be so bad.

I push through the overpopulated area and get in the train. Get down at the Malad junction and take another cab, check my phone, crap! It's 9:10 already! I should have taken only one pill last night, my sleep is being the Bad Guy over here now.

Thank Heavens for no traffic today. It's 9:20 as I get in the elevator and pray that ma'am is in a good mood today.

The elevator man yells that only 6 people at a time, but I anyway get in and the elevator doors shut.

The floor arrives and I run like an insane, hungry wolf, who's got his prey in his vision and need to hunt it before it slips away

Here I am, right in front of my classroom, beaming with happiness to finally make it through the journey and holding an expression of a puppy so innocent, so little, and so unspoiled.

I push the door open, and there she is, Professor Stephanie D'souza, addressing the entire class some important issue related to Propaganda (as I can see her PowerPoint slide out there).

I check my wrist watch (just so you know I have one). It's 9:22 am. I clear my throat and try to sound apologetic, "May I please come in ma'am?"

All eyes are at me now, suddenly I become an issue, and Prof. D'souza, in her calmest but sarcastic tone says, "Oh, Ananyaaaaa, we thought you wouldn't be able to make it today. Have you ever tried being on time? Seems like you don't know at all the concept of punctuality," emphasising on the last word punctuality, she pouts her lips and the entire class breaks into a roar of laughter.

I lay my eyes on ground, and apologize. But clearly she is no mood to consider it and asks me to leave.

This birthday is going to haunt me forever.

I wish I wouldn't have got out of my bed at all. Remember I said I did not want any humans around me? Well, now you know why.

A/N

Hey guys!
I'm Aastha Nathwani, and this is my first book! Okay I know you'll can see it in my list but still. I hope you guys like the character of Ananya Malhotra, a torn girl, who's not yet ready to take her responsibilities as an adult and crawl into the fantasy world where there are only pizzas and warm beds around!

You can leave your reviews on my instagram id: aastha.nathwani
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Email id: aasthanathwani1997@gmail.com

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