Serendipity [Temporarily Discontinued]

Chapter 1

6 weeks later...

Ask about a nervous breakdown and Piyali DasGupta would answer you in apt details. She could feel her heart beat so fast that she was afraid that her heart would jump out of her ribcage. Her mother was driving her to the Uni today. It was her first day in college and the excitement of it being a big life event was already vanishing.

Her mother had given her a prep talk last night. It had helped her. But a popular Hindi saying said, "Raat gayi toh baat gayi" meaning "Let bygone be bygone". Piyali wasn't sure if the contexts of those words were appropriate in her situation but she could relate. Because her mind had followed those exact words and the prep talk had evaporated in steam by morning.

She could feel her hands sweat as soon as the Uni building came into view. With sweaty hands she unfolded the paper that had her course classes in written. The paper was soggy in her sweat and the print was starting to blotch.

Yuck.

Piyali noticed the various building names that were etched on the printout paper along with her class timings. It was so different than the Indian education system where she had to attend classes in one building albeit there were other classrooms and lecture halls. She had classes till late noon. Whoever said English majors had less to study was dumb in the head. The course seemed difficult but this was what she loved to do. After lugging through science studies in India, Piyali would finally be able to study what she wanted to from the very beginning.

At least the thought of it had uplifted her spirit.

Great.

"Should I pick you up after your class?" Parineeta's sweet but authoritive voice pulled Piyali out of her self-mulling. Through frameless glasses Piyali's mother looked at her and waited for her to speak. Piyali noticed the black orbs that were so distinctively similar to hers. Her mother had secured a job at the business sector in Pennsylvania. All credits for the job were to her maternal uncle-Rajesh Mukherjee, who had settled down with his wife in Pennsylvania nearly 25 years ago. He was well established here and was willingly to help his sister through thick and thin.

"No Ma, it's okay. I will get home by bus or something." Piyali answered vaguely. She wasn't sure exactly how was she going to get home. She did not even know the exact address to her uncle's place. Yes, they were staying at her uncle's house. Through alimony her mother had secured a house in the residential area of Boston, Massachusetts. But living there without any assistance was difficult even for Parineeta. She needed someone she could trust upon. She needed someone close to home, someone she already knew and that is where her brother came into picture. Rajesh offered to allow Parineeta and her two kids to live in his house until they figure out what is to be done next. His wife-Aunty Anjali was very cooperative too.

Piyali liked her.

Hugging her mother goodbye and listening to last of her mother's instructions, Piyali hopped out of the car. Uncle had given his spare car- a Hyundai Veracruz, for Parineeta to use as Aunty did not know driving and the car was just eating the dust in the garage anyway. The Pennsylvania air hit Piyali and the sun blazed down on her. Honestly the climate was so much better than the one back in Mumbai. There you sweat and sweat and sweat and still the heat does not seem to ward off. It was especially a bad climatic condition for people with hyperhydrosis-like Piyali. Piyali waved her mother goodbye as Parineeta drove off. Taking in a deep breath, Piyali entered the University Building to go searching for her first class.

***

So far the classes had being going great. The subjects were interesting and the professors were very cooperative. There was interactive learning in class and that gave an opportunity for Piyali to tackle her fright of public speaking little by little. Piyali had decided to major in English and pursue a minor in Political Science. Not with any specific reason but Piyali had a certain degree of interest in the subject.