The Perfect Match

Memories

Standing here at the arrival area of the airport, my heart beated with twice the rate than my normal heart rate. I had Meera by my side, my best friend who was there to assure me that I wasn't alone in this city.

Yes, I felt crazily alone and lost here...I am not quite fond of being alone. That's my weakness. I always want someone or the other by my side. It makes me feel strong.

While stepping in the arrival area, I noticed a girl in her early twenties wearing a ripped jean and crop top with a bag pack and a luggage trolley exiting the arrival area too. She was on the other side while I was standing in the VIP arrival. The moment she exited, I saw a whole set of people including elders to youngsters, standing there and welcoming her with cheers and love. All of them hugged her and kissed her. She seemed to have not expected such a warm welcome and so She obviously seemed to be taken aback but she responded jovialy by hugging each one of them and touching the feet of her elders. Perhaps, her family looked influential and so I infer she had returned from abroad. The family looked extremely happy and an unknown smile plastered on my face after seeing that. This looked so real. Looking at such amazing joint families makes me feel like thank god they still exist.

I totally forgot what family with everyone was...what mom dad meant to me, what my uncle and aunts meant to me...my cousins, my grandparents. All of it just made me nostalgic. Looking at this reunion, I remembered the day I had returned from Los Angeles after a span of one academic year.

My heart was thumping loud and I could feel it even when the flight was landing. It was the best feeling of my life. I was returning home...to my parents. I was excited to me Disha and Diya and was over-excited to visit my school in Lucknow. I had lived there all my childhood and had frequently visited Delhi. I was really close to Diya.

Disha wasn't much of a girl like me and so we always kept away. Actually when we were young, we used to fight like cats and dogs over things that both of us wanted. For example there was once a pair of shoes that I had bought and she liked it so much that she snatched it away from me. My mother also didn't support me and gave that shoes to her knowing how dearly I loved that shoes. In revenge, I cut her long hair short at night and she looked like a mentally retarded girl from an asylum the next morning. I felt happy after taking my revenge. Later, I also got the shoes back because I protested like a mad girl and went on a hunger strike. Seeing all this, Disha's mother came forth and gave me my shoes back.

PS, no one ever got to know who cut her hair short!

So, back to my arrival, the moment I came out, everyone, like everyone was there for me. Everyone whom I expected to be there and some people I hadn't expected...like I didn't even know them. Mahira, the girl who used to be my soul sister, papa, my younger brother and Disha, Diya. I knew mumma won't come. Disha and Diya's parents must be at home with mumma, preparing for my welcome.

Apart from these people, there was a beautiful girl of the same age as mine and a tall, handsome, well built, formally dressed young man in his early twenties standing there with my family. The first impression of this man on me was, "God...he is a fucking Greek god!" But I knew I had no chance on him.

He was already taken. I knew this the moment I saw Disha holding this young man's hand and welcoming me, as if showing me that he belonged to her. Diya was the first one to come running all over and hug me tight as hell. After a while I realised she was crying...it was an overwhelming emotion for me. I hugged her tightly and she kissed me twice on my cheeks.

Followed by her, came my brother Tanmay who hugged me and then moved aside. I rushed to my dad and touched his feet and then hugged him too. He kissed my forehead and hugged me again. He is my angel. I side hugged Disha and then came Mahira. We just exchanged looks from a distance and within no time we were madly abusing each other in the typical Indian style. That was our way if greeting each other. Thankfully, dad didn't hear us as he got busy with a call.