Loving A Lie

10. Train' ing

Next few days went uneventful with me couped up in a blanket watching Hindi action movies back to back. It rained cats and dogs the whole week. I enjoyed it comfortably from the premises of my home with coffee and cakes. I loved baking too. Obviously ,Granny taught me that.
Everything was fine except that I didn't get one single call from Daniel. I mean he should have called at least once to see how I was doing. Aren't friends supposed to do that? I laughed miserably at my own pitiable excuse to listen to his voice.
Strange how people could quickly worm their places into my heart whereas I could hardly make any space in theirs.
I could bet my favorite mango cheesecake that I took up very less atrium gap in anybody's blood pumper.

A day or two later University of Mumbai declared B.com. results. I had passed with distinction.
Woah. That was big. You didn't graduated everyday. I called Mom and Dad to give them the news.
She told me to come back home for few days. Apparently she missed me more than I did. I decided to make a quick two day trip starting early morning next day. The prospect of leaving Granny alone even for two days felt sombre. Just two days I told myself.
I also had to run to college soon to confirm my MBA admission. That was something I didn't want to mess up.

Next morning after changing into denim shorts and a pink tee top,I looked out of my window. It wasn't raining so thankfully it would make my journey easier. The local train network didn't fare well in monsoons. I caught an auto to the Vasai station,with my loaded backpack consisting of my essentials. I took a train to Marinelines station and enjoyed the madness of it all. The train travel was incomplete until you witness a catfight.
I was starting to complain the lack of entertainment when a lady with oily skin and a smelly underarm pushed me. I groaned. So lucky of me,I commented sarcastically to myself. I deliberately didn't take any offence to her and kept myself calm. I surveyed my arms. They got scraped by someone's bag, I think that had something sharp. Little blood oozed from my cuts. However I smiled and apologised.
'Sorry. I'm not giving you the fun.',I thought internally.
The lady too seemed to notice the lack of entertainment in the carriage and very artfully took offence to my smile which she thought to be sarcastic.
"Don't you smile, silly girl. You young girls think it very easy for us. You hardly know our struggles. Shut up.", she told me blasting her lungs at me.

It was very stupid of her to tell me to shut up when actually I hadn't spoken a darned word. I restrained a grin. It would hardly help with the troubled lady. She probably suffered depression and her family couldn't support her medical fees or so as she went on ramble to any ear that was open in the carriage.

I slowly moved away from her on the corridor of the train as the crowded train would allow. Some passengers sympathised with me by patting my shoulders with their one arm and giving me pitiful looks that I had to fall prey to her unwarranted temper,which was a mean feat given that they were managing their bags and holding the handle of train for supporting themselves to not fall off the train,which was full to the brim. Though the train carriage looked packed enough that one extra person would probably throw the train off the tracks,tens of new person entered the carriage at every new station, the old ones systematically making space for the new ones to cram in.
Somehow I survived this whole ordeal until my station came. I got down, not before thanking God,for letting me through. I Started walking in the direction of my original residence. It was mere 15 minutes of walk. I purchased a white chocolate cake from the confectioner's on the way. I would have baked one but I didn't think it would have borne the kicks and punches in the same composedly way that I had endured in.
The rain had stopped for good today after pouring in for a whole week leaving potholed roads filled with murky brownish gray water. I was in such a good mood that I didn't even hurl half a curse on the responsible or rather irresponsible authorities.
When my apartment building came into view my lips turned up into a smile.
I could not help myself.
How much ever I felt comfortable at Granny's,
home was home.
I excitedly climbed the two cases of stairs to see the familiar name plate that had withstood twenty years of me.I didn't had to knock. Mom was probably waiting at the door peeping through the eyepiece for my arrival. On seeing her,I hugged her generously and moved to hug my dad. I took in their smiling faces that had started showing signs of ageing yet I knew their hearts were just as young as any teenager.
"Congratulations dear!", they said gently in unison,yet their excitement was greater than mine.
We sat together at dining table for lunch exchanging news from both the sides.
After lunch I cut the cake to the cheers of  mom and dad. They both ate two pieces in spite of being calorie conscious. I did appreciate their efforts to stay healthy since they led a very sedentary life. As both of them worked in a bank their major day went in doing desk job.
 
Well the bank was where they met the first time. Dad was the manager of the bank then and still is and mom had just started out there. Soon they fell for each other and were married in a year.After two years they had me. They had brought me up quite much believing in love. I was a die hard romantic in the beginning of my teen years myself adoring Harry Potter, Edward Cullen and the likes.
But when I saw how actually it worked in real life, with cheating ,double dating,ditching  I decided to stay away from it myself.
Love was not in the fibres of this fast and furious generation next.
To be honest even before that I was apprehensive of relationships.
How do one person give control of one's life to someone else so easily, readily.
Of course my parents all survived it because they belonged to the lucky generation.
They however believed I was not being clear sighted.