Road Not Taken ✔

Chapter 2

Tonight I will be staying at my Nani's house as Dad have an important surgery tonight and Mom is also struck with some stuff at our hospital . I couldn't get more happier as I love staying at Nani Nanu's house. My Nani loves narrating stories to me at bed time . Now don't mock me for listening to bed time stories even after I have been all grown up. My Nani is the best story teller . I keenly listen to the bedtime stories because each of them are full of fantasy of fairies ,witches ,king , queen ,prince and princesses with life lessons and morals.

My Nanu loves golf and playing Ludo . Whenever I stay over Nani's place three of us play Ludo. While playing Ludo there are always sweet salty fights between Nanu Nani . Nani thinks Nanu wins every time because he cheats in the game . Right now also they are fighting and seriously they look cute when they fight like that. Nani is arguing that Nanu moved his Ludo piece more places than the number which came on the dice. Whenever Nani Nanu fight they make me their mediator for talking to each other. I wish Mom and Dad could play Ludo with us and see these cute little fights of Nani Nanu . But I know duty comes first and they need to treat and serve people .So, they can't be here with us.

Nani and Nanu are looking at me as they have stopped fighting . Their fights don't last for more than a few hours. I love their relationship which has grown stronger over the years.

Nani and Nanu are fast asleep . So, I should sleep now as I have to go home tomorrow early morning . Ok ... I need to sleep now .

Argh...this alarm . Who invented this alarm clock!! I reach to the alarm clock which is beeping at full blast and I shut it off. I open my half sleepy eyes . Its 6:15 am and Nani is already up making breakfast for us because she is an early riser and she wakes up 5 in the morning. I slowly move towards the bathroom and see myself in the mirror , with messy hair I look as if I was fighting with a gorilla throughout the night. I freshen up myself and take a bath .I always keep spare clothes in my Nani's wardrobe as I often have to stay over here. After taking a quick shower I change my clothes and comb my hair. Then go downstairs. Nani is making uttapam for breakfast . I help Nani in putting up the table and food. We have breakfast together and I bid goodbye to my grandparents . My house is at walking distance from Nani's house .So, I walk up to my home.

I was about to ring my house's doorbell when I heard someone calling me from behind . I know whose irritating voice it is. Argh....this is Ruchi the devil my neighbour and schoolmate calling me out.I want to avoid her but she calls my name in such a sweet sugar coated voice that I turn and say Hi to her out of courtesy and I admit it as my mistake because after hearing all her nonsense my ears turned red and I was left fuming.

"Hi ! " I said to Ruchi out of courtesy .

"Hello ! Congo you are a topper now. Well I think there might be some error in the evaluation as you can't score that much. Nevermind mistakes happen and you were lucky enough to witness one and got glory out of nowhere." Ruchi said sharply. I could sense her jealousy for me in her eyes and voice .Although Ruchi was getting on my nerves but I calmed myself .

" You are right Ruchi . There must be some error in the correction process that is the reason you scored 95% ." I shot back at her.

Saying that Ruchi is angry now would be an understatement as she wants to eat me alive. With furrowed eyebrows and flared up nostrils she looks funny and I am suppressing my laughter after seeing her facial expressions. Ruchi thought for a second and spoke again.

"Tenth standard is a cake walk . Real thing is 12th boards and NEET . After 2 years I will show you what I am capable of. I will defeat you in NEET and boards . You just wait and watch !"

I gave her a disgusting look and I went inside my house. I sat in the lounge. Our house help Reena didi gave me a glass of water. I gave her a smile in return. I inquired about my parents from her and she told me that they were sleeping. I understood that they were catching their sleep after a long day and night shift. I went upstairs to my room which is next to my parent's bedroom.

Its 8:45 am and I have a bad headache due to Ruchi the devil so , I decide to sleep until my parents wake up. I swiftly drift into my sleeping wonderland. I woke up hearing a loud thud . The loud sound was due to thunder storm outside . Right now it's 10 in the morning but due to dark clouds its looks like it is evening time. This is last week of June and such thunderstorms are common due to monsoon in northern India. I comb my hair and move downstairs.

My mom is in the gym area . She is a fitness freak and I am totally opposite of her , being a foodie. I peep in the gym area and I find my mom jogging on the treadmill . My mom catches me peeking inside and she asks me to come inside. She steps down from the treadmill and gives me a bear hug as She got to know about my results from the relatives .She handed me a gift box. It was a present from her side to me . I opened the box eagerly and found a beautiful anarkali suit inside it. I was elated seeing the pretty dress and I thanked her for the gift.

Then I asked her where dad was , I was told that he was reading newspaper in the lounge. I went to the lounge and dad was still reading newspaper. I cleared my throat to get his attention. But he was still busy in reading the newspaper , So I started the conversation. I started telling him how everyone congratulated me on the result day. He looked at me and I stopped in between and I thought he will praise me but I guess I expected too much from him as what he said next startled me . He said " Don't be on the nineth cloud daughter these are just matric exams . Real competition and test will be in medical entrance exams. Just concentrate on higher studies and Neet from now onwards". My heart sank hearing these words but I nodded my head in reply and went to my room . I don't know why Ruchi , Dad and everyone is crazy for NEET.

If somebody was at my place then he would have cried his heart out but me being me plucked my head phones on and started listening some music. Ok.....don't think that I have gone insane or something that sort of. I listen music to relax myself . I open my cupboard and take out a wooden box from it . This wooden box has all secret treasure of mine and I have placed a small lock on it which has its own little key. I open the lock with the key. I take out a sketch book from the box . I start drawing some designs of gowns in it.

Well this sketch book is a secret and nobody knows about it . I own this and other sketches book from a long time. I have been sketching dress designs since 3 years. But no one knows about my inclination towards fashion world. I have hidden my interest in fashion designing from people because I don't want to become a joke infront of neighbours , relatives and especially Ruchi the devil. If Ruchi gets to know about my keen interest in fashion planet , she will spread this news everywhere like wildfire and everyone will judge me for my choices and interest as I am ought to follow the path of medical profession like my parents or else I will be a fool in the eyes of people and society.

Ok....it is raining hard and I love monsoon . So, I let me enjoy rain and pakoras made by Reena didi. Yum I love these delicious pakoras , the delicious gram flour and veggie indian savoury. Pakoras and rain are the combination of food and nature. Let me relish them now.

********CHAPTER ENDS************