Petrichor

An Old Wives' City

 “ I think this was a bad idea,” I said, taking a deep breath. “We shouldn’t be here.”

“Hey,” Neil looked at me. “It’s okay, we’ll just go around, and then come back. It’ll be just a few hours.”

The car surged forward, making its way through the uneven, bumpy roads. I put my head against the window and shivered. It was mid February, but the air was still stiff. I could only see empty, barren lands, stretching far and ahead. The sky was a dull grey even though it was around noon. The ball of anxiety that had been growing inside me since we started felt stuck in my throat. 

“I think we’re here,” Neil said, turning to face me. 

I pursed my lips and nodded. I didn’t have an inkling of idea of what to expect once we reached. Neil parked the car at the side of the road – not that it would’ve mattered, the streets were deserted – and we got out. A sturdy looking board stood at the middle, almost eight feet wide, with the fading words “No trespassing. The area is closed.” I could see the roads beyond it, even the flyover, to my right. I felt my stomach sink – I was really about to do this.

“Unless you want to stand here all day and-“ Neil began.

“No, no, let’s go,” I cut him off. “I want to get this over with as soon as possible.”

***

 “This was a terrible, terrible idea, Neil,” I laughed, and almost lost my balance.

“You were the one begging for a drink, not me,” he sighed. “Now come on!”

We walked through the scorching, dusty fields, avoiding the limping horses, till we reached our spot. It was at the very edge of Moidaan, covered with foliage, where nobody could see me embarrassing myself with my low tolerance.

I plopped down on the ground under a tree, and patted the ground next to mine for Neil to do the same. I was a little jumpy with the vodka in my system, and threw myself all over him without a worry in the world as soon as he sat down. The heat was boring down on us, and we were incredibly sticky with sweat. Understandably, he politely pushed me away after a few seconds, and I pouted at him.

“I’m going to miss this man,” I said, pinching the bridge of my nose.

“So will I,” sighed Neil, leaning back against the tree and making himself comfortable. “We’re going to make the most of our time in Kolkata before we leave next month.”

“Uh-huh,” I said, and took a sip from the bottle I was holding. “We will.”

“The Durga Pujo will be horrible in Bangalore,” Neil said softly.

I blinked at him. “Everything will change in Bangalore, Neil! The streets, the houses, the people, all the familiarity we’ve grown so used to,” I paused, and emptied the bottle in one last sip. “Let’s not make it any harder than it already is by listing all the ‘quintessentially Kolkata’ things,” I air quoted.

“I know, it’s just-“ Neil stopped. I could see how hard it was for him to leave everything behind and shift to a completely new city for an indefinite period of time. “It’s just I wish could spend at least the last year of the decade back in my home. See how the revolution unfolds in 2020.”

I laughed. “Oh yes, the mighty 2020, the end of the decade, the start of a new era. But we can always visit, you know,” I plopped my head on his shoulder. “Come back to Kolkata, visit this corner again…”

He didn’t say anything. Both of us knew the media company we were going to work for wasn’t known for giving too many vacations. There was no certainty that we were ever going to come back any time soon. I let the thought float between us and closed my eyes.