You are the one

Beginning of something new

Present (8 years later)

Home is where our story begins....

Palak read the quote on the tourism card that a small girl had handed her at the entry\exit area of the  Kolkata airport, again and again... a strange thrill and excitement buzzing through her every time. It was the City of Joy afterall, and once you come here, you won't ever feel like leaving again. 

She reached the taxi stand near the airport and quickly called up her mother, to inform about her safe landing. She was really happy to be finally back home... but that joy was short living, because she had to return back after three days. But, even if it was a short holiday, She was glad to spend it with her family.

"Maa, I have landed safely. I am right now in the taxi stand and from here, i will take up a taxi after this, and reach home within twenty minutes, if there is no traffic jam...See you very very soon!"

Palak hung up, and felt impatience buzz through her. Twenty minutes was a small duration, but, only if there was no traffic jam. But, in the city of joy, no traffic jam was only once in a blue moon. She quickly hired a taxi and got up. Rolling down the windows, as she passed through the Howrah bridge, she let the wind play with her hair. 

Life had changed a lot for Palak. After passing her school education, she had decided to pursue her further studies in fashion designing. After a lot of hard work and studies, she had got admission in NIFT Bangalore. It is true that time passes really fast. It seemed that only a few days ago, she was hugging her parents in the same airport and now she was already in her last year, working as a temporary fashion journalist at a company along with studying, so that after passing she could find a good job and already have some experience in it.

Till twelfth, life seems to be all set, but after that, life suddenly leaves you unprepared in front of numerous choices. When we are young we want to grow up fast, but when you are finally grown up, you want to go back to those childhood days. Palak felt that too, if  she was given a chance to go back to her school days, where she was all tension free, no due dates for submitting new designs, no working and doing projects overnight, she would gladly accept it without thinking twice.

Maybe, good luck wanted to befriend her, because there was no traffic jam today and a usually less traffic than normal days, so she reached home within twenty five minutes. After paying for her taxi, she looked up and took a deep breath. It had been exactly one year, since she had last visited home. Gods! she missed everything so much!

It feels great to back, my home sweet home...

 Palak thought with a smile.

She pushed open the familiar gates and immediately ran inside, pressing the calling bell like a small impatient child. On the third ring, her parents opened the door and enveloped her in a hug. 

"Maa, Baba, I missed you both so much!!!" she whisper yelled and pulled back.  Her mom pushed back the strands of hair falling on her face and said "we missed you too beta.." smiling fondly at her.

 Her father kissed her forehead and looked at her with mischief glinting beneath his eyelids. Palak knew that it was again time for her father's silly  jokes.

"Baap re! Palak has gotten fatter in this one year, in the video call she looked normal, but right now... look at her chubby cheeks Poorna!"