Four Years: The first year

02| Aly

I'm Alina Singh, I'm 21. I live in Jabalpur. And I have just been selected for IIT Bombay. I am quite excited about college but also pretty nervous.

My best friends, Ryan and Kiara are also in Mumbai. Kiara is in her fourth year of medical college, MBBS, and Ryan has been selected for IIT Bombay like me. Ryan already flew to Mumbai before me, he will be living with his best friend there. Yes, he has another best friend whom I have never met but he sure does talk highly of him.
Whereas I would be living with Kiara as roommates. I am thrilled about that.

My brother, James, dropped me off in Mumbai. When I reached the airport, I saw Ryan waving frantically at me. A wide, beaming smile immediately reaches my face. Ryan is a very handsome man, tall, dark, brown eyes, a good sense of fashion, and a jester's attitude although he is the smartest of us. He is somewhat of a ladies' man, none of his relationships lasts more than a month. Just when I saw Kiara standing next to him my smile got even wider. She is a beautiful woman with olive skin tone and beautiful long, black hair which is always braided. Kiara is the sweetest girl, I have never seen anyone so selfless, kind, and generous as her, if it were up to her there'd be no crime in the world.

I ran up to them after bidding goodbye to my brother and hugged them tightly. Ryan made a sound like air coming out of a balloon and I laughed. "So? How are you guys?" I asked them.

Ryan starts speaking, "Good good, though something pretty cool happened. Mine and Kiara's apartments are right across the hall. We'd all be neighbors!"

"Yes, isn't that amazing", Kiara practically squealed.

"It is", I said, " So Ryan who's this best friend of yours, in whose apartment you're living along with him, and if the apartments are right across each other, doesn't K already know him?"

"Oh, George? I do actually, I've known him for four years. Great guy and a close friend, really. I'm sure you'll get along", she replies, "Oh, and Aly, guess who I found here in Mumbai. RAY! Ray's here, and he's a Geologist just like he always wanted."

"Really? Finally found that bastard." I said, excitedly. The start of my college years seemed to get off amazing.

Ray was mine and K's neighbor back in Jabalpur. He and I were also in the same schools. But he moved to Mumbai after high school.

"Oh, but he is going through a divorce so be gentle."

"Oh I'm sorry, what happened? "

"Er.. "

"His wife was a lesbian", Ryan chimes in.

I was in awe and I very nearly going to laugh out loud but I controlled myself.
Ryan noticed. "It's okay. It's a safe space, you can laugh". And I did.

We reach our apartment. I settle in all my stuff and go into my room. I've been cleaning and arranging it for hours but I think it was worth it. Tomorrow is my first day of college. I go into the bathroom and give myself a pep talk. I will be confident. It will be amazing.  And I will rock. I sigh at my lameness then I go to bed awaiting the new beginning...