From Headbands to Headliners

It all started here

Holi 1991

It wasn't easy for us to make this decision. I left all of my friends and family in Digboi to start a fresh life with my mother so that she stopped torturing herself with all the regrets and guilt. Mom wanted me to continue my Taekwondo even in Delhi so we moved to a colony which was close to the school where i was going to continue Taekwondo and my studies. It was not easy for either for us to forget what had happened a year ago, I don't want to tell anything to my mother but I still see my father's face in my dreams and when I open my eyes, I see his face in front of my face all covered in blood. 

Both my grandmother and mother unanimously decided that moving away from Digboi would be good for both me and her. Grandma did not want to see her daughter and granddaughter go through such rough time period alone. It's been a year and mom still doesn't acknowledge dad's death, she acts as if nothing happened. Somehow I understand her but we cannot really ignore this forever now can we? 

"Looks as if they are playing Holi ahead..." I snapped out of my thoughts when our taxi driver honked loudly at the noisy crowd of people ahead who were dancing ecstatically forgetting all about vehicles. "It's fine, we'll get off here. How much do we need to pay?" My mother grabbed the two suitcases and opened the car's door.  "Dekhe barhobi"  She gestured at the eccentric crowd ahead. I nodded and picked up my own two suitcases. 

I looked around to see many ladies peeking out from their balconies in their night dresses with colour smeared on their faces while 'Rang Barse'  blasted out of the speakers. I saw my mother walk ahead and so I followed her obediently. I looked here and there every now and then to dodge colours. "HOLI HAI!!!!" out of nowhere my vision was covered with pink. I coughed loudly and looked up to see my mom smirking ever so softly. Someone had smeared pink colour all over my face. "Maa!" I shouted but she dismissed it. "It's Holi! Why are you upset? You were too clean!" A tall girl walked upto me. 

She was wearing a blue kurta, her hair was tied in a tight braid and surely she had poured oil all over her hair. She must be older than me. "You don't even know me! How can you smear colour all over my face?" I attempted to wipe my face. "Well we can fix that now can't we? My name is Suparna Dixit." She smiled and extended her blue hand. I looked at her smile and then her hand. A small smile spread on my lips in many months as I took her hand. "I am Rutvi Marak..." I introduced myself. "You have an interesting choice of haircut..." she chuckled. She was referring to my bowl cut. 

"Ah...Well you can't do Taekwondo with long hair now can you?" I laughed. "Rutvi!" My mother called from the building beside us. She was also smeared in yellow colour. "Are you new here?" Suparna asked. "Uh...yeah. We just arrived. How old are you by the way?" I asked her. If she was older than me then it would be weird to refer to her by her first name only. Suparna flashed an amused smile "I am 14." She answered. "Oh...Okay Di. I will see you later!" I waved her before running to my mom. "Looks like we got welcomed well..." My mother smiled. "Let's go inside our new house." 

***************

After a month of settling in and arranging the house, I finally was ready to start attending school. Prakriti Vidyamandir Public School  wasn't fancy like my previous convent school in Digboi but mother told me that the sports and education facility was better than my previous school. The uniform for girls was a gray tunic on a red checkered shirt and our hair had to be either braided or cut short. Well that wasn't a problem for me because I already had a weird haircut which couldn't be braided. 

I took one last bite of the cornflakes and milk before hauling my bag and water bottle. "Have fun on your first day!" My mom patted my head while I wore my socks and shoes. I smiled "You too!" My mother got a job as nurse in the government hospital nearby. The walk to the school was merely seven minutes. Like I said, Prakriti Vidyamandir Public School wasn't fancy but the students still loved it. There stood a boy with heavily unkempt hair and glasses besides Suparna Di. She looked at me and smiled widely before approaching me with the boy. 

"Hi Rutvi!" She hugged me. "Let me take you to principal's office. Isn't it amazing that we are in the same school?" I smiled. 

The Principal was a sweet old lady who was kind enough to guide me to my classroom. The class was quiet as the maths teacher was solving a problem on board. "This is our new friend everyone! Be friends with Rutvi and help her with our curriculum." The students clapped half-heartedly when our principal exited. "Why don't you go sit beside Aryan?" The maths teacher pointed at the same boy with unkempt hair who was standing with Suparna didi earlier. I nodded and sat beside him on our single bench. "Hi I am Rutvi." I introduced myself. The boy rolled his eyes "The entire class heard..." 

My smile instantly fell "I am sorry, I didn't mean it in a rude sort of way..." he apologised. I shook my head and looked ahead. "If you want, I could show you around the school in recess. I heard you will be in the Taekwondo team of our school." He offered. I turned to look at him. His expression showed that he was guilty. 

"Yeah sure..." I smiled and so did he. That is how it all started. The best years of my life with the best people around...