Night Jasmine

Untitled Part 17

Mumbai, India's biggest metropolis draws people from across the country. It absorbs them like a sponge, providing opportunities for growth and success. It has a vibrant work culture; it recognises talent and rewards hard work. It is accommodating and tolerant, both squalid and swanky at the same time. Her people perpetually crib about its weather, the commute, the crowds, the traffic snarls and the prices. Yet they forget and forgive and never give up on their city. It is a place for dreams to come true and Sanyukta wondered if it would help her find hers!

As soon as she landed in Mumbai she got in touch with the person Vidushi had referred her to. One of Vidushi's old schoolmates shared a PG accommodation with two other girls. Her flatmates were yet to return from their holidays so Sanyukta had a roof over her head for a couple of days. She managed to complete her admission formalities. Her institute was conveniently located close to the city centre, but they did not have hostel facilities for first year students due to capacity limitations. She would soon need to find an affordable nest.

Her chores done, Sanyukta now found herself on an emotional roller coaster. She was experiencing an adrenaline rush having embarked on a forbidden adventure. At the same time the thought of facing life on her own in this huge impersonal city was making her nervous. She also felt guilty for having hurt her family and missed her home and her mother terribly, for all her differences with Anju she knew they shared an affectionate bond. She made up her mind about getting in touch with her mother as soon as the dust settled. On the other hand she was now in the same city as Randhir. She knew it would not be discrete to stalk him, he had set himself higher goals and she never intended coming in their way. Still the thought of being close to him was a temptation hard to resist. She knew she was facing a classic approach-avoidance conflict.

Her father had been so furious to discover his daughter gone that he expressly forbade his family to try to look for her or even to lodge a missing person's complaint. She was no longer a minor and awkward questions would be raised about why she chose to leave home so abruptly, and he did not want a public disclosure of her disappearance. As far as he was concerned she had become a persona non grata overnight. She had brought shame and disgrace to the family name. Anju was distraught but nobody would comfort her. On the other hand, Prerana could not believe her luck, her wishes were being granted. Now it was just a matter of time before Ankit would inherit the property and her in-laws returned to Kolkata for good.

Yasmeen went looking for her guru's contact hoping to find a platform to put her skills to the test. She had never been before an audience and knew it would be a long time before she could achieve anything substantial. She had worked hard to hone these skills, spending long hours practicing both music and mannerisms. Her transformation in such a short time was a testimonial to her single-minded dedication. Soon there would be bills to pay, she needed a source of income.If she passed the test she would be offered work and compensated accordingly. Also she had to find a roost in the city, a place to dissolve oneself in the veritable melting pot that this city was.

When the opportunity of the concert actually presented itself she could hardly believe it, she was both excited as well as jittery. She was being put on probation where she needed to prove that she was up to the challenge. She knew it was now or never, the impact she made in this debut would give her the identity she was trying to establish.