Leaving Home

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"Ab daadi ne ye laddu bhi de diye, already bag full hai, inhe kaise rakhu" I murmur to myself looking at the big bag lying on my bed.

Opening the lid, I remove one laddu and take a bite. "Mmm.. inke liye toh jagah banani hi padegi."

So finally the day has come! FITE! I've been planning to get this scholarship since 3 years and I finally achieved it. I look at the admission form on my study table with FITE written in bold letters.

Pata nahi daadi se alag akele kaise reh paaungi. Dost banenge ya nahi mere waha.. Kaash vo college yahi hota Mumbai me.. But ab Panchgani jaana hai..

"Sanyuuu...!!" Daadi calls out and my reverie is broken.

"Bass aayi daadi, 2 minute" I answer. I somehow push the jar of ladoos in the bag and close the zip.

I look at my room. I have stayed here for all of my 18 years. There are so many memories attached to it. I pick up my mom dad's photo from the study table and hug it, holding it tightly. I get a heavy feeling in my chest. I wish they were here to see me going to college. I miss them so badly.

I look at myself in the mirror. I am wearing a white t-shirt which is tucked in my dark blue torn jeans and sneakers. Taking a last look at my room I quietly shut the door behind me.

Daadi is standing by the door wearing an off white saari and she has a small cup of dahi in her hand. I smile sweetly at her and go and touch her feet.

"Jeeti reh", she says and feeds me a spoon of dahi and places it on the dining table beside her. She hugs me tightly and I am almost on the verge of crying.

I have been holding back my tears since morning and I don't want to cry because I don't want daadi to be upset. I look at daadi who's eyes have become watery too.

"Daadi aap bhi chalo na.." I say with a crack in my voice.

"Sanyu bachhi ab tu badi ho gayi hai na. Sab thik rahega waha, tere bahot achhe dost bhi banenge. Koi pareshaan kiya toh bass mujhe call karna. Mai rajnikant ki fan hu, mujhe sab stunts aate hai tujhe toh pata hai. Sab ki chutney banaa dungi jo bhi meri bachhi ko sataayega" she says trying to lighten up my mood.

I giggle listening to daadi's words. She is almost 70 years old but stronger than me. Her enthusiasm is more than a young teenager. I love her.

She is my only close family. My only family in fact. She has been doing the role of my mom, dad and sibling for the past 13 years. Also, she is my best friend.

Meri all in one daadi!

I hug her again and drag my 2 big luggage bags and one backpack outside where the taxi is waiting. The driver puts the luggage on the top. I sit inside the taxi and look at daadi.

"Apna khayaal rakhna daadi, holidays padte hi mai bhaag ke aaungi" I say and promise to call her everyday. She smiles at me. The driver starts the car and I wave goodbye.

Looking back I see that daadi is wiping her eyes will the pallu of her saari. Now I can't hold back. A lone tear escapes my eye as I watch my home getting smaller and smaller as my new journey begins.



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Hello! This is my first story and I'm not really great at it but I hope it's good enough for you guys to continue reading.. thank you in advance :)

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