One Indian Mate

My Life

Neysa Bahudur Ahuja :

I woke up to the sound of my alarm and instantly jumped out of the bed almost falling on the floor but quickly recollected my posture and ran into bathroom. Who runs like u were been chased in early morning? One n only ME. I can't blame anyone though.

Today is my first day in university and before that I have lots of work. In the sense "Pooja" (prayer). Yeah!! basically I'm from an Indian orthodox family, but my grandfather had settled here in Ireland.

I did my morning business and dressed up in a traditional Half-Saree or Lehenga Choli . I don't know where I got this never ending liking for my culture roots but I'm so obsessed with this to the point that even my family is fed-up with me saying 'you never change'. I just want my roots never leave me so I'm hanging onto it very tightly I guess.

I went downstairs straight to the room where Indian god's photo frames and metal forms are. I learned that in India every house big/small but they'll have a special room or place for gods. There are many gods and goddesses but of all I like lord Rama. I started my pooja with sanskrit mantras. After completing I called for everyone in my family for harathi (part of Prayer).

I went to my room and quickly tied my hair into a side braid, put on eye liner, lip gloss and earrings. I quickly grabbed my bag which I packed last night, wore flat silver shoes and went to have my breakfast.

Everyone was already at the dining table and I quickly joined them. Thanking God for the food I'm getting I started eating my food.

"So are you excited Essa?" My Brits asked me. Brits is my British grandma aka Alisa Craig Ahuja. Well long back my grandfather Jasleen Bahudur Ahuja, married my British grandma and settled in Dublin. How? Don't even ask me. Being an orthodox family there are many complications for marrying a person from other state or other religion or even other caste in India. I don't know how he managed to get permission from their parents. May be that's what love is?!

"Very much Brits" I smiled at her. I envy my grandma, she's such a sweetheart. She learned everything about Indian culture especially how it goes in grandpa family. So that she could pass the same after her and one will definitely know that she succeeded in it when they see me.

"Eat fast we're leaving in 10 minutes" my pops aka grandfather said.

"Kyaaaa? Aur 40 minutes hai pops?!" 
( Whattt? I have 40 minutes pops? )
I looked at him like what happened to him. Cause he's not the one dropping me but dad.

"I'm driving you from today cause your university is just a block away from mine"

"Oh okay but ithana jaldi jaane ka kya jarurath hai?" ( What is the need of leaving so early?" )

"I have some work and also it's your first day so it's a plus for you too"

"K k. Pops Hindi mei bath karo na. Jab dheko English" ( speak in Hindi. Everytime you speak English only. )

"It's just that became my mother tongue and I've been spending my life time with your grandma who took her time to learn Hindi and finally I don't even have any hope that she would speak perfect Hindi"

"What do I do? I tried my best and I can completely understand Hindi but the only problem is I can't speak properly just some little words. When I started to get better you stopped teaching me and now you are accusing me?" Here started the whole level drama again. Everytime I say something to pops he would lead that to here and end up soothing my Brits.

"Sweetheart it's nothing your fault. I'm just saying that it's been tough for you so instead of you I've changed." He said kissing her forehead.

"You always change the subject pops. It doesn't explain why you can't speak cause papa (father) speaks Hindi even Telugu to-"

"Sweety?" My mom Myra and dad Vikyath spoke at the same time warning me not to speak more.

And to my father who mostly took after my granny, married an Indian who's family has settled in California. They fell in love with each other in London where they went for their University study. I look most likely an Indian but what differs is my eyes which are bluish green, the only thing I inherited from Brits and other than that I'm all after my mom.

"Bheta leave your grandpa. Let him be and don't press. He's just used to this cause he's been living here for 40 years and he-"

"Became old? I know chalo chod dhiya bude papa ko" ( you are off the hook old dad ) I cut off my dad sending a wink to my pops at the end of sentence.

"Hey, I'm not old just........honey why don't you say anything about this"

"Just leave already..........old man" Brits muttered pushing my pops who is side hugging her. I started laughing my ass off at the last two words.

"Honey?" He started but I quickly pulled him off of his chair cause he'll be late if he goes on like that. I bid my bye kissing everyone's cheek and left the home with my bag, keys and a pouting pops. He seriously is something.

Soon me and pops reached my university, I got out and waved at him saying I would meet him at home. He's a professor in near by Ireland University and also unfortunately he's vice president.

I went straight to the office to collect my schedule and went to my locker and made it to my first class without looking at anyone though there are only few compared to actual count as it is 25 minutes early.

Few times I feel out of place cause of my Indian looks. Different look always grabs attention and I don't even like it a bit. Some things change out of reasons and I become stubborn when people look at me differently. Though I hate the attention, I thought why not give more reasons to people and annoy them by being different to the point that they stay away from me. So I changed the little liking of mine towards traditional wear to obsession. I compensated the attention I grab, with my traditional dressing. It's typical how they think of Indians but after years, I'm used to it now.

I figured it out that most people here are not a fan of historical Indian people. So I started to show off more than I'm actually into it. But I'm mostly opposite to what people think. I may be a big traditional devotee but that doesn't mean I'm not fun loving. They just judge a book by it's cover and I made it as my advantage. I only hangout with my cousins and very few friends who can see me as another human being and not judge. Besides that I'm used to being single everytime and over years I turned that to my advantage.

Hopefully I don't have to face any sort of dramas here at least not on first day. I don't want to join in university which my pops work though it is top most here in Dublin so I got into second best Dublin University of Business. It's not easy cause my family and friends wanted me to join in pops university but at last I won somehow. All my cousins and some college friends are into pops university or went for other country, which left me alone here.

So I have to drag these two years by making new friends if it's possible. Soon the class started filling out and I just ignored all the looks or whispers that are actually directed towards me and starred out of the window into the little forest area that surrounded the university. This is something I loved here though the interiors and exteriors of university are good.

"Hello class" with that my first class started.