One Day At A Time

Chapter 1 - Upside Down

September 06, 1993
Pune

The morning sun burned brightly in the sky in a Pune suburb, the blazing heat penetrating the skin and making it impossible to stay outdoors even for a few minutes. In this scorching heat, a tangle in the hair was waging a fierce battle against the comb, trying to hold on to its existence, unwilling to come undone. As the fight intensified, she pulled the comb away from her hair and threw it aside in frustration with a force that could've possibly broken it.

It didn't take her long to lose her composure and cave in to this kind of mood of late, the most insignificant of reasons becoming the trigger to wreck her erratic emotional state. Incidentally, the heat, the sweat or the thick untenable mane around her face had nothing to do with her turmoil.

Khushi Joshi was on the verge of losing her mind, and she was fully aware of it.

Standing near the parapet of the balcony on the second floor a residential block of apartments, she looked at the sky and quietly sent another prayer to her bhaggu ji, begging Him for some peace of mind and strength. She sighed as she picked up her comb lying in one corner of the balcony and tied her thick long unhandy hair into a ponytail with finesse. One quick look at the clock on the wall in the bedroom made her dart inside to get dressed for college.

Payal was going to kill her today.

Khushi stood as a fairly tall, slim and a light-complexioned nineteen-year-old in front of the mirror. Her eyes caught their reflection, which refused to conceal the tumult of her mind. Words which had sunk deep into her mind and heart were back to haunt her all over again....

I don't know how else to say this but...I think I am in love with you Khush.

She ignored the voice that tugged at her heartstrings along with the familiar feeling of restlessness inside her heart. The memory brought back the shock and confusion that had jolted her when she had heard those words from his mouth for the first time. She had blinked a few times then, disbelief written all over her face. The moment was etched in her memory forever --clear, lucid, as though it happened just a minute ago.

Get hold of yourself Khushi, she said to herself, as she pulled out her favourite maroon coloured top and jeans from the old metallic cupboard.

I don't want to go, Khush.

His words were back to bother her again. Stop! She admonished herself the umpteenth time as she hurriedly changed and ran out of the room before her entire being succumbed to the disquiet again.

The heavenly aroma of the rice appe took over her senses and irritation as she rushed towards the kitchen where her Aai was busy serving hot ones on a plate with coconut chutney on a small dining table. Everything seemed so normal, routine. Yet for her, it wasn't. Her world had turned upside down a week ago.

"Can I skip breakfast, Aai? I'm running late for my lab session, and it is going to be another dead stinky organism we need to tear to shreds or observe today. The appe will find their way out of my mouth without any effort anyway. There is no point in eating!" Khushi said, looking at her plate on the table with a frown on her face.

"Empty stomach won't help you focus on the dissection, Mithhoo. No excuses. Have a few so that I can go through my day without worrying about you" Aai replied, feeding a spoonful to Khushi while pushing her on the chair.

It was futile arguing with her mother. Khushi knew it. She almost swallowed a couple of them along with the delicious chutney which she would have sung praises of any other day. But for the past few days, her effervescent spirit had deserted her. She couldn't smile without effort and putting on an act of normalcy had started wearing her off. Kissing her Aai goodbye, she walked out with her bag.