Chapter 6: A New Beginning

Bhai, meri saansen ko thodi si rahat tab mili jab pilot ne finally announce kiya-

( finally I had sighed out of relief when the pilot finally announces )

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived in Mumbai. Thank you for your cooperation during the turbulence."

That's it.

Bas.

Us moment pe mujhe laga Bhagwan ne mujhe doosri zindagi de di.

(At that moment, I felt like God had given me a second life.)

I mean, it's a little ironic.

I was born and brought up in Delhi.

India's capital.

A proper metro city.

And yet I'm acting like someone who has never stepped into an airplane before.

But honestly?

I can't help it.

Flights and I simply don't get along.

Anyways.

Now I had a much bigger problem.

My luggage.

First I had to get out of the plane.

Then collect my bags.

Then somehow find my way to IIT Bombay.

Easy, right?

Wrong.

The moment I stepped outside the airport, my happiness lasted exactly three seconds.

Three.

Because immediately after that-

"WAIT."

Why was it so humid?

Yahan itni humidity kyun hai?!

(Why is it so humid here?!)

Bhai, mere toh pasine chhoot gaye.

(I was already sweating.)

The Mumbai weather had personally decided to welcome me.

Anyways, I had no choice but to bear it.

For now.

I checked my phone.

And nearly dropped it.

30 missed calls.

Mom.

34 missed calls.

Dad.

Bhai saab.

What was this?

An emergency helpline?

Mahi was the only normal person in my family.

Mostly because she didn't even have a phone.

Then I remembered.

My phone had been on airplane mode.

How is any of this my fault?

Exactly.

Not my fault.

Just then, my phone started ringing again.

No.

No.

No.

I already knew who it was.

Mom.

I took a deep breath and picked up.

"Hello?"

"MIRA!"

I moved the phone away from my ear.

"Beta, pahunch gayi?"

(Have you reached?)

"Yes."

"Kab?"

(When?)

"Just now."

"Kitna time ho gaya?"

(How long ago?)

"A few minutes."

"Flight kaisi thi?"

(How was the flight?)

Now that was a question I absolutely did not want to answer.

My family definitely did not need to know about:

The turbulence. The washroom incident. Me mentally preparing my will at 18 years old.

So I simply replied-

"Umm... flight theek thi."

(The flight was fine.)

Manage ho gayi thi.

(I somehow managed it.)

Which was technically the truth.

Mom continued asking another fifty questions before finally letting me go.

I ended the call and looked around.

Now I just needed transportation.

Simple.

Again.

Wrong.

Very wrong.

The first auto driver I asked looked at me and said-

"2000."

I stared.

"2000?"

Bhai, IIT Bombay jaa rahi hoon.

Mars nahi.

(I'm going to IIT Bombay, not Mars.)

The second guy wasn't much better.

"1000."

I sighed.

Well, technically it was around thirty minutes away.

But still.

It hurt.

Taxi mil nahi rahi thi.

(I couldn't find any taxis.)

Auto walon ka apna hi business model chal raha tha.

(The auto drivers were running their own economy.)

Just when I was contemplating my life decisions, I noticed a bus.

A bus.

Public transport.

A gift from the heavens.

Immediately I grabbed my luggage and boarded.

And thankfully...

It dropped me near the gates of IIT Bombay.

Finally.

FINALLY.

I stood there for a few seconds just staring.

The huge gates.

The students walking in and out.

The campus I'd dreamed about for years.

I couldn't stop smiling.

IIT Bombay.

After years of hard work...

I was finally here.

And honestly?

I felt ridiculously happy.

But then-

Wait.

I narrowed my eyes.

Did I just see someone familiar?

No.

That couldn't be right.

I looked again.

Huh.

Maybe I wasn't imagining things after all.

Ek minute...

(Wait a minute...)

I knew that face.

But from where?

And more importantly...

What was she doing here?

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Hello lovelies !

So how was the chapter

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