A Welcome Respite!!!!

The last two days were abuzz with activity for Sameer. Getting through the introductory session organized by the International Students office at the University followed by an hour long registration procedure, was a tough ask. The brouhaha amidst serpentine queues, unending photocopies of documents and swarm of unknown faces, both excited & confused Sameer to the hilt. Students from all around the globe with towering hopes and myriad dreams, trotted around. For them, the world seemed to originate and exist only on the few tables laid out in the Tardymann University Center of the University, on main-street. Attending to students, on these tables, were the officials who were regularizing students records like I-20, I-94, Visa, Passport details and other relevant certificates. The huge sigh of relief was palpable when Sameer ultimately got done with the formalities and headed out to Skyline Chili at Jefferson-Clifton crossing for his lunch with Yenal, his Turkish roommate at the dormitory.

Sameer could hardly wait to get in, when the white Altima pulled up in front of him near the dormitory. Pramit, who was behind the wheels, raised his hand and indicated to him to put the luggage in the boot of the car while he tucked the provisions that Sameer and Priti had got the other day, onto the backseat. As they settled on the front seats adjacent to each other, Pramit let out his hand and said, "Hi, Sameer bhai, heard so much about you". Sameer greeted back. They were meeting each other for the first time. Pramit mentioned that Priti and her colleague were expecting them at Ikea in West Chester for lunch and shopping for Sameer, thereafter. Their first halt was at Sameer's studio to drop the luggage and rest of the articles. They finished the errand deftly and were on their way to Ikea, soon after. After the customary exchange of pleasantries, Sameer started to gorge on Swedish Meatballs and Apple-cake with vanilla. This was followed by choosing the necessary furniture for Sameer's apartment. Next, they proceeded for check-out and sensing his dilemma how and where to process the order and swipe his credit card, Priti shared some vital tips for him to act upon. Finally, they stopped at the home-delivery counter to turn in their items to be told that those would get delivered in a week's time. Sameer couldn't help but marvel the efficient and adept handling of the entire episode by Pramit & Priti.

It was 6.30 pm. Sameer was at Priti's home, with Pramit and their little son Avik. The effervescent little champ was busy narrating his experiences at the daycare, for the day. He seemed to take an instant liking for the new person around. On the other hand, Sameer was delighted with Avik's company. The little one had so much to say, so much to share. In between his giggle and minor pause for breath, Avik seemed to traverse through his past and present. Sameer was having oodles of fun. The added incentive for him was, Sameer was feeling himself in Simba's company. Catching up with Priti and Pramit seemed endless. Priti and Pramit had so much to tell Sameer and vice versa. Pramit was also busy raking up his gourmet cuisine, the awadhi Biryani. They were chatting their hearts out. Yes, Sameer was truly living the moment.

A loud gurgle emanated as Pramit poured into the Stolzle Glencairn crystal glasses which already had ice cubes in it. He described that Bourbon was a much sought after drink in the state of Kentucky. As the expanse of the golden gleam on the crystal rocks widened, as they clinked their glasses to a loud cheers, Sameer's heart pounded with excitement. His flight to Minneapolis was scheduled for 11 am, the next day. Sarika, her two year old daughter Janki and husband Sharat resided there. Sameer would be seeing Janki in person, for the first time. As he took the first sip of his drink, the pensive mood that had engulfed Sameer and his daub of sorrow for the past few days, both seemed to get diluted. Even though momentary, it was a welcome respite after what seemed like an aeon of pain. 

The Invaluable Lifeline!!!!

The gleam of Sunshine was too bright. The sky was sparingly blue. Sameer turned on his side and stretched out his left arm. The clasp weakened when something soft in cloth embraced him. This was not the usual feel of Simba. Even the bed didn't render the usual warmth. It was a good night’s sleep alright but why was he missing the zest. Why did life seem a mere existence, all of a sudden? It was a conscious decision taken by none other than him to travel so far and bear with the separation from family for the time being. It had been just two days, but he was already missing them so much. His weary mind seemed to give up on making sense with the tumult inside.  He was effete, deep within, with his thoughts getting vectorial every passing moment.

A shrill broke through the somber silence around Sameer. He could gauge the mobile phone going berserk. He was in no mood to take the call without making peace with his inner self. Reluctantly, he clutched on to the phone and said “hello”. A soothing voice on the other side replied, “Sameer bhai! Hi, this is Priti” She continued further, “How are you? How was your journey?” In a flash, Sameer turned back  more than two decades in time. His only kid sister Sarika, who was five years younger to him, had joined school and it was her first day. While the parents waited outside the school gate with bated breath for their wards to be ushered in a file into their classrooms by their respective class-teachers, Sameer could see Sarika romping around with another smiling little girl. During recess, Sarika introduced her first school friend as Priti, who was distinguished by her hair being done up in two braided tails. His presence seemed a little too close for comfort for the little Priti. Sarika and Priti continued as very close buddies in the same school, sitting adjacent to each other, sharing each other’s lunch bites, being an avid part of the others sorrow and happiness until Priti joined a different school after ten long years. It was just the second time Sameer was hearing Priti’s voice in more than twenty years.

Priti had mentioned that she would pick up Sameer in the evening on her way back from work. She offered to take him to Meijer’s, retail major in Houston, to get his stock of provisions before he moved into his new place of stay. It was a mixed feeling of emotions, pride and happiness to see the little girl of yester years. She too was a kid sister for Sameer, who had grown up, in his hometown, near his own surroundings. He watched in awe as she smartly pulled up near the kerb in front of him and stepped outside. As he fastened the seat belts on the front seat beside Priti, in her car, Sameer couldn't marvel at the simplicity, confidence and honesty that she exuded. Indeed she had grown up. She stepped on the gas as they turned on to Clifton to proceed towards Martin Luther King Av. en route to Meijer’s.

As she spoke about her family (her husband Pramit and son Avik), as they caught up over the past years of each other’s life as well as days in school, as they discussed about favorite teachers and subjects, Sameer sensed the beginning of a new chapter in his life. He felt a sense of belonging. There was an air of unspoken proximity, a true sense of attachment. For the first time in more than a week, he felt the calming embrace of peace and normalcy in his life.  It was evident that Priti, Pramit & Avik would be more than his extended family in Houston. Their's would be more than a calming presence to his despairing solitude. The tempest seemed to ease off. He realized with glee that he had found his home away from home. Yes, he had just found his lifeline in Houston, a lifeline which would go a long way in helping him differentiate between existing and living!!!!

Coal in the Embers!!!

The University campus gates on Calhoun street was teeming with activity. The smell from the Indian restaurant Krishna, across the street was so inviting. Sameer was famished, but for one, he chose to relinquish himself of the irk of tugging his belongings with him. The well dressed chauffeur offered to help carry two of his enormous suitcases inside the dormitory house which was a short walk from the campus gates. By the time Sameer followed suit with the remaining bags, he was exhausted. After all he also had to usher in his 219 lbs. not too small statuette, along with the luggage. The smart chauffeur greeted him and was ready to depart. Sameer wasn't sure whether tipping was an acceptable norm in US. More importantly, he reckoned that a dollar saved would mean an additional burger gained for himself. After a momentary boggle he greeted back the chauffeur and trudged inside not realizing that he probably needed to trudge the path of etiquette and cultural mannerisms better.

The hot shower was so much needed. Sameer was desperate to don a fresh set of clothes. With the scent of eau-de-Cologne emanating from him generously, Sameer stepped outside to get a real feel of being in America. He started walking towards the main street ahead, all the while trying to figure out a place to grab his first meal in US. Since Bruegger's Bagels on Clifton seemed too inviting, he dashed inside and positioned himself behind the last person in the queue to the counter. The large display boards mentioned different types of Sandwiches. For some strange reason, it seemed Hebrew to Sameer. The names were a far cry from the simple ones he was used to, back in India. Finally, he managed to spot the cheapest on the list and marched ahead with confidence. At the counter, he was in for greater trouble, much beyond what he expected. The person who was making the sandwiches asked for his choice of bagel followed by the celery, pickle, egg and meat that he wanted it to be stuffed with. The last nail in the coffin was when he was asked to pick the cheese type he wanted. Needless to say, with embarrassment writ large on his face, Sameer blabbered what came to his mind, much to the amusement of the person across the counter and people behind himself. By the time Sameer managed to check out and make good his escape from the counter, his hunger had died down. Yes, there seemed to be a lot in cultural mannerisms for him to learn, much beyond a college diploma that he had actually come for, to the US. He felt being the coal in the embers. 

The back-pack slung over Sameer's left shoulder had online rent payment receipts. Sameer had managed to book his studio on Proshop Avenue, in close proximity to his college of business at the University. The lady at the Dazlight Properties office promptly handed him the keys to the letter box and apartment 7 on 3239 Proshop Av. On his way back, Sameer was too weary to walk a mile & half back to the dormitory and hopped on to Metro bus 19. Inserting the dollar bill and three quarters in the machine near the steering wheel was also a new experience. At the dormitory, Sameer was tired enough to hardly wait to catch up on his lost sleep. At the same time he was excited about shifting to his rented apartment the next day. As he lay down and closed his eyes, he wondered how his new haven would be, a house far away, from and being a home. In a few moments he had escaped into a realm of temporary solace!!!!!!!

The Journey Begins!!!

A whiff of dust was let off when the airplane tires grazed against the tarmac at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport at Houston. Even after having seared through the blue firmament for almost a day, the huge machine looked raring to go. By the time Capt. Mehra got the aircraft stationary at Terminal D, it was 7 am in the morning. The flight to Houston took almost 19 hours including a brief stopover at Chicago. Sameer was wide awake and gaping at the seat-back TV screen. For most of his co-passengers, the fabulous in-flight entertainment system with AVOD, kept them oblivious of the time elapsed. But Sameer was in a daze staring stark at the numbers on the screen which showed he was almost 9000 miles away from where his heart and soul were. He was not in the land of the unknown, but yes, he was surely in a moment of forlorn.

There was an air of urgency everywhere. For those around, the serenity seemed to wither away. Their patience and composure had all but stayed on. An elbow, en route to grabbing a cabin baggage above, almost cracked Sameer's temple. Even after eons of development, Darwin's theory of evolution seemed to have been propounded by people around him in the airplane. "What a mad race against time by an avid bunch of mortals whose run can ultimately take them closer and faster to their grave only", he thought. Sameer seated himself once again for everyone to make good their exit. Finally, he acknowledged and  nodded to a 'have a great day" greeting by a flight steward, who saw him off the plane. 

The queue at the immigration counter seemed never-ending. Sameer felt an unusual squirm throughout the wait. It could have been the fact that he was unsure of the formalities ahead. It could also have been because he didn't know what to expect from the immigration officer. He was locked in the precincts of his own confusion and non-clarity. In his mind, he quickly got himself versed in a few answers for some probable questions. From the immigration check to the baggage claim and then the underground train for inter-terminal transfer, Sameer was following others like a zombie. 

It was a big sigh of relief, when he finally managed to hand over the travel receipt to the chauffeur of the airport shuttle. The walk across various concourses to the travel counter had taken a heavy toll on Sameer's weary legs and body, which was all agog for some physical rest. As for the mind, which had been working overtime since many days, rest seemed to be a long lost proposition. 

As soon as he paid for the trip across the counter, Sameer realized that the cost of travel was also his first expenditure in US dollars. INR 1700 seemed much more expensive as compared to USD 30. For the moment, he had no choice. He knew he had to be prudent in his expenditure for it was an earning of his lifetime that he was going to put at stake in his new quest. Between Simba, his family and himself, he had chosen himself to invest in. Was he selfish? Could he only think about himself? Would this decision of his augur well for his life (which in truest sense for him was his family)? He ushered  himself on to the rear seat of the shuttle van and headed for the dormitory home on his University campus in search of answers to many more identical unanswered queries and irking dilemmas. Only time could say whether the answer would be propitious, if at all he got them!!!!!!!