Time elapsed slowly. Weeks passed with the same mundane routine of 4 days of class in a week, catching up with friends in between, cooking, cleaning, laundry and above all skype with family on weekends. Life had turned topsy turvy for Sameer in 2 months. Back in Hyderabad, he used to come home to the effervescent smile of Simba, update on Mansi's day in office and news of relatives from his parents. Dinner time was big on quality topics & content thereof. At times it used to stretch as long as almost 2hours. Weekends used to be for fun activities or long drives after getting done with Simba's Saturday morning dance sessions and ocassional doctor appointments. If not anything else, it would be a movie outing preceded by lunch at the mall food court and pizza dinner from Dominos or Pizza Hut. Once a month everyone would head for monthly groceries & provisions from Spencer and the ritual would end with 'Fillet-o-Fish" and cheeseburgers from McDonalds. Sameer missed all these so badly now.
The winter chill started with mid November in Houston. The week before, Sameer and his new classmates in the MBA program got together at Helena's place in Glendale over dinner. Apart from the food, the frolic they had was a welcome breather. The ensuing week Sameer was invited to Corwin's place at Hyde Park for dinner. Corwin & his wife Mandira were expecting their first baby in a few weeks from then. As promised, Riya picked him up in the evening and they first proceeded to Sam's Club to grab a bottle of wine and a cheesecake which was meant for Mandira. In addition, Riya had also cooked a vegetarian dish which she announced proudly with a disclaimer to ensure exoneration. A few others from their school had also joined for dinner. It was indeed special for Sameer to be in good stead amongst jovial and fun-loving friends like Kyler, Venessa, Brendon, Corwin, Mandira and Riya. In fact two of Mandira's family friends were also there. It was also the first time amongst school friends in US that Sameer had to divulge his age (in response to Mandira's question), unwillingly.
With time, Sameer, Riya & Anamika got to be known as the threesome in school for their steadfast friendship. Anyone seeking information about Sameer would know whom to ask and so on for Riya and Anamika. Once during recess in school, Sameer, Helena, Rima, Riya & Anamika were seated on the sixth floor, working together on some assignment. On a discussion pertaining to the University, Riya suddenly got agitated and shouted at Sameer since he was trying to prove her wrong about what she knew. Sameer was embarassed and hurt at her reaction in front of so many (there were others too seated at different tables close by). He tried cajoling himself to normalcy and walked back home. Even before he had reached, Anamika called on his cell, trying to pacify him. In fact, in the ensuing couple of days she did all possible to bridge the gap between Sameer's hung face and Riya's cautious observance and truce between the make-believe foes was finally attained in the basement hall. Riya's tears made Sameer rethink, probably there was a connect which hitherto he had missed because she had no business reprimanding just about anybody. Yet another instance of her sponteinity was after the 1st quarter Economics exam when Riya and Sameer were waiting in the hallway for Anamika. While tallying answers for a specific question, it dawned they shared a common answer. Riya immediately yelled and said, "Give me a hug! Give me a hug!" With so many students around, Sameer was actually more than startled to react. Although a normal means of PDA in US, back in India, a hug, especially between a boy and girl would be looked at in a sense more than the obvious. He was hardly used to them among friends, all the more if it was from an opposite gender. Unsure of how to react, he stood still, and true to her smart self, Riya was prompt to take a cue. Riya was also Sameer's gateway to USPS, retail stores for provisions and other such urgent errands in and around campus. She was his closest guide to reference and relevant information around Houston or otherwise. Apart from being a good friend she would don the role of his mentor, resume-builder, task-master and problem-solver (study matter and beyond), among others with aplomb and perfect ease, time to time. It was sheer trust and reliance, gaining strength with each passing day.
Sameer's life in real sense, in the form of his family, was miles away from him. Nothing could replace or make do for what he was missing temporarily in his tryst with destiny. But what seemed ironical was how things were evolving around him in Houston. It probably was God's way of Quid pro Quo; in return for what he had lost momentarily, he had gained happiness, solace and pride in the form of a true friend in Riya, who was mature enough to be looked up to unconditionally, a friend who would stand by him in his hour of need or otherwise and who had the grit to see through any odds even in the fiercest tempest.
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