The advent of 3rd semester at school meant fresh topics and newer set of study materials. Subjects unfamiliar or hitherto unheard of, ushered into Sameer's academic curriculum. The rigor of daily routine on weekdays left him with very little free time beyond school. After an early dinner, an hour or two would be spent on movies on you tube, once he was done with the informal tête-à-tête with Riya (or occasionally Anamika/other class mates). Catching up with Sarika & family was slated for every alternate day on phone while that with Priti & family was on weekends, sometimes in person. Sunday mornings were mostly kept aside for Skype sessions with Simba, Mansi and his parents. Without choice over a long tenure, Sameer gradually started making peace with his agony of missing his family back home. To be alone, became tetchy. He nurtured an unknown fear and disrespect for solitude, since each time he delved into thoughts of good times back home with Simba and Mansi, it was difficult to hold back tears gushing down his cheeks. He missed his parents so badly. It was as if, his mind was on the prowl to deliquesce and his eyes yearned to be moist, on the slightest pretext. He felt elated and delirious, each time he got to talk to someone, especially if it was Sarika-Sharat, Priti-Pramit or Riya-Adarsh. The only detriment to this halcyon would be the harbinger for desperation, in the form of intermittent tests or exams at school, when Sameer was forced to seek solace in study matter and class assignments.
Days passed and so did weeks. The fervor of initial days at school seemed to ease off. Sensing from his friends comments, observations or company, Sameer understood that unlike the times when school started, there was a strange sense of ennui for other things in school, be it short trips to nearby food joints, like-minded chats & fun-sessions, haute couture display or popping eyeballs at femme fatale. Most were caught in the enigma of thoughts related to grabbing internships or plush job opportunities after school. Paucity of sponsorship initiatives for generic disciplines at various organizations and knee-jerk reactions in the name of placement drives for business school students by the faculty or career center at school, hardly left things for international students to ensconce with. It appeared that the vociferous zeal of and for life had got truncated by the uncertainty of road ahead. To bear the grind and share the grin simultaneously, seemed to be an arduous task. Moreover, different electives also meant Riya and Sameer had fewer common classes and therefore lesser time in each others company, at school. For the first time in Houston, going to school felt appalling for Sameer.
In the turbidity of passing moments for Sameer, thoughts of missing out on his son's growing years kept him relentless company. Probably, only a father could understand this yearning. Sameer loved traversing back in time on the pre-marriage days with Mansi. He longed for those innumerable trips in yellow cabs, his Hyderabad sojourn (since he was posted outside on work) to spend time with her, the good times at Ban-Thai, Tangerine, Atrium, Waterside Cafe, Chinoiserie and many such. His sessions of movies, drinks & cricket-watching with his dad, joint cooking sessions with mom during festivals, soirees and late-night chats at his in-laws place and Sunday trips to his aunt's place were mere fleeting glimpses of joy now. The heart-to-heart talks with Sarika and her family reminded him of his growing years, when Sarika used to be the only friend, to whom Sameer could open his heart out, thread-bare. An unforeseen friend in the form of a new-found sister in his life, in Priti, made him ecstatic.Times spent with Priti's family helped him tide over his monotony to a large extent. Sameer reared a selfish pride in the discovery of a best friend at school in Riya. His blind faith and trust on her wasn't without reason. The sessions at Olives with Adarsh (with Riya joining them sometimes) were so cherish-able.
The war inside was far from over for Sameer. What he missed not being in Hyderabad, was irreplaceable. At the same time, Sameer realized his valued gains in having taken this tough decision. Needless to say, knowledge transfer was a significant addition. For a person like Sameer, mere acquaintances and good company were like bells & whistles of life, he could do without. But the very specific few new additions in his life in the form of choicest people and relationships bore testimony to his only reason for happiness away from home. People, who for him, touched and expanded the selective & rigid contours of his current tumultuous core. For once, Sameer seemed to be in complete unison of the famous quote...........
“Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.”
― Allen Saunders
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