I lied on my bed with the anticipation of having the same dream again. But just as I closed my eyes, ready to sleep, an annoying sound filled the room. I diverted my attention toward the source of the noise. It was my mobile phone.
"Now who is calling at this time of day?" I thought. "It might be Sam. He's being suspicious of my behavior. He has quite the keen eyes. It's always hard to make him believe anything when I lie. It's like he took some kind of secret agent training."
While I was lost in thought, I stood up to silence the annoyingly buzzing phone. But when I glanced at the screen, I realized I was wrong. It wasn't Sam. It was a call from my mother. I picked up the call without wasting another second.
"Hello, Ma."
From the other side came a warm but slightly bossy voice, full of classic mother energy, immediately barraging me with questions.
"Dev, what is this? It's been three days since you last called. When you moved out, I told you to call every day! You don't call us, and you don't even pick up when we call."
Amidst the rapid-fire scolding, I was left speechless. That damn habit of mine... But I got my chance sooner than expected.
"Yeah Ma, sorry. I forgot. The workload is a lot and I don't get much time during the day. And at night, I just crash due to exhaustion. Even now, I was about to sleep."
"Sleeping at this time? What's happening to you? I told you not to sleep in the evening!"
"Yeah, I know, but I'm just tired."
"Okay, I understand. But have you eaten anything?"
"Ma, didn't I just say I came back from college and was going to sleep? When would I have eaten?"
"What?! You haven't eaten anything? I told you—"
"Wait, Ma, don't worry. I'll eat something. First, tell me why you called."
"Oh right! Your dad and I just saw the news about the 10-day holiday announced by the government. Is it true?"
"Yeah, it was announced in college. It's true."
"Oh, good. Now pack your bag and come home."
"What? Why so suddenly? I can't do that, Ma. I still have to finish some assignments."
"Don't make excuses. You can do it here."
"But—"
"No buts!"
"Right... but what about flight tickets? I won't get any at the last minute. I might have to wait a day."
"You don't have to worry. Your father already booked them. Now pack your bag and hurry up or you'll miss the flight."
"Ma, but—"
"No ifs or buts, Dev. You've been living alone for too long. We miss you."
Even the freest man like me can't escape the warm shackles of a parent's love. So in the end, I gave in to my mother's persistent will.
"Okay Ma, I'll pack."
"Good! And travel safely. If you face any problem, call us immediately, okay?"
"Okay Ma. Bye."
"Bye, beta."
One call from my mother, and all my plans flipped 360 degrees. It was a total disappointment for me, but I masked it and began packing. For boys, packing doesn't take much time. I packed my laptop, tab, sketchpad, some clothes, and other essentials. My packing was done.
But suddenly, my stomach started growling. I remembered I hadn't eaten anything. The flight was at 6 PM, and it takes approximately 40 minutes to reach the airport. The current time was 3 PM. Even if I take an hour to eat, I'll still reach an hour early. So it was settled—lunch first.
But what to eat? Only one thing came to mind—the favorite quick meal of every student: noodles. Without wasting another second, I started preparing lunch. I made some tea and noodles. It took only 20 minutes.
After silencing my hungry stomach, I glanced at the clock. It was 3:42 PM. I took my stuff and stepped out of the apartment, locked the door, and booked a ride to the airport. In minutes, my ride arrived. Hats off to the creators of these quick commerce giants—they make every hectic task easy.
I stepped into the ride. The driver was a middle-aged man, probably in his 30s or 40s, average height, with a big black beard.
"Sir, OTP?"
"Yeah, sir. It's XXXX."
"Okay, sir."
I tried to take a nap, but the driver was good—we reached the airport in 40 minutes. The time was 4:25 PM. There was still 1.5 hours until the flight. It didn't take long to pass. After all the security checks and reaching the gate, it was time for boarding.
All passengers queued up and started entering the buses. I boarded the bus too. There were few seats; it was designed more for standing. So I stood with the others. Everything was fine except one thing—the AC. I was in a summer T-shirt, and the cold temperature felt like a fridge. I stayed in that freezing bus for 20 minutes.
When we reached the plane, all passengers exited the bus and began boarding. I entered along with the others. My seat number was 15A. Good thing Dad had booked a window seat.
I sat down. The passengers next to me were an old man and a middle-aged woman. I didn't pay them much attention. The airhostess gave instructions, and then the plane took off. The flight was to land at Delhi Airport by 9 PM. A 3-hour flight.
My plan was to sleep. My mind was full of anticipation. But despite everything, I didn't get a single minute of sleep. It was like my body was buzzing with extra energy that wouldn't let me rest. So I started reading a few new chapters of a manhwa I'd been following. A classic transmigration story—a person possesses a background character in a book. I've read more than 30-40 of these. They never bore me. But today... I couldn't focus. All I wanted was sleep.
Time dragged, but eventually, after three long hours, the flight landed safely. There was some turbulence, but I guess that's normal.
I stood up. My back was stiff, but there was no time to stretch. I walked in line with the other passengers, exited the plane, and boarded another bus—thankfully, not as cold. The bus dropped us at the airport entrance. I went to collect my luggage and then walked toward the exit.
My plan was to book a ride home. But when I reached the exit, I saw my father waiting.
> "I saw my father waiting, arms crossed like always, scanning every spot like it's a battlefield report."
I walked toward him and touched his feet, like any typical Indian boy. He patted my back, like any Indian father.
"Was the travel comfortable?"
"Yes, Father."
"No problems during the journey?"
"No, Father. Everything went smoothly."
"Okay. Take your luggage and wait here. I'll bring the car."
"Okay, Father."
He went to get the parked car while I waited. A few minutes later, he returned. I put my luggage in the dicky and sat beside him in the car.
My father is tall and composed, wears glasses. My good height comes from him. He's a history professor at a university. Calm, never angry, not cold but emotionally restrained. He often quotes historical events in casual conversation. My love for stories must have come from him.
We had a light talk about college and assignments. The ride was smooth, and soon we reached home. It wasn't luxurious but definitely better than average. Well-kept.
As I stepped out of the car and began taking my luggage out, my mother came out to greet me.
Traditional, warm-hearted, in her early 40s, always smelling like fresh food and sandalwood. My mother hugged me tightly. I'm their only child, and she still treats me like I'm 10.
> "Her hugs still feel like home. Like time didn't move in here."
"At least let him in first," Dad called.
"Hey, don't meddle. Let me care for my son. Look how much weight he's lost."
"No Ma, it's the same."
"Don't lie. Hurry up and come inside. I made dinner. Let's eat together."
"Okay, okay."
Our house is filled with Rajasthani art. My parents have some obsession with it, even though we've never been there. The most notable are the handmade paintings by my mother. Now you know where my artistic side comes from.
I put my stuff in my room. It was properly cleaned. Clearly, Ma does regular cleaning here. I freshened up and sat down at the dining table.
We ate together. Talked about college, professors, assignments. Ma complained I don't call enough. We had dinner. Then my parents asked if I wanted to go for a walk. I declined, saying I was tired and wanted to sleep.
I went to my room, closed the door, lay on the bed, and closed my eyes.
> "Tonight... don't leave me halfway."