Episode 5

I moved into my new place yesterday. I didn't have any stuff except for clothes and few more stuff, so it was not a big deal. Forgetting things were an option, so no problems at all. Finding an apartment had been the tough one, but after four weeks of searching for it amidst my father's constant reminder about things not being so tough, I have a new found respect for all people on this planet that has even attempted at finding a place. Phew!

Mine is a one bedroom apartment on the 10^th floor of a society and pretty compact. It used to be a guest house and it came furnished, meaning, no good furniture, but hey, it is a start. The walls are a creamy colour with a moderate sized living room and a bedroom of moderate size with a balcony and attached bath. The room has a double bed and wardrobe. I will be replacing the mattress. The biggest room in the apartment is the kitchen. Somethings cannot be explained, so I didn't ask why.

So far the best thing about my apartment is the balcony. It looks promising with a guarantee of good views provided the weather is good. The next best thing about the apartment is that one of my friends lives with his friends in the same society in a block far away that if I go to his place I can count that as a work out. Also, the society has a gym and a pool – not that I will be using them much, but that is useful information to have. "My place" is also much closer to my office than my parents' place. Well, I am not yet used to having my own place, every time I think of it, I feel a thrill running down my spine.

My friend in the society, Naren, has invited me over today for dinner. Apparently, theirs is not the typical bachelor's hovel and they take turns in cooking and if the sample he brought over today morning was a proof, they are good at it. I am going to be hanging out there as much as I can. The most honorable excuse that I can come up with is that I need the work out and the company. The most honest reason is that I haven't cooked anything in my life and I like easy options.

I have sort of unpacked and arranged the few things that I had. This took most of today. My parents wanted to help me; as much as my laziness liked the idea I decided I should start doing things myself. So I did most of the cleaning and some arranging. It was Naren who inspected the mattress and declared I didn't want to even sit on it. He has been living in his own efforts for quite some time, I believe him. We had gone mattress shopping and good that he was there; I hadn't realized I needed to know the size of my cot. Well, don't look at me like that, I know now. It was a learning experience. 

I stand in front of the mirror attached to the wardrobe in my new room in my new found apartment. I look tired. I have long black hair that almost reaches my hip and right now it is a tangled mess. My skin looks like it has been exposed to too much dirt and dust, and probably it was. My rather almond shaped dark brown eyes are the only ones that stood out right now for the right reasons. They were shiny with what some good observer might have termed anticipation or excitement. But, he would be right because my stomach was experiencing some sort of waiting-for-the-moment quiver which happens when you are in a theme park about to go on a scary looking ride. But all I can think right now is that I need a shower.

I shower, dry and brush out my hair, dress in casual clothes and head out in hopes of stocking groceries. My mom had shared a list. I will pick things up and then go to Naren's for dinner.

I go to the nearest super market, buy stuff on the list and arrange for a home delivery for tomorrow. I head to Naren's. Theirs is a large three bedroom apartment and three of them sharing it. Naren is a good looking boy-next-door kind of guy. He is a civil engineer with a good firm and a dream of having his own someday. I met him in my college days and we were part of a pretty close-knit gang most of whom I knew nothing of now.

He smiles at me as I enter and gives me a small hug.

'Priya… I never thought this day would come, our Pri, has just decided to grow up!' , right!

He introduces me to his roommates Vivek and Aditya.

Vivek looks like a geek and apparently he is some kind of freaky genius working in finance. He is really tall, lanky and even without spectacles manages to look like a geek. He even has the look of absence and out-of-place-ness somehow like his is a different plane of existence and he is caught in this reality by terrible turn of events. His only acknowledgement to my presence is a handshake and apparently it is his turn to cook, so to cook for an extra person. Well, that works for me. I am hungry.

Aditya, now Aditya is almost an opposite of Vivek. He isn't exactly a hunk. But he looks like a tall, strong guy rocking a swimmer-like body.  He isn't exactly handsome, but there is just something about him that makes you notice him. Yes, he is eye-catchy. And I am right. He is a swimmer and makes his living giving swimming instructions on weekends apart from welcoming unassuming new joiners to a giant of a software company and making them believe they have arrived in paradise. Yes, he works full time in Human Resource and instructs swimming rest of the time.

Naren isn't short either. All three of them together are not a bad sight. The tall-trio. Nice!

Then there is Anitha, Naren's girlfriend. How he managed to nab her is a mystery and I would like it uncovered. She is one of those effortlessly pretty ones. She is on the smaller side especially noticeable since Naren is tall and well built. She gives me a full smile and pulls me to her side immediately. Well, that's nice. She is like me, she is a software engineer.

The guys even have a proper dining table which looks like it is in use. I am impressed. The food did smell good; I hope Vivek decided to cook for this realm.

So we sit down for peas pulao, rotis and dal, simple but tasty and the conversation flows.

Anitha asks –

'So Priya, your parents really let you leave just like that?'

'My dad was being very difficult. Mom is the one who convinced him. I was actually ready for a fight and all that…'

'Okay, tell me why again you left your parents and decided to live alone?' – this from Aditya.

'I don't know. Honestly, it seemed like a good idea to go my way for a while', I don’t know if pouring out my inner conflicts on first meet is considered normal or not, so I stick to non-answers.

'You aren't telling us the whole thing, are you?' – Ahhh, the ever observant geek. Thanks Vivek.

'I am just meeting you guys, I don't think you want to listen to all my problems on day one do you?' I smile.

'So, how are you liking your apartment? All good? Ask Naren for any help at all. He is very helpful' – Anitha again.

'Thanks for volunteering on my behalf Ani'. He sounds distraught and hangs his head.

'Do you have any idea how needy Priya is? I am going to be having a second job'.

I had not been hanging out much with Naren off late. I am not as close with him as I was once. I don't know if I should take that as a not-so-serious teasing note or take that as a hint. I am so not good at this.

'Don't worry Naren, I will be very very reasonable' – there, that sounded diplomatic.

'This is new for you isn't it? You seem very uncertain'. Vivek, dude, I would appreciate if you kept your observations to yourself.

'Naa.. Pri is never uncertain, she was one of the most certain people that I met in college, that too at that age...'

Right, maybe I was in college. Not now definitely. I sigh.

'Guys, can you stop grilling her, just because you are all bored, you shouldn't pick on her' – Aditya says and Anitha is nodding.

I don't like this either. Did I look that helpless? I sigh again.

But, we managed to get better as dinner progressed. I was educated on the layout of the apartment society. Anitha stayed with her friends fairly nearby and she invited me over to her place. Naren reminisced on some of our old times and had nice things to say about me. Vivek seemed to turn off his observations and started to look out of place again. This was evident ad noticeable to all as Aditya had an ongoing joke about Vivek being switched on and off and that he was off now.

I ended up being convinced of staying there the night watching movies with them and listening to them telling embarrassing stories about each other; after all, I don't have a good mattress to sleep on, they have a sofa bed just for these stay overs and Anitha decided to keep me company.

There is a small voice in the corner of my mind, ridiculously informing me that my parents wouldn't like this, I was staying over at a bunch of guys' place. Well, the small voice can keep saying that, it wouldn't change anything.

Link to previous episodes : Episode 1  Episode 2  Episode 3  Episode 4