1AM: Do I go home? 8PM: AT my doorstep, 2000km away.

I will have to keep the travelogue on hold, for I have funner stuff to talk of.I think the title explains the gist of this post, especially since it's Diwali time and people are scrambling for home. But my readers know that I am not one to disappoint with banal and uninteresting incidents, and they (or rather you) won't be disappointed.

So it went like this. OASIS had just concluded (a post awaits) and people were leaving, PCrites and wingies. In case you don't know, I live in the most beautiful and smallest Indian state, GOA! and being over 2000km away (without exaggeration), it become slightly impractical for me to just pack my bags and leave without a plan, and as a result of this inconveniencing impracticality, it has been only once that I have left for home amidst the semester. This was last sem, during BITS Goa's fest, WAVES, but it was for official purposes, I was Pilani's ambassador there :)

Leaving that aside, the point remains, I never go home, which makes this trip all the more memorable. As Chussi's brother (who had come for OASIS) had to be dropped to Delhi, I decided to accompany them just for fun. Weird you say, just for fun. Come to psentisem and the thin line between weird and routine disappears. Now we were 7 on the Tavera, and I was to come back alone. All were leaving for home. Chussi, his bro, his roomie, Kattu, Aditi and PD (PCr juniors) and of course, yours truly, alone and dejected.

At about 12:30AM (that's at night) I get buzzed by a friend from Goa, he asks me when I am to come down. Without thinking I reply jokingly,"In December and... maybe in a couple of days". After the conversation, I almost dream to myself, "Wouldn't it be great to finally be home for Diwali. But when and how?" I was almost smiling to myself thinking childishly, Yeah right, as I logged on to cleartrip.com, and looked for ticket prices. It was still just a silly little idea, like one's dream to be a 10 pointer, I didn't even expect it to come true. But then again, I was just having fun with the idea.

In comes Kattu,(1 AM) after his packing. I tell him my childish idea, and he says, "Dilli to jaa hi raha hai, aur Diwali bhi hai. Aunty ko surprise de de". But don't have a credit card, and definitely want it to be a surprise. So I use his credit card and buy a ticket for 5k on SpiceJet. 1: 15 AM. It had hardly dawned upon me that I had here an opportunity to give my parents the surprise of a lifetime, and the opportunity had already materialized, THANKS KATTU!!

So a plan, that couldn't be made for 3 and a half years, was made within 15 mins, with no plans of return..yet(am in Goa presently and still no plans of return). Now if you thought the excitement ends here, you're mistaken. The journey to my front door, is worth two more posts. And the Diwali celebrations in Goa, many many more. I am going to be a full fledged ambassador for Goan tourism here. Only when I left Goa for 3 years did I realise that it is without doubt, THE MOST AMAZING PLACE ON THE PLANET, 24X7, 365 DAYS A YEAR!!