Eventful trip home

After the terrific surprise to my parents, the homemade delicacies, burning down of demons, a trip to BITS-Goa campus and other stuff, I believe I should continue posting on the eventful trip. We last saw me leaving for Delhi to catch a flight home. So I continue from thereon.

We all awoke at around 7am, well just me, everyone else was awake and staring at me. I had a brilliant sleep at the back of the Tavera, my favourite place to sleep, unless there's too much luggage. I awoke to the beauty that is Delhi, not to say that the city is very beautiful, just the other-side-greener-grass theory. The vibrancy of the place cheers me up, everybody is in a hurry. Pilani is always sleepy, or rather in Pilani I always am. Delhi is nice, and our hangout is C'not. What did we do there so early.. buffet breakfast @ Nirula's. Those who've been there, done that are probably licking ther lips and feeling their wallets. Those who haven't can talk to the former, and feel the envy.

Now the driver was in a weird sort of hurry, a hurry that defied most bounds of logic. Since most of us have been through a hurried group being driven by an even more hurried driver, I will go straight through to the airport. I'm sure I looked like a terrorist there, with a weird haircut, unbrushed, unshaven and unbathed for a week and 4 days respectively(c'mon guys, 'twas OASIS). Having arrived 2 hours early I went about everything coolly. As I was punching in my cabin luggage in the overhead compartment, I heard a voice calling out my name. Looking back I saw Meenakshi Raman ma'm and her daughter Priya smiling. What a coincidence, huh? Now you know how difficult it is to have a conversation when the plane is about to take-off, so I just smiled back, Hello'd and got to my seat.

The plane was not overly booked. It was filled with many foreigners. Foreigners..leaving for Goa. Hmmm I wonder why? :)

I don't like moving about the plane much, I was tired, and there was a couple aheard of me, doing what couples do( making giggling noises and ignoring everybody else) so I just went to sleep.

I woke only to brilliant night lights below. I love to look down from the window and revel at man's creation. The streetlights, headlights and all the other lights glimmer and glitter like a diamond neclace. It's like the sky is both above and below you, but it's the one below that captivates you, because its so alive. So many colours, some moving curiously, some strong and extra-bright, some twinkling childishly, and some just standing and waiting. The sight makes you forget all else and just take in the view.

Once we landed, I met them at the luggage conveyor belt, and told them in detail about the vagaries of my trip. I best thing about doing something unorthodox and unnatural as the look on people's face when you tell them what you've done. It's very satisfying, and gives up a very false athough realistic sense of achievement. Damn cool.

Now of course, they asked about my whereabouts. And of course, I told that I had to catch a couple of buses to home, and of course, they invited me to come along to be dropped at the nearer bus stop. So basically as it turns out, K E Raman, sir, picks me up from the airport, and later invites me to the campus for a get together, held as celebration of BITS-Goa's winning of OASIS championship. very nice turn of events, what say?

Again it doesn't end here, there's half a post worth of material, so I'll make a short post later. Abhi sona hai. bbye..

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!!