Meeting Old Classmate
More the car headed towards the border, leaving her home, her beloved and her small town behind, she got even nervous. Her body started quivering, thinking how she is going to manage in a new country, in new environment without her family around and on her own. How is she going to survive!
Tears again started rolling down her cheeks that had dried up a while ago, but not a sob came out of her mouth as she did not want other passenger to hear her cry. It was her own choice; nobody forced her to get into such circumstances. It was indeed her own decision that lead her into this whether to go for it or not go for it situation. In the mean time, her heart was aching badly as if she is about to get an attack, from the fact she was leaving her beloved ones behind to start a new and unknown journey of life in a totally different world she has never been before.
She had never been out of her little town, leave alone be in a foreign country! Now suddenly she is heading towards a new destination. She had heard a lot about this bordering country and since childhood it was one of her dreams to visit it someday. Maybe this is one of the reasons why she did not hesitate to take this audacious step against her father and decided to go to this country.
Her name is Anvi, meaning Goddess of forest or one who loves nature. Like her name she too loved nature as she grew up in natural environment in a small town in Darjeeling, the Queen of the Hills. She is the youngest one out of the three children. The eldest was a son, Atvi, the second daughter, elder to Anvi was Adra. Their father Brij Sharma and mother Bela lived on a hill top, in a cozy red brick bungalow with their three kids. Father Brij is a professor at the government college in Darjeeling, teaching chemistry. Mother Bela is a house wife.
Anvi had been trying hard to find a job after finishing her Masters in Human Resource Management. She applied for jobs and was called for two interviews which she enthusiastically attended but was not selected. They asked for experience. She was irritated as how a fresh graduate can have experience? If they don’t give a chance, how is she going to get the required experience of three to five years? This requirement annoyed her dreadfully.
It had been almost a year she was staying at home, applying for jobs and not getting anywhere. Her father tells her every time she fails to get selected, to be patient and keep trying. In fact she could get a job, if she applied for one, in the metropolitan cities. But her father would not allow her to go away from home and work.
Once, she thought of ‘just give it a try’ notion and applied for a job in the city. She was thrilled when she was called for an interview. But she had to go to Kolkata, the capital city of their state, for the interview, which was twelve hours journey from her home town. She asked her father and as expected, and as usual he disagreed. She was kind of getting frustrated now.
Her elder brother Atvi joined army as soon as he finished his masters and now is serving as a Major. He is a boy so he was allowed to go away from home. Her elder sister Adra works as an English teacher in a private primary school. She also wanted to go for further studies to Kolkata but she too was not allowed.
It was a Sunday afternoon. As planned both Anvi and Adra went to a movie after lunch. The theater was packed. They bought the ticket and went inside. They were bit late and there was trailer of the next forthcoming movie going on. It was dark inside so looking on the lighted seat numbers they found their seats. Adra went in the row first crossing several people and sat on a seat leaving an empty seat for Anvi. Anvi sat on her seat looking at the screen trying to catch up what was going on there. Suddenly the girl sitting on the next seat caught her arm and asked,
“Hey, is that you Anvi?”
Anvi tried to look at the girl in the darkness but was unable to as she had just entered the dark hall from the bright daylight outside. So her eyes were still trying to adjust with the darkness. She could not see the girl but her voice sounded familiar to her. She said,
“Yes it’s me Anvi, but I am sorry I can’t see your face, however your voice sounds so familiar. Who are you? ”
“You naughty little woman, don’t you recognize my voice? It’s me Jana.” The girl said squeezing Anvi’s arm.
“What! Jana? Oh my God, is it really you?” Anvi said loudly for which she at once got shushed by the people around them. Feeling embarrassed for her behavior she then whispered,
“How is it even possible that you are here and we are meeting in a cinema hall?”
Anvi and Jana were class mates from school. Destiny had been kind to them that day that they ended up sitting next to each other. Both were so excited to meet after so long time and that too in the cinema hall where they had ample of time to blabber. Instead of watching the movie, most of the time they were whispering in each other’s ears.
Jana and Anvi studied together in the same school and were best friends. Jana was from Kathmandu, Nepal. Her mother was from Darjeeling as well. Her mother was married off with a man of the similar caste from Kathmandu. She lived with her grandparents while studying in school. Darjeeling had good schools hence students from Nepal came to study there.
When they finished their school Jana went back to Kathmandu. After that they lost contact of each other. Jana told Anvi that she was visiting her grandparents with her mother. That day she had come to watch the movie with her aunt. This is how they ended up meeting in the cinema hall.
When the movie got over, they went to have coffee. Adra and Jana’s aunt were forced to talk to each other as Anvi and Jana were busy sharing their stories with each other as what happened during those past years after school? Where did they study and what did they study? What are they doing at present and so on?
Jana told Anvi, she is working for a multinational company after finishing her master from a good university in New Delhi. When Anvi told her how she is still without a job, Jana suggested Anvi to come visit her mother at her grandparents place the next day. Her mother knew many people in Kathmandu who were looking for such a smart girl like Anvi for their companies.
Promising she will pay them a visit the next day she bid Jana and her aunt goodbye. Jana’s aunt invited Anvi and Adra to come over for lunch.
Anvi begged Adra not to tell anything at home about meeting her friend and them talking about jobs in Kathmandu. Adra knew how it is not to be able to fulfill her dream. She could not dream her dream and she did not want Anvi to end up like her. Due to this reason she wanted to help her little sister. So she promised she won’t say a word. She zipped her lips and both giggled softly so their father did not hear them.
