Adulthood diaries-5

I hadn't gone to college for a whole week. I just wasn't feeling well-- had a fever, cough, and all that exhausting stuff.

But that morning, I finally felt better, so I decided to go.

I made Chilla for breakfast-- it actually turned out really good. I had it with some guava juice my mom had sent me last week. It was homemade and tasted so refreshing.

Then I followed my usual routine: did my hair, got dressed, headed downstairs, and booked an Uber.

It was November- my favorite month. The weather this time of year always feels perfect... not too hot, not too cold. just the way I like it.

I went straight to the lecture hall. Alizeh spotted me and came over to check on me.

"Hey, how's your health now?" she asked gently.

"Feeling better now," I replied with a small smile.

"Good... come on, I'll fill you in on everything you missed last week," she said, tasking me over to the desk where she'd already been sitting.

She started showing me all the financial modeling graphs and materials I'd misses.

later at lunch, we went to the canteen. This time, she bought food for both of us. we took it outside and sat under the open sky with our plates.

"Okay, I have to tell you something," she said with a mischievous grin, chewing her food, you're gonna laugh like crazy."

"Um... mmm, tell me," I said, curious.

"You know those guys--- I don't know what department they're from--- but you've probably seen them doing stunts out on the playground, right?"

"Yeah, I've seen them. There's always a crowd around, students watching them, cheering... hooding and all that."

"Right! So, the day before yesterday, I joined the crowd too. I wanted to see what kind of stunts they were actually doing. Everyone was hyped, clapping, yelling.

One of the guys-- I don't know his name, but everyone was yelling "Ayush" -- he was doing front flips. like full body flips, jumping forward. And girl... he was so good. I have to give him that. he kept flipping without stopping-- must've done at least 30 or 32 in a row.

Everyone was screaming his name, clapping, cheering him on like he was some sort of campus hero."

She pauses for dramatic effect, then burst out laughing.

"And then... just when he landed his last flip--- perfectly, I must say--- his shorts fell down. Like, completely. In front of everyone!"

I stared at her, wide-eyed, then burst out laughing too.

"Wait, are you serious?!"

"Dead serious," she said, laughing harder. "Everyone just stopped clapping and started laughing. I swear, it was hilarious. Poor guy was so confident... and then bam, his moment just flipped on him-- literally."

"That's so tragic and funny at the same time," I said chuckling. " Imagine being hyped up like a star one second... and then your pants betray you."

"I saw his face," she continued through fits of laughter. "The expression changed instantly-- from proud to absolutely mortified. He looked around, yanked his shorts back up, and tried to act like nothing happened. It was so awkward."

"Man, I wish I had been there," I said, still laughing. "That sounds like the kind of memory that haunts you at 3 am."

"Facts," she said, wiping a tear from laughing so hard. "He looked like a hero at first... and by the end, just another campus meme in the making."

We went to my place that day-- we had to complete a really important economics portfolio. So, Alizeh ended up staying the night.

We decided to cook something special together. After freshening up and getting some rest, we headed to the kitchen and made a little fusion dinner-- soft, fluffy idlis from the south, and spongy, dhokla from the North. We ended our meal with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, feeling fancy for no reason.

Later, we moved to the balcony. The city was quiet, and under the dim lights, we started talking-- about social issues, the education system, and everything in between. Before we knew it, it was already 1 am.

That's when we finally opened our laptops and got to work on the project.

By 3 am., we were done.

Both of us were night owls anyway-- and with Saturday being a holiday, we had all the reason in the world to stay up late. But once the adrenaline wore off, the exhaustion hit. We didn't even talk after that- we just crashed and fell asleep.

12th November...

It was November- obviously, the festival month. Diwali, one of the biggest Indian festivals, was just around the corner. That year, it was on the 14th. I still remember it clearly.

I don't usually celebrate festival with a lot of enthusiasm, but I've always liked Diwali. Especially because we get to eat all kinds of sweets and snacks-- that's the part I look forward to the most.

It was a Saturday morning, and my parents were coming over to meet me. For breakfast, I made bread and omelets-- simple, but I liked it. After that, I decided to clean my bookshelf. Maya, our house help, had already dusted and cleaned the hall, the second room, and even y bedroom, but not the bookshelf. I'd told her not to. That little corner was scared to me-- my favorite place in the house-- and I liked cleaning it myself.

Around 11 am., my mom called.

"Hmmm...?" I hummed as I picked up.

"Daisy, we'll reach by 2 pm.." she said

"Okay... I'm waiting for you," I replied

"And if there's anything you need, just tell me. I'll bring it," she added.

"No, no... I don't need anything right now," I said.

"Okay, I've got a few things to finish up. Bye"

"Bye, beta," she said gently

After that, I took a long, relaxing bath-- it was one of those rare, slow afternoons. I stepped out around 1 pm and began prepping lunch. since my parents were coming, I wanted to make something nice. I decided on rajma dal, rice, and mango chutney. I'd already made the salad earlier, so everything came together smoothly.

Around that time, someone knocked at the door. I thought it was my parents-- but no, it was a delivery from amazon. I'd completely forgotten! I had ordered a combo pack off five books for myself.

Fully hyped, I tore the package open and started flipping through them--- reading a few pages from one, then another. I didn't even finish one before picking up the next. I was just too excited.

Eventually, I settled on one book and sat on the sofa, completely absorbed in it.

That's when my parents finally arrived.

I greeted them properly-- like real guests. Welcomed them in, served some juice and snacks, and then brought out the lunch I had cooked.

They loved it. said it was delicious. and honestly? It really was.