Vasant Heights

She had this aura all around her. Some would mistake it for arrogance but Vani very well distinguished the thin line between self esteem and conceit. The former being of utmost importance to her and the latter a mere word in the dictionary. But today this face did not have that charm. Something had disturbed her terribly and her heart would not be at peace until she set things right. She did not like the feeling of being ‘not right’. She could not sleep even for a minute after the phone-call last night. It was a Pune number 020… something,  how could she not remember the std code?? The call started in a little surprise… a lot of excitement, recollection and then disappointment. She would not talk, would not eat and not utter a word. All she did was to pack her tiny travel bag and catch the first train in the morning.

She got down the train, still with the same expression like a zombie, came out of the main exit and hired the taxi. “kaka Kothrud la zaanar aahe”, the driver could not understand how this typical outsider “north Indian”, could so fluently talk in his language. She enquired about all the new developments, the old roads, she could connect to the city so well. But after every small while she kept reassuring herself something.  As she got down of the taxi and walked with a quick pace towards the main gate of the ‘Vasant Heights’ ,she was lost in her thoughts, memories from 10 years back. Flashbacks of the past were so vivid. The road was just how it looked when she first came here. She noticed the watchman, he was the same man, she could not recall his name. She distinctly remembered how they always troubled him past midnight hours. “College life” , she smiled to herself, “when were we ever back home before 12?”. The (now)old chap, was always fast asleep at the gate when these people used to come back home. “Home”, she thought “how could I forget this was home once”. ‘Kasakae Kaka?’ The man looked up and in an astonished tone said ‘Barr aahe’, clearly he did not recognize her. She smiled and had barely walked a small steps when she saw that withered bench in the corner under the tree.
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