Blooming Flower ✔️

Chapter 19: Settling In

Song: Tere Bina

(Manish)

My head was peering out the window, as I admired Seattle. It was like a blast of air that was fresh, but still reminded you of something old. The tall skyscrapers, the bright blue skies, and the aura were all something that I was excited to see. The entirety of Seattle felt like a giant hug and a calming effort to remind me that I shouldn't feel far from home.

I couldn't wait to adapt to my new lifestyle. But, not before I was to go into my apartment and set up. Also, I needed to confide in the person who was always there to give me advice, especially regarding Ashwini. I needed my mom at that moment.

But, that was only after I had set up my apartment. And when the cab pulled up in the complex, I knew that it would be no time before I revealed everything.

"It's comfy," I thought to myself when I unlocked the door for the first time. And that was far from a lie. There was a nice sized kitchen for me to try out all of my mom's recipes in case I got homesick anytime I stayed here. The fridge was nice and spacious, especially the freezer, which was great, because I was ready to stock my freezer with ice cream and other treats when I actually had the energy to go shopping. The hardwood floors bounced all sounds off with a special echo, and the pale tan walls absorbed the sounds and replaced them with pure comfort.

I rolled my suitcases to the bedroom, which had an enormous glass window to let in a great amount of sunshine every morning to gently wake me up. I sat down on my bed and then pulled out my phone. I flopped on the bed, and then the first thing that I did was go to my phone app so that I could call my mom and tell her about the apartment.

Surely enough, not even after two rings, the line clicked. "Manish! How was your flight, beta?" she asked, and then I pulled the sheets of the bed a little bit tighter over me.

I let out a sigh, and said, "It was good, mumma. I'm just so tired. I'm probably going to order some pizza tonight, and then go grocery shopping on Monday, after work. We'll see."

I could hear my mom sip a cup of tea, and then her nod of approval came a little bit after. "Good. Don't spend too much time eating fast food. It's not good for you. Also, don't forget to get your medication filled up. I don't want you to end up going to the hospital for another failed kidney, okay?" my mom reminded me. It was kind of a good reminder, not only because I wanted to live, but because of the medical costs. I would end up having to move back to my parents' place if I ended up going to the ER for a failed kidney.

"I will do that. Mumma, can I talk to you about something? And can it be between us?" I asked. I could almost feel my mom perk up on the other side of the line, and then she adjusted a bit on the couch.

"Yes, of course! Tell me, beta. Do you need Papa or I to come up there? Is it bad? I can book a flight right now."

I shook my head, not surprised by her reaction. She's always been one to worry, so I knew I should've phrased my words better. "No no, it's nothing like that. I just realized something that I have to talk to you about. So, after going through my stuff, I found that stuffed dragon. And I don't know what happened, but I realized that I had fallen in love with Jaya. I don't know why I didn't realize it earlier, but it just hit me. And now, she's going to medical school, and I'm gonna start a new job. It's just a bad time. I should've told her earlier, but it's eating me up alive that I can't tell her now, considering the timing is absolutely awful. Mumma, what do I do?"

I could feel my mom tense up a little bit over the line. I knew this was something that was kind of a shock for her, because I've always been super awkward around people, including my own family, so me falling in love was, no shocker, a surprise for her.

I could feel her exhale loudly over the phone, and then she said, "Okay, Manish, I'll admit that the timing is really bad. But, I will tell you one thing before giving advice. I'm just super happy for you. I'm so glad you decided to fall in love with Ashwini, because she's a great girl, and I knew that she'd be the perfect match for you. But, that's not the point. I don't think that you should call her and tell her. This would be a lot better if you decided to tell her face to face. Declaring your love for someone really isn't best done over the phone or over a text. I think you should wait until you can Skype with her- or use FaceTime. I don't know, I'm old - to convey the feelings. But, it's your call whether or not you want to convey your feelings or not. But, if you decide to do it now or later, promise me this. Promise me that you will eventually tell her. She's a great girl, and you deserve her. I've seen the way she looks at you, and you guys are meant to be. Do tell her eventually. Just don't turn into a stalker case. I don't want to get a call from the police saying that you had a restraining order filed against you because you were another Christian Grey case. Okay?"

I chuckled at the last sentence, and then nodded. "Okay, Mumma. I won't stalk her."

"Good. Take care, beta. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye, Mumma." I hung up the phone, and then threw it at my side. Today had been overly exhausting, but there was one thing that I drew from it. I wasn't going to keep this secret to myself. I was going to tell Ashwini one way or another. And by some miracle, if she reciprocated those feelings, then I would have no problems asking her out on a date through that.

One day, when I go back to the Bay Area, and she's still there, I'll tell her everything. I'll tell her how I fell for her, how much she means to me, and all the cringey stuff that happens in rom coms. If she feels the same way, then I would date her immediately, or wait until she was ready. I was fine with both options. If she wasn't interested, that was fine too, because I would be glad that I got it off of my chest.

If we ever reunite, and start dating, I know one thing. It's something that I've promised myself, and if I don't fulfill it, then I'll never forgive myself. If I ever got her back, I wasn't going to lose her again. I wanted to make her the happiest woman on the planet, and I knew that if I went back, I wouldn't lose her again.

No matter how long it took, I would never forget the amazing woman that made such an impact in my life, and I would never forget my love for her. And one day, I hope that we reunite, so that I could fulfill that promise once and for all.