Escape

Chapter Two- Temptations

November 2020

"You need to go out and breathe in some fresh air, walk or just sit in the sun for a while, soak in some vitamin D", my mother suggested as she packed lunch for my father.

It was 8 am and I lay lazily in bed, eyes only half open and ready to close again right after my dad leaves for office.
Nina and Dave, my parents, were what you'd call fitness freaks. Or to use a subtle word, well, fitness enthusiasts. Mine wasn't a typical family. While others were forced to excel at education and sports, I was expected to stay fit and healthy. Both mentally and physically. It wasn't something I could revolt against, and I, being myself, could revolt against ANYTHING. But even I knew they wanted what was best for me.

So as a child, I grew up learning yoga and meditation, waking up with the sun and sleeping with the moon, eating foods that were healthy but bland. It wasn't something I objected to, because let's be honest, what could I say? 'I don't want to be healthy?' It was what was best for me.

It wasn't like I was deprived of anything, my father was the first person to introduce me to Pizza, when I was 8. No one had ever heard of it in our family or neighbourhood or at school, he had got us a large pizza loaded with cheese and exotic vegetables I hadn't heard of before. Olives and jalapeños and BABYCORN!  Who would have guessed that tomato sauce on bread with veggies and cheese could taste so good?  As a child my world revolved around the foods that dad made us try. Pizza, burger, pasta, sushi, anything new in the market and we had it at our table. But it was a known fact that these were rare luxuries.

Not only were these dreamy foods expensive but they were also considered unhealthy with all the refined flour and fat and preservatives and what not. So, the instructions were loud and clear. They were to be eaten on occasion and not be made a staple. I think the first of my problems started there. The want to eat the forbidden foods. Not the apple, the pizza.

So when I went to a medical school in a different state at 17, I was free. I was feeble minded and FREE and I had every damn access to all those luxuries. I could just go out and buy chips and cola, order in a pizza, eat all the fried foods I craved. And so I would. And so I did.

College also meant freedom from having to sit through family gatherings, or any forced social interactions. I did not have to go out if I did not want to, No more making small talks, no more fake laughs at stupid jokes and no more dinners and lunches with people. I could just BE.

My over indulgence and lack of movement had made me gain weight. While as a child I was always healthy and at an Ideal weight, In college my weight rocketed up like crazy. I had at-least gained, if not more, 40lbs in a span of 5 years.

My parents did not take this in good spirit.
Which was why I was being coerced to walk and exercise, eat healthy ever since I came back home. I wasn't one to listen and had already decided that sleep was far more important than a walk at 8 in the morning and I would do just that as soon as dad leaves.

No such luck.

"Come along with me, I'll drop you off to a nearby park. Walk for at-least an hour, then sit in the sun for another before coming back home", my father called from the hall. He was almost done tying his shoe laces.

I forced myself up and out of my room to provide a counter reasoning to why it wasn't the best idea.

"You know it's not safe out there, we're to follow social distancing protocols and wear masks in public. No fresh air to breathe", I reasoned. Well he was my father and suggested that I would be the only one in the park because of the ongoing pandemic.

I was.

And so, I sat on a park bench, reading a book on wattpad, for two hours before I could go home.