Destined Choice ✔

13- "At my hometown."

AYU

"Could you stop grinning like that Ayu, it's kind of creeping me out." Zen pleaded with me. It is actually the fourth time since someone has said that to me.

"But I can't help it. I'm just so happy that you all are coming with me. I'm telling you, you'll definitely enjoy this." I announce to everyone. By everyone I mean Zen, Jamie, Ashima and even Lynda.

We were seated inside the train that would take us to Saharanpur which is near my hometown. I had this planned out months ago to invite them over to my house during summer vacation. It took time but I managed to convince them somehow. Too bad Martha couldn't make it. But if I look at the brighter side it's just us 'The world history students'. They will stay here for three days- today and the next two days and will return to Delhi after that. Ashima will take a train to Pune instead to visit her relatives while Jamie will go to his hometown in Australia from the airport in Delhi. Maybe it's just my imagination but Jamie seems unnaturally quiet today. Anyway I can't wait to see my family.

The train reached my hometown during the evening and stopped for a while. I step outside first and breathed in the fresh air. "Ah, the smell of fields and wet mud, the sound of insects and animals... I'm home at last." I said to myself.

"Ayu beta (dear), over here," A woman in her forties called out to me.

"Yes, Mumma, I'm coming!" I shouted back and ran straight into her arms, inhaling her familiar scent. I looked at my mother, who hasn't changed at all since the last time I saw her. She was wearing a multi-colored kurta-salwar, her long, wavy black hair tied neatly in a bun, and a dot-sized bindi on her forehead. Even with her simple attire, she still looked beautiful as ever.

"Like mother, like daughter. Maybe even better than Ayu." I heard Ashima say to the group as they stood behind me. I smiled.

"Ayu didi!" Nimmi came out from the jeep that was standing nearby, followed by my father. Nimmi is my little sister who is in eighth grade. I hugged both of them as they greeted me with tears of joy, almost forgetting that I had brought my friends along and that they were supposed to be my guests here.

"Oops! My bad," I said, hitting myself lightly on my head. I introduced them to my family one by one. After that, we all sat inside the jeep and went to my home, which is ten kilometers from the railway station.

My home is in the middle of a huge stretch of golden grass. Other houses are at a distance. Since our house is old, it is built in a traditional way, inside and out. I led my friends inside the house to the hallway.

"Your house sure is big," Lynda commented as she stared at the hallway around us, amazed.

The entrance of my house leads to a narrow pathway that opens to a large hall. The corners of the hall lead to different rooms,including the kitchen. In the middle of the hall is a dining table for eight people. At the end of the hall there is a wide stairway leading to the first floor.

I rushed upstairs to meet my grandma and we had a dramatic reunion. I love my grandma. She is, like, the sweetest person I know, and I'm her favourite grandchild.

Night came quickly. My mother prepared several dishes for us to eat. She loves it whenever there are guests in our house, since it gets lively. Ashima and I help my mother to set up the table. Lynda is outside playing with my dog while the boys are nowhere to be seen.

We eat dinner to our hearts' content. My father called everyone to sit in the living room afterwards, to have a nice little chat with everyone. My parents asked everyone questions and about life at college.