July, 2016
Smriti's POV
"We're finally done with thisss!", I squeal as I pull Aastha into a hug.
"God I'm so glad this is all over, MBA at Chennai sounds so exciting tho.", she grins.
"That part of life after that scares the hell out of me, not gonna lie.", I sigh.
"Hope for the best, it'll go great.", she tries to cheer me up and holds my hand as we make way out of the crowd, "there's more time for that, enjoy the moment."
"Oh wait I spot my parents there, I'll go meet them", I tell her and make my way to my parents.
"Congratulations.", my mom smiles at me and pulls me into a hug, "by the way I want to talk to your professors, where are they?"
"Thank you.", I tell her with a huge smile, "all of them are near the podium there, you could go and talk to them now."
"So what's your plan after this?", my dad asks me after my mom goes away to speak to my professors.
"Yeah actually Bhavish and Ashwin will be here in a bit so Aastha and I were thinking of going somewhere out with them-", I start but my dad cuts me off.
"No I meant your life after this, now that your engineering is done.", my dad asks me and the smile on my face fades.
Dear lord I've literally just graduated right now, can he give me a bit of time to breathe?
"I was thinking of doing MBA at Chennai actually.", I tell him nervously, not sure if he'd approve of it.
"Why not Bangalore, or even Canada maybe. You've always wanted to be there right?", he asks me.
"Well I did, but now I feel like my plans have changed and I want to do my MBA at Chennai now?",
"Why do you always want to do something to disappoint me? Look, the one thing you can do is study in Bangalore or at Canada or I will arrange a marriage for you.", he threatens me.
"Just let me take a study loan or something, I promise I'll pay all the money back but please let me continue my studies at Chennai.", I plead.
"You can only do that if you get a good job. I don't think that will happen if you study there only like your current Engineering college. Stop disappointing me for once and just choose one place in Bangalore or Canada."
Here he was again, ruining my peace of mind again with his narrow minded thoughts. There were so many good MBA colleges in the other states in India and even in Chennai but yet he was so keen on me bringing me back to Bangalore or sending me far away from here at Canada.
I had never been at Canada but ever since I was 13 years old it had been my dream place to be at. But then not getting into a college that my parents wanted me to get into, I'd lost all hopes of being in Canada. And after coming to Coimbatore, being around Bhavish and meeting Aastha and Ashwin had just made my life so much better. I didn't want to leave these three people at all.
And plus Ashwin being at Chennai and me being at Coimbatore itself for quite hard for us to manage our relationship since we meet very rarely, even though the places weren't that far away. There was no way in the universe that the distance between Canada and Chennai could ever work out.
"Heyyy.", I hear Ashwin's voice and he comes near with a huge grin and my heart sinks at the sight of it.
How could I even do this? This guy had been a major rock in my life and had made me so happy that I couldn't even imagine how my life would be without him in it. I had zero clue that we'd have something this huge when I met him four years ago. Four years of our friendship which included three and a half years of us being together had been so huge and important to me and I really didn't want to let go of this.
But then I didn't want to go back to Bangalore either. Being away for long durations in four years had made me much more happier, stable and stronger, and I knew that if I went back to live there all of it would be ruined.
"Congratulations.", he tells me with a side hug and I tell him a 'thank you' with a small smile.
"Appa, this is Ashwin.", I introduce him to my dad.
"Nice to finally meet you.", my dad tells Ashwin with a smile as he shakes his hand, "I've heard a lot of you from Smriti, she's also showed me your work too. You are a really talented guy."
"Thank you uncle.", Ashwin tells him as a small blush forms on his cheeks. Ashwin's modesty was at it's peak whenever he recieved compliment, and he'd also been keen on impressing my dad so both of that happening at the same time evoked the cutest reaction out of him.
A small frown formed on my face as the thought of my dad not being like with me anymore had hit me. He was always my top motivator until I'd finished grade twelve. There were so many times the pressure of these entrance exam preparation had crumbled me but he always calmed me down by telling me to go along with the process.
I went along and this is where I am, done with studying what I didn't want to study at all in one of the top colleges of the city but having my dad disappointed.
My parents and teachers had always expected a lot from me. And to be honest I did feel like I was at a good place in life educationally but was my dad's expectations that high enough to crumble all the love he had for me?
"Tell your friend to do her MBA in Bangalore or Canada no? She never listens to me but I have a feeling she'd say yes if you do.", my dad tells him and Ashwin looks at me in confusion.
"Uh, yeah sure.", he covers up the expression on confusing with a smile using his acting skill set.
"Oh, I see Bhavish there.", my dad tells, "I'll meet him and be back."
"What was that about?", Ashwin raises his eyebrow at me in confusion.
"My dad wants me to do my MBA in Bangalore or Canada.", I sigh, "but I want to do it Chennai and he doesn't want me to study it anywhere except for Bangalore or Canada."
"Yeah according to him I have to get into a really really good college or else I'll end up being a total failure from a hopeless case on his list."
"You know your dad doesn't hate you that much right?", Ashwin asks me.
"I know but it's just- I wish he wasn't this harsh on me. I know I didn't get into a college that he wanted to but trust me I tried really hard.", I tell him, "It's not like I wanted to fail him or anybody around me. I really wish I never did it."
"This is your one chance then, try for Canada maybe. Cause I know that you wouldn't want to go back to Bangalore anyways, being there could ruin you mind because the environment at your home doesn't seem peaceful at all like you've said.", he said as he glances at my dad who was talking to Bhavish.
"Ashwin, you do realise that what could me going to Canada lead to right?", I tell him.
"I do.", he looks at me, "We- we might have to split up don't we?".
"It seems so.", I sigh,"Coimbatore and Chennai isn't exactly that long distance or anything but it's still been kind of hard for us. Canada and Chennai is literally oceans far away."
"But?", he asks knowing I have a lot of things on my mind.
"Ashwin the last time I tried pleasing my dad by doing Engineering, I've not only failed in making him happy miserably but also ended up studying something I'm not really fond of for four years. And I don't know if I'll even make it into a good college in Canada and well, there's no way I'm going back to Bangalore. Instead of that I could just come to Chennai and study MBA there, plus I'll be around you, Aastha and Bhavish. I always feel so good when I'm around y'all you know."
"Oh no no wait.", Ashwin tells sternly, "I'm pretty sure Aastha and Bhavish would feel the same about this as I do. I love you but there's no way I'm letting this jeopardize our relationship okay? Considering how pissed your dad is at you, the fact that he had even stated Canada as an option is huge okay? You love the place a lot so try being there and I know that you'll get into a really good college so don't worry about that. This could take your life up to a huge step."
"What about us though?", I ask him.
"Look it's like what people say- this isn't goodbye but see you again.", Ashwin comforts me, "Two years later, I'll still be there for you okay. Always by your side. I know this hurts a lot. It does for me too because your love, support and presence has made things easier for me for the past four years but you need to do this for you okay? It'll pass soon."
Well, I guess we were going to have to put a pause to us because of me.
I feel him interlink his hand into mine and give it a little squeeze of reassurance. I felt a small smile form on my face but the guilt of being the reason for our break wad churning me inside.
"Oh by the way I have a graduation gift for you.", he tells me and he takes me out
"No wayyy, you got me a freaking Polaroid camera?? You're making me feel even more horrible now.", I tell him gloomily.
"Look I bought this to cheer you up, please be happy na? It's not everyday that you graduate and you've been waiting to be done with Engineering for a long time. And here it is", he tells me.
"Yeah you're right.", I tell him with a small smile, "you really did have to get me this though, it must've been so expensive."
"It's the least I could do for you, you've want this for so long.", he reminds me.
"Hellooooo and congratulations!", Bhavish exclaims as he rushes to hug me.
"Thank youuuu", I grin as I hug him back.
"So now that the four of us are back together shall we go out?", Aastha asks excitedly and we all nodded our heads hin agreement.
I was going to miss these three people so much.
Author's note:
AHKSHDKDJS I'M SO SORRY FOR DOING THAT
Smriti and Ashwin's story doesn't end, there's a lot more left but this part was much needed so I'm so sorry if I had to break some hearts.
Also I wanted to put up a friendly reminder that just like us, the characters in the book aren't perfect either :) You'll see a few more ridiculous things that the characters do as the book progresses and I really hope that y'all won't start picking up out on the most smallest of imperfections, because I've seen a lot of people on this app do that.
The new cover of the book has been made by vrxha_ from IndianLegion and I cannot describe how much I am in love with this one😭 Ashwin and Nithya in the cover is honestly so precious and the cover art brings the book to life🥺
Lot more beautiful things to come up in the book, I can promise that <3
Lots of love,
~Saisha :)
Published on: 11 December 2021