Home Isn't A Place, It's A Feeling.

Captivated through the small hours, here’s a heart-rending tale of a journey.

Someone’s diary.

September 2018, Himachal Pradesh;

After the tiring ten-hour drive, they reached their destination and the gentle September breeze refreshed them. Everyone at Palampur was waiting for them on the occasion of a big, fat, Indian wedding. It was a beautifully cozy town that sparkled underneath the star decked sky. They met his friend, who could hardly contain his excitement to get married.

"Tired?" He regarded her with concern.

"A little, maybe." She was lying.

"I’m not surprised." He glanced at his watch.

‘It’s nearly two in the morning.’ His dark inquisitive eyes sparkled.

‘Time I got you home.’

Raising her face, she looked at him; a small, trusting little face, her eyes filled with confusion. Being away from home for the first time was a nasty

adventure. Quite in their thoughts, they trudged towards the house. He gazed down at her, then softly left the room and went to his bed.

Morning broke with a blaze of glory. She saw the mesmerizing sunrise and sparkle over the stream that faced her rooms' window. Hurriedly, she went outside her room to draw in the beauty of everything that surrounded her. He joined her in a split second and was amazed to see her up that early. Sleep-deprived, with his eyes half-open, he adored the sun on her face and the wind in her hair. Her big brown eyes gleamed with contentment.

They were looking for a decent place to eat. Google maps guiding them, they had indeed lost their way into the mountains. Also, he couldn’t fish the key to his car. On seeing her horror-filled face, he grinned that warm, engaging smile that put her to ease. His eyes deep and troubled, yet filled with the brightness of a summer day. Smiling into his eyes, she cradled her handbag between her hands. She slumped into the car seat looking like a tousle-headed mop that stood outside the back door.

‘We’ll figure something out soon.’

His smile was warm and honest. He fumbled in his coat pockets eventually producing the key to his car. The sun dipped lower in the skies, and in the evening the breeze took a chilly edge. But autumn had its special beauty. Though it was sad to see the summer leave, the onset of winter was comforting.

The groom fell short of vehicles to carry the guests to the brides’ house. So, he requested his friend to bring their great aunt along. The girl feverishly smiled at the tyrannical idea of a relative accompanying them. The minute the great aunt looked away; the girl’s smile was replaced by a sour expression. He noticed it, and his unease increased. She moved away with her dark eyes thoughtful. He went inside the lavishly decorated house and returned to her in a fleeting second.

‘The great aunt won’t make it to the wedding’

He declared with a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

‘What a liar you are’

She chided him. It was funny how that timid girl had started jealously guarding his car. That day marked the end of their vacation. Dreading, going back to their monotonous life, they burned through hours talking.

October ‘18 Dehradun

It was an ordinary Monday. She sat in the community bus with rain trickling down the glass window and all she could remember was his opinion on window seats bringing flashbacks. She then thought it did not make any sense then, and now a smile lit her eye as her heart sank.

The smell of her perfume was still stuck in the air. Blankly staring at the empty seat reclined next to him, he fell prey to reminiscing. So many memories swamped him as he drove away. If only lights could guide them home now. With a heavy heart, they understood home wasn’t a place, it was a feeling. It wasn't four walls. Or, a pair of arms. It is a feeling you perceive when the blood rushes through the five blood vessels attached to the human heart.