Chapter 1: Dhruv

Hey you! yes, YOU. Do you see a man with a well-toned body and a suit which makes him look-like a drool-worthy gentleman? Well, that’s not me. Look past him and you’ll see a boy with a bohemian shirt and shorts complemented with white sneakers and cat-eye sunglasses. Weird? Umm, that’s ME. Sitting and smiling while watching random strangers meet their loved ones. I have been to a number of expeditions on locomotives but this was my first time getting into the hangar to board my flight. The site was quite contrary to what I used to see at railway stations; neither there were people lying on the ground with a sheet of blanket nor did I see any vendor pulling his cart through the platform. Instead of the usual hustle and bustle, I have grown up watching at the platform, this place was mesmerising. There were a number of shops at one aisle while waiting area at the other. I managed to check-in on time but later found out that my flight was delayed by 5 hours. Crazy weather. If this was another train journey, I would have cursed the weather but this was no ordinary journey. I changed my mood to be jubilant and rambled through the airport. My unwavering curiosity led to me explore every nook and corner of the airport where I made way for the bookstore to meet my long-lost love for fiction. I handpicked a book called, “From Excuses to Excursions” as the name seemed intriguing and came back to the waiting area to engulf myself into the novel. After reading initial pages, I was so in love with the book as it was about traveling and made me remember the day I first set foot into a life full of adventures.

Past
Day - January 18th, 2016

Ananya - I can’t take this anymore, you need to grow up Dhruv. Our world is full of possibilities and here you are, captured inside the cocoon of your so-called, “Comfort Zone”. There’s nothing that ever grows there and you’re no exception. Pull yourself up and get this mess that makes you so dull and lifeless. Explore life as you have only got one to spare and there’s no way I can let you be in this rut. I am going now but I hope that you get a life of your own and make yourself happy and your parents merrier. Are you even listening? Dhruv?

Dhruv - Ananya, did you say something? I was so engrossed in this anime that I couldn’t hear you out. Can you repeat your words?

Ananya - I am so done with you. How long do you think that I will keep pampering you like a child? I am leaving for California tomorrow. I have already told your mum and Shanta bai to look out for you. I made some sweets and kept it inside the refrigerator. Make sure you don’t eat it all in a day. Control your appetite, you monster. I won’t be here for a few months and you must prepare your own meal. Now, help me pack-up.

Dhruv - As you say, m’lady.

Present

I remember this conversation till date as it made me realise the things that I had missed out on life and I never looked back since. From that day on, I had been to a number of places around the country; Be it Leh-Ladakh in the North, or Kanyakumari in the South; Be it the Indian ‘Land of the Rising Sun’, Arunachal Pradesh or the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat. I have seen it all. I feel so fortunate to have discovered a companion within Ananya and she helped me work towards my dreams. I remember her telling me, “You should get yourself a passport Dhruv, you may not need it now. But eventually, you’ll discover its power”. Who would have thought that getting a passport would make my life so enthralling? I got it back in 2017 but it remained dormant as I never thought I would ever go to a foreign expedition, but here I am right now, waiting to board my flight to Brussels. I wish to praise Ananya for her clairvoyance. It had been 2.5 years since I had a conversation with her, but living a life of my dreams counteracts her absence.

I came back from my reminiscences as I heard the announcement that flight Boeing 777 was about to land. The commotion made me walk to the FIDS (Flight Information Display System) to check for the schedule where I bumped into a stranger and looking at her send chills up my spine.