Two Thousand and Nine Surprise

It was one of those "Blitzkrieg" decisions I made as I lay on my bed, "I would surprise everybody at home, I'll go home."

Mona (Jimmy), my youngest brother who works as a 3D Artist with a gaming software company in NOIDA was flying home the next day. He had made a brief stopover at Guwahati to drop me a load of my books which had been lying in Delhi for some time now. He was completely unaware of the plan I was making, what fun!

The next morning me and my pal Priyo dropped Mona off at the Guwahati Airport and then on the way back I told Priyo, "We have a week off, what say we go home and enjoy the New Year and iromba?"

"Yes" - that was all I needed.

Bus tickets for 2:30 pm, it was 11:00 am. We were going to go back home by bus. Haven't done that in a long time. Mom would be mad. Thoi would freak out. But they wouldn't know. This is a surprise. Wouldn't be able to do this sort of a thing if I were in Delhi or somewhere far. Staying in Guwahati has to have its highs, and this is one of them; you think of home and you hop onto a bus - enjoy the sweet journey back home.

5:00 pm, surprise busted! Thoi and dad call me up, they are worried what with all these National Highway "blues". "See you tomorrow, I will keep a sharp eye", and that pacified their hearts. Mona says "You didn't tell me nothing about it".

I didn't sleep a wink. Cold night, rough roads, cool hill air, and no sign of trouble. Morning, golden sunlight, beautiful green spaces, "yongchaks" on trees, so many of them, guess the "yongchak" blight didn't occur here, and before I knew it, bless you, Koubru Leikha, the pride of belonging to a land so mine!

10:30 nearing Imphal, the scene so familiar, little groups of girls on the roads clad in "phaneks", the odd white Gypsys now and then with their ominous brown loads, the hustle and bustle of life on the road, I was there, I had reached.

Priyo dropped me home; mom was there with the customary "mei" and a smile, Mona, dad too, and the tranquility. Blessed be thy name Lord, thank you for my loved ones.

Three days stay, New Year dinner with friends, the funniest being Robin, will write on him someday, fixed some things around the house, mom worried all the time that I will be cold at night and pulling over me three Korean blankets, man, I slept the sleep of ages, Rip Van Winkle sleep. My would be father-in-law invited me over for lunch the next day and Thoi cooked my favourite dishes. Nice walks and time outs with her, three days were over before I knew it.

At work again. Season approaching and on top of that possible new hires. Bit of a lull before the storm. Another Blitzkrieg on the horizon.