he countdown finally ended and the last day in Tripura knocked my doors.
Unfortunately, the moments of happiness were overshadowed with moments of deathly silence.
Everyone in the house was busy or pretended to be busy to avoid direct conversation with one another.
The scenario at the dinning table was different.All three of us were back at the dinning table but none spoke a word.A hell lot of dishes were prepared by mom that night.Perhaps, she was trying to give her son the last taste of her ever-best cooked food.
It was around 10 p.m. when I went to sleep as I had to get up at 4 o’ clock the next morning.
I don’t know why but roughly it was around 2:30 a.m. when my sleep broke.
I tried rolling from one side to another,trying my level best to get sleep for more one and half hours.But,all my efforts, were in vain.
There was a sheer feeling of anxiety, tension and restlessness deep inside my heart.
Finally,unable to sleep, I opened the door and sat on the verandah.
The air was cool and I saw trees responding to the breeze.It wasn’t completely darkoutside.The sky was completely covered with the twinkling stars.
While I was engrossed in comprehending the beauty of stars, I noticed a small child standing a few yards away and holding the hands of a lady and a man.
I wondered who were those people and stood up to take a close look at them.
I was astounded and taken aback when I realized that it was I who was holding the hands of my parents.
I observed that the child who was tightly clutching the hands of his parents was losing his grip and was moving far,far away and then he disappeared in the dark.
At that point,a meaningless yet a disturbing question struck me.
Am I ready to go?
I was confused but yet the confusion knew that the answer has to be “YES” .
The mind stated YES but the heart stated otherwise.
I was in a state of sheer dilemma that held no meaning then. I had no way to escape but to convince my heart.
And then, I observed the dawn breaking through the World of Darkness. I watched the sun rising above the horizons, making way for a new day to come, signifying a new ray of Hope and Optimism.
The inner voice said,
“Dip!You can do it!
Show everyone that you can
Make a difference!”
Even today, I feel that the inner voice was right.
My mom called out,
“Dip! Where are you?”
“I am here,Maa!”
“What are you doing outside?”, she asked.
“Nothing,Maa!”, I replied.
“Its 4 o’ clock now. Come and get ready!We need to catch the train. Hurry up!”
“Okay Maa!”.
Everyone of us got ready and we made our way for the Railway Station. We reached Agartala by 10 a.m.
Our flight was due at 3 o’ clock. So, we decided to take rest in my maternal uncle’s house.
At 2 o’ clock, we made our way towards the Airport.We boarded the flight by 2:45 p.m.
The air hostess announced,
“All passengers are requested to fasten their seat belts and get ready for departure.”
The plane took a sharp turn on the runway and ran with its utmost speed.
The plane took off in a flurry and I bid a final Good Bye to Tripura with a hope to return back with success in my pocket and happiness in my heart.