New beginnings

While Mandvi was working on her project and micromanaging her team, she called up her manager to gauge her chances of getting a promotion this year as her colleague was trying every bit to please him to seal the deal, she woke up to a loud thunder on her door. It did not take her a while to realize that it was nothing but her dream. It suddenly struck her hard and she took a moment to gather herself and comprehend that her life had changed, for good mostly. She was not in India but in the USA with her husband, reunited after a long and treacherous span of 2 years, completely indulging herself into marital bliss yet again. It was a Sunday morning and a home inspection had been due. Her neighbor had knocked on the door to inform her about the sudden change in time of the home inspections scheduled for that floor in her apartment.

Mandvi's husband, Sudhir, a software engineer by profession, lay beside her wanting not enough to favor Harsh, their neighbor, with any emotions or words whatsoever. She finally responded saying, " very well Harsh, good to know that, thanks" . To give you a perspective, Mandvi's husband and she used to work in Bangalore, India in steady and decent-paying jobs around 2 years back. But one fine morning, though speculations were rife for a long time in Sudhir’s office, he got a call to discuss a project in the USA with the promotion long due for Sudhir. He looked very happy and started thinking about his dream that was so close to becoming true but after a while, his thoughts pulled over because the decision would entail many changes in his and Mandvi's life. But he also knew he so desperately needed this push in his career and after a lot of deliberations, Mandvi and he decided to give it a go. Sudhir felt victorious and resolute but it was Mandvi who had mixed feelings; feelings of happiness mixed with despair. She had a decent job in Bangalore and being an ambitious woman just like Sudhir did not want to compromise and give in so soon. She knew Sudhir was here for no long for soon enough had she realized that this phase of life, cozy and stable, was going to get over.

Now that both of them had made up their minds, preparations began and in a month’s time, Sudhir was gone. He had made everyone proud; himself, his wife, and his parents. He was someone’s son, husband, and a very efficient employee and he seemed to have pleased them all. Time passed by and everyone gradually went back to their routine. Mandvi on the other hand containing her excitement and sadness was somehow pulling through. The office was hectic for both of them and although they had been a loving and caring couple, they seemed to have no communication for days in a row. Initially, they did not mind this incommunicado but it definitely started to make Mandvi feel lonely and vulnerable. Her situation worsened when despite being superb at her work and constant assurances from her boss, she did not get her promotion in the job. She felt miserable and inconsolable but she had none to share her sorrows. Her parents, though, her pillars of strength, were in their sixties and she had no intention to discomfort them. 

Being the only sibling, she had received all the pampering and love showered by her parents since childhood but she had been taught to be strong, independent, and unshakable. A few found her strong-headed but she very well knew to distinguish between headstrong and strong-willed and she had always been the latter. 

One year passed, and Sudhir was in a better space now. His work was getting appreciated but soon enough he realized how much he had ignored his wife, his wife who not only had supported him in all his decisions but never put herself in between his work and herself. Sudhir was now repentant and wanted to give Mandvi all the time. He wanted her to join him in the USA so that they could have a normal life yet again.

Mandvi, now after having felt cheated and let down at work and husband, shifted to a new city, Mumbai,  to take upon a new venture where she got a good raise and a better role than what she had been doing earlier. She realized that even promotion in her previous company would not have landed her such a fulfilling and challenging role that she treads upon in Mumbai. All her time was getting consumed by her new job. She felt happy, unconquerable, and alive. 

She did have conversations with Sudhir, but quitting her job was not an option. Months passed and she was doing pretty well in her new job. She now had a new circle of friends and that she really enjoyed herself immersed in this new phase of life. The city breathed new life into her. She now walked with a jaunty pace and she felt a strong sense of youthful exuberance. This showed in her work and in a matter of 1 year, she carved a niche for herself at this new office and she ended up hearing something which she had not thought of even in her dream. Mandvi was about to get some news that would change the gears of her life.

One day, after lunch, Mandvi was summoned by her boss. Anxiety hit her hard as she anticipated nothing as incredible as she was going to hear from him. The reason for her anxiety lay in the fact that although she had the charisma and talent to excel in her job, her previous experience at work had made her somewhat fragile. However, with all the courage she could muster, she showed up. Her manager passed on a friendly smile and said- ``Would you mind if I send you to California for a project. This might be a year-long or even more”. Mandvi was flabbergasted. Did she listen to her boss carefully, she thought. She reasoned whether her boss was asking her if she wanted to grab an opportunity anyone would die to get and finally join his husband after a separation of 2 years who also happened to work in California? At once, she said in affirmation, “Boss, I would love to if you find me good enough.

Her boss replied, “You have earned it Mandvi. You must start planning now as you need to leave in two weeks”. Mandvi was elated and her happiness knew no bounds. She knew she was doing pretty well at work but to this extent, she had hardly gauged. Now all the time she had had in the past felt ephemeral. She not only had to finish her pending work, give download to her colleague, bid final goodbyes to her office mates but also had a lot of memories good, bad, and worse to scoop from the place. 

Mandvi started packing her stuff, getting new clothes and cosmetics, arranging tickets, and saying final goodbyes to her near and dear ones which she managed to do for some but could not for a few others.

Time and tide wait for none. Although we have read these one-liners since childhood, hardly do we believe in them until they really happen. Time had flown and after a span of two years, Mandvi had finally reunited with Sudhir.

So when their neighbor, Harsh, had knocked on the door, it was 11 AM in the morning, too late for someone to be asleep, still. But who cared. It was a Sunday morning and  Mandvi and Sudhir had gone to watch a late-night show the previous night. They had no plans for the day as Saturdays were reserved for all the parties or late nights while Sundays had to be a no-brainer as in any other family.

Mandvi had been in town for 3 months now. And she was trying hard to acclimatize herself to this alien country which earlier seemed to appear very friendly and familiar but she somehow felt not easy around. Not that her husband did not support her or be with her whenever she needed, but Sudhir had developed a strong sense of familiarity with the country unlike Mandvi and he thought of giving some time to Mandvi.

Today, Mandvi and Sudhir had no plans but the unusual timing of the home inspection, a common occurrence in the USA to check for maintenance issues, had made the start with a hiccup. They had to tidy up their apartment in just an hour. Sudhir woke up with a jerk and so did Mandvi. They finished their daily chores and after the inspection was done, they decided to head out for lunch. Mandvi was irked but she was in no mood to cook either which had been the case always, thanks to her little prowess in cooking. 

Mandvi wore a beautiful sea green colored floral dress, neutral lipstick, sunglasses, and block heels and headed out. She was happy, she was strolling along the river with Sudhir by her side after such a long time. She saw people around her adorning equally vibrant colors, equally charming, just a shade lighter but resembled in their ensemble completely. They greeted one another with utmost warmth and familiarity though no one knew each other. Mandvi looked at Sudhir. He too was warm and friendly to them and reciprocated to one and all. Perhaps he knew them, she thought. But that was not the case. She was not yet part of them, she felt. 

Months passed and her life was all routine. She woke up at 7 in the morning, left for office around 8.30 AM, and would return by 6PM. Sudhir had a bit of stretched work hours but he always caught up with her for dinner.

Mandvi, having a lot of time to her favor, enrolled herself in the music class. She thoroughly enjoyed those precious 45 minutes every day. She felt at peace and rejuvenated after the class. Music sessions were meditation for her, it seemed. She knew that Sudhir was always going to be tied up with work as his project demanded of him and she was aware of how important that project was for Sudhir.

Meanwhile, she was doing well at work and now her work demanded of her more than anything. She started spending long hours in the office. She made friends, a couple of them, very close to heart in such a short span of time but who cared, when had it ever been an issue with her.

She was very social and easy-going. She chose to stay with a few people around who were like a second family to her but it was her choice, not a compromise.

With each passing month, she felt a sense of proximity with the country, its people, its culture, its very soul. The process was not so simple though. 

Mandvi noticed that brown people, mostly Indians, who had remained away from their family for years together, had a different sense of pride, pride in their freedom, in their ease to live life on their own terms which seemed understandable for her but it also puzzled her with the fact that did that freedom those people had discovered in this alien country not allowed in their homeland? Was it really worth the price they had paid by staying away from their near and dear ones? She was in a dilemma as she herself felt stuck between her aspirations and needs.

 At one end, she was struggling inside to find answers to all her questions arising from her observations while she was also dealing with a strange problem at work. She had been prepared for such circumstances but she did not anticipate it to come like this. I would say, it was nothing about her work per se but a colleague who had a strong dislike for her. Whenever he saw her, he stiffened. Office meetings used to have him criticize at every single point. Team lunches became an adda for this guy to ridicule her. Initially, she was calm and thought of giving it a pass considering it to be his normal demeanor, but gradually she felt herself at the receiving end of a so-called colleague who was nothing more than a stranger and was strongly vocal at pointing against her, criticizing her ideas and processes, every time she raised a point. His eyebrows arched and his mouth twisted in deep disgust. She had tried many times in the past to converse with him. But he seemed to be unforgiving. Her work had kept her busy most of the time but she somehow felt morally responsible to confront him and clear the air. She approached him smilingly and said, Hi Vikram, we have been in the same office for a year now but we hardly talk. I heard, “ You were sent for this project by Mr. Nanda, from Bangalore, our ex-boss but we never happened to meet back in India. Am I  right? Vikram passed her a smile and said, “ You seem to be knowing a lot about me already.” 

Mandvi felt a sense of relief to see him smile as people had already started talking behind her back about this infamous relationship they had had for no reason. Slowly and steadily, things started to ease out and it transpired that Vikram was two years senior to Mandvi and had been vying for this project for a long time. He was sent for this project  1year prior to Mandvi.  But when he came to know that Mandvi, after having joined the company recently and worked for a little over a year, had got this opportunity, he grew jealous and thought it was more than the hard work that had paid her off that well.

Mandvi, though angry at his revelation, knew about office politics very well. She, also, was aware of the fact that no matter what, patriarchy and male chauvinism were so deeply rooted in our system that it would take forever to change the mindset.

However, the relationship between Vikram and Mandvi improved gradually and became much better in due course. Vikram was married and her wife, Radhika, was a lovely woman. More than Vikram, Radhika had become closer to Mandvi. Years passed, and Sudhir and Mandvi were parents now. They had a beautiful daughter, Rashi. Rashi resembled her mother more than anyone else. The same complexion, little wheatish, big eyes and round face just like her mother. Rashi had changed the course of Mandvi and Sudhir’s life. It had brought them closer to each other in some sense if not completely. 

Rashi was now 7.  It was her summer vacation and unlike the past two years, Mandvi and Sudhir decided to go visit their parents in India. Rashi was so excited and so was Mandvi. She would meet her parents after two years. Packing was done, gifts were bought and they headed for their hometown in Bangalore. It was pleasant in here, neither too hot nor too cold. 

Mandvi had longed for this moment really hard and although her child seemed to be excited about visiting this new place, it was her who was dancing like a child within.

Mandvi was home now.  She felt utter happiness in seeing her parents who had now become a little too old. After all, Mandvi had left the country about 8 years back with a promise to return in not more than 5. She hardly knew that the promise she was making to herself more than anyone else depended not only on her shoulders but also on someone else’s too.

During her stay, she met with all her relatives, her in-laws, her friends. She felt content now.

It was time to say goodbyes as the stay lasted for three weeks and they had no more holidays left. But before leaving, this time Mandvi was resolute that no matter what she would be home soon for good.  Rashi was growing faster and wiser than anticipated. In no time, she was 14. Almost about to go to high school. Mandvi was not able to fathom how fast time had flown for her, her daughter, their life everything.

She was now the vice president at her company, managing a team of more than a hundred people. She was content at work and so was Sudhir who was now the CEO of the company he had been sent to some 15 years back. Life seemed to be very smooth for them but there was a strange feeling of dislike Mandvi had for the country..her place. The same place, the same country that had brought her so far from her homeland. She missed her country, she missed India and she so desperately wanted to go back, she only knew.

While Mandvi was sitting quietly on a Sunday morning at the verandah of her two-story apartment, she collapsed. Her daughter came running to her, shouting Mama again and again but there was no noise. Sudhir and her daughter rushed her to the hospital. The family was writhing in pain and despair as they could hardly understand what had happened just an hour back.

The doctor came out of the ward to tell them that Mandvi was no more. She had been ailing from this terminal disease for quite some time. She already knew but did not want to break this news to her family and her ailing parents. She wanted to see them happy till her last breath. She had left a letter for her daughter for her to read when she was gone. Rashi, sunken in the chair, weeping at her gone mother was left with the letter her mother had left. Rashi was shaken inside but her mother had made her strong-willed just like herself. When Rashi opened the letter, she found that her mother already knew about the disease she had been suffering from for the last three years and that was the reason why she had refused to return to India in spite of her father insisting upon the same.  Mandvi, now gone, had written about her varying feelings, about her journey, her hardships, how different she felt while she was new to this place, She had also written about her victories, her greatest gift, Rashi, and how she wanted her to be a strong independent woman leading life on her own terms.

Rashi was sad but felt proud of her mother. She went back to meet her grandparents, consoled them, loved them, and took them along with her. Rashi is today a 35-year-old young entrepreneur writing this story.

Thank you :)