Welcome Home
The cool breeze, the blazing sun, it felt so good. Just the way he remembered it to be. Five years, he waited five long years to be where he was.
Standing in front of the same house which had been his ever-so-warm abode for his whole life, he felt his throat clog with emotions.
Step by step, he gathered the courage to walk up to the door. Wondering if they'd changed the locks after he left, he put his spare key in the lock apprehensively. To his immense pleasure, it worked. The door unlocked and squeaking a little, opened up, beckoning him to step in the place he had so many memories of.
Stepping into the house, he took a deep breath. The fragrance of roses and lavender welcomed him. These were her favorite and their garden always had them in abundance which in turn made their garden a beautiful place to be. This hadn't changed in the past five years.
Looking around, he could almost see his eight-year-old self running from the handsome man that was his father. 'Caught ya!' his father used to say whenever he managed to catch the fast kid and in response, the kid would squeal in delight as his father twirled him around. He smiled at the precious memory.
Walking a little further, he stepped in the main entrance of his home. Looking in at the elongated lobby that led to the living area, he recalled another fond memory. 'Wait Bhayya! Give me back my doll!' cried his twelve-year-old chubby sister even as she chased her fourteen-year-old brother. He chuckled as he remembered that he always ended up making her cry and since he couldn't bear to see his little doll upset, he made up for his teasing by playing dress-up with her. Oh, how valuable those memories were!
He hadn't realized that his feet had carried him towards the living area. Looking around, he saw that it was warm and welcoming, just like her personality. His mother. Roses and lavender decorated in the flower pots on the tables, the deep brown sofa set looked so inviting, and the beige colored walls brought up a relaxing feeling.
On a will of its own, his body moved towards the kitchen. The silver of the appliances and the white of the cupboards freshened up the room. He remembered sitting on the dining chair with his graceful mother trying to make him eat vegetables. 'Maa, please! I don't want to eat this green stuff. I don't like it!' he used to whine, to which his mother always patiently replied, telling him about the benefits of vegetables. God! Even at sixteen, he was so childish for giving his mother so much trouble over his diet. She loved him anyway. A sense of warmth filled him as he realized the conviction of his thought.
As he stepped out of the kitchen, he proceeded towards the door that opened to his room. Entering it, he saw everything just the way he had left it. With midnight blue walls, chic furniture, an LCD hanging on the far wall with bean bags facing it, his room had a contemporary aura to it; just like his personality. He remembered the countless times his friends came over and they played video games. While he was already a pro in those games, he would at times let his buddies win for their happiness. He could almost hear the excited screaming of his friends whenever they won the game.
Continuing his expedition, he stepped out of his room and stood in front of the door which led to the most beautiful as well as sophisticated room of the house. He had saved this room for the last for he knew that when he entered this room, he would never want to come out without spending hours and hours in there. This was the room of the two people who were the most special in his life. He loved them and they loved him. Irrevocably. It was the room of the two souls without whom he wouldn't have been what he was today. It was the room of his parents.
With his heart beating fast and loud in excitement, he slowly pushed the door open. And saw them. Right there. In front of him. In flesh. Not just in pictures and videos as he had for the past five years. Unable to contain himself anymore, he made his presence known by opening the door wider. They turned to him and after a moment's surprise, gave him the smiles which were just as warm as ever.
Putting down her book and taking off her glasses, his mother got up from her bed and walked towards him with arms wide open. Unwilling to let this offer go, he closed the remaining distance and embraced her. 'I'm so glad you're back, son', she whispered through her happy tears. 'So am I, Maa. So am I!' he replied with his own boundless happiness seeking way out through tears.
A throat clearing behind him made him aware of another presence in the room. He looked up to see that his father had gotten up from his rocking chair. Breaking his embrace with his mother, he walked up to his father. Without a second thought, the old man pulled him in a bear hug, crushing him closer and patting his back. As emotional as he was, his father finally said the words he had so longed to hear during his four years of study and another year of work away from this place. 'Welcome home, son. Welcome home!'
And he was home.
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