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08 | the hike pt.1

My life officially sucks.

Network aboard The Starlight sucks worse. "James and Alexa have a nice place," Papa mutters amiably over Skype, and I sit up a little straighter in my bed. "Ghar accha hai."

"Haan, they do. It's a pretty house," I muse. Mummy nods along. This call has been going for thirty three minutes, and nothing has yet managed to break the ice that has somehow seeped into our conversation. My parents want to know all about Juniper Hills, but they are still avoiding my questions on how they're doing. Either they don't want to tell me about it, or worse, things aren't good enough to tell. There's a strong nagging feeling in my stomach that's constantly worried about them. I describe my new school to my parents for the fifth time.

How did all this end up happening to us?

"There are six classes I'm taking," I say. Have you been fighting? I think. Nothing's matching up here. My mother rubs her eyes tiredly, and their laptop shakes dangerously.

"What was that?" I ask, glad for a topic change.

"A big wave, sweetie," she says quietly, and my heart tears itself to pieces. I've not had anyone call me sweetie in so long. Funny it is, when you think how absolutely valueless things are and when they're gone, you miss them like crazy. Like how I miss my mother's evening music. (She's big on classic Hindi songs). How I miss my father's messy shirts lying around in the house. How I miss having quiet dinners with my family at our small teakwood table for three, instead of a five person meal in this house that's as much an event as a Broadway play is.

Yep, Riley Kingston eats here. So it's five people, and it's really not the quiet dinner I was accustomed to back home. "We'll call you soon, beta. Don't trouble your uncle and auntie. Study well, and stay safe, okay? We love you, baccha." They chorus their usual pep talk, and I whip a smile at the blank screen two seconds later.

My parents are upper-middle class people with zero tolerance for indiscipline. I'm sure of the fact that if things weren't at a really, really bad stage with them right now, they would never leave me alone like this. Their way of working things out is quite quirky, I understand, but also hope and pray it works out in the end. I can't imagine my parents without each other. Even though Mummy isn't from India, she has learnt the language and the culture of India like it were her own. Together, my parents are the embodiment of desi parents. Good grades, a few great friends, no boys, no bad habits, no going out alone at night.

I'm all for the rules, really, but my camera looks at me emptily from my bedside table and I realise how I haven't yet gone out to explore the gorgeous Juniper Hills.

I have two options.

I could roam around this alien town all alone, or sleep over my messed up feelings.

For some strange reason, I decide to go to sleep. I lie listening to Katy yell goodbye to Nathan, and just like it has been for the past week, there's a tight feeling inside me that reassures my standing here: I'm just the spoiled rich cousin from the big city who's here for a vacation, with absolutely no problems of her own, making stupid conversations with people who have been forced to get along with me because I'm here for six long months.