Dear Rudra..... (On Hold)

Moving-in

Author's POV:

(14 years back)

The 18 year old Rudra and his childhood friend Venu has moved into a flat in a reputed apartments near to his college.

The flat has everything, they bought each and every appliances they thought they would be needed. Some of them were like they don't even know for what purpose that thing would be used. When they went to the home appliances shop, the salesman done his job to his best by making them bought more than necessary. Afterall they were loaded.

When they were setting their rooms in their double bedroom flat, Venu's parents come to their flat. The two boys come to the living room to receive them, leaving their work behind. Rudra exchanged his greetings with them while venu went to hug his mother then his father.

"What is this naanna! Do you want to live here? This place is very small. How would you adjust here. In our home I could take care of you. Here how would you manage everything by yourself?" His mom started with crying like every Indian mom, who sent their child away for the first time.

(Naanna means father in Telugu. But it could be used as an endearing, which elders use them for their children with utmost love).

"But mom, we want to experience life other than home. We want to experience reality and we don't want to be protected by you guys all the time. We want to discover ourselves and our capabilities. We want to do something on our own without your name. Please let us do what we want " He stated exasperatedly being explaining the same thing over and over again.

His father was looking at him proudly and gave a little pat on his shoulder with a smile, while his mother gives her husband a heated gaze for the encouragement.

Yes, they wanted to experience something opposite to what they have. So they initially decided to join the college hostel. The hostel which was filled with 7-8 students for a medium sized room, which actually has no room apart from beds and lockers. They had to get up even before dawn to do their morning business and have a comfortable bathing. Or else they had to face hell being stood up in the queue for hours to get their turn for the bathroom. Even they got their turn it has some side effects like awful smell and untidy bathrooms. They had to hurry up because the person who was standing next in line would be continuously banging the door until they come out. All of this were because of the hostel would have a common bathroom to each floor which has 2-3 toilets and 5-6 bathrooms for the entire floor. And each floor got almost 10 rooms.

The hostel mess was another horrible experience. Pappu (dal) would almost look like stew with lots of water in it. Sambar is literally water. The dishes there would be having not enough salt and there would be too much of spiciness in them. The curd almost looks like buttermilk. The chutneys would be like a lump of paste which we don't even know with what it was made up of. The only thing that made us happy is 'fry', which we actually know what vegetable it is and surprisingly it would taste good. But the saddest thing was the item has a limit of servings. Weekly once they would serve nonveg with a serving limit.

Within a week the boys realised it is not a good idea to suddenly being a real life version of 'The prince and the pauper'. So they decided to take it step by step. They realised they shouldn't be exposed to the complete opposite environment all at once. They were well nurtured since their childhood. They never had to ask for anything because everything they set their eyes on would be infront of them the next second.

Their parents want them to go abroad for their studies. But the boys insisted on study in India that too at a normal college rather than a well reputed college. It's not like they were studying at a non reputed college, it was just a normal college, in which the rich students wouldn't prefer to join. The students were almost scholarship sponsored students who were actually smart and barely have money. Since Rudra and Venu were also smart from the young age they didn't had any problem for getting a seat in the college. Since the college has almost all the students with scholarships and no donations, the college was running on funds only. Since the poor facilities for hostel and mess but the education was best.

They want to know how would the people live in normal conditions. They want to start from the scratches after completing their MBA. The two friends were having only one dream from their childhood and that was to start their own business and earn their own name without the support of their parents. They almost think alike in every matter. They wanted to start their career from scratches. They were preparing their business plans from teenage only.

The boys were studied in schools and colleges which scream money from the outside itself. They were attended to high class society parties and official meetings from their childhood itself with their parents. The party's were only for the name sake, in real they were get together meetings to know more business personalities and their backgrounds. The kids were no different as they were used to grown up with same mentality. So the boys feel lucky that their parents were also started from scratches and give them their freedom of choice to do what they want. So the boys never had any friends apart from both of them as everyone else in the rich society were proud about their money and their parents background. They couldn't connect with the other kids in their society as they have different opinions with different things.

The society in which people would be like even doing wrong they can't be wronged, they have people to even lift their finger. They would ready to throw money at every wrong thing they do, the worse was they would never realise their mistake ever. They only allow people of their statuses in their gatherings. They never treated people with less money with respect. They would think like they own the lives of people who serve them. The boys were disgusted with this mentality which their society nurtures and call it as high-class.

The boys were now joined in BBA. They gave their parents an ultimatum of either give them a chance to prove themselves or else in future they wouldn't be inheriting their family businesses. The boys had set their mind from childhood that they would run a seperate business on their own to prove themselves even they were the sole heirs of their families. Though the parents were disappointed by their blackmailing but later give in to their demands.

Since they couldn't adjust to the hostel environment they choose the option of renting an apartment and live by themselves until they complete their post graduation and they asked for two more years to set up their own business completely by their own capabilities.

"But who would take care of cleaning and cooking. You both need someone with you right? Can I stay with you please?" Venu's mom asked them to which Rudra laughed, venu narrowed his eyes and Venu's father glared at her.

"Then what about me?" Venu's father asked with a grumpy voice, to which venu and Rudra laughed more.

"Who told you to stay away? You can come and stay with us too." Her mom declared as her stay was already finalized.

"Okay guys! Enough! No one is going to stay here except me and Rudra. And mom before you started finding reasons again we hired a middle aged aunty for house help. So don't worry. Okay!" He stated leaving no chance to argue. His mother kept a sad face when venu started speaking again.

"Mom please don't be like this. I want to do this, we've already discussed about this. Now I'm not going to change my mind. But I'm telling you I wouldn't be happy if you're being sad like this." He told her in a dour mood.

She left a sigh and went to his room to arrange it without looking at him saying when he came to home he need to listen to her without crankiness and eat whatever she feeds him without being picky.

Then Rudra went to his room to arrange his things at places. Venu's father came into his room and started helping him.

"Uncle! You don't need to! It was almost over." He said awkwardly.

"I know you could do this yourself. But I wanted to help you. You know that you were not less than venu for us right! And you can talk to us whenever you want and tell us whatever you need." He asked more like enquiring him.

"Yes uncle! And I will." Rudra gave a grateful smile to him. They arranged rudra's room in peaceful silence.