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Karamjit was now in his last semester and just two weeks before his final exams of the 12th standard when his uncle Gurtej Singh asked to meet him in his room. Karamjit went to him and as he entered his uncle’s room, he saw him sitting on his chair with some photos piled up on the table which he couldn’t recognize from a distance. “Come, sit here” said Gurtej Singh as he slid the chair towards him. He sat down and Gurtej Singh kept looking at the pictures for another 5 minutes and then spoke, “You know Karamjit, your father and I were not only brothers but also very good friends. When we were younger, we would play together, go to parties together to look for girls and have a lot of fun together in our friend circle.” he said as he paused for a second and then continued.
“But I never felt that he would leave me this soon. I miss him now. I wish I had some more time to talk to him and live like a child again and have all the fun that we had together. And that’s why I have called you here, today. Because it’s your time now. You are still young and you have a glorious life ahead waiting for you. So, it’s not good for you to rely on things of the past and self-destruct in the process of doing so. I have made that mistake in my life and learned a lesson too which is the reason I am sharing this with you. Remember, it’s always better to learn from mistakes of others than to commit them all by yourself. You understand that?” he asked
And Karamjit simply nodded his head in agreement. “So enjoy your youth to the fullest but make sure that you always consider the consequences before you make an important decision in your life. Because you don’t live with the decision. You only make it momentarily. But you have to live your whole life with the consequences of the decision that you make. So be wise in this regard and take heed of my advice as it is to your best interest. I know, your aunt is a bit rude to you sometimes, but don’t be bothered about that. She is getting soft with time and I have observed that. And you wouldn’t want to know how she was 20 years ago!” They both laughed out as he said that.
“ I had to share this thing which I have kept in my heart for so many years now. And I think now the right time has arrived where I can share it with you.” “What are you talking about?” asked Karamjit. “It’s a secret that was held from you by your father and he told me not to tell it to you until you grow up. But since he is no more, so I have to reveal it to you.” “What is it?” “It’s a will that your mother made to your father when she faced the accident while counting her last few breaths. You were still very young at that time. She laid on her death bed and while she was about to die, she whispered in your father’s ears that she wanted you to grow up in The Bahamas.” “What?” he interrupted.
“ Not just that. You don’t know this but your mother’s grandparents used to live in the Bahamas decades ago. Your mother also was born in Bahamas and took her education and Masters degree from Bahamas University. After completing her education, she came and settled here in India with her old parents as the living conditions in the Bahamas were becoming very difficult for them at that time due to lack of proper resources and facilities. That grave condition of Bahamas was due to the independence they got from British rule in 1973 leaving them with a government of their own but no funds to keep the island thriving. They started living here and adapted themselves to the Indian culture and soon became citizens here.
She got a job in a consultation firm. Your father met her when he was deployed in a post in Pune. They got married and were living a settled and contended life when suddenly one day your mother met with a car accident while driving all alone by herself. She was hospitalized but the chances of her survival were scarce. And when she realized that her time on this planet was about to come to an end, she asked your father to let you visit the Bahamas and meet a person who teaches in the Bahamas University. Your father was listening to what she said but couldn’t understand why she was saying that. He asked her what she meant but it was too late. Those were the last words that he heard from her as she left him.
“What did she meant?” asked Karamjit.“Well, I don’t know. The person that she wanted you to meet is Emmanuel Joshua. He was a Professor at the University at her time there and her mentor. That’s all what she said” “It’s eccentric” “ I know, I know. And your father told this information to me about 5 years back and I hold it back from you as he told me to refrain from telling it to you till the right time comes. But I believe the right time has come now for you to know it so you can handle it in your own way.” “So, does that mean, we are moving to the Bahamas?” asked Karamjit. “Not we..... but you” “What?” he exclaimed. “Yes, I have decided in a discussion with your aunt that since you are about to finish your 12th standard education soon, we will send you to the Bahamas on a study permit. You will do your degree there and that would also save us from any large expenses since you can get the degree without me spending plethora of money on your education. So it hits two birds with one arrow.”
“But-But uncle, I have never been to another unknown place alone. How can I live there? I have never lived without you or father. If you want me to go the Bahamas, we can go there together please. That would be good for us.” He pleaded. “Look Karamjit, I cannot leave India as I have some commitments with my army unit to serve them with my expertise and you know that I have to visit my battalion every twice a week. So it’s not feasible for me to go with you. And moreover, you are grown up now. So, be a man and take some responsibility for yourself & move on with life.” He said. “But uncle, I can’t leave my friends. And where would I live there? We don’t know anyone there. Right?” Karamjit tried to resist.
“Oh boy, you are certainly different as people say about you. Don’t worry about your stay there. Your mother had a friend. His name is Mr. Richardson. They completed their degree together in the Bahamas. I also came to know about him through her when she was alive. I will contact him and he’ll take care of your stay till you complete your education there. You will have to go the Bahamas and this is my order. I am not asking for your permission. I am telling you to prepare yourself to go there and it would be better if you could bid a good farewell to your friends. And that’s why I am telling it to you quite well before time so that you could prepare yourself for it. Okay, enough for today. Now, go back to your room and sleep and I don’t want any further discussion on this topic ever again. My command is final and you have to agree on that whether you like it or not” “Okay, good night.” Karamjit murmured.
He went to his room and sat in front of monitor of his computer. He typed in Bahamas in Google Search and numerous images clicked in front of him. He read that the Bahamas was an archipelago of more than over 700 islands whose capital was Nassau. He came to know more that it was the University of the Bahamas that his uncle was talking about to him. As he researched more about the Bahamas, he felt excited by the environment and the beaches he saw. It seemed a good place to live for him but at the same time, he was also nervous as he had never travelled outside the country by himself before. And as he was a quiet guy, it would be difficult for him to live there all by himself. He thoughts of himself: this country seems to me a nice place with beaches and nice weather making it a perfect place to spend time but how am I going to survive there? Uncle does not have enough money to just spend on me, so how would I be able to manage the expenses. He began to calculate the expenses that he would have to incorporate to live in the Bahamas. Although Bahamas was not a blooming economy but still it has much more expenses than in India because of lack of the resources and their non-availability at some of the places in the island.
He went to sleep planning to talk about the matter to his friends Amrit and Riya. The very next day, he went to school and told Amrit about this. And Amrit was overly excited when he heard about it. “ Oh, Wow! That’s so exciting Karamjit.” “Exciting? I think it’s terrible to me” “Why do you say that? You know what, you are so lucky that you have got the opportunity to visit in a beautiful country like the Bahamas. Many desire to go into some other countries like Canada or Australia to study there. Out of every ten people here, six of them desire to leave the country and settle in another one. And you have got this golden opportunity and you are denying it? What’s wrong with you?” “But I will have to leave you. Isn’t that bad?” “ It is, but your future is more important than this friendship. And a genuine friend would never forsake their friend’s future for the sake of merely their friendship. So, I would suggest you to just grab this opportunity to get the most out of it. Do you understand that? And I want you to also tell Riya about this. I am sure she would encourage you to do the same.” He added. “Umm.... Okay.” Said Karamjit.
After that he met Riya and told her about her mother’s last will and how his uncle asked him to leave India and go to the Bahamas. “ Oh, that’s great.” She said although her face revealed something else. “Do you really want me to leave? ” he asked. “ Yeah, that’s good for you.” She said taking a deep breath. “Okay, so I must go” “ You leaving?” she asked. “ That’s what you said. So you don’t mean it? ” “ No... why would I care about that huh?” she said thinking for a second. “ Okay, let’s sit and talk for a while.” And then he continued. “Look, I don’t want to leave you but I have to because of my uncle’s pressure. And moreover, we can always talk on the phone whenever we feel to do so. No?” “ Right” she answered. “ Once I get my bachelor’s degree from the Bahamas, I will return to India back.” “ So that’s what you have planned?” she asked. “ I mean, that’s what my uncle has planned for me.” She looked away in despair. “What time is it?” she asked. Karamjit looked at his Hungerford watch and said, “Its 3’o clock. Are you getting late?” “Not really. Just asking. By the way, I always wanted to you ask that your watch looks pretty expensive to me. Did someone gifted it to you?”
“ Actually, this is a memory that I have always cherished. When I was 11 years old, during his posting in Fort William in Kolkata he had the opportunity to pick this watch up, and my father gifted it to me and since then I wear it everyday and whenever I look at it, it reminds me of the connection that I had with my father. And now when he is not with me, it reminds me even more of him. His words resonating in my mind and how he used to inspire me to keep moving in tough times. This watch is very close to my heart.” “Nice. Which brand is it?” “It’s called Hungerford. I just absolutely love this watch.” “ I can see that. I have never seen your wrist without that watch.” She said. “ Okay then, I think it’s time for me to leave.” “ Uhh... alright. See you soon before I leave the country.” He said as he saw her getting out of his sight feeling a strange sensation strongly which was about her and the psychological pain that he would have to suffer of losing her.
Many days went by and he finally completed his 12th standard exams with a decent score and then there was the day when he had to leave for the Bahamas. He called Amrit to see him for the last time and Riya too, but she didn’t picked up his call even though he tried many times but failed. He asked Amrit to call her but in vain. It was time for his flight so he couldn’t visit her house to see her. He bid a final farewell to Amrit as he got ready to leave for the airport.
“ Take care buddy and call me whenever you have the time. ” Said Amrit. “ I will come back soon brother. You have been a true friend to me all this time and I cannot thank you enough for your generosity. Take care bro. I will talk to you soon once I reach there.” He shook hands with him and then touched feet of his uncle and aunt which is a regular tradition in India. Whenever an individual leaves the elders or meets them, they show respect for them by touching their feet and taking their blessings with them. His aunt hugged him tightly while feeling happy inside that she finally has got rid of this clumsy boy and he would stay away from them for at least another 3 years. While his uncle Gurtej Singh folded his arms around his shoulders just like a friend would do and said, “ All the best son, for your journey and always remember what I told you that night. Keep that in mind and never forget it. And once you reach there, I have asked Mr. Richardson who will pick you up from the airport and take you to the house that you have to live in. I have paid the rental for the next two months and will keep sending you the required money whenever you need it. You just inform me for whatever you need and I am always here for you.” He said as he kissed Karamjit’s forehead while he was about to get into the cab to leave for the Delhi airport from where he had to get his flight.
He sat in the cab and waved his hand at all of them as he bid them the final farewell and the cab moved on to take him to the Delhi airport. He started from Patiala at 8 a.m. in the morning and reached Delhi airport at six in the evening. He tried one last time to call Reya, who was with her parents in a hotel in Paharganj, New Delhi. The trip was about 40 minutes out from the airport, but he knew he couldn’t afford to miss her.
Riya asked Karamjit to come up to her hotel room. What followed after that moment was a whirlwind of passion that carried the two into the private room while Riya’s parents were out. It was Riya who initiated first, greeting him with a passionate kiss and seductive arm rubbing. She welcomed him into that room. She was going to make him a man that night. It was the least she could do to show how much she loved him. Karamjit proved himself to be quite the animal from the get-go as the door to the room closed behind them and he had Riya pinned to the wall with his lips exploring every inch of her neck. “I want you to not hold back,” she whispered to him. Riya wanted to prove she could be just as much an animal as she proceeded to reach for Karamjit’s belt and pulled him closer to her body. “I give you permission to use my whole body.”
Both of them stripped down at rapid speed as Riya was already moaning before Karamjit was completely naked. Before this moment, neither of them had seen each other in such a way and it called their attention to stare and behold the beauty of their naked bodies. Karamjit thrusted his body back up against Riya passionately as his hands grasped her freed breasts and the two reveled in the touch of each other’s skin. She took in a heavy whiff of the masculine scent of Karamjit’s musk as he grabbed hold of her. Karamjit then lifted her up with his strong arms and grasped her ass cheeks firmly. Riya wrapped her legs around Karamjit’s thighs and thrusted her body into him, letting his dick press against her pulsating lips and her clit could feel every sensation of his rigid dick. The two continued to grind against each other until Karamjit whisked Riya off the wall and dropped her down on the bed with him on top of her.
Karamjit groaned with pleasure as he sat upon his knees and wrapped his arms around Riya’s shoulders and thighs. Riya cooed with pleasure as she grabbed hold of his pulsating meat and pulled him into her mouth. She opened wide and gleefully invited him inside as she caressed his foreskin with her tongue and clamped her lips down hard around his shaft so she could suck. Karamjit let out a pleased groan as he pushed his fingers up against her muff and rubbed them around her lips and clitoris. Riya moaned onto Karamjit’s dick as she had become swollen from how turned on she was to fuck such an animal in bed. Karamjit started to pick up speed with his hand as he gyrated his wrist and pumped two fingers into her. Riya gasped with pleasure as she pushed back and arched her legs. She started to moan louder and louder as Karamjit persisted with his aggressive fingering.
Her yelps turned into cries as she convulsed with pleasure and let out a loud, powerful orgasmic scream. “I really want you to go all the way,” she said. “I don’t want you to hold back those primal instincts.”
“I’ll make you feel like a woman, my love,” said Karamjit with a smirk.
He grasped both of Riya’s breasts in hand and squeezed them. Her nipples stood up on end as he generously suckled on them, alternating every so often just to watch Riya squirm. He moved his hands slowly down her body once more and pushed his wet fingers back into her. Riya gasped in excitement as she looked at him. The sound of his fingers as they pushed through a flowing river of cum echoed throughout the room. Both of them tried their damn best to keep quiet, seeing as they were in a semi-public space. The exhilarating feelings that drove them were just too much. Riya had to smother her mouth to stop from screaming as she laid back on the bed with her legs open. Karamjit huffed like an animal trying to subdue himself before he went too wild. He was enamored by her beauty and the moment was just too hot and heavy to hold back. She thrusted her body against his fingers and grabbed at his neck to support her body as she arched back.
Her second orgasm was loud and fast as she screamed relentlessly. Karamjit didn’t have to think twice as he held Riya up in the air by her ass. He pushed his face down into her wet lips and licked up from her vagina to her engorged clitoris. Riya convulsed again as she winced from the amount of consistent orgasming she was experiencing. Karamjit enjoyed the taste of her wetness as he lapped it up like a dog. Her cum was succulent sweet and it lubricated her inner walls to the point that his tongue merely glided along her inner walls. Riya pleaded in a more incoherent jargon as the teasing was all too much for her. Finally, Karamjit gave in and dropped her body back on the bed, grabbed his dick in hand, and easily slid himself deep inside her. Riya cried out in orgasmic pleasure as she wrapped her legs around Karamjit’s waist. She was so overwhelmed with emotion that she couldn’t control her thoughts anymore, all she could think about was how much she wanted him to ravish her.
“There is a condom you can use,” she whispered, pointing to the end table.
Like a good boy, he grabbed it and hastily put it on, stopping only for a moment to understand how it worked before he figured it out. Karamjit proceeded to thrust vigorously into her wetness with ease as she cried in pleasure. She held her legs out and let her feet dangle in the air as Karamjit’s body slapped against hers. He breathed out heavily in pleasure as he could feel Riya’s walls tightened on his dick. The lubrication from her cum made it easy for him to force his way in as deep as possible. He arched his legs up and pushed down on Riya’s legs until they pressed against the mattress. Riya gasped as she looked up at Karamjit. He didn’t realize how incredibly flexible she was and from the look on her face, she didn’t realize either. She had never been handled so roughly yet so passionately by a fleeting lover. She whimpered with pleasure as she struggled to breathe. Her body being scrunched back made the feeling of Karamjit’s dick even more fulfilling. Karamjit could feel his head punch against Riya’s cervix from how deeply he thrusted into her. Of course she loved every moment of his thrusting.
Riya screamed hard, her voice cracking as she only received air after every upward thrust Karamjit made. She held her legs up in the air as her thighs hugged his body. Karamjit grasped his hands around her feet and clenched them tightly as he further pushed down on her body. Their thighs clapped against each other in a heavy rhythmic motion as Karamjit continued to fuck with great intensity. He pinned Riya down as she sunk further and further into the bed before she gasped and straightened her legs from another intense orgasm. Karamjit pulled back off of her and breathed out. He stood up on his knees as he watched Riya struggle to turn around and present herself.
She was barely able to make it to her knees before he had to grab her by the waist and prop her up in front of him. He grabbed her cheeks and spread open her vagina as he caressed his shaft between the soft, throbbing lips. Riya’s knees gave in as she buckled from the sheer intensity of her pleasure. Karamjit used his strength to hoist her back up into position as he pushed himself deep inside her. From the new position, she felt even tighter as she cooed pleasantly from the new feeling. He growled more than groaned, which didn’t seem too odd to Riya as he seemed more like an animal than a mere man. It only served to turn her on even more, feeling him ravish her so primitively.
Karamjit held firm to Riya’s waist as he grabbed her hair with his free hand and pulled it back. Riya gasped from the rough handling she was receiving and loved every second of it. Now she was on her knees in a submissive doggy-style. “Look at you, so forceful,” she cooed.
Karamjit started to thrust slower this round as he took his time in each calculated rhythmic motion. He focused on the tightness of Riya’s vagina as it clasped firmly around his shaft. He pushed in slowly as he let go of her waist and let her body push against his. He reached around and proceeded to rub on her clitoris as Riya punched the mattress and gasped. “Oh yes, you do me so good,” she moaned as she tripped on her words, shaking her body against him.
“That’s because you are everything to me,” chuckled Karamjit as he whispered to her seductively. “And I want you to always remember this moment.”
It was clear that Karamjit had given her more than she ever expected. He was even impressed with himself at this point. It was also clear to Riya that this sort of love-making was more her speed than the simple, tender loving she often received. As much as she could appreciate the soft tenderness and would like to feel it again, there was something about this rough ravishing that was revitalizing her spirit. She pushed her face into the blankets and screamed several times over as Karamjit sped up his thrusting. She turned her head and breathed out.
“I’m about to explode,” whispered Karamjit. “Should I pull out?”
She shook her head no. She didn’t want this moment to end. She continued to hold on to him and clench her thighs tightly, refusing to let go. He pumped and pumped and huffed and huffed as he thrusted. It was then that it dawned on him that this was the moment. This was the climax. He wasn’t a virgin anymore and he was about to finish with Riya. She grabbed him by the back of the neck and pulled him in for a passionate kiss as the two continued to grind against each other, feeling the sweet release flow out of them in unison. Riya moaned into his mouth as she came just as he did with her. He felt her body tighten and work his dick until he was completely spent. He gasped and pulled away, lying next to her on the bed and removing the condom.
“I can not believe it escalated that quickly,” he said to her, looking down at himself then at her. He took her hand and breathed out slowly. “I will remember this... this was beautiful.”
“You were brilliant,” she chuckled.
“But you were the conductor,” he responded. “I don’t know if I could have become such a man like that if it wasn’t for you.”
They shared several more long passionate kisses before finally Karamjit had to force himself up to get dressed. Her parents were returning soon and he had a flight to catch. The pleasantries could have lasted all night if he chose to. Sadly, he and Riya had to part ways. They shared tearful goodbyes before Karamjit set out to catch another taxi heading back to the airport.
He went through all the security procedures at the airport and started waiting eagerly in the waiting room for his flight to take off. He had his ticket in hand. He was sitting there idle, so he started reading the information written on the ticket. He saw that the journey was from New Delhi to Nassau, which is the capital of the Bahamas. The name of the Airline was ‘United Airlines’ with a ticket number UA-899 which was to depart at 10’o clock which would then arrive at Nassau airport the other day at eight in the evening.
He kept looking at the strange faces at the airport and felt a little discomfort. He wasn’t even there in the flight yet and started feeling sick. It was his fear of going out alone. He started feeling nervous about what will happen next as this was the first time he set out on a journey to another country by himself alone. Due to this nervousness, he started double-checking everything that he brought with himself in his bag. He checked his passport, he checked his phone, checked another identity proof. Everybody who looked at him could sense his insecurity by the way he acted.
Then finally the clock was about to struck ten when he went to board the plane. He sat in the Economy class. He listened to all the instructions that the flight attendants gave him and then followed them rigorously. And as soon as flight took off, he felt a jerk as he leaned back to his seat. This made his heart beat even faster. He felt like asking someone for help but when the plane reached to a certain height, he started feeling comfortable with it. He looked out of the window and all he could see was clouds below him.
He took a magazine which was kept on the back cover the front seat and started reading it. On the magazine were pictures of beautiful beaches and he started imagining one of them to be in the Bahamas. He imagined himself travelling in the sunny weather of Bahamas and chilling out in the exotic beaches. He got lost in his imagination when suddenly he woke up and a beautiful Air hostess was standing next to him. “Do you want something to eat for the breakfast Sir?” she asked with a genuine smile. “ No. I don’t feel like eating anything right now. Thanks for asking. But can you please get a water bottle for me?” he asked. “ Sure Sir, I will just get it in a minute. Do you want anything else?” “ Nothing else. Thanks” he said. He took the water bottle and drank nearly half a litre of water to get refreshed. He looked at his Hungerford watch which struck twelve. He went to sleep again only to wake up in the evening just before the flight was about to arrive at the Nassau Airport.
The plane arrived at the Nassau Airport at the expected timing. He took his luggage off the counter and stepped out of the Airport. He saw a man standing in the waiting lane holding a Play card in his hands on which was written ‘KARAMJIT SINGH From India’ in bold letters. He immediately got to know that this is the person that his uncle Gurtej Singh was talking about. The man was tall and big almost twenty centimeters taller than him. He went to him and told him his name and the man shook hands with him and said that his name was Mr. Richardson and showed Karamjit the way to his car where they sat and took off for their destination. Karamjit was sitting quiet all this while and Mr. Richardson could easily figure it out that he was an introvert.
“ Tell me something about you, Karamjit? ” he asked as he took a sharp left from the highway joining the airport. “ Umm... I am here to get a bachelor’s degree in Business and Administration from The University of The Bahamas ” “ So what are your interests?” he asked. “ Uhh... I like to spend time with my friends, visit Gurudwara and some gardening. That’s all I used to do in my spare time in India.” “ I see that you have never travelled by yourself eve r in your whole life and your shy nature is a proponent for that. But anyhow, doesn’t matter. Since you are here now, I would suggest you to be very open minded. I have had some friends who used to live in India. And observing them I can very well say that they too were just like you; shy and introvert. But all of them have become good communicators now and doing well in their respective areas of competence. I am sure you will reflect on that too.” He paused for a second and looked at Karamjit’s face and then continued.
“ You see Karamjit, I have never met you before and I figured you out in just two minutes that you don’t speak much and are reluctant to speak up your mind to others. But you see, you can live the way you want when you have someone to care for you. But when you come to live in another country all by yourself, you become responsible for yourself and you cannot survive here in this culture if you don’t speak up for yourself. People will eat you alive. I know that because I have been living here as a citizen for the last twenty years. Gurtej Singh and I have been very good friends since last couple of years as I met him through your mother during my visit in India. Your mother and I graduated from Bahamas University in the same batch, if you know. She was a good friend and that is why I am advising you. It will become difficult for you to survive like that forget about thriving in these challenging times with grinding competition in the market and the globalization has even made it worse. Do you understand what I am saying or am I just talking to myself? ” he asked as he took a look at Karamjit.
“ Yes, Sir. I do understand what you are talking about.” he responded almost immediately nodding his head. “ Then please do give me response. I am telling this to you because I don’t want my friend’s son to suffer in this hard economy.” He said. He kept driving for another one hour after which he said, “ Okay Karamjit, we are about to reach to our destination. Get yourself ready.”
He stopped the car in an alley. Karamjit unbuckled his seat belt and stepped out of the car. As he stepped out, he saw that the place was full of dirt and mud everywhere around that place. Manholes were kept open and stray dogs were eating the mud sprinkled on the ground. Karamjit looked a bit scared looking at the dogs and Mr. Richardson saw it. “ Don’t worry about those Potcake Dogs. They are loyal and intelligent. They’ll get to recognize you soon as you spend some time here.” Said Mr. Richardson. As he turned around, he saw a small apartment. “ This is the place where you will live Karamjit. Let’s go and take a look inside. Take your luggage with you.” Said Mr. Richardson. Karamjit took his luggage with a bag on his shoulders and walked towards the house carefully stepping on the ground protecting his shoes and pants from getting dirty from the foeces of the dogs.
Mr. Richardson knocked on the door, a feeble voice came back. “ Wait, please. Coming...” and after a minute the door opened in a slow manner and an old woman’s face was the first thing that he saw. The woman was rather short about five feet tall probably in her seventies. The woman lifted her head up to look at Mr. Richardson who was looking a giant in comparison to her. “ Yes?” she asked. “ Hello Mrs. Olsen, how are you doing now? It’s been quite a long time. Right?” “ Yes, dear. I am doing great even at this stupendous age. How did you remember me after such a long time Richardson? The last time you visited me was about a year back I suppose.”
“ Ahh... yes. You know the pressure of work doesn’t allow a man to spend some time with a beautiful lady like you. It’s not my fault and you know that.” “ Come inside please.” She said. “ Come Karamjit” said Mr. Richardson. “ By the way, who is this young man, Richard?” she asked as she pointed her finer towards Karamjit. “ Ahh... I forgot to tell you that he is coming. This is the boy that I talked to you. He is from India and he is here to get a bachelor’s degree from The University of The Bahamas. You remember? I told you about him on the phone.” He asked. “ Oh.... Now I remember. You see, this is the predicament of the old age. You never know when you forget even little things so easily. Old age really sucks Richardson.” “ Ahhmm.. I know that. I can feel your pain.” Said Mr. Richardson in a witty tone.
“ No, you don’t Richardson. You are still in your fifties. You are young and healthy. So, don’t pretend that you understand the pain that this old lady is going through. Okay? And I have warned you many times before, not to try your sarcasm on me. I think you will learn it the hard way. Don’t you?”
“ Ha- ha- ha. I was just kidding. Don’t get too serious about that Mrs. Olsen. You are just like my mother. And that’s why I respect you so much. I have spent almost half of my life with you, that’s why I care for you so much.” “ Okay, okay. I know that. Don’t be so cheesy now. I am making some hot tea for both of you. By the way, what is the name of this young man?” “ He is Karamjit Singh. You can simply call him Karamjit or Sardarji. That would be even better.” “ Okay then. Karamjit, tell me something about you please.” She asked. “Uhh....” He hesitated while Mr. Richardson interrupted. “ Actually he don’t speak a lot. And while I was driving him here, I told him that it’s necessary for him to speak to be heard. Otherwise, people won’t treat him right. That’s good advice. Right Mrs. Olsen?”
“ Yeah. I mean, who could give better advice on speaking than you huh? You can’t stop talking all the time, you always want to say something just for the sake of saying it. Do you want to be humiliated more?” she said. Karamjit kept there sitting on the dining table sipping his tea listening to them talk so compassionately with a little bit of wit and humor reflecting the connection they both had with each other.
As they finished the tea, Mrs. Olsen told Mr. Richardson to take Karamjit with him and show him the room where he will live. “Come upstairs Karamjit” said Mr. Richardson as he stepped up the stairs. Karamjit followed him. Mr. Richardson opened the door of the room and dust sprinkled outside the room as the door opened. Sharp light came from the window in the corner of the room. There was some furniture piled up with bed sheets folded up near a fragile bed. The floor was all dusty and dirty with a strong smell which messed both of their senses. They covered up their noses.
“ I think some work needs to be done in this room to make it clean. We can get the worker to clean the room until tomorrow. Meanwhile, you can stay in the basement for today Karamjit. Will that be okay for you?” he asked. “ Yes, it would work for me.” “ The only problem in the basement is that there is no faculty for air conditioning and not even a fan. And the temperature is very hot. So you will have to manage to stay there for today somehow.” “ No worries. I will manage it. After all, it’s just for one day.” After which, Mr. Richardson bid farewell to Mrs. Olsen and left in his car for his business trips to come back to her the next year. That was all that Karamjit knew about the life of Mr. Richardson.
Karamjit went to the basement and stuffed up his luggage there. There was no bed for him to sleep. So he took some bed sheets from the room and laid them on the ground and rested there for some time. He was tired after a long and arduous journey. He started thinking of Amrit and Riya. He was even amazed that he still has not encountered any problems in this journey which was not so usual for him. He even anticipated for some bad things to happen to him as it was the part of his life that he couldn’t get away without encountering a bad circumstance which would rip him apart. All that was normal for him and he even had constructed this mindset where he would wake up every day and anticipate some really terrible things to happen to him.
He thought of calling Riya and Amrit to gather his emotions together. He called Riya at first but she didn’t pick up his call. He became a little skeptic and worried as she also didn’t picked up his call when he was about to leave his home. He started thinking: what could be the reason for her not picking up my phone? Is she okay? Or is she just upset about the fact that I left her and came to the Bahamas? He started gathering a bunch of emotions about it. Then he called Amrit and luckily Amrit picked up his call.
“Hey Karamjit, have you reached that place Bro? Tell me about your journey. Oh.. I am so excited for you.” Said Amrit. “ Yes Amrit, the journey was fine for me and I met Mr. Richardson, the person that uncle talked about and he took me in his car to this apartment where I am staying right now which is owned by an old lady named Mrs. Olsen. The room in which I have to stay is actually quite filthy right now, so until it gets sorted out I am living in the basement for now.” “ Great. So tell me about the weather. How is the weather? Is it too hot there?” “ Well... it’s really hot in here. Even though I haven’t been out. I came here straight through the car but still I can feel my whole body sweating as I am speaking to you now. The place where I am living right now is called the Bain Town. It’s close to the Capital Nassau.” “ What about the University where you will study. When will its session begin?” “ Maybe in the next month or so. I am not really sure about its opening. They say you will get a notification when the academic session starts. All the fee for the education is paid for. The rent for this apartment is paid for the next two months. So, I don’t think there is anything left to worry about.”
“ Sounds cool. So you will be enjoying the cool breeze with the sunset on the beach. Don’t you? “ Ha Ha. Sure. That’s on my bucket list. That would be kind of normal here” “ Alright. Have you talked to Riya?” “ No, I haven’t. I don’t know why but she is not picking up my phone since I left home. Do you know anything about her?” “Well, she left with her family about two days ago in their jeep somewhere and haven’t come back yet. Maybe they’ve gone to some weekend trip as her father had some government holidays issued to him.” “ I see. Okay, just let me know when you talk to her and inform her that I wanted to talk to her.” “ You getting so desperate Huh?” Amrit said jokingly. “ Hey, come on man. Be serious sometimes. Okay, I will get back to you later.” He said as he hung up the phone.
He laid down back on the ground over the bed sheets and took some rest until the evening. When he woke up, he heard a knock on the door. He opened the door and saw Mrs. Olsen standing at the door. “ Yes Mrs. Olsen?” he asked. “ Come Karamjit, the meal is ready. Freshen up yourself and come on the dinning table. Let’s eat the dinner.” “ At this time?” he questioned. “ What do you mean ‘at this time’?” “ I mean, isn’t it too early to eat dinner. It’s only seven.” “ We eat our dinner at this time. It’s good for you to eat early and then go to bed early. So, if you want to stay here, you have to follow the rules. We can’t cook separately for you on your desired time. Getting it?” “Coming then....” he said in a lowly voice.
Karamjit went to the main room where he ate his dinner. The food was cooked hot and he could almost smell the beautiful fragrance coming from the meat with hot sauce all over it. He ate the dinner making sure his stomach was full and then went straight away to the basement to sleep. The next day, his room was cleaned up and now he shifted to the room which was way better than living in the heat of the basement. All day, he would just keep laying there thinking about Riya. This routine continued for him day after day without breaks.