“Road trip. To Goa. It’s an eleven-hour journey from here. If I leave today, I’ll be in Goa just in time for the mehndi ceremony. I could surprise Amrit, stick around for a few hours...” Feeling brave, I add, “Hell, maybe I could even stay a couple nights and get back before Tuesday.”
Srishti stares at me for a whole minute, looking absolutely flabbergasted. I expect her to laugh in my face or just dismiss the idea altogether, but all she says is, “I’m going to regret admitting this, but that might actually work.”
I grab her hands, my body vibrating with the sudden thrum of thrill and anticipation that races through me. “You’re serious?”
“Goa’s right next door, so it’s doable, but only if you’re up for twenty-two hours total of road travel, plus a long, long flight back to the US.”
“I also have a layover at London Heathrow.”
“Andthat. Mind you, motion sickness and jet lag won’t be sold separately. They come as a package.”
“I’ll manage. At minimum, I’ll have all of Tuesday to recuperate.” I grip my phone tightly in my hand. “I’m just... so sick of holding back all the time, you know? Like, for once, I just want to do something unhinged.” And if it all goes to crap, that’s okay, because I’ll at least not regret never havingtried.
“It’s going to be epic!” Srishti says proudly.
Ever since I can remember, I’ve brushed off my desires to be stupid and fun because I felt this need to prove to myself that I can bemore. But now that I’ve been accepted to my dream college, I know I’ll have the rest of my life to innovate and heal and change the world and be Dr. Krishna Kumar.
And onlyone summer to be the eighteen-year-old main character of a cheesy rom-com.
The next couple of hours, before Srishti has to leave for Kandivali, we occupy the guest room, curled up on the bed, laptop propped open on my knees. We dissect potential travel and stay options thoroughly, because a badly planned road trip is just a disaster in the making.
If we’re being honest, it might not even end up being a road trip, because my permit doesn’t let me drive in India, much less rent cars. Regardless, I wouldn’t feel comfortable driving on the left side of the road.
But none of the alternate travel options seem viable either. Although the cabs would pick me up and drop me off where needed, they’re way too expensive, and traveling alone with a driver for eleven hours just feels severely unsafe. Buses are cheap, but I’d have to figure out the pickup and drop-off points, and the duration is much longer—I don’t exactly have all the time in the world. And while taking a train would be a fantastic option, there’s nothing available until later in the night, and again, I wouldn’t feel great about taking one alone.
The more we look into it, the more doubtful I get, the initial enthusiasm wearing off. But I can’t bow out now, because there isalwayssomething that could go wrong. I’ve backed out of too many things in the past because of that bothersome seed of doubt that plants itself in my mind at the mention of anything remotely fun.
Like the time I didn’t go to a house party sophomore year because one of my friends mentioned there would be alcohol. I told myself I didn’t need to get caught with a Solo cup in my hand and be arrested for underaged drinking. While the party did get busted, no one actually got in trouble, andIended up spending the night scrolling through my friends’ stories, assuring myself I’d done the right thing but still feeling like shit about it.
I can’t allow myself to do that this time. Not again.
“You know...” Srishti says uncertainly once we’ve narrowed my issue down to two linked pitfalls—traveling unchaperoned and the fact that we aren’t even sure Nani will let me go on my own to begin with—“I’d suggest something, but I know you’d rather eat sand than do it, so I’m going to set it aside.”
“Seriously? You can’t just say that and leave me hanging.” I poke her shoulder repeatedly in the way I know bugs her and will get her to speak up. “Tell me, tell me, tell—”
“Okay,okay.” Srishti swats my finger away. “You could... ask Priti for help.”
I stare at Srishti. “You can’t be serious.”
“Priti’s been living with Nani for two years now. She’s your age, and she’s stayed out all night lots of times because she has a ready excuse—college fests. I’m, like, a hundred percent sure she doesn’t go to college fests every time, but Nani wouldn’t know, right?”
“Are you saying I should ask her to cover for me with Nani because she’s done it before?”
“No, I’m saying you should ask her tocome alongwith you. That way you’ll be safeandshe’ll know how to get Nani’s permission.”
I stand, needing to get the jittery itch off my body. “I can’t take Priti with me. I don’t want to be cooped up in a vehicle with her for so long. Forget that—there’s no way she’s going to agree to it. She hates me. And if anything, she’ll rat me out to Nani, who will tell Mummy and Papa. I’ll bescrewed.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Srishti says, whistling through her teeth. “Forget I suggested it. Also, I should really take a bath right now. I have to leave in a bit.”
While Srishti heads to the bathroom, I go over my notes again until I’m sick of looking at them.
A couple of hours later, my cousins slowly start leaving, and when it’s Srishti’s and Manas’s turn to go, I pull Srishti into a tight hug.
She hugs me back with equal ferocity, pecks my cheek, and says, “I’ll miss you so much.”
“I’ll miss you too. Please start applying to US universities soon so you can come be with me!”
“Hundred and one percent.” Srishti lowers her voice, whispering in my ear, “Keep me updated on your plans.”
