Yes! My actual medals were three of them. 

My stay in Nepal was coming to the end.  One round of goodbyes was scheduled; I started hastily calling and receiving phone calls.  Kept telling everyone how beautiful the stay had been and I could never get enough of this place.  In the process of saying goodbye, my mom handed me a phone, “It’s your phone nanu, it’s Piyush?”  I was surprised to hear the name Piyush, how many Piyush do I know?  I asked, “Piyush who?”  My mom threw a puzzled look said, “I don’t know.  He says his name is Piyush.” I looked at TBi and he was busy with kids trying to catch some more Nepali words as Mila was proudly trying to correct him.

“Hey!” Other person rushed before I could even utter a word, as if he recognized my breath.

I said “Hej…”

With a dash of an excitement in his voice, he whispered, “Welcome home or is it already time for me to bid you a farewell?”

I laughed and said, “Ough my god!! Is that you?”

“You!!!!”  he laughed.

With that call, I excused myself to the other room. By the time I came out of the conversation, Tbi already had put children to bed and declared, “I am to reconfirm the ticket for Saturday.”  That meant I had only 48 hrs in this town. I went mum for few seconds and then broke the silence with a whisper, “Can I stay here one more week?”  Next morning TBi and I were getting ready for the confirmation.  I slyly expressed the same that I was murmuring last night after the phone call. He look puzzled. With that look, it was not hard for me to figure out the displeasure in him as he hated when things go unplanned.

Since the day our eyes met, he has almost been a calendar to me.  His punctuality, his skill on organizing schedule, if I sum him up, he is a true “time machine”.  His packing skill is one of the many things that I fell in love without giving it a second thought. Knowing how he will feel within, I still dared to tell him of my plans of extending the stay. 

I suggested that I would keep Gunjan with me and Mila could go home with TBi. The nanny and he could share the responsibility of baby-sitting for couple of hours every day and it was only a question of a week anyways. With the hesitancy, he agreed on my travel plans, even though I could clearly see the displeasure. On 21 Aug 2010, TBi and Mila left for Madrid.   

Half hour of their departure, I dialled 98510...err what was that?  789 and the other two digits. 

“Hey!” the voice on the other end uttered, “I am so glad that you are still around. I am honoured that you took my offer.” Furthermore he added “I will come pick you up for dinner. There is a lot to catch up.” 

 A quick question, on top of my head, I threw “what happened to the girl you were dating?” 

A loud laugh cracked and he announced “I will be at your doorstep at 6.30. Just be ready.”  There was a busy tone before I could say anything.

Thousand of questions loomed in my head.  How he must have been?  What happened after college?  Where did he go?  What about his study?  Where is he settled now?  What are his future plans?  What happened to his parents who were already in their mid 60’s when I went aboard?  With all these questions, I also recalled he was always addressed “Piyush Babu” in his family.  Hurriedly I powdered my nose to make sure I looked the best after all these nine years.  I even doubted my intention.

A loud honk of a car interrupted my thoughts.  I opened the gate, stepped into his car and our eyes met after 16 years.  He smiled and said, “You have not changed at all.” I thanked for the compliment.  Our vehicle left for the unknown destination.  In about 20 min of our drive he stopped his car in front of Sanchayakosh Complex in Thamel and we walked through the busy street of Thamel.  Street vendors came around to make me buy some curio items and he kept laughing on how “bideshi” (foreign) I looked.  Although the streets were bizarre and crowded, we arrived the cosiest restaurant I have come across in recent time. We chose a table by the window.  The smell of the fresh flowers and candles obviously added a beauty to the evening.  While I was browsing the decor, he ordered food for us and a bottle of French wine.  I was amazed that he could still remember I was allergic to certain kind of food.  The dinner was lovely. I guess I missed that alone time after three kids, the third one being one of the busiest investment bankers in Madrid, my husband.  I did not realize how fast the time had passed by.  Most of my questions remained in a question mark itself.  We were too busy laughing on petty jokes cracked.  All of my questions were answered in his weird sense of humor: “Sanskriti, who would spend her life with me?  Why do you think I am still single?”  We laughed again.  I looked at the watch and it was almost mid night.  He caught me while I was looking at my watch and singled out to the waiter for the bill.  He said, “I hate to see you worried. I hated then and I realize I hate it even now. I think I shall head you home.” 

 For the first time, I did not tell my parents where I was. 

To be continued ………