Graduation day.... Revisited! It was the day of my graduation! One whole grueling year had passed since I had come into DC. It was also my last day/night in DC before I left for Nepal. Mareea, my Bolivian friend, and I came to the US for the same accelerated program in Education counseling. The year had been rough as we both had fallen ill while practice teaching. And now, it was all over! Time to say goodbye to all and sundry and head back home! "Chitara, les go aan parrti toniie!" said Mareea. "Wha abou hangin ou wee yurr Nepalee frens?". My Nepali friends were a group of Nepali guys, I used to hang around with playing basket ball and hiking; really cool, fun guys.... wonderful! Not having grown up with brothers, adored them. They had sort of adopted me when I had arrived at DC and took me everywhere except to strip bars and guy thangs! Many a times, I was also the butt of many jokes... especially while playing basketball. Every time I dribbled the ball they would hollar....watch out for her nails, manche ko hawa phuskai dincha! Or hiking ma, "Sitara phaint bhayo bhani bokney jimma kasko?". And in exasperation, I would threaten them to line them all up and put bhaitikka on each one! The answer would be, "euta bhako chwank le pani tikka lagayo bhane kaslai jiskaoone?" But they would back off. So, here was Mareea asking to hang out with my wicked bunch of friends! I looked at her said..."Are you sure? Can you handle them? Their merciless teasing??"... She gave a wicked grin and said " Thriee me babeee!". So, I called up my best friends, two who had attended the Commencement...." Aatish, Mareea wants to hang out with us tonight as she is also flying out tomorrow!". Aatish Jhan ke kam " Senoritaaaa Mareea, oooooooh babee! But Sitara, please don't wear your graduation ceremony ko saree to the club hai.... pheri you might be over-dressed ni! haha!" Kyaaaaa mora raicha. So, I thought ok.... I will just shock and awe them! Late evening came..time for me to get dressed. I was still at the small studio apt in Dupont Circle/Adam's Morgan and my dad had come for my graduation. "Daddy, hajur ko shirt ra tie laoonchu ni!". I explained to my dad about my friend's comment on my sari and he started laughing.... "Hey, its your day...go out and have fun!". I wore his off-white shirt and took his best tie, black jeans and black combat-type boots with heels, a female terrorist in makeup! Hehe! boy were those guys going to get a shock! My dad took one look at me and started laughing. Then Mareea arrived.... she looked stunning in a little black dress all ready to go out and boogie. "Chitara, no baad! but, yu won be dancin too mooch too nigh!...if I ware a guy...I woo be scare too as yu..wee those boots!" she exclaimed in her Bolivian accent. I smiled wickedly and said, "you wanna bet Mareea??????" *****************to be continued*****************