8PM. Mount Poonamallee High road. Rupa saw buses, trucks, cars, bikes race down the road. As she sat in the LnT stop, waiting for her bus she sat thinking about how her life had changed. Four years old in the IT industry, and she was almost losing touch with her old self. What had happened? She missed her college days, her friends, their last bench gossips, the murukku sandwich from cafeteria, Thahiya madam's Gender Studies classes, the tall, green trees that grew by the English department. She recalled the day when she vacated her hostel, after living the 3 years of her graduate life; the watchman Tatha who helped her with the luggage, the final goodbye to the wardens. It all seemed like a story from the past.Rupa took a deep and uneven breath and looked at her watch anxiously. 8.20PM. This did not look good. If it got too late, then she might miss her dinner. They closed the mess at 9.30 in the night. Another borrowed space, where she paid the rent every month for her food and accommodation. This time she smiled. She paid her rent, bought her groceries, visited her parents once every three months, she was able to bear her expenses and had some savings too. Rupa was happy, in that moment. In the next, 88L screeched to halt, and some people got down. She slung the backpack over her shoulder, and boarded the bus bound for T.Nagar.
