Closing Another Chapter #MumbaiMemoirs

I roam aimlessly from one room to another, searching something or may be not.. I don’t know.. or may be I do.. I am looking for the memories hidden in every corner of this house I have been living in for the past one and a half year.
“Did you book the tickets yet? Ready to write the new chapter?” came a text from a friend.
Yes, my one way ticket without any return journey scheduled. Am I happy? I should be. Am I sad? I should be. But I am numb. I book the 10am flight to Delhi. Yes, this was it. I was finally leaving Mumbai, hopefully for Good.
As I picked up my stuff from every corner of the house, one or the other memory would hold me back there for a few more minutes. This is what I wanted, I chided myself as a few tears warned to show up. Yes, it was for good. I tried to put up the smile.
And then pausing the packing for a while, I sat down to give words to my restlessness.

~~~

After calculating and weighing the luggage again for the last time, I sat down with a sigh.
“Everything packed?”
“Yes, I guess so”, my voice shaking a little.
It had been a long day which ended with my last evening in the city. I had been running for the last minute formalities and keeping an eye on the road, constantly aware of the fact that I won’t be here tomorrow. I drank in the sight, less than 24 hours, I observed as I checked my watch. We had gone out for dinner to celebrate my farewell. Random memories kept walking through my mind every once in a while.
We kept talking for some hours, and finally our eyes gave up to the sleep. I hit my bed in the wee hours. It was then when it happened. The memories that had been asking for attention finally won and I couldn’t fight them anymore.
Though sleep was brimming over my eyes, I got up to find peace in these words.

~~~

Amidst hurry and worry about the luggage, I took the final glance at the place that had been my home. It was a weird feeling of numbness that took over, totally different from what I had anticipated. I had thought that it would be a teary farewell, like the one that happened with the ones who had left before me but rather it was happy one. After months of struggle, my heart was finally ready to accept the new life in a new city.
After checking in, I nibbled on some quick breakfast and clicking some random pictures to collect the last few memories of the place that had become quite special off late. It was now time to board the flight. And in another few minutes it was time to take off. A strange numbness has taken over my happiness and sadness. I think what I was feeling was the mix of both.
To escape this numbness, I took refuge, yet again, in the world of words. Writing while flying had recently become quite an obsession.

~~~

I was bidding goodbye to the city of dreams with the hope of realizing mine.