the Butterfly Bridge

SanFrancisco,CA:
It was his last day in this office.. ten years was quite a long time to stick to a company.. though he was worried about how he would ever get used to the new company, something else was troubling him more than that..the decision of leaving this place once for all and moving to the 'new' place.. he couldn't term it 'new' exactly..

Chennai Airport:
The flight was about to arrive.. it was half past nine in the night..Though the Chennai Airport was crowded with ppl to receive their nears and dears, the two felt very lonely.. twelve years !!! away from their only son.. the day when he left to do his MS was still fresh in their memories.. they had come with all their relatives and friends to send him off ... they were one among the parents who took so much pride in their children going abroad for their higher education.. but still now they wanted him to come back..12 years was toooo long..

The landing of the flight was announced.. He was at the window seat.. but still he didn't want to look at the view his City had got for him to see.. all he could remember about his city were the extraaa-crowded pallavan buses...so called 'me first' queues at the railway station and theatres.. free dyeing of white shirt to yellow on his bike-ride from his house to college.. the street where thermocoal boats had to be used in the back..no.. black waters..the license he had got without taking a test.. the accident which made him take bed rest for 6 months..(an autowala had come in the wrong side of a one-way and hit him badly).. the kathipara junction traffic jams which had made him miss his exams...But unlike this, the place where he had been for the last 12 years was different.. where most of them had their own cars.. the traffic rules were followed more strictly than words from the Bible.. it had so well-planned roads and lanes.. the driving test there was more difficult than any other exam.. the self-disciplined ppl who would get into queues themselves wherever necessary..his apartment.. the clean air.. oh.. he was missing all of them so badly now..Did he take the right decision in coming back?.. waves of memories and thoughts were rushing in and out..'Sir, can you please fasten your seat belt...' the smiling pretty air hostess interrupted his thoughts.. finally he was there..

His mom and dad looked much older than he had last seen them.. He gave them a big hug.. he could see tears rolling down his mother's cheeks.. happy tears.. soon he was in the Innova he had gifted(online) his dad last year.. after a short conversation with his mom and dad, he turned to see his 'new' City.. wow!!.. first the road.. then the lanes....the new shades of Pallavan buses... the AC volvo bus to Tambaram... and finally the most beautiful Butterfly Bridge..(he was expecting to see the old traffic jam at kathipara jn even at ten-thirty in the night).. Surprisingly they crossed Guindy within minutes..

His mom knew it would be morning for his son now in the 'city' where he had come from.. she came out of the kitchen with a hot filter coffee.. hmmmm.. it tasted like heaven for him... better than any Starbucks'.. he was all fresh now.. set to go for the new job..and the new life.. his NEW developing city and his mom's filter coffee had given him all the enthusiasm he ever needed.. it has wiped away all thoughts of confusion he had in coming back to his 'HOME' city .. :-)

( Note- for ppl who have not seen the butterfly bridge:
this is the Butterfly bridge - it is on the way from Chennai airport to Guindy)