His Brutal Obsession

2

My happiness knew no bounds when I came to know that I finally got into Pratt University. I have always dreamt of becoming a Fashion Designer. Staying in Mumbai, I also thought of applying here, but I couldn’t have developed myself staying here. I also wanted to explore the world. And watching all those Hollywood movies and American web series of course drove me to the city of New York.

To be honest, my family isn't doing very well. My dad is a businessman and mom is a professor at a government college.  But my dad's health deteriorated some years ago, one disease and another. And now, my dad has cancer. So, I was a little hesitant to apply to study in the US, but my parents convinced me to go for my dreams. Last year, I applied to many universities in the US. However, I didn’t anticipate that I’d get into THE PRATT INSTITUTE.

Honestly, I had never been a scholar student, in fact I never liked studying. But seeing my family’s grim condition I decided to work hard and get out of here. So, I can fend for myself and my family. And also, I had always taken interest in fashion and styling. Whatever be the occasion I would always take care of the kind of clothes and the right kind of accessories with them. I was all about fashion and that’s what drove me to work hard and get into one of the best institutes. I was happy that I got the Brooklyn campus. It's the main campus so it’s the most crowded one but I could easily get a job there.

I am a free bird today because finally my day has arrived. Today, I will be flying off to my dreams. I will be off to New York today. My flight was scheduled at 11:40 am. It will be a 21 hours flight and I can’t wait to swiftly hop on the plane and walk into one of the best institutes of design.

My parents and I are going to miss each other. This room, this house will be missed but nothing compares to what I am going to have next. I had already packed all my stuff, checked my passport, ticket and other documents a hundred times over. After taking a shower I got dressed in my favourite navy-blue skirt and white-tank top and a black jacket. I kept my hair straight and wore very light make-up. I decided to go as casual by pairing my look with white sneakers.

When I went downstairs my breakfast was ready and my mother was all dramatic, while my father was swelling with pride. We had our meal and left for the airport. Driving through the streets of Mumbai for the last time made me quite emotional, I was going to miss the vibe of the city but I guess not more would change as NEW YORK is even more crowded. At the airport I didn’t have to go through much trouble as my flight was on time.After bidding-adieu to my parents and Mumbai I was ready for this new chapter of my life.

VINNI MALHOTRA!!!....  The receptionist called my name for the paperwork. After landing in New York exactly after 21hours of an anxious flight, I was not at all tired, due to the excitement maybe. My heart was doing somersaults and I had butterflies in my stomach all ready to fly.

Yes, I was finally here, in New York city. God! I couldn’t believe I was standing in the city of life, the most populous city of America. I couldn’t wait to just go on a quick tour of my city of dreams. Ever since I was a kid, I would watch all the movies and shows showcasing New York, in fact my own room was adorned with all such stuff. However, after my father had to suffer losses in his business our upper-class lifestyle in Bandra was over in a New York minute. However, I am here now and I am going to start afresh.

From the airport I went to the campus to get into my hostel. I was happy with my room. It was bigger than my own in Mumbai. After we shifted from our 4 BHK villa  “Malhaar” in Bandra to a small flat in Andheri west, my queen size bedroom was transformed into a single bed compact one. Yes, it took me some time to adjust for I was habitual of living a queen size life. But I had to adapt to the new mediocre lifestyle. And to be honest it wasn’t that bad, because it taught me how to live with less and be happy with what you got, earning me an added benefit to reside in New York.

So, here I was at the Pratt Institute. Oh my god! I couldn’t put into words what I felt standing in front of the rock -solid building. It was almost as if I had Hogwarts before me. It is a 25-acre wide campus, with a variety of trees encompassing it. I was grinning widely at the thought of even standing here let alone living here. It was like a dream come true.