The hustle and bustle of the Mumbai International Airport brought her thoughts back to the present. Anaisha was finally going home to her family in Atlanta, She could not decide if the last six years of her life were the best or the worst. She had been awarded the highest honour for her work on bringing humdreds of rural girls back to school, but she had missed being with her own children and watching them grow.

The TV interviewer had asked her yesterday, “Ms. Anaisha, what will you do once you go back to the USA”? “I don’t really know”, was all she could answer. The memorable events of her life were playing on the screen of her mind.

The year was 1995. Anaisha was studying Psychology and Social Sciences in a reputed college in Atlanta. Her parents had come to the USA and started a garments business with the help of an uncle many years before she was born. They now had a flourishing business. The only child of the Singhals, Anaisha had a cosy and rather uneventful childhood. Unlike many of her American friends, Anaisha did not leave home at 17. Her parents gave her a lot of freedom, but taught her the Indian traditions and inculcated the love for their homeland India in her heart. An annual visit to the motherland to her grandparents’ house was a must.

Anaisha was an outgoing girl in her early twenties. Fond of dancing and partying, she had a lot of friends but her closest friend was Kiranjeet.  His parents and Anaisha’s parents were friends and they grew up together. They knew each other so well that there were no secrets between them.

“Hey Anaisha meet my friend Neerav, He’s new here and I thought it may be good for him to meet up with some desi friends. Hope you don’t mind I got him along to the party,” said Kiranjeet. “Of course not, you idiot,” she puched Kiranjeet playfully in the stomach.  Neerav just stared at her with awe. She was the prettiest girl he had seen in his life.  This was the first of Neerav’s innumerable visits to Anaisha’s home. Neerav had come to do his Masters after graduating in India.  “Come son, have a drink with me”, Anaisha’s father told Neerav. “Thanks uncle. I don’t drink” he said. “No problem, come we can stand in the balcony while I smoke and we can chat. I’m assuming you don’t smoke either”. Neerav nodded in affirmation. “My daughter is a tomboy. She is like the son I never had. Sometimes I’m scared when she picks up fights with the local goons.”

Neerav had become a regular visitor at Anaisha’s home on weekends. Anaisha’s mother ensured she fed him the best Indian dishes and showered lots of love so that he did not miss home. Anaisha found Neerav too serious but she enjoyed talking with him whenever they met. Neerav on the other hand had fallen in love with Anaisha but never revealed it explicitly.

“Ready to leave?” Anaisha stared at Neerav. In casual attire, he looked handsome and cool. “Wow!” she said. ‘Bye Dad, bye Mom, see you tomorrow. We are partying in Kiranjeet’s house. Anaisha held Neerav’s hand and led him towards the car. She handed the keys to him and said, “You drive, as I’m going to get drunk today.” The party at Kiranjeet’s house was like any other which Neerav had attended in the last two years. But today something strange happened. “I love you Neerav” Anaisha said with a little slur in her voice and she passionately kissed him.  The next morning while driving her home, Neerav asked Anaisha, “Had fun?” She just smiled.  “Do you remember anything about yesterday?” she again smiled and said “Did I drink too much?”. Neerav was not sure if he should tell her and decided not to.

“Come in my boy, so how was your interview?” Mr Singhal asked Neerav. Neerav looked dejected. “Uncle I will get the job but there is a problem with my visa status. I really wanted this job…”. “Why do you worry, Anaisha is an American citizen, you can marry her and automatically get citizenship. Both of you have been friends now for two years and I can see you are both very fond of each other.”

“You chor Neerav, you took away my sweet girl. I love her so much. Ensure you always keep her happy otherwise I’ll kill you!” Kiranjeet hugged Neerav and Anaisha. It was their wedding day, “I never understood why you girls always fall for serious guys,” Kiranjeet said with a twinkle in his eyes.

After honeymooning in Mauritius, Neerav and Anaisha travelled to India so that Neerav could introduce his new wife to his parents. Anaisha was struggling to hold the saree together. “Are you sure I should dress like this?” she asked Neerav. “Don’t worry my darling, its only till you meet Ma and Papa, as this is your first meeting. Remember to touch their feet as a mark of respect.” Anaisha had never done that before. She rolled her eyes as they stepped out of the car when she saw his house. “You stay in this palace?” Anaisha asked Neerav.  “Haveli my dear, this was built by my great grandfather”. 

“Ma, Papa this is your daughter in law Anaisha”, Neerav introduced Anaisha to is parents. Anaisha smiled and joined her hands in a namaste.  Neerav nudged her and they both bent to touch his parent’s feet.  Neerav’s mother just tapped Anaisha’s shoulder and hugged Neerav saying, “Whatever is your choice, we have to accept it now”. Anaisha felt hurt. Neerav’s father changed the topic and asked them to make themselves comfortable in Neerav’s room. Anaisha had tears in her eyes. “If I knew you were from a Royal family and your parents are so orthodox, I’d never say yes to marrying you.” Neerav took her close and said, “Don’t ever think like that. For me, you are the world and once we are back all this will be behind us”.

A decade later, Neerav was a senior executive in a financial firm and Anaisha had spent her days bringing up her 8-year old son and 5-year old daughter.

Anaisha was waiting for Neerav to return from work. “Neerav I’ve got the job. They want me to join them in India, work for 18 months, and then, once the systems are in place, I can work remotely from here”.  Neerav was thinking of how he would manage bringing up two small kids alone. He knew this was Anaisha’s dream job. He remembered how she had agreed to marry him when he wanted his dream job.  It was his turn now to return the favour. He hugged her and said, “Go ahead, I’m sure you will do a great job and be back with us soon and with internet and connectivity we will be in constant touch”.

It was already six years since Anaisha had come to India. Her company had tasked her with developing the school in a remote village in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The school had a high rate of girls dropping out after 5^th grade.  Anaisha had the responsibility to get the school infrastructure improved as well as convince the parents of those girls that they should send their daughters to study in higher classes. The villagers were very orthodox and firmly believed that daughters are a burden and need to be married off as soon as possible.

Anaisha worked very hard to complete her project. Neerav and her kids visited her for short trips once in a few months. But the visits were too short and invariably Anaisha cried for hours after they left.

Rhea finished her class and came to the staff room. Anaisha was waiting for her. Rhea looked disturbed. “What happened?”, Anaisha wanted to know. “His parents found out about us, and are now insisting Viresh cannot work here anymore. They want him to join politics”. “And what did Viresh say?” Anaisha asked Rhea.  “He said he’ll leave the world for me, but I know his folks are very dangerous and can go to any extent.”  Rhea had joined the school two years ago as a teacher. Viresh had come to help Anaisha as a volunteer in her work.

Anaisha with the help of her company had managed to improve the facilities in the school and Viresh and Rhea had worked closely with her to achieve this. In working on the project with Anaisha, Viresh and Rhea had fallen in love.  He was the son of the local MLA.

Rhea belonged to a lower caste and a poor family. Anaisha remembered how orthodoxy and difference in cultures had troubled her in her life. It looked as if the same was happening with Viresh and Rhea.

“Please Rhea, lets elope and get married. You know my folks will never let us live in peace here". Viresh had tears in his eyes. 

Rhea stood at the bus stop for almost the entire night, but Viresh did not turn up. As she was returning home, she saw a crowd outside her house. As she walked in, her father was sitting on the bed with a letter in his hand which had blood marks. “This time we’ve given Viresh a taste of what we can do. This letter has his blood. If your daughter does not leave him alone we may have to write with her blood next time”. The local goons had barged into her house and threatened her father.

Anaisha stepped into Rhea’s home. She read the letter and took it straight to the police station. “You know inspector, they are both adults and have the freedom to marry whomever they choose. Please file a FIR and arrest the goons”.  The inspector had other ideas. “Sorry madam, you are very respected in this area and my suggestion is, you stay out of this”.

Anaisha barged out of the police station angrily. She was thinking whom she could approach to help Rhea when it suddenly struck her. “Hi Kiran, I need some urgent help. Please can you talk to your uncle and request him to help me?" She explained to Kiranjeet the situation. Anaisha had met the police commissioner at a charity function, and while chatting they found out that he was Kiranjeet’s uncle.

The media was in full attendance at the live TV show in which Anaisha was being interviewed for her courageous act in saving Rhea and Viresh. The next day’s papers had the headlines, “Courage wins over hooliganism, MLA had to taste defeat”.

Viresh and Rhea had come to see her off at the airport. They hugged fondly and with tears in their eyes bid her goodbye.

Kiranjeet called her and said, “Hi Anaisha, all sorted? I’m in Singapore, will see you when I’m back. Let’s party once again like we did in the past. And yes, give my love to your serious husband and tell him I often wonder how you fell for him!” they both laughed out loud.

“I’ll be there to pick you up, have a safe flight”, Neerav told Anaisha as he hung up after a long call.

Anaisha felt light and happy on the flight back home. In her six years in India, she made sure hundreds of girls continued their schooling and helped Viresh and Rhea in uniting in love.  The song “Country roads take me home….” was playing on the flight.